Dear Community,

We hope this email finds you well - or as well as can be during these times. Whether you're healers, fighters, connectors, or resourcers, we know that every one of you is stepping into the moment in the way that you do best. Food justice is front of mind during this uncertain time. We wanted to lift up two resource compilations from the community: From the Afghan Cultural Society and from the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center. Also check out The Food Trap Project in Minneapolis and Feeding Frogtown in St. Paul.

We're sending you our care and offers of connection during these times. Some of these offerings are listed below.

In solidarity,
The Headwaters Team

What's New this Month?
TOMORROW! Karaoke Night with Headwater

We hope you're all ready for your big moment on stage... because tomorrow's the big day! We're so proud to support and build power with organizations doing bold, creative, and world-building work. Your support for Headwaters fuels community-led grants to organizations across Minnesota! Our grantee partners are leading the way to a better world, whether it's through the arts, youth empowerment, food justice, language revitalization, policy advocacy, or tenant unions - the list goes on! Join us tomorrow night at Black Hart of Saint Paul!

✨ Get Your Tickets here! ✨
Ready to take action? Fuel the Fight!

At Headwaters, the communities closest to society's injustices decide where the money goes. In our fight for justice, this isn't just about what's right - it's also the best strategy. Community wisdom means we can move resources quickly to where it'll make the biggest difference. Collective action has always driven change, so join hundreds of other Minnesotans standing up for justice. Be confident that you are fueling real change by donating to Headwaters this Give to the Max Day - directly (save us the fees!), or through GiveMN.

🌱 Support Headwaters this Give to the Max Day 🌱

P.S. Our gift by check process has a new mailing address!
If you would like to make a gift by check, please mail it to: Headwaters Foundation For Justice, Lockbox 446161, P.O. Box 64183, St Paul MN 55164-0183.
See our Giving page for more information.
Behind the Scenes of Headwaters' Transformation

In case you missed it, we published the first installment of Blueprints for Change! Since 2022, we’ve reimagined how HFJ operates - from leadership structure to pay. We’ve heard from our community of donors, partners, and grantees that they want to know more about the changes we’ve made. This new series is our way of sharing what we’ve learned, what we’re still figuring out, and the tools we’ve built along the way. Our next installment is coming next month... keep an eye out!

🏗️ Introducing​ Blueprints for​ Change 🏗️
Meet Nafyar, November's Featured Artist

NAFYAR is an artist based in Minneapolis whose work excavates colonial histories and pasts. They are interested in post-colonial theory and media, particularly from Africa in a Somali context. Third World Cinema, anti-colonial literature, and Sufi poetry inspire them. They create large-scale oil paintings and drawings while working intuitively and meditatively to process the experiences that have shaped their existence. We invite you to learn more about Nafyar and their piece, "FRANCE? NOTHING GOOD COMES OUT OF IT."

🎨 Learn more about Nafyar 🎨
Rapid Response Fund: Cycle 4 in January

Sending our gratitude to everyone who has applied, supported, and cheered on our Rapid Response Fund this year. As we build out our muscles for fast and responsive resourcing, we hope to see more funders do the same to meet the moment. Thank you for being on this journey with us! Our next cycle will open on January 12th of 2026.
 

Community Events

💃 Ananya Dance Theatre Fall Classes
November - December

Ananya Dance Theatre Fall classes continue! All ages and levels of experience are welcome! Classes include: Yoga Together: an intergenerational Yoga practice;  Yoga: Aligning with Land;  Rhythmic Joy; Move Freely; Circle Up! (a family class); and Water Dances.

🌹 Paint the Town Red Gala
Wednesday, November 12 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Paint the Town Red Gala fuels Rondo CLT’s mission—creating permanently affordable homes, supporting local small businesses, and revitalizing Rondo’s cultural heartbeat. Every ticket, every sponsorship, and every gift helps families and entrepreneurs build lasting opportunity right here in our community.

🛤️ Walking the Path to Liberation
Thursday, November 13 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Celebrate the Open Road Fund and Nexus' 20th anniversary on Thursday, Nov. 13, 10 am – 12 pm CT!
The Open Road Fund fosters Black wealth by redistributing resources, sharing skills around financial well-being, and supporting people as they connect deeply to themselves, their dreams, and their power. Stay till the end for our prize drawing! 

🌌 No Limits to What We Can Build! Celebrating CTUL and CTUL Action Fund
Thursday, November 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Join us for CTUL's Annual Anniversary Gala and Fall Celebration for a lively family-friendly event to celebrate everything we built together this year! This year, workers decided we are done being left to react to the landscape in front of us. All too often the table is set by those in power and if working class voices are not at the table then our rights and needs are on the menu. By aligning our power through base organizing and worker-led campaigns with CTUL, and organizing and mobilizing low wage voters to build political power through CTUL Action Fund we are building and setting the table ourselves. This is how we build power without limits.

🌿 Reparative Healing: Healthcare Reparations
Thursday, November 18 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Political Pedagogy is a facilitated time to hold the truth – that another world is possible. Join us for November's installation at Brookdale Library.

🏫 #BridgingTheGapSeries @ Minneapolis College
Friday, November 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The #BridgingTheGapSeries Student Club is the Minneapolis College extension of Black Community Board MN, focused on connecting students with community and industry leaders through scholarships, speaker series, and engagement activities.

🎊 10-Year Celebration of Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia (IX)
Friday, December 5 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

We are coming together to celebrate a decade of tenant-led organizing, learning, and wins for IX. We are honored to invite our members, allies and supporters to our 10-year anniversary celebration at the First Universalist Church in Minneapolis! Together, we will dance, sing, connect, and break bread in honor of our members, staff, and allies, who remain steadfast and committed to building a housing system rooted in collective care, justice, and power. And, together, we will welcome another 10 years of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with tenants across the city, state and country.

📖 Leaders are Readers
Saturday, December 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Join us for our Leaders are Readers Program at JK Movement. Empower young minds through the joy of reading. Unlock your child's growth through the power of literature, fostering leadership skills and a love for reading. Through captivating storytelling and interactive activities, watch as their imagination soars and their confidence grows. This program will feature Dr. Artika Tyner as she shares her book, Violet Loves Rondo. There will also be a discussion of excerpts from Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. Bring the whole family out for some literary fun, food, and book giveaways.

🎙️ Poetry Slam "Their Eyes Were Watching God"
Tuesday, December 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Join us for an evening of spoken word, storytelling, and community inspired by Zora Neale Hurston's classic, "Their Eyes Were Watching God." It will be a celebration of love, resilience, and Black artistry featuring a special performance by Lutunji Abram, acclaimed poet and community educator. Presented by Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute as a part of the 2025 -26 NEA Big Read.

Job Opportunities from the Headwaters Community

Divine Konnections Inc
🔸 Annie’s House Program Manager
Hourly Pay: $20 - $23

Divine Konnections Inc. (DKI)'s vision is to transform the lives of underserved BIPOC youth & young adults by providing affordable housing and a strong circle of support, empowering them to take meaningful, intentional steps toward their full potential. Through their empowerment, we aim to inspire them to reach back and help others, creating a lasting impact within our communities.

FUTURE OF US
🔸 Program Director
Salary: $65,280 - $74,460

FUTURE OF US is a bold and vibrant force for political and social transformation, empowering young Asian Americans in Minnesota to harness their collective power. We cultivate a space where individuals can explore their identities, build lasting political momentum and engagement, and take action to challenge systemic barriers. Our work is rooted in storytelling, advocacy, and community building, ensuring that young Asian Americans are seen, heard, and influential in leadership and decision-making spaces.
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