Changing with the times to help Minneapolis neighborhoods thrive

Programming supported by Topline Construction Firm, your local woman owned and operated roofing contractor, offering sustainable American-made steel roofing and siding with unmatched durability, roofing, deck, siding, and aluminum seamless gutters. More at Topline ConstructionFirm.com. Good morning. I'm Angela Davis, and you're listening to NPR News. Thanks for joining us. Have you heard of Pillsbury United Communities? If you live in or around Minneapolis, there's a very good chance you've benefited from something that organization does. As one of the largest and oldest nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities, Pillsbury has its hands in a lot of places. Maybe you've gone to an event or a play at the organization's theater in South Minneapolis. Maybe you've... tuned into its radio station, K-R-S-M. or drop by one of its several community centers for food distribution or a dance class. Or maybe your kid goes to one of the charter schools overseen by Pillsbury or was part of its summer internship program. I could keep this list going. But I'm going to turn to my guest this hour to share more of what Pillsbury is doing. This hour, I'm talking with two new leaders at Pillsbury about the organization's evolving role in the community and where it's heading next. We'll hear how Pillsbury brought neighbors. together to support one another as part of the settlement house movement back in the early 20th century and how it brought neighbors together just a few months ago during the federal immigration surge in Minnesota. As we talk, I want to hear from you too. You can call in. Have you or your kids participated in a program run by a local community center? And if so, what did you get out of it? What do you think your neighborhood really needs most right now? Pick up the phone and call us at these numbers. 651-227-6,000. Again, that number is 651-227-6,000, or you can call us at 800242-2828. Let's bring in our guests. Signy Haraday is here. Signy is the new president and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities. She stepped into that role in July after her long involvement with... Pillsbury House and Theater. She's an actor and a director and had been the theater's artistic producing director since 2021. Good morning, Cigney. Congratulations on the new job. Thank you for coming in. Thank you. So good to be with you, Angela. And next to Cigney, we have Antonio Cardona. Antonio is head of advancement at Pillsbury United Communities. He was previously the vice president of career readiness at another influential Minneapolis nonprofit project for Pride and Living. And before that, worked at Pillsbury for 15 years, primarily overseeing workforce development and charter schools. Hi, Antonio. Nice to meet you. Congrats on your new job as well.

Thank you very much. Good morning. Good to be here. Hi. Yes. We're focusing a lot, as much as we can, on solutions. Like, who are the people doing the good things that are helping people live better lives? So I'm happy to have you all here in the studio with me today. Signate, you stepped into the CEO position in July. It's only been, you know, a few weeks. No one's counting. No one's counting. But you've been working at Pillsbury for many years. Why did you want to move up into a broader role leading the entire role? organization. Oh, that's a great question, Angela. You know, I think my first connection to Pillsbury United Communities was actually as an artist almost 25 years ago. And so as that was my door in, I began to understand the power of artistry and community to transform the world. And at this moment, I knew that we desperately needed more transformation, more innovation, more imagination. And so it sounded and felt right to step up into that role to help lead those kinds of transformations for our community. As a journalist, I think a lot about this moment. So how do you describe it? Like, where are we at this moment? That's a really good question, Angela. I mean, I think we're in a hard place. I think that one of the things that we have seen in our community is a lot of hurt and pain and harm. And also, we've seen incredible beauty, incredible opportunities where people show up, hold hands, sing together, chant together, bring food to each other. We've witnessed love and courage in every single way. And I think in so many ways, that's the part of the story that is really important to tell. We can't deny the hurt and the harm, but we also have to lean into the solutions and find ways to wrap our arms around each other. It's what I think we do really well at Pillsbury United Communities. It's what we do in neighborhoods all over the country is that when we look at each other in the eye and we say, I care about you, I'm going to show up for you. Let's make the world better together. I'm thinking about the calendar. It was recently... Was it last week? I've lost track of time. National Night Out. And I saw, I was really heartened by looking at the social media feed. So many people were participating in these neighborhood gatherings. I got to drop in briefly at my own neighborhood gathering. And it was just that reminder that we kind of all want the same thing. It's 100% true. And I think that, you know, in times of division, in times of upheaval, in times when systemic oppression rears its ugly head and is right in our face. We have an opportunity to also turn to the faces of people who live with us, live around us. And it's that linking with neighbors that gives us hope all along the way. We really do want a lot of the same things. And so I think. What's different about the work that we do is it's not just wanting the same thing. It's actually trying to manifest that into doing something. So we work with each other and link arms and we try to find ways for our programs to actually be activated to create the change that people want to see. Because we need action, not just words and thoughts and theories. And words are powerful. I think that's an important place to start.

