Page 10 - Human Rights Program 2025 Annual Report

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HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE GRANTEES
MOBILIZE CREATIVE ARTS FOR HUMAN
RIGHTS ADVOCACY
The Human Rights Initiative (HRI) is a joint effort of the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) and the
Humphrey School of Public Affairs (HSPA) to support interdisciplinary engaged research in the
field of human rights with a goal of strengthening practice and the profession overall. The
initiative supports grants of up to $50,000 for interdisciplinary human rights research. Below, we
highlight two recent grantees who use visual arts for human rights change.
HEALTHCARE UNDER CRISIS: ARCHIVING STORIES FOR
HEALTHCARE JUSTICE
Amidst increasing restrictions on reproductive and gender-affirming care, Minnesota has been
touted as a refuge for upholding access to these healthcare services. However, Minnesota’s
“safe haven” label has not always matched the reality that patients experience. In the wake of
the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe V. Wade, with HRI grant support, a team at the
UMN launched Healthcare Under Crisis. This oral history project investigating the dynamics of
Minnesota’s reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare landscape is all the more urgent in a
post-Roe world. The team includes co-directors Professor Emily Winderman (CLA
Communication Studies), Adam Negri and Lauren Ruhrold, both graduate students in the History
of Medicine program (CSE), and research associate Clare Frances Kennedy, a doctoral student
in Communication Studies (CLA).
By conducting interviews with healthcare providers and community members, Healthcare Under
Crisis forms an archival tapestry of the healthcare movement, its current advocacy efforts, and
future aspirations. The work has been collaborative between both the team and the interviewees,
who have largely appreciated the opportunity to share their personal narratives and advocacy.
Sharing personal stories carries an inherent risk, as a
story may bring danger to an interviewee if future
legislation enacts punishment and barriers to
procedures they had undergone or championed for.
Healthcare Under Crisis prioritizes interviewees' wishes
and consent when sharing stories, including anonymity.
Healthcare Under Crisis has released the first volume of
a zine sharing collections of stories and images, which
is now available on their website. Having stories told and
controlled by those with lived experiences returns power
to the storytellers, stories that will continue to inspire
and inform healthcare advocacy work.
Healthcare Under Crisis will soon publish its second volume of stories, which puts the spotlight
on gender-affirming care and topics like out-of-state travel for care. The team has been excited
to see the response of the participants and supporters to the release of the archive. By providing
a platform for passionate voices to share their story while preserving a library of patients’ lived
experiences, Healthcare Under Crisis contributes to a vision of access to these essential
healthcare services for all.