Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Thither will we go March 28, 2026

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Sunrise on Horseshoe Lake in the central Minnesota lakes region. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I ATTENDED A CONCERT at my church, Trinity Lutheran, Friday evening. Students from Concordia Academy in Roseville kicked off their spring break “Walk in the Light Tour” to Nashville with their first stop here in Faribault.

What a talented group of high school musicians who sang with joy, energy and depth. From spirituals to traditional worship to blessing songs and more, they performed in the light of faith.

One song in particular, “Thither Will I Go” by composer Tom Trenney, resonated with me. It’s based on a poem, “Light Looked Down,” by Laurence Housman (1865-1959). Although this poem was written long ago, the words are timeless.

The short three-line poem centers on light and darkness, war and peace, and hatred and love.

As I sat listening to these young people, my mind wandered to the No Kings Day protests today. “Thither Will I Go” would be a great protest song. As protesters, we shine light, peace and love.

I’d like those who criticize us, who question our reasons for protesting, who claim we are paid (we are not), who shout profanities at us, call us stupid and more, to consider the words written long ago by Laurence Housman. As protesters, we choose light over darkness, peace over war, love over hatred.

Thither will we go.

Where there is darkness, let there be light. Where there is war, let there be peace. Where there is hatred, let there be love.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

In appreciation of those protesting in rural areas on No Kings Day March 27, 2026

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An abandoned farmhouse in rural southwestern Minnesota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

ON THIS, THE DAY before nationwide No Kings Day protests, I want to pause and thank the many people in small towns, in the most rural of regions, who are standing up for democracy. Media attention tomorrow will focus on protests in big cities. That coverage is expected. But equally as important are the rallies in communities of a couple hundred or several thousand deep in red territory.

In these places, publicly standing against the Trump administration takes, simply put, guts. Everyone knows everyone in small towns and it’s not necessarily easy to be politically at odds with one another. These are the people you see at the post office, worship with, meet for coffee, work beside, live next door to, do business with.

A protester at a No Kings Day protest in Northfield, a college town of about 21,000 and 20 minutes from my community. I protested in Northfield before protests began in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo June 2025)

When those who oppose Trump, his administration and policies protest in rural Republican strongholds, they expose themselves as “the other.” Yet, it is this very public act of defiance and resistance which can get people thinking, start conversations, open doors to change. Now, more than ever, it’s important to fearlessly oppose tyranny. It’s important to stand up for freedom, voting rights, immigrants, justice, due process… It’s important to express concerns about the economy, the war in Iran, the overall state of this country.

Upon looking at a map of all the No Kings Day protest sites in Minnesota, I found many in rural areas. From Madison, population 1,500 and the self-proclaimed “Lutefisk Capital of the USA” near the South Dakota border, to Baudette, population 1,100 and the “Walleye Capital of the World” near the Canadian border, Minnesotans will gather. Even in my deeply red home county of Redwood in southwestern Minnesota, a protest is planned in the county seat of Redwood Falls.

In St. James, also in southwestern Minnesota and a town where I once lived and worked as a regional news reporter for the Mankato Free Press, a No Kings Day event is set. The community of 4,800 is home to many Hispanics and Latinos and was targeted by federal immigration enforcement agents during Operation Metro Surge.

A photograph of Paul Bunyan taken many years ago in Hackensack. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Even Hackensack, in Paul Bunyan’s northern Minnesota lake country, is on the Saturday protest map. That town has a population of just under 300 as does Cyrus, near Morris in far western Minnesota, also holding a No Kings Day protest.

From my community of Faribault, with a population of around 25,000, to Kenyon to the east with some 1,800 residents, to the small towns of Rushford, St. Charles, Spring Grove and Preston in the far southeastern corner of Minnesota, and many small towns and cities across the state, people will gather in protest on Saturday.

In St. Paul, organizers are expecting up to 100,000 to rally at the state capitol. Those are some impressive numbers. Yet, if even five people show up in a small town to protest, that’s impressive, too.

Fellow protester Susan gifted me with this Rebel Loon pin crafted by her husband. The loon is Minnesota’s state bird. The graphic symbolizes resistance in the North Star state. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted and edited photo March 2026)

Every voice of resistance matters, wherever you live, rural, suburban or urban.

