>> OUT OF TIME?

AWWWW, MAN!

HAPPY HOUR!

>> ERIC: AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS OF COLOR HIT A TEN-YEAR MILESTONE THIS YEAR.

PRODUCER ALAUNA YUST STOPPED BY THE BUSTLING CAPITOL TO CATCH UP WITH COHORT MEMBERS PAST AND PRESENT.

>> KALIA XIONG BEGAN HER CAREER AS CAPITOL PATHWAYS INTERN.

>> BACK IN 2016, WHEN I STARTED, ON ONE OF THE FIRST DAYS OF THE PROGRAM, WE HAD A CAPITOL TOUR.

SO WALKED THESE SAME HALLS.

IT WAS VERY INTIMIDATING BECAUSE AT THAT TIME, I BELIEVE ABOUT 5% OF OUR ELEELECTED OFFICIALS WERE IDENTIFIED AS PEOPLE OF COLOR.

AND YOU JUST DID NOT SEE A LOT OF DIVERSITY HERE AT THE CAPITOL.

>> NOW IN ITS TENTH YEAR, CAPITOL PATHWAYS HAS CONNECTED MORE THAN 300 STUDENTS OF COLOR TO INTERNSHIPS, WORKING WITH LEGISLATORS, LOBBYISTS, NON-PROFITS AND STATE AGENCIES.

>> I FEEL LIKE MY HOST ORGANIZATION HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH MENTORSHIP AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS INTERNSHIP REALLY GOES BEYOND JUST THE TIME THAT I HAVE.

BUT RATHER, IT'S GOING TO IMPACT MY WHOLE CAREER.

>> SARA HAS ALREADY WORKED FOR POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND AS A CAMPUS ORGANIZER.

SHE PLANS TO APPLY FOR LAW SCHOOL AND CONTINUE A CAREER IN ADVOCACY.

>> I AM THE CHILD OF A SOMALI IMMIGRANT.

I AM ALSO THE OLDEST OF FOUR.

WITH THAT, I HAD TO NAVIGATE SPACES, AND BE AN ADVOCATE FOR MY FAMILY MEMBERS AS THERE WERE BARRIERS TO UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESSES OF THIS COUNTRY.

>> IN THE TEN YEARS THE PROGRAM HAS EXISTED, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE AND ACCESS IN MINNESOTA HAVE SHIFTED.

AND SO HAS THE RACIAL MAKEUP OF THE CAPITOL.

>> IT'S DEFINITELY DIVERSIFIED UP A LOT, NOT JUST WE LOCATED OFFICIALS, BUT THEN IN JUST THE STAFF TOO, RIGHT?

WITH WHO ORKS HERE.

WHAT ARE THE FACES THAT YOU SEE HERE AT THE CAPITOL.

AND WHEN WE DO OUR CAPITOL TOURS NOW AT THE START OF THE PROGRAM, WE'RE ABLE TO POINT OUT FOLKS AND SAY, THAT'S A CAPITOL PATHWAYS ALUM.

THAT'S A CAPITOL PATHWAYS ALUM.

AND IF YOU NEED SUPPORT, IF YOU NEED ANYONE TO JUST TALK TO OR IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, THESE ARE YOUR FRIENDS AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN GO TO.

>> ALUM HAVE ALSO HAD GROUND BREAKING CAREERS OUTSIDE OF THE CAPITOL BUILDING.

THAT NNEKA JOHNSTON AN EVERYONE WAS IS A A PART OF THE INAUGURAL COHORT.

>> I'M THE FIRST BLACK WANG, FIRST WOMAN OF COLOR, PERIOD, TO BE ELECTED.

WHEN I WAS ELECTED, I'M THE YOUNGEST MEMBER ON THIS COUNCIL.

AND SO JUST REALLY A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO BE AGE TO REPRESENT MY COMMUNITY.

>> SINCE HER DAYSES CAPITOL PATHWAYS INTERN, COUNCIL AN HAS RACKED UP AN IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION OF EXPERIENCES, FROM NATIONAL CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS TO WORK WITH U.S.

SENATORS TO RUNNING HER OWN CAMPAIGN FOR THE MINNESOTA HOUSE IN 018.

ALTHOUGH THE BID WAS DOORS AND IN 2023, SHE JOINED AN ALL FEMALE CITY COUNCIL, WHICH WAS ALSO THE MOST RACIALLY DIVERSE COUNCIL.

>> EVERY DAY WE'RE EITHER TALKING ABOUT TRASH COLLECTION OR SPEED BUMPS OR POT HOLES, AND THEN THE NEXT DAY WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT REAL HOUSING POLICY AND THE NEED FOR DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION AND WE'RE ALL WOMEN, WE'RE ALL FEMALE AND WE HAVE SOME REAL PROBLEMS HERE IN OUR CITY THAT WE GET TO TACK TALE TOGETHER.

>> AND FOR THIS CITY COUNCIL, TACKLING PROBLEMS TOGETHER MEANS TALKING ABOUT RACE, OPENLY AND DIRECTLY.

>> WE STILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT RACE.

WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT LENSES AND IF NOT FOR ANYTHING ELSE, BUT FOR THE UNDERSTANDING THAT BECAUSE OF MY RACE, MY HISTORY LOOKS DIFFERENT THAN YOURS.

BECAUSE OF ONE POINT IN THIS COUNTRY, YOUR RACE WAS THE REASON YOU WERE TREATED DIFFERENTLY.

AND MANY WOULD ARGUE THAT IT STILL IS.

>> MINNESOTA'S LEGISLATURE IS INCREASINGLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STATE'S POPULATION.

BUT KALIA, SHANIQUA AND SARIAH YA STILL EXPERIENCE BEING THE ONLY WOMAN OF COLOR IN THE ROOM AND THEY ALL AGREE THAT THEIR PRESENCE IS POWERFUL.

>> WALKING INTO THE CAPITOL, TALKING WITH SOME OF THE STATE REPS AND STATE SENATORS AND RECOGNIZING HOW THEY WERE EVERYDAY PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY NEEDED COFFEE LIKE AEON I NEEDED COFFEE.

THEY HAD A SCHEDULER THAT SCHEDULED THEM AS WELL AND TOLD THEM WHERE THEY NEEDED TO BE, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T BITE.

WELL, MAYBE SOME.

IT REALLY MADE ME UNDERSTAND JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO BE IN THE ROOM AND THAT I HAD SOMETHING TO OFFER.

>> FOR KALIA XIONG WHO WAS ALSO PART OF THE INWRAWG RAT COHORT, THAT'S THE HOLE POINT OF THE PROGRAM.

>> AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT REALLY IS ABOUT OPENING ACCESS AND ENSURING THAT EVERYONE HERE IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET ENGAGED, TO GAIN THE TOOLS, THE KNOWLEDGE, AND THE THEM TO HAVE A VOICE IN THER- DECISION MAKING PROCESS.

AND TO CHANGE OUTCOMES FOR