When we visited Chisholm and Virginia, Minnesota recently, we took a moment to visit Paul Wellstone’s memorial outside Eveleth. It was a peaceful lovely fall day, the colors just changing, leaves crunching underfoot and the smell of damp earth in the air. I loved showing my young organizing team the memorial and telling them about Paul, his work, and his joyful approach to politics. Our visit was almost exactly a month to the day from the 18th anniversary of the senseless plane crash that took Paul, Sheila, Marcia, Mary, Tom, and Will. He was four years younger than I am now. It is fair to say that I think about him almost every day, as I hold this Senate seat that he once held. We were very different, but we had a joyful friendship, forged on the campaign trail, visiting small towns and coffee shops all over Minnesota. We both were organizers and optimists at heart, always working to build relationships with people and figuring out how to get good things done to help people, especially regular folks just living their lives. Paul was never afraid to work with anyone, Republican or Democrat, to accomplish things for people, nor am I. I strive to live up to his legacy. This month, I’ve thought often about how Paul used to say, “Now is no time for tippy-toe politics.” What I think he meant is that there are times when it is especially important to be bold, to worry less and act more, to take the power we all have and to put it on the line. This is one of those times. I cannot imagine what Paul would have thought of this moment in our country’s history, but I am sure he would have inspired all of us to be bold, to put it all on the line for this election, and for the work that comes next, after we win. Paul was an optimist, as am I. He would have told us to get out there and organize, organize, organize, and get ready for the work ahead.
When we visited Chisholm and Virginia, Minnesota recently, we took a moment to visit Paul Wellstone’s memorial outside Eveleth. It was a peaceful lovely fall day, the colors just changing, leaves crunching underfoot and the smell of damp earth in the air. I loved showing my young organizing team the memorial and telling them about Paul, his work, and his joyful approach to politics. Our visit was almost exactly a month to the day from the 18th anniversary of the senseless plane crash that took Paul, Sheila, Marcia, Mary, Tom, and Will. He was four years younger than I am now. It is fair to say that I think about him almost every day, as I hold this Senate seat that he once held. We were very different, but we had a joyful friendship, forged on the campaign trail, visiting small towns and coffee shops all over Minnesota. We both were organizers and optimists at heart, always working to build relationships with people and figuring out how to get good things done to help people, especially regular folks just living their lives. Paul was never afraid to work with anyone, Republican or Democrat, to accomplish things for people, nor am I. I strive to live up to his legacy. This month, I’ve thought often about how Paul used to say, “Now is no time for tippy-toe politics.” What I think he meant is that there are times when it is especially important to be bold, to worry less and act more, to take the power we all have and to put it on the line. This is one of those times. I cannot imagine what Paul would have thought of this moment in our country’s history, but I am sure he would have inspired all of us to be bold, to put it all on the line for this election, and for the work that comes next, after we win. Paul was an optimist, as am I. He would have told us to get out there and organize, organize, organize, and get ready for the work ahead.
I’m honored to be endorsed by the @StarTribune Editorial Board. For the last three years in the U.S. Senate, I’ve focused on listening to you and then delivering for Minnesota. There’s so much work to be done, and I ask for your vote this November 3rd so that we can continue doing that work together. Read their piece via the link in my bio.
It was great to join the annual #IndigenousPeoplesDay celebration and to hear about NACDI’s new site for an urban farm. Indigenous and Tribal communities across Minnesota are a crucial part of who we are and our state’s history. We must make the effort to learn and celebrate that history and continue to strengthen our commitments and relationships.
It was great to join the annual #IndigenousPeoplesDay celebration and to hear about NACDI’s new site for an urban farm. Indigenous and Tribal communities across Minnesota are a crucial part of who we are and our state’s history. We must make the effort to learn and celebrate that history and continue to strengthen our commitments and relationships.
It was great to join the annual #IndigenousPeoplesDay celebration and to hear about NACDI’s new site for an urban farm. Indigenous and Tribal communities across Minnesota are a crucial part of who we are and our state’s history. We must make the effort to learn and celebrate that history and continue to strengthen our commitments and relationships.
It was great to join the annual #IndigenousPeoplesDay celebration and to hear about NACDI’s new site for an urban farm. Indigenous and Tribal communities across Minnesota are a crucial part of who we are and our state’s history. We must make the effort to learn and celebrate that history and continue to strengthen our commitments and relationships.
We are 10 DAYS from Election Day. We need to give these last days everything we’ve got. Our conversations, our phone calls, our texts – those connections are how we will win. Sign up to join us over the next 10 days at the link in my bio.