FYI: The Faribault No Kings Day protest is from 11 a.m.-noon March 28 (and every Saturday) by the Rice County government services building along Minnesota State Highway 60.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

ICE OUT, a photo essay & commentary from Minnesota February 13, 2026

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Northfield, typically a welcoming community, has not welcomed ICE as seen in this sign downtown. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

THE DAY AFTER BORDER CZAR (anyone dislike that title as much as me?) Tom Homan announced a draw-down of federal immigration agents in Minnesota, I’m feeling, as Governor Tim Walz said, “cautiously optimistic.” Recent history has proven that we can’t necessarily believe or trust what federal government officials tell us. But I’m trying to be hopeful.

T-shirts for sale at Content Bookstore in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

For more than two months, 3,000 immigration enforcement agents have been working in Minnesota. And if anyone still believes that they are/were doing only targeted enforcement, arresting “the worst of the worst,” then I have some lakefront property to sell you.

Let’s go back to Thursday morning, when Homan made his draw-down announcement complete with praise for his agents and the success of their mission in Minnesota. I couldn’t listen any more. I’d heard enough.

Buttons for sale at Content Bookstore, an independent bookshop in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

I had an appointment in neighboring Northfield anyway so off I went to this college town that, like Faribault, has been recently inundated by ICE. Except in Northfield, a decidedly blue city, the business community is publicly vocal about its opposition to ICE’s presence unlike in my decidedly red city.

Empowering signage in the window of a downtown Northfield business. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

In the heart of downtown Northfield, on one side of a block along Division Street, nearly every business has posted an anti-ICE sign and/or uplifting signage. I felt the strength of those shopkeepers willing to stand up for and encourage others. There’s power in raising united voices in opposition to wrong.

Buy a sticker at Content and help Northfield’s children. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

Inside Content Bookstore, where I stopped to shop for a baby shower gift, I discovered even more messaging and ways in which the Northfield community is stepping up to help their immigrant neighbors, including children affected by ICE’s actions. Monies from the sale of Minnesota state flag and “Rebel Loon” (our state bird) stickers will go toward books and activities for those kids. Content is also collaborating on a poetry chapbook, Words to Meet the Moment: Poetry Against Fascism, releasing soon.

Strong words for ICE posted on a downtown Northfield business. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

As ICE supposedly ends Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota (which also encompassed cities and small towns outside the metro like my city of 25,000), we are left with a mess. Let me define that. The personal toll is huge. Trauma has been inflicted upon thousands. “Generational trauma,” Governor Walz said.

Another inspirational message posted at a Northfield business. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

I worry about the kids who witnessed family members being taken or who saw armed, masked immigration officers with guns outside their schools (with classmates taken by ICE), outside their daycares, outside or inside their homes, at their bus stops, on the streets. It’s hard enough for adults to see such threatening power, aggression and use of excessive force. But our children? The mental health of all Minnesotans concerns me, especially that of the youngest among us.

Northfielders have stepped up to help one another as seen in this sign. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

And then there is the financial fall-out with people now unable to pay their bills, including rent, facing eviction because they haven’t gone to work out of fear of ICE. Again, legal status matters not as anyone with brown or black skin has been targeted. These same individuals and families have relied on community members and nonprofits to help with rent payments and to bring them groceries. This is not long-term sustainable.

Against the backdrop of the Minnesota state flag, the message is clear on a Northfield business: ICE OUT. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

Until we are all confident that ICE is really, truly gone and is doing only targeted enforcement of “the worst of the worst,” we will all remain on edge. Rebuilding trust, restoring life to normalcy will assuredly take time.

A great quote from Maya Angelou fits the strength and resilience of Minnesotans. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

Likewise, the Minnesota economy has suffered severe damage, especially small businesses. Governor Walz has proposed a $10 million forgivable loan recovery plan to help the business community and is also hoping for help from the federal government. Good luck with that.

While on the Riverwalk in Northfield, I spotted this graffiti on the pedestrian bridge over the Cannon River. I don’t condone this graffiti, but I certainly understand it. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

While in Northfield on Thursday, I learned that ICE agents recently went along Division Street, asking for employment records at some businesses. I don’t know details. But in my mind, I envision these armed, masked officers as a threatening presence in the heart of this picturesque, riverside American city. This community doesn’t back down from threats. In September 1876, townsfolk stopped the James-Younger Gang from robbing the First National Bank. Northfield is a community which cares for one another and which, in the midst of a federal invasion, has stood, is still standing, Minnesota Strong.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

This is love February 12, 2026

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A love message posted along a recreational trail in Madison, Wisconsin. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

WHAT IS LOVE if not compassion, care and kindness, often privately, but also publicly, expressed? Each holds value.

