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FREC Greater Minnesota Partnership Racial Equity Conference

 

Friday, October 10, 2025, starting at 8:30 am.

 

Weaving a Wider Community: Seeing and Countering Racism in Our Backyards

FREC Grater Minnesota Partnership Racial Equity Conference

 

Morning Session Featuring

Key Note Speakers

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Mrs. Jenna Grey Eagle is an Oglala Lakota woman and the Director of Strategic Growth & Community Relations at Antiracism Community Transformation (ACT), a Minnesota-based nonprofit dedicated to building racial equity through deep dialogue, education, and collective action. With over a decade of experience in community organizing, environmental justice, and antiracism education, Jenna has worked alongside nonprofits and civic institutions to support system-wide change rooted in cultural integrity and healing.

Her work is deeply grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems and informed by her lived experience as an Oglala woman working at the intersections of racial justice, ecological sustainability, and cultural sovereignty. She facilitates workshops and study dialogues, guiding individuals and organizations in developing cultural responsiveness, dismantling white supremacy, and practicing belonging without othering.

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Dr. Ronald Ferguson teaches sociology at Ridgewater College, where he offers courses in areas such as racial/ethnic studies and social problems. In addition to teaching, he served as one of Minnesota State’s Equity and Inclusion Coordinators. Dr. Ferguson has published papers in several journals such as: Great Plains Sociologist, Sociological Imagination, and Educational Research: Theory and Practice. A selection of works includes the evaluation of the college experience by Native American first year students as well as exploring the parenting process in biracial identity development. He also co-authored the book: “What’s up with the Brothers? Black Masculinity in the 21st Century.” Dr. Ferguson has a long history of pursuing positive change throughout Minnesota as well as ongoing consulting with The Minnesota Group. In addition, he actively serves professional associations, including a previous position as president of the Sociologists of Minnesota. He currently resides in central Minnesota engaging in local efforts related to positive, systemic change.

 

Moderator

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Mrs. Eryn Gee Killough, M.Ed., is a wife, mother, and educator. She has a long-time, ongoing history of striving to stand in the gap as a voice for the voiceless. As an African American living in the upper Midwest, she has come to know the social, cultural and economic challenges that racialized individuals face and how they are impacted by larger cultural systems.

Her journey began almost 20 years ago prior to arriving in Minnesota. She spent ten years in her role as administrative staff at the North Carolina General Assembly. There she witnessed first-hand issues faced by constituents in their perceived lack of agency. Mrs. Killough, M.Ed., discovered common themes through her own increasing engagements with systems' lack of responsiveness.

These experiences led to an academic career in teaching and  writing which allowed her to educate students on how to advocate for and express themselves verbally  and in writing. The scope of her professional and personal work encompasses a range of advising underserved populations often undervalued, marginalized, or minimized by culturally unresponsive practices and policies.

Mrs. Killough, M.Ed., has a number of published journal articles and book chapters that include content from the contemporary relevance of HBCUs to the effects of transgenerational stress disorder on BIPOC in America. Her speaking engagements include Parenting Skills for BIPOC Parents, How to Practice Mental Wellbeing for Those with a History of Pervasive Trauma, and Why Juneteenth Is Important for All Americans.  

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Afternoon Sessions

Panelist:

 

Dr. Hamzat Koriko, “The Connector” is the Community Integration Facilitator for the City of Grand Forks, a pivotal state-funded role dedicated to fostering inclusive and welcoming environments for refugees and New Americans. A recognized leader in community building, he collaborates with local stakeholders, New American-serving organizations, and community partners to enhance integration and cultural understanding. A published author and certified language proficiency tester, translator, and interpreter, Dr. Koriko uses his expertise to break down barriers and amplify voices within diverse communities. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Foundations and Research from the University of North Dakota, where he also teaches courses on Human Experience and Leadership.

 

Ilhaam Hassan, President and Executive Director of New Hope for Immigrants. Moved to the US from Somali as a child. She has started and run several businesses as well as nonprofits, including New Hope for Immigrants. She is fluent in both Somali and English and many new Americans turn to her for help with navigating the complexities of the health care, workforce and educational systems. In her work, she has been instrumental in breaking down barriers and silos in the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks area.

 

 

Speakers

Global Friends Coalition

Mutware Ngomirakiza (Philippe) joined Global Friends in July 2024 to help refugees navigate Grand Forks. Ngomirakiza arrived in the USA in July 2023. He attended Université du Lac Tanganyika in Bujumbura, Burunda to study the science of communication.

Currently he attends Northland Community and Technical College to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. He will graduate in December 2025. As an immigrant, Global Friends assisted him to adapt to a new life in the USA. He is excited and honored to assist new American families. When not studying or working, Ngomirakiza enjoys spending his free time coaching and playing soccer.

Cynthia Shabb is the executive director of  Global Friends Coalition and has been with Global Friends Coalition since January 2011. Shabb earned a B.S. degree in English education from the University of Minnesota, a master’s in Library Science from Vanderbilt University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of North Dakota. She has served as an administrator at UND in several roles prior to joining Global Friends. She has found assisting immigrants the most rewarding.

 

Dr. Renee Cardarelle has been a nonprofit leader and executive director as well as a university professor at multiple colleges. She has also worked in grassroots organizing around racial equity and community building for over twenty years. In 2018 she began working with immigrant populations, including her work with New Hope for Immigrants which began in 2022. She recently started WCI Immigrant Aid in Wright County Minnesota in an effort to offset harms caused by the increase in immigration enforcement.