UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FALL 2020 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? After the killing of George Floyd, U of M researchers and alumni grapple with the racism in our midst. The pillars senior living Life as it should be At the Pillars of Prospect Park, care and compassion have no bounds. proud partnership with NOW OPEN | SCHEDULE A VIRTUAL TOUR TODAY 612-623-7000 | PILLARSSENIORLIVING.COM/PROSPECTPARK Made possible by members of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association since 1901 | Volume 120, Number 1 Fall 2020 4 Editor’s Note A Hard Conversation 5 Letters Feedback on recent stories 6 Up Front Med school fights COVID-19 misinformation on social media, record patents for U of M, and more 12 Discoveries Safe Voting During Covid-19 By George Beck Plus: Short research updates 15 From the President Lessons from John Lewis By Joan Gabel 18 Where Do We Go From Here? 8 After the killing of George Floyd, researchers and alumni reflect on what comes next. 2 0 The Minnesota Paradox: Are there two Minnesotas, one for whites and one for people of color? By Elizabeth Foy Larsen About the cover At the memorial site for 3 0 When Racism Makes You Sick: Examining disparities George Floyd on 38th and in health outcomes linked to race By Susan Maas Chicago in Minneapolis, 3 4 We Need to Talk: Cochairs of the Black Alumni Network Indigenous artist, educator share their thoughts. By Adora Land and Ernest Comer III and activist Mari Mansfield, left, created the 36 Taking a Stand: Read excerpts of the letter that Mourning Passage led to the U of M cutting some ties with the MPD. art installation, By Elizabeth Foy Larsen and Jael Kerandi featuring the names of people 3 8 From the Ashes: Two U of M physicians reflect on of color killed by the protests and damage to their North Side clinic. police. Mansfeld says, “I aim By Andrea Westby and Renee Crichlow to create dignity and justice 30 through art and action.” Visit- 40 Turning Pain Into Power: Racism exists in many forms, ing the space in June, local and we need to change it. By Holly Choon Hyang Bachman photographer Caroline Yang 42 White Folks in the Fight: Activist alumnus talks about noticed as a girl slowly drifted being a white ally. By Michael Lee back from her family, carefully reading each of the names. 43 Social Media Isn’t Real Life: Getting involved in changing “I couldn’t help but wonder racism requires more than a post. By Alexis M. Murillo what she was hearing in her heart,” Yang says. 46 Off the Shelf Our quarterly books roundup By Lynette Lamb 48 Alumni Stories Alumnus Andrew Pedtke and Alumna Éireann Lorsung. By Joel Hoekstra and Elizabeth Hoover 52 The Last Word 36 Why the Rebellion Began Here By Su Hwang Cover photo by Caroline Yang; street art by Mari Mansfield/@marimansfield, prettyoptimistic.com This page: Brad Sigal (Mansfield), Ryan Peltier (top), Nancy Musinguzi (center), Jack Rodgers/Minnesota Daily (bottom) BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Mark Jessen, ’85 Chair-Elect Scott Wallace, ’80 Past Chair Laura Moret, ’76, ’81 200 Oak Street S.E., Suite 100 • Minneapolis, MN 55455 Treasurer Ann Sheldon, ’88, ’04 Secretary Pat Duncanson, ’83 President’s Designate Bill Haldeman President and CEO Lisa Lewis “Having our wedding at Mary Bany, ’91 Eric Brotten, ’03, ’03 Michael Clausman, ’02 McNamara was such a dream!” Carol Johnson Dean, ’80, ’97 Patrick Duncanson, ’83 Joan T. A. Gabel Alumni Association Chad Haldeman, ’08 Nadia Hasan, ’02, ’06 Life Members receive Brett Heischmidt, ’22 $100-$300 off their Maureen Kostial, ’71 Colleen Flaherty Manchester wedding package. Amy Ma, ’21 Peter Martin, ’00 Call today for a tour Akira Nakamura, ’92 Emilia Ndely, ’11 or visit our website to Peyton N. Owens, III check available dates, Roger Reinert, ’93 Jason Rohloff, ’94 view photos, and Kathy Schmidlkofer, ’97 Ann Sheldon, ’88, ’04 sample floorplans. Betsy Vohs, ’04 Anthony (Tony) Wagner, ’96 in 2021: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ilable GOVERNANCE Ava y 27th, President Joan T.A. Gabel Now bruar s: Fe h Board of Regents rday e 19t Kendall J. Powell, chair Satu Jun h & Steven Sviggum, vice chair 20t March Thomas Anderson, ’80 Richard Beeson, ’76 Mary Davenport Kao Ly llean Her, ’94 Michael Hsu, ’88 Mike Kenyanya, ’19 Janie Mayeron, ’73, ’76 David McMillan, ’83, ’87 Darrin Rosha, ’90, ’91, ’93, ’96 Randy Simonson, ’81 To join or renew, change your address, or get information about membership, go to UMNAlumni.org or contact us at: Photos by Grace V. Photography UMAA-0720 McNamara and D’Amico Catering are following McNamara Alumni Center Minnesota regulations on Covid-19 safety measures. 