Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute

Planting People Growing Justice launched the Rondo Renaissance book collection to celebrate our community’s culture and heritage. It includes these amazing books:

📕 R is for Rondo
📕 Violet Loves Rondo
📕 Rondo Anthology Series
📕 Carl Walker: The Sound of Justice
📕 Grant West: Learning through Music
📕 Mary K. Boyd: Community Educator
📕 Josie Johnson: Minnesota’s First Lady of Civil Rights
📕 Welcome to our Neighborhood (forthcoming)

Learn more: www.ppgjbooks.com

DIFFERENCE MAKERS CIRCLE
For just $10 per month, you can help to sustain the impact of the Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute by joining our Difference Makers Circle. The Difference Makers Circle helps to ensure every child has access to books that inspire, stories that represent them, and opportunities to lead. That’s the future we are building, and we need your help.

We have a goal of connecting with 100 Difference Makers so get started by clicking the link below. Your support makes a difference. We would like to thank those who have signed up and committed to making an impact already.

Sign up today at: https://bit.ly/ppgjdifferencemaker!

Thank you for being a champion for literacy and leadership.

Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute is truly grateful for the gift of partnership.

With more than 100 community partners, we are able to expand our impact every day and create meaningful opportunities for the youth and families we serve.

A special thank you to Visit.org for supporting our summer Leaders are Readers Program by providing STEAM learning kits. These resources will inspire our young people to learn, grow, and lead.

Together, we are investing in the next generation and building a brighter future.

Thank you to everyone who joined our Leaders Are Readers program! 📚 Your passion for learning and personal growth continues to inspire us. Together, we’re building a community of thoughtful leaders who understand the power of knowledge.

A special thank you to our guest reader, Bianca Dawkins, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Senior Manager for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, for sharing the importance of building strong communities and working together toward common goals.

We also thank Natalie Morrow, founder of the Twin Cities Black Film Festival, for leading reflections on Their Eyes Were Watching God. 📚 Congratulations to Natalie on 24 years of making a difference through the festival and its impact on the community! 🎉

Join us for the next Leaders are Readers on Saturday, August 1.

A community that reads together grows together. Join the Leaders are Readers Intergenerational Reading Circles and help turn pages into progress.

Visit Lutunji’s Palate for a FREE book:
1400 Park Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55404

PPGJ Community!

We would love for you to help us celebrate the release of our newest Rondo Anthology. This special Rondo Book Release Celebration honors the stories, leaders, and rich cultural legacy of St. Paul’s historic Rondo community.

This community event brings together authors, readers, families, and supporters to celebrate books that preserve local history, inspire future generations, and uplift the voices of Rondo’s changemakers. We hope to see you there.

Sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rondo-book-release-celebration-tickets-1991171823525

Event Details

Tuesday, June 16, 2026
7:00 PM

Location
SubText Books
6 West Fifth Street, #150
St. Paul, MN 55102

Join us on Saturday, June 6 (11 AM - 1 PM) for our PPGJ Leaders are Readers Program at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center. Empower young minds through the joy of reading. Together, let’s cultivate a love for learning and plant the seeds of leadership.

What is in your hands to make a difference in the world? 🌍
I am truly grateful for the many community partners who have demonstrated the transformative power of collective vision and strategic action. Hamdi exemplifies this type of excellence in service and leadership by supporting Planting People Growing Justice’s literacy initiatives.