You're invited to an evening to support

Cultural Jambalaya's Educational Programming

Featuring the 2024 Diversity Award Winner

Voices for Racial Justice

The evening will be hosted by our Emcee

Thomasina Petrus

and will include music by

Regina Marie Williams 

(accompanied by Sanford Moore) 

5:30 pm | Social Hour

6:15 pm | Dinner and Program

Program

Voices Unheard: How Journalists Cover Issues Affecting

Minnesota Immigrants and Minority Communities

Panel Discussion Featuring:

Moderator - Chao Xiong, Sahan Journal

Panelists - Sarah Thamer, Minnesota Public Radio and Laura Yuen, Star Tribune 

Thomasina Petrus

Twin Cities theater veteran and stage performer, Thomasina Petrus, has portrayed lead characters on major stages, including Penumbra, Guthrie, Park Square, Mixed Blood and Illusion.  She has performed with artistic legends, such as Prince, James “Cornbread” Harris, Sr., Lou Bellamy, Lewis Whitlock and Marion McClinton. Thomasina established her own company to produce Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, portraying Billie Holiday’s music and historical legacy; and wrote Lady Days and Etta…Dreams to Remember, a musical/biographical revue of the life of Etta James.

Regina Marie Williams

From her first gig as a Muppet with Sesame Street Live to mastering leading Shakespeare roles, Regina Maria Williams has delivered exceptional acting and musical performances on Twin Cities’ top stages, including the Guthrie, Penumbra, Theater Latté Da, Mixed Blood and Ordway Center. She has been a regular performer at Dakota Jazz Club and Crooners, has recorded three solo albums, and is also a photographer and activist, including being a former caretaker at George Floyd Square. Regina has won many awards for her work, most notably Star Tribune’s 2023 “Artist of the Year.”

Chao Xiong - Sahan Journal

Chao Xiong is director of editorial at Sahan Journal, a nonprofit digital newsroom dedicated to reporting for immigrants and communities of color in Minnesota. He oversees eleven staffers, including reporters, visual journalists and others. Chao assigns and edits stories for publication while shaping Sahan’s editorial agenda. He previously spent 18 years reporting for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, covering everything from the national baton twirling championships to the murder of George Floyd.

Sarah Thamer – Minnesota Public Radio

Sarah Thamer is a senior reporter for the MPR News Race, Class and Communities team. As a Palestinian-American journalist, she tells stories in underrepresented communities and uses her platform to help inform the public and share new perspectives. Sarah has worked at WKBT in La Crosse and WISN-TV in Milwaukee, where she covered a wide array of topics from the Milwaukee Bucks championship win to uncovering illegal practices in Wisconsin’s foster care system.

Laura Yuen – Star Tribune

Laura Yuen is a Star Tribune features columnist, covering parenting, gender, family and relationships, with special attention on women and underrepresented communities. With an eye for the human tales, she looks for the deeper resonance of a story, to humanize it, and make it universal. Laura was an editor at MPR News, covering race, class, communities and education. She also reported for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader.

Presenting Sponsors

Katina & Franck Gougeon | Ciresi Conlin LLP | Kraus-Anderson Companies

Silver Sponsors

Mary Lou Barton | DSB Rock Island

Michael Werch Family | Wells Fargo Advisors

In-Kind Sponsors

Colle + McVoy | Compass Programming | D'Amico Catering

Hi-Fly'n Productions | EXPLR Media

RSVPeterson Event Planning | Tremendous! Entertainment 

Cultural Jambalaya is a Minnesota-based nonprofit that promotes understanding and respect for all people. Our online programming brings the world into the classroom with free multimedia content and lesson plans that improve students’ global awareness and cross-cultural understanding. CulturalJam.org

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