200 Oak St. SE, Suite 200 Floorplans reflect safe social distancing and Minneapolis, MN 55455-2040 increased cleaning measures are being taken. 800-862-5867 612-624-2323 [email protected] Find your inspiration @mcnamaraevents The University of Minnesota Alumni Association is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employ ment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, 612-624-9831 handicap, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation. Schedule a dental appointment today! Doctor-owned, locally loved* *123 of our 144 dentists are University of Minnesota alumni. Convenient morning, evening and Saturday hours 50+ locations parkdental.com EDITOR’S NOTE EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING President and CEO A Hard Conversation Lisa Lewis Editor IN LATE MAY , as 46-year-old George Floyd nation faces deep schisms exposed by the Kelly O’Hara Dyer died under the knee of a white Minneapolis COVID-19 pandemic, as well as by the racial Senior Editor police officer as three others stood by, our injustices that Floyd’s killing brought to the Elizabeth Foy Larsen state began a seismic shift forefront, trying to find a better, more just Copy Editor that continues to rumble path forward in simply acknowledging that Susan Maas beneath us. our country is different for whites and those Contributing Writers The viral footage of who aren’t white can seem daunting. Holly Choon Hyang Bachman Floyd’s killing, and the But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. George Beck explosive protests that The fact that I’m a middle-aged white Ernest Comer III began soon after, laid bare a woman trying to acknowledge the intricacies Joel Hoekstra Elizabeth Hoover truth that many might rather of the complex topic of racism certainly Su Hwang not face: When a Black man doesn’t escape me. The experiences of Jael Kerandi was stopped for the minor offense of allegedly nonwhite people aren’t mine, but I can work Lynette Lamb using a counterfeit $20 bill at a neighbor- to listen and read and learn and reflect on the Adora Land hood Minneapolis store, he was killed for it. stories of those who live those truths daily. Michael Lee Susan Maas Over the last three months, those Inside this issue, we asked a number of Alexis M. Murillo images and that reality have continued to alumni of color to reflect on this moment in Art Director haunt us. Many white people, some for the time, and to share their insights with their Kristi Anderson first time, have asked themselves, “If the fellow alumni. We also report on research Two Spruce Design same exact situation had happened to me, from the U of M to help add context and Senior Director of Marketing would I be dead?” explanation to the issue of structural racism, Lisa Huber And the answer to that question is very and to explore where we might go from here. Advertising probably, no. But as many Black and other It is my profound hope that we can use Send inquiries to people of color have said over and over and these insights in a way that makes a better [email protected] over again, their answer to that question Minnesota and country for us all. I’d wel- or call 612-626-1417 could definitely be yes. come hearing your thoughts on the subject. WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU Research from scholars at the U of M Minnesota Alumni and others lay out some bitter facts both P.S. Inside this issue, you’ll notice that Minne- McNamara Alumni Center about the Twin Cities and our wider society: sota Alumni capitalizes the word “Black,” but 200 Oak St. SE, Suite 200 Nonwhite people face a deeply unequal not the word “white” when speaking of race. Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455-2040 playing field here and elsewhere when We follow the lead of numerous journalism 612-624-2323 compared to the advantages white people outlets in this choice. The Columbia Journal- umnalumni.org enjoy. They die at the hands of police at a ism Review, a noted arbiter of journalistic Send letters and comments to higher rate than do whites. They face higher vernacular, explains their decision this way: [email protected] poverty rates and worse health outcomes as “For many people, Black reflects a shared Minnesota Alumni (ISSN 2473-5086) is compared to whites. They also face signifi- sense of identity and community. White published four times yearly—in September, cant disparities in educational opportunities carries a different set of meanings; capital- December, March, and June—by the University of Minnesota Alumni Association, when compared to whites. izing the word in this context risks following 200 Oak St SE, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN These deep-seated inequities and dispari- the lead of white supremacists” who have 55455-2040. Periodicals postage paid at St.