But it's not the destination. Antonio, you also just started a new job at Pillsbury as head of advancement. And that means... You're raising money, right? It does mean I'm raising money, yes. I know in public media, well, I know what that means, but I just want to make sure our audience understands that. You return to Pillsbury after being away for several years and other jobs, but what made you excited about coming back? And tell me about that. Why don't you want to come back? Yeah, yeah. You know, I joke that this is my third tour of duty at Pillsbury. It was one of my main big jobs when I left college. I think I initially went there in 2005. by one of my long-term mentor, Shonda Smith-Baker, who's now the president's CEO of Minnesota-St. Paul Foundations and just learned a ton from her and the organization, moved to New York for a little bit, to go to grad school, came back and went back to Pillsbury. And so, you know, this is an organization that grew me personally and professionally for many, many years. And so, you know, there's a reason that I keep coming back. And so when Cigney took the helm and I've been consulting for a number of months and it just felt like the right moment. I'd been at PPL for five years, learned a whole new organization, different set of systems. And so it felt like I was able to, you know, kind of apply it here now. So describe what your job is. What does being head of advancement mean? How do you spend your time? So in my scope of work, it's really around raising money, fundraising. We also have public policy in there. So policy, both how we're raising resources, but then also, you know, kind of driving systems change work. None of that sounds appealing to me. You're saying this to me with a big smile on your face. I was like, woo. Oh, it totally gives me energy and joy every day. I love it. And so what are you finding? I asked me, like, at this moment, what's the environment when you look at, you know, people donating money and choosing to fund organizations and nonprofits. How do you describe this moment in time? I mean, it's a bifurcated moment, I think. It's hard and the system of... contributions just looks different. People want to be participatory as younger generation comes up and they're able to donate their own resources. There's different expectations of what giving looks like. Also a shift from a lot of kind of standard philanthropy to donor advise funds. And so it just requires all of us to think differently about where do we go that people want to give and how they want to do that. Because there are, you know, if you're someone who truly cares and has the mean to give, you got a lot of choices because there are just so many needs right now. There are. But in your mind, there's clearly something about Pillsbury United Communities that you think is...

special. And so what's on your heart each morning when you wake up that, you know, you want people to know. Yeah. I mean, I think the special thing about Pillsbury United Communities is the breadth of services and the way that it pivots over time. I mean, you know, being an organization who's almost 150 years old, it's seen expansions, it's seen contractions, and it responds to the needs of local community. And that doesn't mean that. As an organization, we don't have our own tough moments because we certainly do. But I think the kind of open source nature of the organization has really allowed it to continue to survive and thrive. You've opened the door to a little history lesson that I'm hoping that can help us with. Pillsborough United Community has been around for almost 150 years. And I understand you'll mark that a big anniversary in 2029, which is like right around the corner. How did the organization get started? What do you want people to know about its beginnings? And what do you think has allowed it to stay and grow for so many years? What was the beginning? Yeah. I mean, I think it's really important to recognize our histories and our legacies. We come out of the settlement house tradition, which some of your listeners may be familiar with Jane Adams or Hall House or some of the important milestones that really shaped not only our communities, but our governance structure, the ways in which we... teach and learn. The settlement house history has really influenced so many parts of the fabric of society. What is that movement for people who don't know that term, the settlement house movement of the early 20th century? How do you describe what? Yeah, you know, I think the way that I describe it and how I experience it. was at that time we were seeing massive ways of immigration and folks who were coming to this country and who did not have a place at the seat of power and did not have agency to make decisions about the things around them, but also knew that coming together to solve problems was the solution. And so there were early social reformers who came and moved in and lived in community with one another, and that's the house nature that we refer to. And inside of that birthed all kinds of programs. Certainly here in Minneapolis, Pillsbury's proud to be a part of the legacy of the first early education center in the city of Minneapolis. That was a part of the settlement house tradition. But it also looked like cultural preservation and also learning about the new country that you have immigrated to, migrated to, learning how to become a citizen. athletics, so many different ways to engage in civic culture, both internally and externally. And so that happened all over the United States and the movement started originally in London. But I really think that like so many things germane to this country, we make it even better. And so what's your understanding of what Pillsbury was doing in the early 1900s? I think you described a little bit about what would we have seen. Yeah, you know, it's interesting. And Pillsbury United Communities has been the bringing together of many organizations. Some have spun off. Some have stayed together. But maybe I'll just bring my own personal story in for just a moment because my great grandmother was domestic for the Pillsbury's at the time when the Pillsbury's donated them.

