Activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham to speak at Minneapolis Teach for America event

Teach for America Twin Cities will host a nationally acclaimed activist at its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion event this week.

Brittany Packnett Cunningham, an activist, speaker and member of former President Barack Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, will headline the event Thursday with her talk, “Co-creating a More Just Minnesota,” that aims to give context for Minnesota’s racial disparities.

Cunningham will share anecdotes, data and best practices for building a movement to drive equitable outcomes in education, housing and health care, according to a news release from Teach for America Twin Cities.

“After George Floyd’s murder, everyone was making commitments about how they will do things differently and make it equitable,” said Sheletta Brundidge, a local small business advocate and CEO of production company ShelettaMakesMeLaugh. “We need some lasting change, not just the knee-jerk reaction like after Floyd died. … You can’t legislate change. You can legislate laws, but change starts in the heart.”

Teach For America, which launched its Twin Cities chapter in 2009, recruits and trains educators who teach for two years in underserved, low-income schools.

Thursday’s event begins at 7 p.m. at Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater with tickets starting at $5.

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