Minnesota-raised author describes history of region's racism in 'Cruelty of Nice Folks' book

Following the murder of George Floyd, many asked the question: “How was Minneapolis, of all places, at the center of a global racial reckoning?” For Minnesota-native Justin Ellis, it wasn’t surprising. And now, the journalist is out with a new book that lays out Minnesota’s long quiet history of racism to help answer that question. The book is titled “The Cruelty of Nice Folks: Why Minneapolis Is the Story of America.” Ellis joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.He’ll host a reading and discussion of the book June 30 at 7 p.m. at Moon Palace Books in Minneapolis.