The family. The family to build Pillsbury House, which was in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood, which, you know, lovingly has been called, you know, our Ellis Island to Minnesota and has been that for immigrants over generation, over generation. And so I... take myself, and this is the part of being an artist, and so I invite our listeners to walk with me too. I imagine walking into Pillsbury House and smelling foods that were made by the people who understood my culture, who would have the spices that I knew, and I might hear children playing in the hall. I might hear someone learning how to speak English for the first time and feeling what it's like to put those words in their mouth. I might also see people figuring out how to learn a new dance or learn where to go shopping in the community. So many things that helped people find a grounding in what would become their new home. This mirror is what is happening in 2026 with Hillsborough United Canaries. That's exactly right. And that's one of the things about why I think we are still here so many years later is not just I think we, I want to dispel the myth that being around for a long time makes you relevant, makes you worthy means you should be here. I think the reason why we're still here and the reason why, to your point, it looks like our communities today supporting new immigrants as well as historically disenfranchised folks in our community is because community decided that. It's a community decision. We're not an organization that owns community centers. We're a community that owns buildings that serve our people. I want to bring our listeners into the conversation. We're starting to get some phone calls already. We're getting to know Pillsbury United Communities in all the ways this nonprofit organization is working to make neighborhoods across Minneapolis better. My guest today are two top leaders there. We're talking to Cygney Heroday, who's the new CEO and president of Pillsbury United Communities and Antonio Cardonia, the head of advancement at Pillsbury United Communities. You can call in as well and join the conversation. Have you or your kids participated in a program run by a local community center? And what did you get out of it? What do you think your neighborhood needs most right now? And have you participated in a program run by Pillsbury or another local community center? Tell us your story, 651-227, 6,000. is the number to call. Again, that's 651-227, 6,000. Or you can call us at 800-242-2828 in Robinsdale. Erin is listening this morning. Good morning. Erin, what did you want to tell us? Well, good morning. I was so excited to hear you bring up Hillsbury United Communities on my drive this morning because it's something that I am familiar with in my very own neighborhood. Like you said, I live in Robinsdale, which is on the corner kind of cusp of North Minneapolis, and not too far from where I live within biking distance. And right next to our local library, there is something called North Market.

which is this wonderful, small, independently owned and operated food market that Hillsbury United is actually working on revitalizing for our community along with Houston White, who has a business across the street. And I can't say enough great things about this market, which is so much more than just a small, you know, food shop in... and otherwise food desert. But, you know, earlier you mentioned things like dance programs. They have exercise. They have dance. They've had, gosh, during COVID, there were vaccination clinics. They have, you know, small plant markets out in the parking lot. They had a greenhouse trailer. And Wendy's House of Soul, which is an amazing Black-owned Northside business, is still operating space out of there. But it's more of, it's like a community hub. I've been there, Erin. I had the, thank you, Erin. And you sound very heartened by now. And I should let people know you. I had the privilege of covering the opening of the North Market in North Minneapolis, the grocery store that Pillsbury opened in 2017. And, you know, recently, Pillsbury, you made the decision to close it. at least temporarily back in January. But, Cindy, can you walk us through the challenges and, you know, what has been great about North Market, the challenges, and what we can see moving forward there at. at North Market. Absolutely. I mean, I think North Market, and thank you, Erin, for calling in. And if you were ever looking for a communications job, I would love to talk to you about celebrating the stories of Fillsbury United Communities and North Market. You're absolutely right, Aaron. We are really proud of the work, and that was really a lot of community came together to create North Market. Certainly, our former leaders, Shonda, and Adair were instrumental in helping to solidify a solutions base. approach. to what we were seeing in community, which is... So it was a food desert pretty much there. Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, I want to reframe the narrative around food desert, to be honest with you. I think that food desert doesn't actually speak to the dynamic and multi-layered approach to how our folks get food and community. Right. We don't all walk to get food anymore, which is really the premise of a food desert. But what we did have was a lack of resource in our community for our folks to be able to connect, to get healthy foods, to get wellness opportunities. And so the partnership was... really powerful and I think did great work. And as your listeners probably know, the price of food skyrocketing. The cost of running a business skyrocketing. And so as a nonprofit organization with one single store, our buying power is limited. And so due to that and so many other factors, we realized it wasn't financially stable to continue the store in its current.