Roses from my husband. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

On Valentine’s Day, I appreciate a loving valentine, a box of chocolates and/or a dozen roses as much as anyone. But what I value even more is the steadfast love that is part of my daily life. The love that comes in a hug, a kind word, a loving gesture, a caring act, a text.

A look inside a food pantry outside the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I also appreciate the ways in which communities show love. Neighbors helping neighbors. Nonprofits providing for those in need of food, housing, financial assistance. Volunteers helping in their communities in whatever ways they can, whenever they can. We are seeing a lot of that right now.

This is love.

A beautiful love-themed mural in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

And then there’s love-themed art found in public spaces. I’ve discovered love on murals, in signs, even on the back of a car. I often photograph these love messages because I think it’s important to document the positive, that which uplifts, that which connects all of us no matter our differences.

A personal, loving message photographed on the back of a car several years ago at River Bend Nature Center in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Love is universal. And how we express and live love matters in connecting us, building relationships, bettering our communities.

One of my favorite photos, taken in Pine Island, shows a loving act. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Love comes in a smile, a door held, a supportive arm offered, an encouraging word spoken. Words matter. They need not be poetic or profound, simply rooted in kindness, understanding, care.

A vintage valentine from my mom’s collection. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Listening, too, is love, something we could all be better at practicing. The same goes for thinking before we speak or anonymously type behind our screens.

Photographed in Pine Island. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

On Valentine’s Day, I hope we can all pause and ponder the ways in which we can grow love. In our personal lives. In our neighborhoods. In our communities. For “what the world needs now is love, sweet love.” And a whole lot more of it.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Continuing to raise our Minnesota Strong voices in Faribault February 9, 2026

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My protest sign focuses on human rights while another sign I created calls for ICE to get out of Rice County and Minnesota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

I PULLED OUT my long johns, wool socks, stocking cap, mittens, hand warmers, winter boots and scarf. Then I pulled out my parka and my protest sign: STAND UP FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.

This photo shows just a section of the protesters lining Minnesota State Highway 60 on Saturday. Protesters meet here weekly at 11 a.m. for an hour of peaceful protest. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

Just before 11 a.m. Saturday, Randy and I joined others outside the Rice County government services building along Minnesota State Highway 60 for our fourth protest there and the fifth in Faribault. Each week numbers grow, this time reaching some 80 of us stretched along the sidewalk with our signs.

Bundled up in 25-degree temps, a protester displays a sign against ICE. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

We are not agitators or paid protesters as some claim, but rather ordinary Minnesotans united, called by our morals, our compassion, our concerns, to publicly say we are not OK with what is happening in this country. We are Minnesotans who care about immigrants and refugees, about freedom, about the Constitution, about due process and much more. We are concerned about the presence of ICE agents, whom we want out of our community, out of our state, after two-plus months of occupation.

If you look closely at the banner on the lamp post, you will see a photo of a local veteran. Many veterans have joined the Saturday protests, recognizing the importance of standing up for freedom and Constitutional rights. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

And so we protest, week after week in our community an hour south of Minneapolis, because our city, too, has been impacted by ICE. People have been taken by federal agents from an apartment complex near the public library, by the railroad tracks near the turkey processing plant, from the trailer parks… It’s documented in videos. Warning horns blare, whistles sound, bystanders yell, sometimes. ICE has parked for hours in a neighborhood with Hispanic families. Watching, intimidating, silently threatening. Agents have photographed license plates at a gas station. This is reality in my city of 25,000.

School attendance has dropped. People are afraid to go to work, afraid to go grocery shopping and/or to food shelves (because ICE is watching), afraid to go to the doctor, afraid to leave their homes for fear of being taken by ICE. Legal status doesn’t seem to matter, only skin color, although even white people have been detained (with two killed) in Minnesota. Neighbors, churches and more have rallied to help with grocery shopping and delivery, walking kids to bus stops, giving co-workers rides. That support matters as does participating in protests. I’ve personally been thanked by Latinos and a Somali man for protesting.

