Putting out the ‘welcome hat’ to new Minnesotans

Rob Friesel, Flickr CC

Rob Friesel, Flickr CC

One of the first things you learn in Minnesota is the power of good cold-weather clothing to survive and even thrive through our characteristic winters. At first, the urge to be fashionable or “strong” causes people much suffering. Then, all at once, snow pants and giant hats become a beacon in the dark, safe refuge for all who seek them.

Minnesota Public Radio’s Curtis Gilbert shares a Tom Crann interview with a St. Paul community organizer who won a substantial grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for one simple task: put new Minnesotans, be they immigrants or transplants from elsewhere in the U.S., in warm, quintessentially Minnesotan hats. No questions asked. Just the hats, ma’am.

For a variety of reasons, espoused here, it might be crazy enough to work. Embracing what winter hats offer is a crucial step in what it takes to ultimately embrace Minnesota.

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