operational structure. We are exploring new structures and we have been so heartened by community who's come and met with us, told us stories about what could be possible. It's another way to use the building. As still a grocery store. Okay. Still serving our core purpose of bringing food into community, healthy food, also having a place for community to connect with others. Also, as Aaron mentioned, incubating other businesses and community. All of those same pieces are a part of North Market 2.0. And we're trying to figure out what is the best strategy that will have the longest return on investment for our community so that. generation after generation folks can have a resource. So you're keeping your eyes on the many needs of the community. And so when we think about community centers, many people across Minneapolis are touched by the services that are offered at community centers run by Pillsbury. Give us a rundown. Like, where are these community centers located and what goes on in these places? Oh, my goodness. So many things. And before I start to get too deep into all of the places, I don't want folks to feel overwhelmed by all that we do because I think that Pillsbury United Communities is a lot like us as human beings. We're not just one thing. I'm not just a grandmother. I'm not just an artist. I'm not just a leader. I'm a lot of different things. And that is what Pillsbury is. And each time we create a sense of community at one of our community centers, it's inspired and informed by the people and the neighbors who live in that community. So. Four community centers. The first I'll talk about is that Oak Park in North Minneapolis, which is a really important space. It has been so many different things if you talk to residents in North Minneapolis. They're going to tell you their Oak Park story, whether they went to Freedom School there, whether they learned to grow food there, whether it was a place where they took their children to learn. It's been a lot of things in North Minneapolis. Okay. The second center I'll draw your attention to is in Cedar Riverside with Brian Coyle Center, which folks may be familiar with Brian Coyle Center as many people sometimes. call it the Little Mogadishu now as the Ellis Island of Minneapolis and has been home to incredible programs through our relationship with the park board. So there's recreation, there's language classes. There's opportunities for folks to get the care if they've been experiencing domestic violence or intimate partner violence to find resources to help them find a pathway out. There's a part of our whole food system, which I'll tell hopefully more about a little bit later. And then in Wait House, which is in the Phillips neighborhood in South Minneapolis. And there is where the birthplace of KRSM radio was, but it's also one of our great places where people are able to connect with community. around culturally relevant foods. We have one of our food shelves there. I have a community cafe that offers free meals at lunchtime for folks. And then in South Minneapolis at Pillsbury House and Theater, where we have actually expanded the campus in the last year to create the Pillsbury Creative Commons. And that's where we have our early education center, our award-winning theater, our radio station, our upcycle bike shop called Full Cycle, and so much more.

So these are different than city community centers. The programming there is really catering to the needs that you all decide. It's like, this is what this group of folks. Yeah. And I would say not even that we decide, the community decides. Right. So folks walk into our doors with all kinds of ideas. I need. I need legal assistance. And so we've been able to partner with Mid-Minnesota as an example to offer free legal services at both Brian Coyle and Wait House as an example. That's a broad array. You have a lot to talk about, Antonio, when you're talking to people about fundraising. But how do you describe the variety of community centers and all the different services that are available to people? Yeah. I mean, I think it... you know, kind of depends on the person and understanding what their entry point is or what their interest areas. Because some people, you know, are really interested in food justice. Some people are really interested in youth development. And some people are just really interested in broader place-based strategies. And so being able to, I think... meet people where they are. And while to Stigney's point not offer a menu of options, but just, you know, kind of share things in a way that resonate with them. I have a deep interest in economic issues. And, you know, I know that you have a background and overseeing career and workforce development programs. So where does Pillsbury fall in line with that? Like what is Pillsbury doing now and where do you see that work headed, helping people find jobs? Yeah. So it pops up in a. number of places, especially with our kind of older youth development work that we do, you know, linking young people with apprenticeships. You know, Cygney mentioned the step-up interns that we have throughout the summer and really doing a lot of that career exploration and then moving to, you know, kind of more kind of formal adult work. How are you getting connected to certifications? You know, over time, we've had different partnerships with like Minneapolis College, North Hennepin Tech, other institutions. And then also, with the public charter school work that we do as well, especially at the high school level, a lot of the work that our public charter schools do is around career exploration, work-based learning options, and how are young people? Trying to connect them to ideas, get them inspired. I understand that Pillsbury is hosting 100 interns this summer. 100 young people, high school students. You'll be saying goodbye to them in a few days. That's amazing. What have these interns been doing? Oh, my goodness. I couldn't be more excited. excited to talk about anything except for what these young people have been doing all summer. Just last week we had a youth showcase at Bancroft Elementary where all of our youth interns came to share what they were working on. So I'm going to give you a little bit of a ride here around what our interns worked on this summer. So we had a... program in cinematography, where young people were learning filmmaking, editing, sound, lighting, design, and script writing. Our food systems, young people, were working to maintain urban gardens, grow food, and distribute that food to community while also learning to cook that food. And they're getting paid? That is 100% right.

