TakeAction Minnesota

TakeAction Minnesota is a statewide network of people working to realize racial and economic equity across Minnesota. We do this by connecting people and organizations to each other, turning someone’s individual desire for change – to pass a more progressive policy or law, to improve an institution, to change a harmful idea or perception – into the broad public action that makes change happen where it wasn’t possible going it alone.^[1]

TakeAction Minnesota is the Minnesota state chapter of USAction.^[2] It is a partner of the Center for Popular Democracy.

Previously known as Progressive Minnesota.

Center for Popular Democracy

As of February 20, 2023, TakeAction Minnesota is listed as an "affiliate" of the Center for Popular Democracy.^[3]

People vs. Fossil Fuels

Jamie Henn's Fossil Free Media is organizing "civil disobedience" at the White House October 11-15, 2021 to convince Joe Biden to take executive action to stop fossil fuels through their People vs. Fossil Fuels coalition of far left environmental activists.^[4] TakeAction Minnesota was named as a People vs. Fossil Fuels endorsing national organization.

Backing Nelsie Yang

Elianne Farhat (left, in gray) joins a TakeAction Minnesota phone bank for Nelsie Yang, who won election to the St. Paul City Council in 2019. Yang, a TakeAction Minnesota member, became the youngest person and first Hmong American to serve on the council.^[5]

2020 elections: Taking Stock

Organizing Upgrade November 25 2020.

Some of the best electoral organizers are coming together to take stock of the 2020 US elections and chart the path forward. Join hosts Harmony Goldberg and Ana Maria Archila as they talk to our all-star guests about the tactics that defeated Trump, as well as the strategy for building a progressive majority and governing power around the country.

Featuring guests Andrea Mercado of The New Florida Majority, Anthony Thigpenn of California Calls, Maurice Mitchell of Working Families Party, Burt Lauderdale of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, and Elianne Farhat of TakeAction Minnesota.

Hodges connection

Betsy Hodges’s own biography begins in the wealthy and overwhelmingly white suburb of Minnetonka, but she quickly found her home among Minneapolis’s activist base. After moving to the city in her late 20s, she worked for several grassroots groups, including Progressive Minnesota, the precursor to TakeAction Minnesota. She later served two terms in the City Council, but remained loyal to her organizer roots. “We started together,” says Dan McGrath, who leads TakeAction Minnesota. “Her focus on racial equity is informed by the work she did with people’s organizations.”^[6]

Ellison supporters

Key supporters in the 2006 Ellison Congressional campaign included Dr. Josie Johnson, Dan McGrath of TakeAction Minnesota, Larry Weiss and Pam Costain, John Stiles, Shayna Berkowitz, Carla Kjellberg and Dick Kaspari from the National Lawyers Guild, Vic Rosenthal and Frank Hornstein helped organized the Jewish community, Donna Cassutt of the DFL helped out as did Muslims Asad Zaman, Ziad Amre, Makram El-Amin.

Labor officials such as Javier Morillo from SEIU, Bill McCarthy of the Central Labor Council, and Eliot Seide from AFSCME were also invoved.^[7]