FACT Workshop Hopes to Empower Marginalized Groups

Fillmore Action on Coming Together hosts community discussion on allyship, access and participation in representative democracy

By John Torgrimson, February 10, 2026

A woman stands at the front of a community meeting room, speaking and gesturing with both hands while facing seated attendees. A projector screen behind her displays a slide titled “Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture” with a circular diagram of terms. Several people sit at long tables in the foreground, listening and taking notes. The room has gray walls, a refrigerator on the left, and daylight coming through a small window.

Dr. Renee Cardarelle leads a discussion on how marginalized people often aren’t involved in decision making in our democratic society. The workshop was sponsored by Fillmore Action on Coming Together (FACT). (Photo by John Torgrimson)

RUSHFORD VILLAGE – Humankind has been organizing itself for millennia – initially for hunting and gathering and mere survival. Today, with most of our basic needs met, we form groups for social reasons that give us a sense of belonging.

On a bitterly cold Martin Luther King Day, about thirty people attended a workshop by Dr. Renee Cardarelle, PhD on how various groups of people become marginalized and often don’t have a voice at the decision-making table. Fillmore Action on Coming Together (FACT), a newly formed organization, sponsored the event.

Attendees came from Winona, Rushford, Houston, Lanesboro, Peterson and Preston. They were there because of their involvement in faith communities, racial justice groups and other nonpartisan organizations.

Concerned about how fractured and divided our communities have become, FACT hopes to engage the public in a series of discussions. In late January they sponsored a showing of the documentary film Unmasking the Domination Code, a historical view of how Indigenous people have been dehumanized over time.

FACT’s guiding principles are based around Allyship – where allies aim to support, advocate for and amplify the voices of marginalized groups. As an ally, FACT hopes to build bridges to solving problems and identifying solutions.

A wide view of a community meeting shows about 30 adults seated at long tables, facing forward and listening attentively. Most people appear middle-aged or older and are dressed in winter clothing such as sweaters, vests, and jackets. An American flag hangs on the wall at the back of the room, and a small decorated Christmas tree stands near the wall. Notebooks and papers are visible on the tables.

Those attending the FACT came from Winona, Rushford, Houston, Lanesboro, Peterson and Preston. They were there because of their involvement in faith communities, racial justice groups and other nonpartisan organizations. (Photo by John Torgrimson)

The Room Where it Happens

The Room Where It Happens is a song from the musical Hamilton that refers to a secret meeting between Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison where decisions were made that forged the Compromise of 1790, designating the nation’s capital would be built along the Potomac. The song represents the notion that a few powerful people made decisions without input from its citizens.

Dr. Cardarelle said that it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between the common good versus personal gain when people in power make decisions.

According to Cardarelle, there are many ways people are marginalized systemically, excluded from the mainstream due to power imbalances because of who they are; imbalances due to gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and economics.

Historically women have been excluded from positions of power in a male-dominated society; LGBTQ individuals were kept in the closet for years, with laws outlawing their sexuality; racial and ethnic minorities were historically discriminated against by a predominantly white society; and wealth often equals power, preventing those with low incomes from accessing a place at the table. These are just a few examples of how marginalization works.

A close-up shows a woman speaking at the front of the room with her hands raised slightly as she emphasizes a point. She wears a patterned cardigan over a dark top. In the foreground, the back of a seated attendee wearing a red knit hat is visible. A window behind the speaker lets in bright daylight, and the setting appears to be a small community meeting space.

Dr. Renee Cardarelle has worked for more than 20 years in racial justice. The workshop focused on Allyship, where allies work to support, advocate for and amplify the voices of marginalized groups. (Photo by John Torgrimson)

Cardarelle notes that in a representative democracy, efforts need to be made to make sure the voiceless have access.

“We need to reach out to community members who have been strategically marginalized,” Cardarelle said. “The question is how do we create a sense of belonging.”

She went on to say that sometimes access is prevented unintentially by scheduling organizational and governmental meetings during the day at a time when the vast majority of people are at work and unable to attend.

“The public often has a lack of understanding regarding the process of governance and how decisions are made,” Cardarelle said.

FACT hopes to work as an ally to marginalized groups through education, advocacy and by hosting informational events. They hope to remove barriers that prevent diverse groups from participating in the decision-making process.

FACT will hold a workshop for organizations interested in creating land acknowledgements on February 27 at the Fillmore County Historical Society in Fountain, from 10:00 am to Noon. Rev. Debra Collum will make a presentation called Journey Toward Land Acknowledgement. The workshop is free to the public. People can pre-register or get more information about FACT by emailing: fillmoreact@gmail.com.