Because we value labor and we need our young people to actually see the value in their work as well. So there is a huge arc, I think, of all of this youth development work that isn't just about the tangible skills while those are important. But we're actually helping to instill a sense of dignity, a sense of pride in community, also helping people learn how to work. Useful skills. I'm sorry, I interrupted you. You're great. Gardening, filmmaking. What else did the interns do? We had girls and femmes in STEM learning about professional cameras and digital photography, printmaking and coding. Our sisterhood boutique, which folks could actually go visit and get a great new outfit. But those young folks were looking at. brand marketing and fashion sustainability, youth entrepreneurship. We also had our growing good interns who were really understanding the life cycle of a plant. How do you grow food? It's an important skill that I think we have sometimes separated ourselves from in community. And certainly our KRSM Radio 98.9 FM interns. That's right. They were amazing. They had their own program on the air called Youth Frequency. So you were expanding their minds. I mean, I'm imagining over the weeks of the summer, you saw the development and just sort of some of these young folks fully blossom. Yeah, I mean, and I see that in so many different ways. Like with our North News interns who are young people working with North News and North Minneapolis, that's exactly right. You know, not only did they learn journalism and editing, but they were expanding their minds because they got to go to City Hall and listen to a debate around an issue. that would directly impact. Are they okay after that? They did. They did. And they came back with beautiful imagery, being able to, you know, think about the way that a picture can tell a thousand words. And also to see the assets in our community and to celebrate the great news stories, not just the hard ones. And we also had our theater tech interns who were learning how to build sets and they created an immersive experience supporting an incredible artist named Queen Drea, who has a performance coming up soon. And they created a whole interactive installation. So there's so many different pieces, our urban agricultural program to arts, so much more. So, Antonio, what's the connection? The money to pay the summer interns, this is part of what you're doing in development. This is part of your fundraising mission. Like, this is what you're contributing to. Just one piece, yes. One piece, one of many. Okay. And through partnership, we should also name that this is a partnership. We work not only with foundations, but half of our funding actually comes from government sources. And so we also partner with the city, the county, the state, and the federal government to help bring services and opportunities to communities. And our summer internship program leverages that as well. It's a strong mix. We're talking about Pillsbury United Communities and the long list of things that they do here in the Twin Cities in Minneapolis. We're with the new CEO as well as the head of development at Pillsbury United Communities. But we're also taking your phone calls. No, no, no, no. What's going on in your community? You know, are there community centers that are doing some great work where you are? What are you getting out of it? And what do you think your neighborhood needs right now that you'd like to throw some attention to? Or have you or your kids participated in a program run by Pillsbury? Give us a call at 651-227,000. Or you can call us at 800 242-2828. I want to be a summer intern again. That sounds fun. And Blaine, let's talk to Laura, who's on.

