Minnesota NoICE Mixtape is an audio portrait of a community choosing courage over fear.

Created during Minnesota's Operation Metro Surge, this mixtape weaves together voices from neighbors, educators, organizers, witnesses, and community members who refused to look away. Rather than centering fear, these stories document something just as important: the extraordinary ways Minnesotans have shown up for one another.

Community stories are history. They capture not only what happened, but how people cared for one another in moments that could easily be forgotten or rewritten. By preserving these voices, Minnesota NoICE Mixtape creates an archive of resilience, solidarity, and everyday humanity, a record of neighbors protecting neighbors and communities rising together.

The mixtape explores moments of protest, classrooms forever changed, families navigating uncertainty, and the people who stepped forward to create safety when it was needed most. It reminds us that history is not only written by institutions, but also by the people who bear witness, tell their stories, and choose compassion in difficult times.

These interviews were conducted by audio artist Katey DeCelle between January and May 2026 in locations throughout Minnesota. Portions of several interviews were originally recorded for reporting produced with AMPERS Radio. To help protect those who generously shared their experiences, interviewees are identified by first name only: Gar, Dan, Mandy, Tim, and Kevin.

The mixtape also includes audio recorded during the January 7, 2026 vigil for Renee Good, preserving the sounds of community gathering, remembrance, and collective action.

Minnesota NoICE Mixtape was created as part of Artists Respond: Rooted and Rising, a project of Springboard for the Arts, celebrating the power of artists to strengthen community, preserve collective memory, and help neighbors remain rooted in one another through times of uncertainty.