Life brought me to Minnesota five years ago. My son, a University of Minnesota graduate, told me I would adjust to the winters and the amount of snowfall. And, for the most part, he was right. But, the change I appreciated the most was moving to a progressive political environment. I grew up in red state Oklahoma. Even though it was mostly populated by Democratic office holders (mostly very conservative) during the time I lived there, the tone and tenor of politics eroded into one dominated by Republicans. From Oklahoma I moved to South Carolina for a one-year teaching position and then moved to Virginia. It was nice to be in what is usually described as a purple state and it provided me the first opportunity to see my vote in the presidential election actually go to the winner.

After twenty years teaching at the University of Richmond and Virginia Union University, I moved to Minnesota. The politics are certainly closer to my own philosophy, and I’ve seen the adoption of progressive policies including a free school lunch program for all children, protections for reproductive health and the election of a rainbow of local leaders from various ethnicities and genders.

What I wasn’t prepared for (I doubt anyone was), occurred over the 2025-2026 winter months as agents of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency descended on Minnesota. Ultimately these agents shot and killed two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Those shootings prompted massive protests, not only in Minnesota but across the country. The reactions of the people of Minnesota, including the huge but peaceful protests and the efforts to protect the immigrant communities and care for their neighbors, have resulted the “people of the Twin Cities of Minnesota” being awarded The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award — presented annually by the JFK Library Foundation — for their “extraordinary moral courage in defending immigrant rights and constitutional values during a major federal immigration enforcement surge.” The Twin Cities have also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. This nomination is ironic given Donald Trump’s flagrant posturing and promoting himself as a Nobel candidate. If they were chosen, it would mark the first time a city has won the award.

The people of Minneapolis/St. Paul did not seek the attention thrust on them, nor did they provoke the violent actions they had to endure by the actions of their own government. They set a standard for how we should react to the tyrannical actions of an administration who ignores the Constitution. They should be proud.