the phone. Laura, thank you for listening this morning and calling in. What did you want to tell us? Hi, I just wanted to give a shout out to the library system. Even up here in the suburbs where it often feels like there's less community and where city-run-kney centers often cost money. The library has so much programming that's free. There's so much you can check out there besides books, not to say that the books aren't amazing. I have teenagers now, but as my kids' entire lives, we have just gotten... so much enrichment from the library, classes, programming, things that we've checked out. What kind of... We've lived all over. We've used Tennepin County, Rams, the Anoka County. The libraries, the libraries. You've given me a show topic idea, Laura. We should look at doing a talk show about libraries today and what happens there. And you mentioned checking things out. What have you been able to check out at the library other than a book? A sewing machine, rock tumbler, cookware, board games, Wi-Fi routers. There's so much the libraries have available right now. The whole crafting kits. You can check out a book club in a bag if you want. There is just... so much available. I love it. And Laura, I'm going to ask my producers to get your phone number because I'm serious. I'm like libraries today. Thank you, Laura. I am, you know, it does my heart. It makes me feel good to look at ways that community centers, libraries, institutions and nonprofits are trying to get people out of their houses connected to each other. And I think feeling better about the world. And do you see that as well? Absolutely. I think we have a responsibility to create places and spaces that foster a sense of belonging. We as human beings need each other desperately. And so how do we create those places and those environments like Laura described where you can come and get the things that... not only open your mind, but open your heart and open opportunities. In your neighborhood. In your neighborhood. Signy, you... been the artistic director there at Pillsbury's Theater since 2021 before becoming the CEO this summer. Why does the organization want a theater? What does that offer to the community? How do you describe that? That's a great question. I mean, I think for so many people, we understand that we see the world through arts and culture, that arts and culture help us understand ourselves, understand each other, open up the world of possibilities. And really importantly, I think, massage the skill of imagination.

that if we want to see the world in a different way, if we want to have a different outcome for our children and our grandchildren, we have to be able to imagine that it's possible. Arts and culture is the vehicle that allows us to do that and to be in the practice of innovative thinking. And so arts and culture just makes sense inside of community centers because if our work is about... caring for and being with each other. It also means about learning about one another. And arts and culture is a way that we do that. We can see it on stage. We can see it on stage. And, you know, I'll just say a little tiny bit about why artistry, too. I remember early in my career, I did a performance at History Theater. And after the performance, a woman came to me, and she grabbed my arms, and it was a little awkward. And I like to run out after a performance. And she held me, and she looked me in my eyes. And she said, thank you. I've never seen myself on stage before. And that was one of those moments in my life when I realized the power of reflecting the power of seeing yourself and someone else that creates opportunities. So the Settlement House tradition always had arts and culture. And under Ralph Remington, many years ago, a little over 35, the theater said, hey, let's actually take this to the next level and create a professional theater. And with that, we have created a world-class theater that has birthed. tons and tons and tons of artists, small and tall, young and old, world-class plays that have gone to move all over the world. And I think that that is actually one of the things that gets people excited that builds also that muscle of resilience, which is sometimes weaponized against us, but in the world of arts and culture actually is a way to heal. and create new possibilities. So you've been an actor and director for many years, working with mixed blood theater in Minneapolis, Penumbra, in St. Paul. And so the story that you just told, I'm wondering, I know that you were in a show that was important for you. I think I may have seen it. It was called For Color Girls? There was a moment there that was a defining moment for you that I have in my notes. Yeah. Yeah, that was back in... I can't remember the exact year, but probably over 25 years ago at Penumbar Theater. We did a production of Forgothered Girls. And it was really important. And back at that time, there were not a lot of women of color on stage, both locally and across the country. Our voices were absent from the narrative. We didn't feel seen or heard. And so that production actually evoked a feeling a sense of pride and joy. And alongside many of my other castmates, many people that you probably know. But in the dressing room, I shared it with Shea Cage and Jeannie Park. And we said, we got to keep doing this. This is really great work. And back then you went to the Star Tribune in the 550 classified section of the newspaper. And you listed auditions. I remember. Right? And that was where you got a job. And that's where actors got jobs is in the 550s. And we looked for places to audition and they didn't exist. They weren't there. There were roles for other people that didn't look like us, didn't sound like us, wasn't telling our stories. And so we started Mama Mosaic right out of that theater because we said, well, hey, we'll just do it.