This is why I’ve become an activist. This is why I use my voice as a writer and photographer. That is why I’ve started volunteering at a local food shelf. No one should live in fear of simply going about their daily lives. I am also doing this for my young grandchildren. I want them to understand the importance of speaking up for others. I want them to realize, when they are old enough, that their grandma did not remain silent in the face of atrocities inflicted by the federal government upon its people.

One protester drew on history to create his protest sign. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

There is value in publicly taking a stand, especially in a city like mine which votes red. (Well, certainly not all of us.) Every protest brings out some who object to our activism as they drive by. That is their Constitutional right. They flash middle fingers, shout profanities, sometimes drive aggressively close, raging mad. That is not OK, potentially endangering people protesting in a public space. But we remain undeterred in raising our voices.

Cold winter weather has not stopped Minnesotans from bundling up to speak up. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, a group of county residents are going to the Rice County Board of Commissioners meeting to speak about the impact of ICE on the community. That will happen during the open comments portion of the meeting at 8 a.m. I’m not part of that group, but was made aware of it. I’ve felt for a while that our local city and county government officials need to address this topic. ICE is certainly having a negative impact on the health, safety and well-being of county residents both directly and indirectly. That should not, and cannot, be ignored.

We must all do whatever we can, whenever we can, however we can to speak up, help and love our neighbors, and stand strong in the face of tyranny and injustice.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

“Evening Prayer for Our Nation” planned at Bishop Whipple’s church in Faribault February 2, 2026

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(Promo courtesy of the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour)

FIFTY MILES FROM THE NON-DESCRIPT Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building currently housing ICE detainees in Minneapolis, a beautiful, aged cathedral rises high in the heart of Faribault. Wednesday evening, February 4, that magnificent, massive cathedral—Bishop Whipple’s church—will center a community gathering.

The historic Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, 515 Second Avenue Northwest, across from Central Park in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2025)

Beginning at 7 p.m. the historic Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour will open its doors for “Evening Prayer for Our Nation” in support of Faribault’s refugees and immigrants. The Cathedral’s pastor, the Rev. James Zotalis, and the Rev. Henry Doyle will lead the event, which includes prayers, readings, music and teachings from Bishop Whipple.

Organizers also promise networking opportunities and information about ways to help others.

A mural on the back side of the Central Park bandshell in Faribault features a portrait and information about Bishop Henry Whipple. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Bishop Whipple, who shepherded this congregation while serving as the first Episcopal bishop of Minnesota beginning in 1859, would surely be pleased with the upcoming gathering just as he would surely be displeased with the imprisonment of detainees at the federal building bearing his name. He would likely be standing alongside protesters protesting immigration enforcement and asking to visit detainees inside.

This clergyman focused his ministry on “justice and mercy for all.” And that is evidenced in his ministry to the Dakota both in Faribault and parts west in Minnesota and then at Fort Snelling. Whipple went to the fort and ministered to the Dakota held captive there following the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.

When 303 Dakota were sentenced to hanging after the war, Whipple traveled to Washington DC to ask President Abraham Lincoln to spare their lives. Lincoln pardoned most, but 38 were still hung in the nation’s largest mass execution.

Encouraging words posted near a garden in the heart of downtown Faribault many years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

If Bishop Whipple was alive today, I expect he would be doing everything in his power to help anyone threatened and/or taken by ICE and CBC. But because he is not here, it is up to us to help. I know many people in my community are helping quietly behind the scenes. Walking kids to bus stops. Giving co-workers rides. Delivering groceries. Donating money and food. Volunteering.

Wednesday evening’s “Evening Prayer for Our Nation” is needed, too. It’s needed to bring people together in community, to unite, to uplift, to pray, to share, to recharge, to publicly support our neighbors, to find tangible ways to help. Bishop Whipple would feel grateful. He cared. And so should we.

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FYI: Whether you live near or far, Faribault nonprofits are in need of donations to help families sheltering in place during ICE operations in Minnesota. This is not just a Twin Cities metro enforcement. Many communities in greater Minnesota, including mine, are suffering.

