“The power to create the future we deserve is in our hands. Too often, others have tried to dictate what we can and cannot achieve, labeling us as incapable and trying to limit our potential. But here’s the truth: their narrative cannot define us unless we allow it.”
Sharon Sund, Movement Founder and Executive Director: We Go High
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A Brief History of We Go High
Origins (2020 – 2022)
The idea for We Go High germinated in the wake of Minnesota’s racial-justice uprisings and the global pandemic. Community organizer, chemist, and mediator Sharon Sund—long active in politics and restorative-justice circles—saw both a widening education gap and a surge of Black women ready to lead. Informal “kitchen‑table” conversations clarified two truths:
Structural harms must be named and healed, not merely patched.
When Black women organize, whole communities rise.
Founding Year (2023)
In spring 2023 Sharon convened twenty allies to draft a simple charter: build Black women’s political leadership and power to create structural change that heals past harms. The group chose the name We Go High—a nod to both moral altitude and collective ascent—and joined the campaign that won groundbreaking legislation in 2023.
Strategic Pivot to Education & STEM (2024 – 2025)
Member surveys revealed a unifying passion: closing Minnesota’s education gap and cultivating Black STEM brilliance. We Go High adopted a two‑part Sankofo goal:
End the K‑12 education gap for Black students.
Make Minnesota the nation’s top state for developing Black STEM talent.
Current Moment (2025)
Key initiatives:
Black Women Power Hub
Research Visits
Innovation for Liberation Project
Grassroots house meetings
An August/September convening will bring lawmakers, educators, and youth together to preview the documentary and co‑create a statewide STEM action plan.
Why It Matters
We Go High’s story is a testament to the multiplier effect of Black women’s leadership: when ancestral wisdom, scientific rigor, and political strategy converge, entire systems can be re-engineered for justice, elevating not only Black families but all Minnesotans.
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University of Minnesota
Bachelor's degree, ChemistryMacalester College
Bachelor's degree, Chemistry -
The power to create the future we deserve is in our hands. Too often, others have tried to dictate what we can and cannot achieve, labeling us as incapable and trying to limit our potential. But here’s the truth: their narrative cannot define us unless we allow it. Every time we repeat their story, we give it power. Now is the time to create our own narrative—one where we are free, powerful, and limitless. We have everything we need to shape a future that reflects our dreams, our culture, and our brilliance. Let’s lift each other up and build on the possibilities of what can be. No more limits. We are capable. We are deserving. And we are unstoppable.Let’s get this thread going—share your vision, your ideas, your dreams. This is a space for only positive possibilities. What is possible? What will we create together? #BlackPower #OurFuture #LiberationNow #LimitlessPossibilities #BlackExcellence #WeGoHigh
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