And that's been the practice. And so that is one of those defining moments where I realized along with the power of collaboration and collective action that we can do incredible things. And even if it's not there for us, we can make it. So I want people to get to know you personally as the new CEO and the face of Pillsbury United Communities. I understand your father was the first black Lutheran pastor to be ordained out of... Luther Seminary here in St. Paul. Your mom was Norwegian American, and you spent your childhood in Los Angeles until you moved to Minnesota in high school. How do you think you were shaped by that experience, a multiracial, multicultural childhood? Oh, that's an interesting question. You know, I think both of my parents understood that it was important to embrace black identity. And that the hope actually in my name was that you would see the black on the children and we'd give them a Norwegian name so that they would move through the world being able to hold both of these cultures everywhere they went. And... Growing up in that kind of environment where it wasn't a bad thing to talk about race, it was a place where no matter who you were, you were going to be celebrated and opportunities were going to be put in front of you day after day, I think that created a sense of wanting to create that opportunity for other people. My father was a lot of firsts. You know, he was the second black man to graduate from St. Olaf College, the first black man ordained out of Luther Seminary. And my mom, who should have graduated from Augsburg College, my parents met at Fairview Hospital in Cedar Riverside. She should have graduated in the late 60s. And she didn't get her degree because she was harassed out of class for dating a black man. Because of the possibility of transformation and what can happen with building relationship over time, she did get her degree in 1993. But I think being raised by parents who both saw injustice and instead of accepting it said, I'm going to do something different. As we look again at the theater that Pillsbury House runs Pillsbury House and theater, what can we expect moving forward? I mean, I think a fundraising, Antonio, what do you see in terms of the future of the theater? I mean, I think to Cigney's point, I mean, Pillsbury is about so much more than just providing services, right? Not just about giving food. It's not just about, you know, watching young children at the daycare center. But it is about these expressions of joy that really bring people into the fold. And so I think that's what really attracts people to the work that we do, um, is that it's, it's about like, how do you connect with folks? And so when you're thinking about, you know, bringing in resources and fundraising, it's not just about, hey, we need the money. It is how do we do something and build something to you?

together. And how do we invest in ourselves and our neighbors? Would you like to expand? the theater and its offerings in some ways? I mean, I think expansion is always a beautiful idea. Doesn't it feel good in your body when you just stretch and expand? But it costs money. That's why I'm looking at Antonia. I'm like, how are we going to do this? Well, you know, I mean, I think one of the things absolutely at cost resources, but one of the things that we've been able to do, and sometimes we think of ourselves as an irrational organization that defies reductivity because we're able to do so much, so much more beyond the means that it might otherwise look like on that. paper. And I think that's why the theater has managed to ride the storms, the turbulent storms at this moment has brought when we have seen other arts organizations not be able to weather those storms. We've been able to do that, I think, in part because we're telling dynamic stories that are creating connection, as Antonio mentioned, and they're creating possibilities to actually think about an alternative. to find ways to heal, to find ways. And I think the theater is that incredibly democratized space where you don't actually pick who's sitting next to you, but you're now going to have a collective experience. You're going to breathe together. And in that story that we just saw and experienced, you're hopefully, much like what NPR is trying to do, spark another conversation. Get people thinking. That's right. understanding each other a little bit better. That's right. And people can do that with us this fall. We've got a great production called Nina Simone, four women coming back to Pillsbury House and Theater that starts September 5th. And folks can come see this production and see how our lives today are connected not only to our neighbors, but also to a legacy of incredible people who saw the power of art to transform the world. Nina Simone. That is exactly right. In September. In September, starting September 5th through the 27th at Pillsbury House and Theater. How did the federal immigration enforcement surge affect the neighborhoods around you and the staff at Pillsbury as we go back to December, January, February? In every way, Angela. In absolutely every way. There was a time in January where I was coming to the office and I said, Is this going to be the third day in a row that my staff will be breathing in toxic gas? How many days will our parents be ushering our children into the child care? How long will we be driving meals all over the Twin City so that people could get food? How long will we be providing rent support for folks who were too afraid to leave home to go to work? It affected our staff in every single way. Because we are the community. And as I think about that time, people often ask me, well, how did, how did it happen this way? How did neighbors come together in this way? And I think it's because we had been for so long. And I am.