Please consider helping immigrants and refugees in my community via a monetary donation to the Community Action Center in Faribault (Community Response Fund) or to St. Vincent de Paul. The need for rental assistance, especially, is growing.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Icy cold in Minnesota, a commentary January 23, 2026

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Grilled cheese, the ultimate comfort food. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

THIS IS A TOMATO SOUP and grilled cheese kind of day in Minnesota. Or maybe a Chicken Wild Rice Hotdish kind of day, depending on your preference. With that theme, I’ll start today’s post with the weather and move on from there to a potluck of topics.

We are currently in a statewide extreme weather warning with air temps in southern Minnesota well below zero. Factor in the wind and the air temp feels like minus 30 degrees below zero, give or take some degrees depending on location. Overnight, the wind chill plunged into the -40 to nearly -60 degrees in parts of Minnesota. Exposed skin can freeze in five minutes. It’s that kind of brutal, icy cold.

Schools across the state are closed with many transitioning to online learning. Businesses, too, are shuttered, especially in the Twin Cities metro, but not necessarily due to the deep freeze temps.

A sign I crafted for a recent protest in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

DAY OF TRUTH & FREEDOM

Today marks a day of economic blackout and protest in Minnesota under the banner of “ICE Out of Minnesota: Day of Truth and Freedom.” Many metro businesses are closed in support of that protest, businesses that have already been negatively impacted by ICE presence in this state. Employees are afraid to come to work. Customers likewise. I’m no numbers person, but I wonder how long small businesses can survive.

ICE Out of Minnesota is a protest against federal government immigration enforcement here. The protest is a show of solidarity with the unified message of Get ICE out of Minnesota.

We are a hardy bunch. Vice President J.D. Vance, who was in Minnesota yesterday, unknowingly alluded to that when he stated, “We’re seeing only this level of chaos in Minneapolis.” Now I disagree with his word choice of “chaos.” I would use “resistance” instead. But his statement tells me that peaceful protesters, legal observers and anyone (including elected officials) who challenges the federal government spin and ICE actions are getting under his skin and that of other feds. I wonder if Vance considered for a moment that the presence of 3,000 federal agents in Minnesota is unnecessary, horrible, traumatizing, morally wrong and is raising our ire. Nah, probably not.

I’ve participated in multiple protests in Minnesota. I am not a far left agitator, a paid protester or rioter nor are any of the people with whom I’ve protested. We are concerned Americans raising our voices. We are standing up for our neighbors, calling out the federal government and showing that we care about freedom. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2025)

LAUGHABLE STATEMENTS

While here, the vice president called for local and state government officials to “meet these guys (federal immigration agents) half way” per the directive of the president. That’s laughable since Vance didn’t even meet with Governor Tim Walz or Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey while in Minnesota. You’d think he would have and could at least correctly pronounce Frey’s name. Nah, why bother?

During his talk, Vance showed anything but a cooperative spirit. Rather, he blamed—the media for lying, “far left agitators” and “rioters” for causing chaos, elected Minnesota officials and law enforcement for not cooperating, and even the family of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos for his detainment. And on and on.

Vance repeatedly stated that ICE action is being taken out of context. Really? He also stated, in answer to a reporter’s question, that the federal government is not trying to send a political message via 3,000 agents sent to Minnesota, but rather trying to enforce the law. Really?

(From the Minnesota Prairie Roots files)

ONWARD WITH GRATITUDE

So onward we go here in Minnesota. I want to take a moment to thank everyone who is staying aware of what is occurring in my beloved state. This could be your city or state next, depending on political leaning. Thank you for standing in solidarity with Minnesotans. Thank you for protesting, for calling your elected officials, for helping your neighbors, for recognizing the threats to our freedom, for showing your humanity in loving words and actions. Your support matters to us in Minnesota. We are grateful.

FYI: I direct you to Minnesota Public Radio as a trusted source for ICE-related and other stories in our state.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

From Minnesota: When “they” take a preschooler January 22, 2026

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From Sahan Journal, coverage of ICE apprehension of a 5-year-old in a northern suburb of Minneapolis. The photo was shared with the media by the Columbia Heights Public School.

ON A DAY when the weather in Minnesota will drop to brutally, dangerously cold, it is not the predicted minus 35-degree wind chill that is chilling my heart. Rather, it is the action of ICE agents in my state.

On Tuesday, agents reportedly took a 5-year-old and his father into custody in the family’s driveway as they were returning home from preschool. They were then flown to Texas, likely detained in a family detention center, according to the family’s attorney.

