Women’s History Month Salute: Tina Burnside

The Historian 

In the 2008 bestseller “Outliers: The Story of Success,” author and journalist Malcolm Gladwell famously writes, “No one—not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses—ever makes it alone.” 

These words truly resonate with Tina Burnside, an author and former journalist herself, not to mention civil rights attorney, historian, playwright, and most recently co-founder, curator and development specialist for the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG) in North Minneapolis.

“I’ve had various mentors at different stages in my life, and they have all contributed to my success,” explained Burnside. “There were always people along the way to give advice, guidance and support along my journey.”

Coming of age in Minneapolis’ Central neighborhood, this renaissance woman counts her parents—Bennie and Dana Burnside—as her earliest supporters. “They instilled in me a sense of confidence, always encouraging me in my various pursuits. Because of that I always felt that I could succeed at anything.” 

Burnside fostered her passion for writing in high school, working for the school newspaper before matriculating to the University of Minnesota, where she earned her bachelor’s from the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. However, after spending five years as a reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, she changed course and pursued a career in law, getting her Doctor of Jurisprudence at the University of Wisconsin. 

For the past 26 years Burnside has been practicing law, and today she is back in her hometown where she litigates employment discrimination cases. Still, her predilection for writing has never waned, something that she continues on the side, working on “freelance articles, essays, plays, and even a book.” 

It was around five years ago, while researching and writing about Black Minnesota history, that Burnside was introduced to Coventry Royster Cowens, something of a renaissance woman in her own right, who asked her if she would help establish a museum. And so, the MAAHMG was born. 

Burnside admits she knew absolutely nothing about operating a museum, but the potential she saw in this opportunity, coupled with Cowens’ vision, made it something she simply couldn’t pass up.

“As a writer, I’ve always been inspired to tell stories that focus on issues such as race, gender and equity,” Burnside noted, “with the hope that people will be entertained, enlightened and motivated to make changes in themselves, their communities, and the world.” Now, in her role as co-founder and curator at the MAAHMG she is able to do the same, sharing “untold stories around Black history, art and culture,” while also empowering and giving voice to communities that have been historically “marginalized, ignored and excluded.”

When reflecting on her life and career to this point, Burnside doesn’t recall a defining moment that led her down the path she chose. Rather, it was the accumulation of different interests and experiences, unique individuals she encountered along the way, and timing that helped shape her world and what she does today. 

When considering the impact mentors have had on her development, she relishes the chance to “pass the baton” that she was handed, yearning for them to take it further than “even they can possibly imagine.” To Burnside, that is a big part of how to define success. “As well as,” she mused, “living a joyful life.”