Every single day we need to be committing ourselves to amplify the voices and experiences of Black and Brown Americans. Tomorrow I’m excited to be participating in #ShareTheMicMN with @chandasbaker. The #ShareTheMicMN initiative works to amplify the voices of Black and Brown Americans by partnering Minnesotans together and creating space for stories to be shared. Chanda will be taking over my Instagram feed and stories. We’ll also be having a conversation on Instagram Live at 12pm CT on Wednesday. Make sure you join us then!
Every single day we need to be committing ourselves to amplify the voices and experiences of Black and Brown Americans. Tomorrow I’m excited to be participating in #ShareTheMicMN with @chandasbaker. The #ShareTheMicMN initiative works to amplify the voices of Black and Brown Americans by partnering Minnesotans together and creating space for stories to be shared. Chanda will be taking over my Instagram feed and stories. We’ll also be having a conversation on Instagram Live at 12pm CT on Wednesday. Make sure you join us then!
🎥 NEW ad 🎥 We’ve been through a lot this year, and there’s so much we’ve got to address. But I know we can get it all done when we work together.
Hi there! I’m @chandasbaker (Chanda Smith Baker) and I’m the SVP of Impact at the @mplsfoundation (The Minneapolis Foundation), former President and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities, and a philanthropist. I care deeply about my family, the community, and social justice. My experience are deeply rooted in the non-profit sector and building community. As the Senator @tinasmithmn knows, being in leadership is hard and at times it means getting our hearts broken over and over. I’m excited to share the mic with Senator @tinasmithmn! See you all in our live conversation at noon CST. #convoswithchanda #sharethemicmn @sharethemicmn
TODAY is the last day to register to vote in Minnesota before Election Day. Click the link in my bio to make sure you’re registered to vote right now. You can also register to vote in-person on Election Day.
The consequences of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court are the definition of unequal justice. I will vote no on her confirmation tomorrow.
Conversation between @chandasbaker and @tinasmithmn. @sharethemicmn
Conversation between @chandasbaker and @tinasmithmn. @sharethemicmn
Good morning! Happy #ShareTheMicMN! This is @chandasbaker coming to you live from Senator Tina Smith’s Instagram account. @sharethemicmn
I’m here to drop the mic to let you know #ShareTheMicMN today is complete and my day has been beyond complete. Thank you everyone that has reached out, that has followed me. I appreciate being able to share a piece of my work and my joy in my work, which is my podcast Conversations with Chanda. I hope you enjoyed the conversation that I had with the Senator and I hope that @sharethemicmn is something you continue to follow and support. I love the idea of using each other as women, as allies, to amplify the leadership of others. Thank you Senator @tinasmithmn for sharing her mic and for being an ally to me. Let us take this and move it forward and find ways today, tomorrow, in the days after to amplify other women in our lives, in big and small ways. @chandasbaker #convoswithchanda
Now I’m going to talk about my hopes and dreams and since I’ve been on a Obama kick today with the Michelle Obama quote in my last video, I thought I would talk about the audacity of hope, which is the title of our former President Barack Obama’s book – The Audacity of Hope. I love, love, love that line and to think about, in the midst of everything, there is still hope. There is an opportunity to see things differently, to do things differently, to act differently. We all are graced with those opportunities every single day. Without hope, we would be rendered in a way that would not allow us to get up every day. But every day is a brand new day to make a difference — sometimes it’s big, sometimes it’s small. So hopefully in our conversations today you have found a little bit of hope, a little bit of inspiration, and maybe even an opportunity to think differently about how you’re showing up. #sharethemicmn @chandasbaker @sharethemicmn
It’s @chandasbaker again! I host a podcast called ‘Conversations With Chanda’ where we discuss leadership, criminal justice reform, and a whole lot of complex issues in today’s current events. From local to national guests such as Van Jones, Valerie Jarrett, Yusef Salaam, and Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve, I invite you to tune in and follow ‘Conversations With Chanda’ on iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud or any major podcast platforms. One of my new favorites is with Professor Ron Heifetz from Harvard Kennedy School, where he discuss how to navigate leadership in crisis. I had to listen to the podcast again because it was so good! There are steps and tactics he shares. Take a listen. You might want to get our your pen and paper! #convoswithchanda #sharethemicmn @sharethemicmn
Good afternoon! I shared a video this morning talking a little bit about the challenges and the struggles I am living through right now and I thought I would send a quick video to talk a little more about that. This quote by Michelle Obama came to mind: “Hope and change are hard fought things.” And I think it most eloquently describes the space that I’m sitting in. #sharethemicmn @chandasbaker @sharethemicmn
