Change Happens Through Conversation: Reflections From an MNJRC Intern

By Ryann Randle, Research Intern

As my time at the MNJRC comes to a close, I want to reflect on what my time with the organization has meant.

When I started at the Minnesota Justice Research Center as a Research Intern last summer, I expected to learn how real research gets done. What I didn’t expect was how much of it would happen through meaningful conversation with my colleagues and community. As a student who’d felt isolated on my college campus, this internship pulled me into the greater Twin Cities community in a way I needed; it showed me that social justice research comes alive through real community conversation. 

I anticipated that my first day would be behind a desk. Instead, I was at an event with a table of strangers discussing Minnesota’s crumbling prisons. I heard from a variety of perspectives: formerly incarcerated folks, those who worked within the carceral system, and even academics. I walked away that day having learned more than any book on the subject could have taught me.

While interviewing people affected by gun violence in the Twin Cities for Project PEACE, I was already aware that access to resources like housing, employment, and education is more effective in curbing gun violence than increased policing. These conversations taught me that the community felt the same way yet had little to no awareness that PEACE even existed. A program can’t work if the people it’s meant to serve don’t know it even exists.

These are just a couple of examples of how my time at MNJRC has taught me that research is strongest when it treats real human stories as data, not just statistics. Their dedication to staying grounded in community makes their research not only rigorous but also accessible. Being part of an organization like the MNJRC has made me both a better researcher and a better storyteller. Social change comes not just through academic research, but through communicating effectively with the communities affected and amplifying their stories.

This internship pulled me out of my sheltered campus bubble and showed me that the change I want to be part of doesn’t happen through abstract data; it happens through conversation. I’m leaving the MNJRC with not just incredible work experience, but a better understanding of how an organization can actually serve the community. Thank you to the MNJRC!

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Ryann is a recent graduate of Macalester College with a degree in Sociology and concentrations in Legal Studies, African Studies, and Global Indigenous Studies. Ryann is passionate about social justice for marginalized communities.