Black History Month Spotlight: Representative Rena Moran

Feb 3, 2021 Black History Month Minnesota Spotlight underserved communities

In her role as the chair of the Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee, Representative Rena Moran works to expand healthcare coverage, address health disparities and remove barriers to care. She is also a founding member and chair of the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus and United Black Legislative Caucus. During the 2020 legislative session Rep. Moran authored a bill to fund end-of-life planning educational resources for residents in medically underserved communities.

Rep. Moran also serves multiple roles in national organizations: executive secretary of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL), a national network of African American state legislators with over 700 members; Midwest Region coordinator of the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL), which works to increase representation of Black women in politics and address issues facing women everywhere; and Minnesota state director for both the Women Legislators’ Lobby (WILL) and the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL), organizations that seek to represent women’s issues on a state and federal level. 

Last year, Representative Moran collaborated with Compassion & Choices to host a webinar about end-of-life options and planning. The webinar touched on topics ranging from health disparities in the Black community at the end of life to her own experience and passion for this work. 

Rep. Moran represents Minnesota’s District 65A, which includes the St. Paul communities of Rondo, Frogtown, Summit-University, Thomas-Dale, Midway, a portion of the North End and Cathedral Hill.