We, the concerned citizens of Minnesota and Friends of the Minnesota State Fair, call on State Fair officials to take decisive action now against racism and discrimination at the Fair.

We hold a deep affection for the State Fair. And as proud Minnesotans, we are unwavering in our stance that racism has absolutely NO PLACE at our State Fair.

That's why we're calling on Minnesota State Fair officials to remove vendors selling and promoting harmful, racist ideologies and to institute immediate measures to ensure the State Fair is always a safe, welcoming space for all people.

WHY NOW? 

Every year, the Minnesota State Fair unites more than a million people from Minnesota's diverse communities and backgrounds to celebrate each other and the rich tapestry of our state's cultures, cuisines, histories, talents, and communal spirit.

However, today, visitors are confronted with vendors peddling racist merchandise, fostering an unwelcoming, hostile, and harmful environment, particularly for people of color and Indigenous people. 

One example: The Minnesotan, a new State Fair vendor in one of the Fair’s most heavily trafficked areas, selling Lake Calhoun t-shirts and other “racially coded” wares with signage promoting Minnesota’s “Glory Days.”

This is significant because, in 2017, the lake's name was officially restored to its original Dakota name, Bde Mka Ska, by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the State of Minnesota in effort to address the racial harm of the "Lake Calhoun" name.

In the 1820s, the Dakota name was removed and the lake was named after John C. Calhoun, a former vice president and slaveholder who actively advocated for and designed policies to promote the enslavement of Africans and the forced removal of Indigenous people.

The restoring of the lake's original Dakota name, Bde Mka Ska, was part of a highly visible and deliberate effort in 2017 by Minnesota's leaders and policymakers to take steps to undo ongoing racial harm, honor Minnesota's Indigenous people, and ensure our public spaces are safe, inclusive, and welcoming for ALL Minnesotans. 

However by licensing the Minnesotan as a new vendor and permitting the sale of these items, the Fair is sending a very different message to visitors: Not only is racism tolerated at the Fair, but it is promoted and celebrated.

What's more, by licensing a new vendor that actively and blatantly embraces Minnesota's history of racism and harm as "Minnesota's glory days," the State Fair is promoting racism as something to cherish, normalize, and proudly reenact without consequence. This goes against the very principles of inclusivity, diversity, and respect that the Fair stands for, and it perpetuates ongoing racial harm for Minnesota's people of color and Indigenous people. 

We implore Fair officials to take immediate steps to remove vendors promoting racism, ensuring that the Minnesota State Fair is a place where all Minnesotans can gather and celebrate our unique cultures, histories, and love of Minnesota in a place that promotes inclusivity, equity, and respect for all people. 

Together, we can create a Fair that truly embodies the values of our state.

STATE FAIR OFFICIALS MUST TAKE ACTION NOW 

We, the undersigned, urge the Minnesota State Fair officials to take the following actions to ensure racism and vendors promoting racism have no place at the State Fair: 

1. Implement Rigorous Vendor Guidelines: Develop and rigorously enforce comprehensive inclusivity guidelines and standards for all vendors and establish and enforce a transparent vetting process for vendor selection to ensure NO vendor supports, sells, or profits from selling wares that promote racism, homophobia, sexism, ableism, or discrimination of any kind. 

2. Promote Staff Training and Accountability: Develop and implement clear staff policies, guidelines, and cultural competency training programs that emphasize honoring Minnesota's diversity and providing a safe, welcoming environment that is accessible to all.

3. Increase and Support Vendor Diversity: Commit to increasing efforts to recruit diverse vendors representing different races, ethnicities, cultures, religions, genders, and abilities. In 2019, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights called on officials to build plans, processes, and accountability measures for increasing vendor diversity through recruitment and other efforts. Four years later, no such plan exists.

4. Create a Transparent Reporting System: Create a reporting system that empowers visitors and vendors to report any instances of racism or discrimination they experience or witness from licensed vendors at the State Fair. 

5. Build Accountability Standards: Establish transparent and clear investigative measures of reported racism and discrimination by State Fair vendors, and revoke the licenses of any vendors found violating State Fair standards of promoting a safe, inclusive environment.

By taking these actions, the Minnesota State Fair can continue to be the "Great Minnesota Get Together" where every person feels safe, welcome, and valued.