Who We Are
Our shared goal
Vision
A community that values and honors the richness of its diversity creating a place where everyone believes they belong.
Mission
The mission of Many Faces, a collaboration of organizations from the greater White Bear Lake Area, is to strengthen community by providing opportunities to listen, learn, reflect and engage in conversations and actions that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Making connections
Many Faces is recognized as a place where connections can be made with others who share similar goals, and we encourage connections with additional community groups. Through our monthly meetings and as we jointly develop programming ideas, we learn from each other and discover ways to increase our reach into the broader community.
Community events
Community members are invited to join Many Faces partners at events so we can work together to ensure everyone feels like they belong here.
History
Many Faces was formed in 2018 by six community organizations as a collaborative effort to offer the community opportunities to learn about the many populations who have inhabited our area during our history. Our work was preceded by community conversations in both White Bear Lake and Mahtomedi on the book A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota, sponsored by their respective school districts and the City of White Bear Lake.
The original 3 programs
The content of these programs was captured in a 2020 publication, funded with a Legacy grant from the Minnesota Historical Society.
The Original People: Dakota & Ojibwe
Changing Tradition: European Settlers; and Shifting Demographics
Baby Boom & Migration
Now more than 30 programs
We have now done more than 30 programs. Here are some examples.
Thi Bui
Author of The Best We Could Do, discussing her memoir of the journey from war-torn Vietnam.
Equity Alliance
Equity Alliance led a workshop on Racial Definitions 101
Michael Rios
Led two workshops: Understanding Bias and Its Impacts and Power, Privilege and Identity.
What You Always Wanted to Know About Islam & Muslims
A look at what Islam teaches and Muslims practice.
Book Club
A book club discussed Claudia Rankine’s book, Citizen: An American Lyric.
The Art of the Bandolier Bag
The Art of the Bandolier Bag celebrated beaded bags made by the Ojibwe.
30 organizations collectively working together
Today the collaborative includes 30 organizations that collectively work to build community by connecting the many stories of our area through events that invite personal reflection, a broadened understanding of the community, and neighborly interactions. Workshops, art exhibits and demonstrations, book club discussions, community conversations, and interactive experiences are among the ways in which Many Faces and its partners carry out our goal of providing opportunities for community members to listen, educate themselves, and engage in conversations on equity, diversity, and inclusion, to learn about different cultures, and to better understand the role each of us plays in creating a community where everyone believes they belong.
Partners
Century College
City of White Bear Lake
White Bear Center for the Arts