I couldn't tell you how grateful I am to the staff of our organization. They are some of the most profound, courageous, passion-driven people who did so much more than they were ever asked to do, but they did it because they cared and they believed that something better was on the other side. And I think that what Metro Surge has taught me and our staff is that we have been operating in this sort of reptilian brain for maybe six years. And that we have to think about different ways to care for each other that gives our nervous system an opportunity to heal. But what does healing and recovery look like right now when it seems like every month there's a new battle to fight? That's right. I think it looks different for each one of us individually. But at Pillsbury United Community, what we're trying to do, and we're not perfect, but we're trying to gather with each other. We're trying to be honest about the hurt and the harm and not push through and pretend like this incredibly harmful thing didn't just happen. So to be honest about that, and I think if we're honest about the harm and can name the hurt, it allows us space enough to see. what it could look like to feel good. How can we breathe together? I was really humbled. We came together as a staff and learned techniques around. guiding our nervous system at times of dysregulation. In the community centers? In our community centers, our staff came together. And we also partnered with our funding partners and said, hey, our staff needs a break. So we sought resources to help bring in additional staff to help folks take a pause. And that's hard to do when taking a pause doesn't feel possible when the fights keep coming. But what I can tell you is that we will not heal if we don't find opportunities to connect. And so as a staff, we are linking arms together. We're figuring out what does it mean to show up for each other? What does it mean to show up for ourselves? What does linking arms mean? That's a really great question. Because I'm visualizing it. You can see it. It means showing up, Angela. It means walking in and not just saying, hey, but looking into somebody's eyes and saying, how are you really doing? Sometimes, you know, I was at Brian Coyle this weekend. And through a beautiful partnership, there was a lovely day called Day of Dignity that allowed folks who may be experiencing housing insecurity or addiction or something else and needed a place to take a shower with dignity and have a hot meal and be cared for. And I watched one of our staff see someone who was hurting. And she didn't just say hello. She called that person by their name. She said, can I shake your hand? And he didn't say anything, but he put his hands out and they shook hands. And then she said to him, can I give you a hug? I'd really like to give you a hug. And he accepted it. And in that moment, what I saw was how when we meet each other with deep dignity.

My imagination tells me that maybe this person hasn't had a hug in a while, that other people don't look this person in the eye, that other people walk by them on the street, that other people try to invisibleize them. Our work, linking arms, looks like seeing each other for real. When we think about the height of the federal immigration surge and where we are now, things have calmed down, but there's still, you know, things have not calmed down. That's right. But I just want to ask Antonio, what do you see as some of the biggest needs of neighborhoods now following? Metro surge. Harm was done. And what are you seeing now that you really would like to see Pillsbury United communities try to address? Yeah. I mean, I think there's a couple things. There's the people work, but then there's also infrastructure work, I think, to do. And I think to the point of neighbors in communities, you know, there's a long road ahead. And Similar to what humans experience, organizations have experienced the same thing. And so at the organization, you know, it's really around how do we bring a level of infrastructural resilience to ourselves? You know, Cigney mentioned some of our funding mixes, government contracts. Those always don't cover everything. And so how do we have our own internal systems where we can keep going or we can invest resources to offset some of the workload to give people some space and time? Are you hearing a lot of stories about job loss? Yeah, I mean, and things look different. You know, everybody's like days, cash on hand is shrinking across the board. You know, if you take out, you know, higher education and medical institutions, government, federal funding has decreased by 38% across the board. That's a significant loss in a year period. And, Sigme, what do you do personally? I mean, I'm congratulating you on a new job. This sounds heavy. This sounds hard. And clearly you have the heart, the experience, the perseverance, the courage, wisdom to do the work. But how do you take care of yourself? I mean, you're asking me this question, but I think you might already know the answer. I want to hear it. Yeah. So let me. Tell me anything. What is the answer? The answer for me is synchronized swimming. Now, that might, that might make people, I'm dead serious. So a number of years ago, I started a synchronized swimming team with friends that's grounded in black liberation, queer visibility, and equity, and aquatics. Because. You can't just do synchronized swimming. But we did. And with the subversive sirens, for me, that is my self-care work. You know, Audrey Lord says that caring for myself is not self-indulgence.

It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare. And for me, that is what synchronized swimming is. And it's an embodied experience. Movement. Movement. But it's also learning how to communicate while holding your breath underwater with other human beings. Oh, my goodness. We're out of time. And now I've got to process that whole, that whole synchronized swimming thing. Thank you so much. Congratulations to both of you and your new roles. Thank you for the work that you're doing. We've been talking with Cygne Heroday, the new president. CEO of Pillsbury United Communities in Minneapolis and Antonio Cardona, the director, the head of advancement at Pillsbury United Communities. Thank you so much. This conversation was produced by Maya Beckstrom. And remember, it's primary day. NPRNews.org. Go there. Be sure to vote and check in on stream us so that you can get those election results and analysis. Thanks for listening to a recording of my live radio show on NPR News. A reminder that if you want to catch my show in real time, tune in and call in weekdays at 9 a.m.