This is unfathomable to me, that agents of the federal government, who claim to be in Minnesota to find and detain violent criminals—“the worst of the worst”—are now taking our children. Little Liam Conejo Ramos is not the first. And I expect he will not be the last child to be apprehended and held by ICE if this is allowed to continue.

In a press conference on Wednesday, the superintendent of the Columbia Heights Public School shared that ICE has taken three other students in their district. That includes two 17-year-olds and a 10-year-old. They, too, are gone, just like sweet little Liam in the blue bunny ear stocking cap.

This ought to outrage everyone regardless of political affiliation. For kids to be traumatized, taken, imprisoned is wrong on so many levels. It’s bad enough when adults are experiencing this.

Five-year-old Liam could be your child, your grandchild, your neighbor’s child, your child’s classmate, your… Don’t think this could not happen in your state, your community. This is beyond anything that should happen in the United States of America.

FYI: I refer you to two stories about Liam. Click here to read coverage by Minnesota Public Radio. And click here to read a story in Sahan Journal. I recommend both media outlets as great sources of information about what is happening in Minnesota.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. January 19, 2026

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I took this photo at a civil rights exhibit at St. Olaf College in Northfield in 2015. Visitors could post Polaroid photographs of themselves at the exhibit and write their thoughts on the image. This says it all. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2015)

TODAY, IN HONOR of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I share this quote from the activist and civil rights leader:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: Only love can do that.

May love and light shine bright during these especially dark times in our nation, especially in the state of Minnesota. May we follow King’s example as we rise in voice and numbers to shine our bright lights of goodness, compassion, empathy, kindness, love and so much more.

Today, more than ever, I hold a deep appreciation for those like King who bravely, courageously and peacefully stood up for their rights. They were met with resistance and violence, but never gave up.

In the words of activist and Congressman John Lewis:

Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.

When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.

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TELL ME: Please share your favorite quote from a civil rights activist that inspires or uplifts you during these difficult days.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Bishop Henry Whipple, the man behind the federal building bearing his name January 16, 2026

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A mural on the bandshell at Faribault’s Central Park honors Bishop Henry Whipple. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I EXPECT BISHOP HENRY WHIPPLE may be turning over in his grave under the altar inside the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour in Faribault. He would be appalled by what’s happening in this community with ICE enforcement. And he would also likely be standing side-by-side with protesters outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling protesting ICE’s presence in Minnesota. The federal agents are based inside the building named after him.

Whipple was all about compassion and embracing others, especially as a friend to the Dakota in Minnesota following his arrival here in 1860 and throughout his ministry. He would not be fine with ICE violently, or non-violently, taking people from their vehicles, their homes, clinics, outside schools and churches, inside businesses…and illegally detaining them without due process. That includes those here legally and American citizens imprisoned inside the building bearing Whipple’s honorable name.

I am not OK with this. None of us should be.

HOW BISHOP WHIPPLE MIGHT REACT

As Minnesota continues to deal with the presence of 3,000 ICE agents in our state, I think of the Episcopalian bishop, known as “Straight Tongue” for his honesty, and how he would react. He would assuredly be on the streets advocating for human rights. He would be talking with the current president, just like he did in 1862 with President Abraham Lincoln. Whipple traveled to DC then to personally plead for the lives of 303 Dakota sentenced to death by hanging.

Whipple would probably also be out buying groceries for Faribault residents afraid to leave their homes. He would be walking kids to their bus stops in trailer parks. He would be preaching peace, love and compassion.

HONORING WHIPPLE’S LEGACY

Those who disliked Whipple, and the Dakota, disparagingly tagged the clergyman as “The Sympathizer.” Little has changed. There are far too many in my community who hate, and, yes, that’s a strong word, anyone whose skin color is other than white. I don’t understand. They all, unless they are Native American, can trace their presence in America back to immigrants.

If only Bishop Henry Whipple was still alive to spread love in Faribault and beyond. It’s up to us to honor his legacy by loving and helping our neighbors during these especially dark days of injustice and oppression.

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FYI: To learn more about the bishop, I direct you (click here) to a previous blog post I wrote about him and his role in Minnesota history following a 2023 presentation at the Rice County Historical Society.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling