Racial Reckoning: The Arc of Justice

What happens when you bring together a group of young women of color to cover one of the most racially charged trials in our country’s history? Really. Good. Journalism. In this special, we’re looking back at Racial Reckoning: The Arc of Justice, a journalism project of KMOJ Radio in Minneapolis, Ampers Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities and the Minnesota Humanities Center. You’ll meet the young reporters who made the project a success and hear their thoughts on the future of journalism. In May of 2020 the horrifying video of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck rocketed around the world, inciting anger and outrage. KMOJ Radio’s station manager, Freddie Bell, could hear the deep pain and anger of listeners calling into his morning show. His community was in crisis. Demonstrators flooded the streets crying for justice and destructive fires lit up the night skies - but KMOJ didn’t have the resources needed to report on what was happening right in their community. Bell knew he had to change that.  He took his idea to Ampers, a non-profit organization that provides support and programming to 18 public radio stations across the state. With help from the Minnesota Center for the Humanities and several other generous funders, they created “Racial Reckoning: The Arc of Justice.” The goal of the ten month project: to hire young reporters from diverse backgrounds to cover the murder trial of Derek Chauvin and the many racial and social justice issues unearthed in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in May of 2020. Daily updates would air on KMOJ, other Ampers radio stations and across social media platforms. Ampers assembled this temporary newsroom, hiring a team of five young freelance reporters: Samantha Hoanglong, Chioma Uwagwu, Tiffany Bui, Safiya Mohamed and Feven Gerezgiher. It also brought on board some seasoned professionals to lead the project, including Georgia Fort and Marianne Combs. The Racial Reckoning newsroom quickly got up and running and began filing daily two-minute radio reports. By the end of the project, more than 3-dozen radio stations nationwide aired elements of Racial Reckoning, with some reports reaching more than a million people. The project also included a weekly podcast called Bearing Witness, and weekly updates translated into Spanish, Hmong and Somali in order to reach Minnesota’s largest immigrant communities. Voices of Change is a production of Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund

After three days of deliberation a jury found former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter guilty of two counts of manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright. --Feven Gerezgiher reports:After three days of deliberation, on Thursday a jury found former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter guilty of two counts of manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright. Judge Chu rejected the defense’s request to allow Potter home for the holidays while she awaits sentencing. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison gave an impassioned speech after the trial reflecting on Wright’s lost future, and recognizing public safety officers.“We hold you in high regard,” he said, “and we also hold you to high standards.”Outside the courthouse, a crowd gathered around Wright’s brother Damik.“This is the start of a new life for everybody, not just for us but for everybody here,” he said. “Change is coming!”Minneapolis resident Jessamine McGee says the news meant the world to them.“Man, I’m very happy about the verdict. I feel like it was well-deserved,” said McGee. “Any other outcome would have been like mockery to this whole country and what it’s supposed to stand for.”Supporters danced along to music by Brass Solidarity, a musical project “birthed of protest” following a verdict in the Derek Chauvin case.At a distance from the crowd, Sam Richards from the Pine Ridge reservation drummed and prayed for peace and healing for the Wright family.Potter’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 18th. 

As jury deliberation continues in the Kim Potter trial, many are evaluating the state of racial justice in Minnesota. We talk to former Hennepin County Chief Public Defender Mary Moriarty. Chioma Uwagwu reports:As jury deliberation continues in the Kim Potter trial, many are evaluating the state of racial justice in Minnesota. Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter is charged with two counts of manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop. Potter says she mistakenly drew her gun instead of her taser.Former Hennepin County Chief Public Defender Mary Moriarty says that, in her 31 years of work, many of her clients would tell their stories of police brutality but the lack of video evidence left them with no justice. She says the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin changed that.“I think many more people were surprised at the boldness of Chauvin’s behavior - knowing he was being videoed, having all these people standing there -  and so the community pretty much exploded,” said Moriarty. “I look back on it now, and I still think there's an opportunity, but I see that in danger of slipping away because now we're getting a lot of focus on violent crime.” Homicides are at a near all-time high in Minneapolis. Moriarty says the rise in crime needs to be addressed, but so do racial disparities in public safety.“Let's look at systemic racism which I do believe many people don't understand,” she said. “It's the racial disparities that we really avoid addressing because it would make us have to do some really hard work and really look at ourselves and how we have contributed to these disparities.” Moriarty is running for the position of Hennepin County Attorney. The county’s current attorney Mike Freeman has announced that he will retire at the end of his term. 

Kim Potter's crying in court is more than an expression of remorse; it’s part of a history of white women weaponizing their tears against people of color.--Tiffany Bui reports:The jury in the trial of Kim Potter is deciding whether she is guilty of manslaughter for killing Daunte Wright. The 12 jurors have spent over 14 hours in deliberations. Late Wednesday afternoon, the jury asked the judge what happens if they can’t come to conesus.  On Friday, Potter took the stand as a witness in her own defense. She was visibly distraught, at times sobbing, when questioned about specific parts of the incident. She recalled her fellow officer’s face while they struggled with Wright.“He had a look of fear on his face. It was nothing like I’d ever seen before,” Potter testified.Bianet Castellanos, chair of the American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota, said Potter crying is more than an expression of remorse; it’s part of a history of white women weaponizing their tears against people of color. “Potter's tears showcase her fear, thus marking her as vulnerable, as a victim, even though she was one holding and firing the gun,” said Castellanos. “And so by claiming to be afraid, her fear excuses – if not justifies – her use of deadly force.”Castellanos pointed to cases like Carolyn Bryant, the white woman who falsely accused Emmet Till of sexually assaulting her, spurring white men to lynch the young teen. The film The Birth of a Nation perpetuated the racist fear that white women were vulnerable to being raped by Black men. “Historically, white women have been idealized as these vessels of innocence that we have to protect. But again, protect against whom?” asked Castellanos. “Their vulnerability has been used as an excuse to control and punish black people.” The tears of Black women and other people of color aren’t afforded this same power, Castellanos said. “In the case of Kim Potter, her tears are critical in her defense case,” said Castellanos. “But then we think about Daunte Wright’s mother's tears and his family's tears. In most cases those tears don't get an action or a response.”Castellanos said not all tears are weapons. She said some tears get ignored altogether. 

The state's prosecution and the defense made their closing arguments Monday.--I’m Georgia Fort with the latest on the Kim Potter trialA jury is deliberating the verdict in the Kim Potter trial. Closing arguments concluded Monday afternoon and the State rested its case.Civil rights attorney Ben Crump addressed the media as deliberations got underway, calling for Potter to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.“The case was made. The evidence is there. The state went point by point of making the case that she violated the policies of the police department,” he said.During closing arguments Erin Eldridge, one of the prosecuting attorneys, told the jury that not only did Potter take Daunte’s life but she also jeopardized the lives of her colleagues.“If anyone saved Sgt. Johnson's life, it was Daunte Wright when he took a bullet to the chest,” she said.Eldridge also contested the defense’s main argument that Potter accidentally mistook her gun for her taser. “Human nature did not kill Daunte Wright - the defendant did,” said Eldridge. “The defendant told Dr. Miller ‘I don't make mistakes.’ Take that for what you will.”Eldridge argued that even the use of a taser would have been negligent in this circumstance. In closing arguments, defense attorney Earl Gray told the jury that Daunte Wright, not Potter, was responsible for his death, because he failed to comply. “Her acts were all legal. Everything she did was legal - and then he tries to break away,” said Gray.The jury began its deliberations in the early afternoon. Daunte Wright’s family and friends audibly gasped when Judge Regina Chu resumed the bench later in the afternoon, thinking the jury might have already come back with a verdict. In fact, the jury had paused its deliberations to ask when one of Potter’s interviews with the defense’s doctor took place. The prosecution had noted some of Potter’s answers in that interview didn’t match statements she made at other times. Judge Chu responded to the jury telling them they have all the evidence they need to decide the case.

Potter said she did not intend to use deadly force against Duante Wright. She stated she didn’t recall saying “I’m going to go to prison” immediately after the shooting. --Safiya Mohamed reports:  Former Police Officer Kim Potter took the stand on Friday in her own defense. During her testimony, Potter repeatedly broke down and expressed remorse for her actions.“I’m sorry it happened. I’m so sorry,” she cried.  Through tears, Potter admitted that she did not intend to use deadly force against Duante Wright. While being questioned by Prosecutor Erin Eldridge, she stated that she didn’t recall saying “I’m going to go to prison” immediately after the shooting. “I didn’t wanna hurt anybody,” she sobbed. Prosecutor Eldridge asked Potter what actions she took following the shooting. Potter admitted she did not render aid to Wright. Psychologist Laurence Miller was also called to testify by the defense. He was asked by Potter’s attorney to explain an “action error,” and how that contributed to the shooting. “An action error is a sequence of responses in which an intended action has an unintended effect,” said Miller. “You intend to do one thing, think you're doing that thing, but do something else, and only realize later that the action that you intended was not the one you took.” Miller explained that stress is often what causes action errors. In Kim Potter’s case, she mistook her gun for her taser. “There's nothing wrong with that person's perception,” said Miller. “If you put the two objects in front of them, they can easily tell the difference. But the perception isn't working. It's offline.”   Outside of the courthouse, the family of Daunte Wright and others pledged to continue fighting police brutality and pushing for legislative change. The prosecution and the defense are expected to make their closing arguments Monday, after which the jury will begin its deliberations.  

The state rested its case Thursday; the defense called on six witnesses. --Feven Gerezgiher reports:The state rested its case in the trial of former Brooklyn Center officer Kim Potter on Thursday. The defense proceeded to present its first 6 witnesses.Former police chief Timothy Gannon testified that Potter was justified in her use of force.“When I viewed both camera angles and had all the data in front of me, I saw no violation,” said Gannon.“Violation of what?” asked defense attorney Paul Engh.“Of policy, procedure or law,” replied Gannon. Gannon resigned after 27 years with the Brooklyn Center police force. He cited political pressure to fire Potter, who he testified is a long-time friend and colleague he admires. He said Potter was one of few senior officers willing to be a field training officer. Policing expert Stephen Ijames said Potter was justified under the alternative taser policy he wrote for an international association. He said Potter could only judge public safety risks based on the arrest warrant she had on hand. “Police aren’t clairvoyant. The best indicator of what happened tomorrow is what happened yesterday,” he said.  Prosecutor Matthew Frank challenged Ijames’ familiarity with the more restrictive Minnesota and Brooklyn Center policies that Potter would have been subject to. “Did you review Brooklyn Center Police Department policy about shooting into motor vehicles?” asked Frank. “I don’t recall,” said Ijames. “So you’re not familiar with the policy that Ms. Potter would have been subject to as a Brooklyn Center officer?” demanded Frank.“I’m just saying I don’t recall, sir,” said Ijames. The jury also heard witness testimony to Potter’s character.  Brooklyn Center police officer Samuel Smith II said Potter is a calming force. “She is well-respected, and very peaceful, and very professional from my experience working with her,” he said.The defense said it anticipates presenting two more witnesses on Friday.

Police use of force expert Seth Stoughton testified that even Potter’s use of a taser on Daunte Wright would have been unreasonable. Wright's father also took the stand. --Tiffany Bui reports:Former police officer Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty to violating George Floyd’s constitutional rights in federal court on Wednesday.In a separate case, he also pleaded guilty to willfully depriving a 14-year-old boy of his right to be free from unreasonable force by a police officer. In 2017, Chauvin allegedly held him by the throat and struck him in the head several times. Meanwhile, in the trial of Kim Potter, police use of force expert Seth Stoughton testified that even Potter’s use of a taser would have been unreasonable.“It’s really dangerous to incapacitate, the way a taser can incapicitate, someone who is in a position to get a vehicle moving,” Stoughton said. “If the taser was ineffective … if it just caused pain … then you’re providing an incentive for someone to flee.”Defense lawyer Paul Engh objected to Stoughton's testimony that officers did not need to arrest Wright away. He became increasingly emotional and banged on the table as he spoke to Judge Regina Chu, adding that he would possibly move for a mistrial. The defense has asked for a mistrial once before. Defense lawyer Earl Gray asked a series of questions meant to point out that Wright was not compliant with officers. “Mr. Wright – he’s the one who started it, correct? Nothing would have happened, except he broke away once he learned there was a warrant. Is that a fair statement?” Gray asked.“Sure,” Staughton said.At the end of the day, jurors heard from Daunte’s father Arbuey Wright. He talked about working with Daunte as his manager at Foot Locker, and how the two enjoyed a close relationship. The prosecution showed a photo of Daunte holding his infant son, Daunte Jr.“To see him as a father, I was so happy for him because he was so happy about Junior.  It was my chance to be a grandfather. He loved his son,” Wright said. “I love Daunte. He was loved.”The prosecution is expected to rest on Thursday, at which point the defense will present its witnesses. 

When asked if he was aware of another officer mistaking their gun for their taser, expert witness Sgt. Mike Peterson said he was not. Other testimony revealed that Potter did not test her taser as required by her department the  day she fatally shot Daunte Wright, and that the position of her duty belt was also under question. --Georgia Fort reports: A taser spark test in court Tuesday showed jurors in the Kim Potter trial the process that Brooklyn Center officers are required to go through daily to ensure their tasers are functioning properly. “I simply press my arc switch again and it runs through a 5 second test,” saidSgt. Mike Peterson, a taser expert. Peterson explained to jurors appropriate uses for tasers. He also testified that Potter had been trained on the newest model taser that she was using at the time of Daunte’s death. Testimony regarding tasers is significant as the defendant is expected to testify that she mistook her taser for her gun.  “In all the years you’ve worked for the Brooklyn Center Police Department are you aware of another officer who has drawn their hand gun when they meant to draw their taser?” asked State Prosecutor Matthew Frank.  “I don’t,” replied Peterson after a long pause. The prosecution doubled down on tasers and training this week. During Monday’s Testimony from Sam McGinnis, senior special agent with the BCA, it was revealed that Potter did not test her taser as required by her department the  day she fatally shot Daunte Wright. The position of her duty belt was also under question.“It appeared in watching this that their had been a manipulation of her holster,” said McGinnis. Testimony from Brooklyn Center Commander Garett Flesand detailed the department's pursuit policies.“In recognizing the risk to public safety created by vehicle pursuits no officer or supervisor shall be criticized or disciplined for deciding not to engage in a vehicle pursuit or for terminating a pursuit already underway underway, even if permitted by state statute or policy,” stated Flesand. Judge Chu made a ruling Tuesday afternoon that evidence supporting a stricter sentence could be presented if the jury reaches a guilty verdict. Kim Potter and the former Brooklyn Center chief of police are still expected to take the stand. Judge Chu says the trial should wrap up by Christmas Eve.

The Bush Foundation has selected Saint Paul-based Nexus Community Partners to redistribute $50 million to Black residents across Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The funds will focus on building entrepreneurship, homeownership, and education.--Feven Gerezgiher reports:Former officer Derek Chauvin has requested to change his plea of innocence in his federal civil rights case in the death of George Floyd.Meanwhile in the trial of former Brooklyn Center officer Kim Potter, a jury heard testimony Monday from a medical examiner and forensic scientists that investigated Daunte Wright’s death. An agent with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension observed that Potter had unlatched her firearm holster as she approached Wright’s car.In other news, the Bush Foundation has selected Saint Paul-based Nexus Community Partners to redistribute $50 million to Black residents across Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota.Another $50 million will be distributed to Indigenous communities by the NDN Collective.Nexus President and CEO Repa Mekha says the Community Trust Fund is a response to systemic injustices faced by Black people.“Foundations have not spent a lot of resources going directly to individuals and families... particularly geared towards wealth creation,” said Mekha. “We see this as not only an opportunity to do so in terms of getting dollars to individuals and families, but a modeling of how philanthropy can release dollars to the community, and not all [funds] have to go to organizations.”Mekha says the funds will focus on things like entrepreneurship, homeownership, and education.Danielle Mkali is the community wealth building director at Nexus. She says $50 million is an incredible amount for any one foundation to give and share.“As an organization, we don't view these funds as reparations,” she said. “We do view them as an important contribution to our community's ability to create some space, to build some wealth to do the healing and to continue to build connections to move our communities closer to being more free and self-determined together.”Mkali says Nexus plans to establish an advisory committee over the next year to help design a community engagement process that will most benefit and most impact Black communities. Nexus anticipates launching the Community Trust Fund by early 2023.For questions on Nexus’ stewardship of the Community Trust Fund or to learn how to get involved, people can reach out to trustfund@nexuscp.org.

Racial Justice scholar Dr. Yohuru Williams says the trial underscores the need for broader conversations that address police brutality and reimagine public safety. Safiya Mohamed reports:  The trial of former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter for the killing of Daunte Wright continues this week.  Dr. Yohuru Williams is a professor of History at the University of St. Thomas and the founding director of the school’s racial justice initiative. Williams says he’s been impressed with the trial’s pacing. “It seems like the judge has a great command of the courtroom and wants to make sure that this is going to proceed without any hitches,” he said.  Williams says this trial is particularly challenging because one can argue that Potter just made a mistake in drawing her service pistol instead of her taser. However, he stresses the importance of accountability. “​​The larger conversation we need to have is around policies, practices and procedures that facilitated what happened that afternoon,” he explained. “The fact that that stop to begin with was unnecessary is one of those conversations we need to be having.” Williams says there is much work that needs to be done outside of the trial in order to address police brutality. He suggests a holistic approach to reimagining public safety. “It's not just body cams and technology. It's kind of reimagining criminal justice in a way that says, what's our angle here? Is it to make everyone safer, including officers in the  performance of their duty? Or is it simply to empower police to reign over and to be able to occupy communities.” Williams believes that, through restorative practices, society can collectively work to tackle police brutality and reduce cases like this from happening in the first place. The Kim Potter trial is expected to conclude before Chritsmas. 

Tiffany Bui reports:Thursday marked the second day of the trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter. The jury viewed footage of Wright’s car crashing into another civilian’s car after he was shot. Alayna Albrecht-Payton, the passenger in Daunte Wright’s car, testified about her attempts  to stop Wright’s bleeding after Potter shot him. At the end of the day, the defense asked the judge to declare a mistrial, arguing the evidence and testimony presented was meant to invoke sympathy from the jury. Judge Regina Chu denied the motion.In other news: according to a recent survey, a majority of Minnesotans support more lessons on Native American studies for K-12 students. The study was commissioned by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux, through the tribe’s Understand Native Minnesota campaign to change the narrative about Native Americans in the state. Rebecca Crooks-Stratton, secretary and treasurer of Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, says the results put real data behind the organization’s efforts to create a more nuanced understanding of Native Americans and tribes in Minnesota. “When people think about Native education, they think of history and social studies,” said Crooks-Strattom. “But I think there's room for Native education in civics courses, in science courses.” Brenda Child, a professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota, says state standards on teaching Native American history and culture in schools have developed significantly. The problem, she says, is teachers often don’t feel prepared to teach it. Her solution? Aspiring teachers should consider taking American Indian Studies classes. “I teach courses not just on history, but federal Indian policy,” Child said. “I'm teaching a class on Indians in Minnesota, specifically next semester. So those things are all here. They're not missing, right? We're one of the best departments of its kind in the country. And so people have to find their way there.”  

The prosecution and the defense laid out their arguments. The jury also heard from Daunte Wright's mother and another officer on the scene. --Feven Gerezgiher reports: On Wednesday a jury heard opening statements in the trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter. Potter claims she meant to reach for her taser in the traffic stop that led to the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright.Prosecutor Erin Eldridge said Potter had the training to know the difference between a gun and a taser.“We trust them to know wrong from right, and left from right,” said Eldridge. “This case is about an officer who knew not to get it dead wrong, but she failed to get it right.” Eldridge told jurors Potter was trained to not use a taser, let alone a gun, on someone in a vehicle. Eldridge said Potter’s actions put other people’s lives at risk, including her fellow officers.Defense attorney Paul Engh countered that grabbing the gun was a matter of human error. “Over the course of 26 years, she never fired a gun. She never fired one shot. She never fired her taser. She never had to,” said Engh.In the afternoon, jury heard from Wright’s mother Katie Bryant who gave an emotional testimony to Wright’s character and close relationship to his family. She recounted her last conversation with her son, who called her from the traffic stop.“He sounded really nervous but I reassured him that it would be okay,” she said through tears. Jurors viewed the incident from multiple angles, including a body camera on Brooklyn Center officer Anthony Luckey. Luckey, who was a new hire doing field training with Potter, explained he initially pulled Wright over for minor violations.Outside the courtroom, supporters offered prayer, protest, and candlelight in solidarity with the Wright family.For the Racial Reckoning project, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.

The Minnesota State Patrol is rolling out body cameras for troopers. Meanwhile, legislators are concerned about the acquisition and use of facial recognition technology by government entities.--Feven Gerezgiher reports:Last week, the Minnesota State Patrol announced the rollout of body cameras for 40 troopers. The entire force will be equipped with body cameras by June 2022.At a press conference Thursday, Colonel Matt Langer explained troopers will be required to turn on body cameras when interacting with the public in an enforcement capacity. “The body worn cameras give us an opportunity to have an undeniable record of what occurred roadside to augment what happens with squad video systems,” said Langer.Cameras will automatically turn on when troopers pull out a gun or taser.Journalists and activists are suing the Minnesota State Patrol for using excessive force in response to protests. Langer says he welcomes the body cam footage as a way to hold everyone accountable.“Without a doubt, I wish that we had body-worn cameras to deploy during all of our civil unrest deployments over the past couple of years,” he said. “It leaves little to question about who did what, who said what, who’s at fault.”In other news, a legislative commission is exploring a statewide ban on the acquisition and use of facial recognition technology by government entities.At a hearing last week, Rep. Aisha Gomez said legislation is needed to protect people’s privacy.“The concerns around mass surveillance in public, around the expansion of the government's ability to surveil its citizens is a bipartisan issue,” she said. “Indiscriminate monitoring constitutes interfering with our right to privacy, with our freedom of expression, with our freedom to protest.”ACLU Minnesota’s Munira Mohamed testified that a test of facial recognition software produced false matches for everyone besides adult white men. She cited one instance in which it misidentified a black congressman as a felon on the run.An analyst with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office said the technology is a helpful tool in developing leads in criminal cases and identifying child sex trafficking victims.

Chief Arrandondo made history in 2018 by becoming the first Black police chief in the city’s history.--Chioma Uwagwu reports: On Monday Minneapolis chief of police Medaria Arradondo announced he will step down from his position in January 2022.“After much personal reflection and thoughtful discussions with my family and Mayor Frey, I have made the decision that I will not be accepting a new term as chief of the Minneapolis police department,” he said. An officer of the Minneapolis Police Department since 1989, Chief Arrandondo made history in 2018 by becoming the first Black police chief in the city’s history.  Civil Rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong says she is disappointed by the news, but she understands it. Levy Armstrong says the chief has faced a great deal of criticism, much of which was related to issues that he inherited with the department. “There is still a lot of unfinished business in the city of Minneapolis when it comes to public safety and the status of the Minneapolis police department,” she said. “And so perhaps he feels that it's time for someone else to take the baton and run the next leg of the race.”  Levy Armstrong says although she and the chief haven’t always seen eye to eye, she would like to see a similar style of leadership from the next chief.  “One of the most critical moments that happened during the chiefs tenure was the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police department,” she said. “The chief made the decision to fire those officers and we also saw him take a nearly unprecedented step of testifying in the trial against Derek Chauvin.”Chief Arrandondo says that he is not stepping down to take another job elsewhere nor does he plan to run for elected office. Mayor Frey is expected to announce an interim chief in the coming days in conjunction with plans for a national search for Arradondo’s replacement. 

The Victoria Theater Arts Center mission includes working against gentrification and police brutality. --Tiffany Bui reports:14 years after being saved from demolition, a  historic theater in St. Paul is getting ready to open as a community art space.The Victoria Theater Arts Center (VTAC) is in the final stretch of fundraising; staff say they anticipate opening in 2023. However, they aren’t waiting for the official opening to start serving the Rondo and Frogtown neighborhoods. Executive Director Tyler Olsen-Highness said during the George Floyd protests, VTAC was providing plywood to protect businesses from property damage, and muralists to make them colorful. “Up until that point, we had been a lot about the building itself, and like making the building happen, but I think those events said like, no, that's not enough right now … Right now, what our community needs is people to help organize it and resources to let creativity be a healing element for our community,” said Olsen-Highness.During unsettling events, such as the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, VTAC sets up murals outside the theater and invites people to come and process their feelings. Community coordinator Sydney Latimer says the Victoria Theater’s mission includes working against gentrification and abuses of power, like police brutality. “The Victoria, for a lot of us, symbolizes a stance against that state abuse,” said Latimer, “and also the development that's displacing us. We will not be moved, and we will rebuild our communities from the ground up.”The center is seeking to serve the diverse needs of a community where more than 26 languages are spoken. Staff say they want to especially focus on developing the talent of young artists.“I see just such a reciprocity between, like social movement and art,” said Olsen-Highness. “This is the place where we're building tomorrow.”As part of its commitment to serving youth, the center is assembling a youth advisory council to help guide its work.

Thursday, the Hennepin County court seated the last three jurors for the trial of the former Brooklyn Center police officer charged in the death of Daunte Wright. The court still needs to seat two alternate jurors before it can begin testimony.--Feven Gerezgiher reports: Thursday, the Hennepin County court seated the last three jurors for the trial of the former Brooklyn Center police officer charged in the death of Daunte Wright. The court still needs to seat two alternate jurors before it can begin testimony. Judge Regina Chu says at this pace, it’s possible testimony will begin sooner than initially scheduled. Of those seated on the jury two are Asian and one is Black.Judge Chu dismissed an East African immigrant Thursday over concerns about a language barrier.“Any juror needs to understand every word that is being spoken - legal concepts, principles,” said Chu. “Nobody knows everything, you know, if you haven’t served on a jury or haven't gone to law school, that's not a problem. But understanding every word spoken is a necessity in order to be able to sit.”Earlier in the week a Hispanic woman was also excused over language concerns.The defense used peremptory challenges to strike two jurors: a first-year law student who has been vocal on social media about previous police trials, and a woman whose friend quit the Brooklyn Center police force.Several of Daunte Wright’s family members took turns sitting in the courtroom. Mother Katie Wright wiped tears away while listening to Juror 52 testify as to why she could not be a fair and impartial juror.“The police have murdered my uncle…and they haven’t treated my family right so it’s very hard to put that aside,” she said. “I personally don’t think I should be a part of this jury because I know that what happened was three blocks from where I used to live and it’s very hard to hear.”Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter is charged with two counts of manslaughter in the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April.

The court now has 9 of the 12 jurors needed. Meanwhile a motorist drove through a crowd gathered in solidarity with Daunte Wright’s family. --Feven Gerezgiher reports:Wednesday, the Hennepin County court seated 5 additional jurors for the trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter. Potter is charged with two counts of manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright. The court now has 9 of the needed 12 jurors and two alternates. Given the speed of selection, Judge Regina Chu suggested moving the trial up from the December 8th start date.“We’ll kinda play it by ear and you might want to check with some of your witnesses to see if they can make it earlier,” advised the judge.According to reporters in the courtroom, six of the jurors are white, two are Asian, and one is Black. Several potential jurors were excused Wednesday for bias, conflicts of interest, and personal health issues. One person was also excused for a language barrier. The defense used a peremptory strike to rule out a juror who was unsure of his trust in police.The prosecution used its last peremptory strikes against a white male who opposes defunding police and a white female with a highly unfavorable view of Black Lives Matter.In related news, outside the courtroom Tuesday evening, a motorist drove through a crowd gathered in solidarity with Daunte Wright’s family.According to attendees, no one was harmed. In a video, a witness says the driver turned into a gap in the crowd while shouting expletives.“This is the problem that we face,” she said. “Like we’re out here for justice for Daunte Wright. We’re being peaceful. Nobody is doing anything wrong. We are being peaceful.”The witness and other activists expressed concern about white supremacists harming protestors, given similar incidents in Minneapolis in recent years.

Four jurors were confirmed: two white males (one in his 20s and another in his 50s), an Asian woman in her 40s and one white woman in her 60s. --Chioma Uwagwu reports: On Monday, jury selection began for the trial of ex-Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter. Potter is facing first and second degree manslaughter charges in the killing of Daunte Wright. The prosecution team is led by Matthew Frank, who also served as the state’s prosecutor in the Derek Chauvin trial. Potter is represented by defense attorneys Earl Gray and Paul Engh. Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu is presiding. The trial is being broadcast live; Judge Chu has ordered that the identities of the jurors be withheld until after the trial. However during the morning session, Defense attorney Earl Gray addressed two jurors by their last names.  Both jurors were seated; the judge asked Gray to be particularly careful moving forward. “A couple of the jurors that were named - it’s out there. I don’t want that to happen again,” Chu said. Of the 11 panel members questioned, four were confirmed. Among the seated are two white males (one in his 20s and another in his 50s), an Asian woman in her 40s and one white woman in her 60s. Juror #7, who was seated, works as an overnight manager for a Target distribution center. At one point Judge Chu asked him to explain his feelings toward the police. “People are people, and I don’t think that a badge should exclude you from consequences to actions, potentially,” he stated. Each side used a peremptory strike which is a dismissal of a potential juror without reason. The state used a peremptory strike to dismiss a retired fire captain; the defense used its peremptory strike to dismiss a woman who volunteered on Attorney General Ellison’s campaign back in 2018.Jury selection is scheduled to continue the rest of the week. Opening statements are set to begin December 8; Judge Chu says she expects the trial to wrap up by Christmas Eve. 

Potter is charged with first and second-degree manslaughter after she shot Daunte Wright on April 11 during a traffic stop. Wright’s family and community leaders held a press conference Monday afternoon to demand Potter be held accountable. --Georgia Fort reports: Jury selection for former Brooklyn Center Police officer Kimberly Potter begins today. Potter is charged with the death of Daunte Wright. Wright’s family and community leaders held a press conference Monday afternoon to demand Potter be held accountable.“We all thought it was important to be here today,” said the Wright family’s attorney Jeff Storms, “because of the history of this state of not holding officers accountable.”Potter is charged with first and second degree manslaughter after she shot Daunte Wright on April 11 during a traffic stop. Potter told officials she had mistaken her gun for her taser. Her attorneys are expected to argue that it was an accident.“Kim Potter was seen as a senior officer who trained officers and cadets who claimed she’d mistaken a gun for a taser,” said George Floyd’s girlfriend, Courteney Ross.  “We are in Minnesota and we will not continue to let these racist cops walk the street. We will send them to prison as we did Derek Chauvin.”Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, was also at the protest. She called out flaws in the State’s judicial system that contributed to the officer who fatally shot her son being found not guilty. She said she hopes that Potter’s trial will be different.“We really want this jury to use their independent thinking and look at the laws. The laws are flawed,” said Castile. Testimony in the Kim Potter trial is expected to begin December 8. 

Jeanelle Austin is Executive Director of the George Floyd Global Memorial; it's her job to maintain the space and preserve over 3000 offerings at the square. --Safiya Mohamed reports:Jeanelle Austin began caretaking for George Floyd’s memorial last summer. She grew up three blocks away from 38th and Chicago, where George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. In the days following his death, people flocked to the site to grieve, process, and protest.“Every morning I would get up and I would do something [as] mundane as picking up garbage,” said Austin. “But I knew that it would keep the memorial presentable.”Austin’s background is in racial justice work and activism. This past September she was named Executive Director of the George Floyd Global Memorial. Through her job, she works to maintain the space and preserve over 3000 offerings at the square. “It really was about just putting in the work to build out this story - preservation as protest - to ensure that the voices of the people are held, are kept, are known,” she explained. Austin says that everything left at the square is an offering, therefore nothing is thrown away. “We genuinely believe that it's a sacred site,” she said. “And when someone lays down something as sacred, at a sacred site, it becomes a sacred offering. You just don't throw away the sacred. It comes from a deep spiritual, moral and ethical belief.” For months, George Floyd Square was closed to traffic, but the city eventually insisted it reopen to cars and buses. Austin hopes the square will one day become a pedestrian only intersection. “It's the memorial that the people built,” she said. “It's the memorial, it's not a makeshift memorial. It's not a temporary Memorial. It's not a placeholder until a statue can be built. It's the people's Memorial and it is our working job to honor that and uphold that.” 

Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Jaime Arsenault is searching for documents and other artifacts that might provide closure for victims of boarding school assimilation programs. --Feven Gerezgiher reports: Jaime Arsenault wears many hats as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for White Earth Nation. One includes managing cultural archives, which often first requires finding them.She says that’s because a lot of tribal information is held in different institutions around the country and around the world. Arsenault says it’s not uncommon for schools, museums and churches to either deny tribal access to archives or to simply not have organized archival collections.A few years ago the historic preservation office began a collaboration with the College of Saint Benedict and the Saint Benedict’s monastery, which historically operated boarding schools - including one at White Earth. “We were able to locate many pictures and documents and reports, things that might help families get answers, have some sense of closure, have at least some more information for them to maybe ask that next set of questions,” said Arsenault. Last spring the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict formally apologized for their role in the federal government’s assimilation policy. They are now working with Arsenault and a White Earth advisory committee towards truth finding and truth telling.“I hear these stories about all that was lost, all that was disrupted, all that was taken, you know, whether it's language, culture, land, family structures, wellness, self esteem,” said Arsenault. “It would be amazing to be able to have this work lead to something that builds those things back up.”Arsenault says it is critical that Native Nations and survivors continue to inform the truth and reconciliation process every step of the way. As more people become involved, she hopes that this also results in an investment in the wellness and resilience of Indigenous communities nationwide.

Demetrius Hill was killed by St. Paul police officer Gerald Vick in 1997 for suspected robbery. 24 years later Marilyn Hill is still working to prove his innocence. --Tiffany Bui reports:24 years after her son was killed by St. Paul police, Marilyn Hill got back her son’s belongings.Demetrius Hill was killed by officer Gerald Vick in 1997 at an apartment complex. Demetrius was 18 years old; the police said he was a robbery suspect that pulled a gun on officers. But his mother questions whether the police report is true. Marilyn Hill doesn’t believe her son had a gun. And she doesn’t believe the officer stopped to talk to him, but instead opened fire as her son was opening the door to his grandparents’ unit. She says her father saw his grandson on the ground, but the police told him to get back into his apartment. “Seeing his sweatshirt to verify and confirm he was shot in the back is all I wanted to see,” said Hill. “My eyes filled with tears, because I wanted to just touch his things and be a part of him at that moment.”Hill says her son - nicknamed “Mechee” - was a caregiver to the family. He taught his younger brother to throw his first football and looked after his sisters. Hill retained an attorney and filed a data practices request before she received her son’s things. She says some items are still missing, like his wallet and his pants. Though the items can no longer be used as evidence, Hill still wants to see justice for her son. “I’m hoping to get that case reopened. I am trying to get my voice out there and the stories told because I really search for the truth. And once I find out that the truth is they murdered him… I want to have my son's name taken off the record for the aggravated robbery,” she said. “So I know he's innocent - I want my son to be proven innocent.”Officer Vick was given an award by the St. Paul Chief of Police for his actions in Hill’s case. Seven years later he was shot and killed while working undercover. 

Dozens of students, parents and graduates from the district showed up to speak out about their own racist encounters after a video went viral of a student encouraging a Black teen to kill herself. But school board members refused to hear more than a handful.--Georgia Fort reports:Concerned community members shut down Prior Lake-Savage School Board Meeting Monday evening after the board refused to hear more than a handful of complaints on racial attacks within the district.Dozens of students, parents and graduates from the district were hoping to speak out about their own racist encounters after a video went viral of a girl using the N word and encouraging a Black teen to kill herself. School board members walked out, saying the meeting had become disorderly.“The fact that you had the audacity to walk out just shows that this happens over and over,” yelled a former student in frustration.At the beginning of the school board meeting, Superintendent Teri Staloch read a written statement informing the public that the student who used the N word in the video is no longer enrolled in the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools and that police are still continuing their investigation into the video. “A few weeks ago we all became aware of a racist video shared by a student on social media,” said Staloch. “The horrific racist video continues to cause pain and hurt to all of our community, particularly our BIPOC students, staff and  families. To be clear, our schools do not tolerate hate or racism.”Kristi Mussman, Director of Communications, said none of the school board members were in a position to comment. Activists say they hope to meet with Governor Walz to get legislation drafted that would create stricter consequences for hate speech in schools. 

Over the weekend, education advocates gathered for a forum titled ‘Are Public Schools in Minnesota Failing Black Children?’ --Safiya Mohamed reports:.  On Saturday the Wayfinder Foundation and the Racial Justice Network hosted a forum called ‘Are Public Schools in Minnesota Failing Black Children?’“I'm sure a lot of adults do not know that Minnesota is placed 50 when it comes to the education quality for black students,” said spoken word artist and attendee Lavera Pounds. Pounds was referring to a national study that found Minnesota has one of the worst education gaps in the country between Black and white students. She said more people need to know about Minnesota’s achievement gap and how it harms Black students.Rashad Turner, President of the Minnesota Parent Union, says it’s important to focus on Black children. “I think in Minnesota, it's easy to sort of group people together or have that desire because of Minnesota Nice to, you know, label things BIPOC or POC,” he said.Rashad believes that school districts have pushed Black parents away from the decision making table, causing the education gap to widen. Nafeesah Mohamed, an English teacher at Patrick Henry High School, gave the keynote address. She spoke to the importance of having Black educators in the classroom. “Black children are my passion, whether in the classroom or outside the classroom,” she said. “So anything that I can do to center the experiences of our Black children or Black parents or Black teachers, then I'm gonna show up and say and do it.” Mohamed said society has normalized negative experiences for Black children in school. “And what we're trying to say here today is that that is not normal,” she said. “We are black excellence we have been since before we were brought to this country, so we're capable of doing it again, we're capable of being our own self liberators.”

Over the weekend, many Minnesotans took to the streets to denounce the verdict which acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse of murder. Meanwhile, dozens of students and families showed solidarity for the victim of a recent hate crime in Prior Lake. --Feven Gerezgiher reports: On Friday, a Wisconsin judge acquitted 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of all charges related to the shooting - and killing - of protesters for black lives last year. Over the weekend, many Minnesotans took to the streets to denounce the verdict.In downtown Minneapolis Saturday, activist DJ Hooker criticized the legal system and President Joe Biden, who made remarks supporting the jury’s decision.“It’s just so messed up to see them making sure to reinforce the fact that these white supremacists...can go around and kill who they want with no repercussions. With no repercussions!” he yelled to the crowd.Hooker said the verdict was hard to hear having witnessed the death of a protestor for black lives in Minneapolis earlier this summer.In related news, hours after the verdict on Friday, over 50 students and their supporters gathered outside U.S. Bank Stadium in solidarity with the victim of a racist video out of Prior Lake High School.“We’re here today because of the injustices that have been happening in our schools, in our state, and first and foremost Prior Lake, said student rally co-organizer Nyagath Keuth.Keuth, who is with MN Teen Activists, spoke against white teens being given a pass when they harm black youth.Several South Sudanese parents expressed dismay at how their children are being treated. Langa Oriho spoke as a family friend to the black victim.“We thought we left our home to come to heaven, though we left our hell to come to another hell,” he said. “But we’re still hopeful, because we’re not going anywhere.”Oriho said immigrants are here to build a United States that belongs to everyone.

We Are Meant to Rise: Voices for Justice from Minneapolis to the World features numerous local writers bearing witness to the tragedies and changes of the previous year. --Tiffany Bui reports:A new book offers a view of 2020 through the lens of 31 different writers of color. We Are Meant to Rise: Voices for Justice from Minneapolis to the World features numerous local writers bearing witness to the tragedies and changes of the previous year. Co-editors Carolyn Holbrook and David Mura showcase the diversity of stories that exist within Black, Indigenous and other communities of color in Minnesota. It’s a project of Holbrook’s organization, More Than A Single Story, which encourages cross-cultural understanding through public discussions for marginalized people.According to Holbrook, they tried to select a diversity of authors, in race and ethnicity, as well as age.“For me, and for More Than a Single Story, it is really important for people across the BIPOC communities to communicate with each other,” said Holbrook. “So that we can recognize that, as groups of people and as a collective group of people, we are stronger, more powerful.” The book contains 34 stories, each different from the last. Some are on-the-ground reactions to the demonstrations following George Floyd’s murder. Others are personal essays on a variety of themes, like financial trauma and queer and trans survival. Mura writes in the book that these authors provide us with “individualized portraits of who we are.”“The reader will get a sense of the enormous variety of experience and voices that are there in the Minnesota BIPOC community,” said Mura. “And it really shows that this is a very complex community, racially, ethnically, and we have a mix of different populations that are unlike anywhere in the country, including a very strong representation of Native American writers, which you wouldn't have in many other cities.”Contributors include nationally-recognized local authors such as Kao Kalia Yang and Louise Erdrich, as well as emerging writers. 

Critics say during his previous tenure Luger failed to hold police accountable in the deaths of Jamar Clark and Philando Castile, and harmed Muslim community members with the controversial Countering Violent Extremism program.--Feven Gerezgiher reports:At a press conference Tuesday, community activists in Minneapolis denounced the re-appointment of Andrew Luger as U.S. Attorney for Minnesota. The appointment is pending Senate approval.President Biden announced Luger’s nomination on Friday upon the recommendation of Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. In a news release, the senators praised Luger for his work in his previous term as U.S. Attorney, from 2014 to 2017.“Under no condition should this man be reappointed. He's not an unknown quantity to our community. We know about him. We have a history with him,” said former St Paul NAACP president Nathaniel Khaliq. Khaliq said the appointment would harm progress made by community activists since George Floyd’s death.“When I think about how hard these folks have worked to get us to this point where we see hope in turning around the various practices and policies of injustice that have been inflicted on our community for years and years. Now, you want to bring Andy Luger on board. He's already tainted the process just because of who he is,” said Khaliq. Earlier this year, a broad coalition of community organizations and over 20 lawmakers signed a letter to the President opposing Luger’s appointment. The letter noted that as U.S. Attorney, Luger failed to hold police accountable in the deaths of Jamar Clark and Philando Castile, and harmed Muslim community members with the controversial Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) program.Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, says she’s concerned about the ongoing Department of Justice investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department.“I'm very fearful that Andy Luger sitting in that position of US attorney is going to block that investigation or denature that investigation such that it will be ineffective,” she said.Organizers said the other two finalists for the U.S. Attorney appointment, former assistant federal prosecutors Lola Velazquez-Aguilu and Surya Saxena, were more credible options.

On election day, Minneapolis voters failed to pass a charter amendment for a new public safety department. Now what? --Safiya Mohamed reports:On Nov 2, nearly 44% of Minneapolis residents voted in favor of replacing the Minneapolis Police Department with a Department of Public Safety. However, it wasn’t enough to pass the charter amendment. Minister JaNae Bates served as the communications director for Yes 4 Minneapolis, the group campaigning for the amendment. She believes that election day marked the beginning of a conversation about the future of public safety, not the end. “We are at a point right now where something has to change,” said Bates. “And there's no one who voted one way or the other who doesn't recognize that the real change actually has to happen.”Moving forward, Bates said she wants to build on the relationships that came together in the Yes 4 Minneapolis Coalition. “This campaign was filled to the brim with people who had varying ideas about what Minneapolis could look like 200 years from now,” said Bates. “But they were all committed to the idea - the belief - that the people of Minneapolis deserve better than what we've been offered.”Despite the results, Bates said she is proud of how far the coalition has come. She hopes this movement will inspire people to get involved in their communities and hold their elected officials accountable. “It's really important that you become civically engaged,” she said. “And that doesn't just mean voting in November. That means all the rest of the months of the year being able to say ‘we put you in office’ and, whether you voted for these people or not, the reality is that they're there to represent you.”Bates is one of many people on both sides of the public safety issue who are now looking at how to hold the city accountable to enacting meaningful public safety reform. 

More than a decade after their initial request, three Ojibwe Tribal Nations will have the boundaries of their 1854 treaty with the United States acknowledged on state highways.--Feven Gerezgiher reports:Over a decade after their initial request, three Ojibwe Tribal Nations will have the boundaries of their 1854 treaty with the United States acknowledged on state highways. Earlier this month, the Minnesota Department of Transportation installed the first of 12 signs acknowledging Native territory. The treaty area encompasses the northeast region of the state, approximately 5.5 million acres.Anton Treuer, Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, hopes making treaty areas visible will hopefully remind people of America's legal obligations to uphold its end of treaties.The United States Constitution has very specific mention of treaties as, quote, the supreme law of the land. There's a treaty at the end of World War Two that says Japan doesn't get to have, you know, a full fledged military, but America is obligated to provide for its military safety and that's binding on both parties. And it is likewise binding when Native people entered into an agreement changing the status of land to enable white settlement. And retaining, not being given new, but retaining their tribal sovereignty, land tenure, and rights. Treuer said the 1854 treaty allowed for joint shared use with white settlers, not ownership. This is in keeping with the Ojibwe understanding of humanity’s relationship to land. If you're living up in this part of Minnesota, you are living on Native Land, land that Native people have never extinguished their right to, you know, inhabit, use, hunt, fish, gather, and so forth. Those rights were never extinguished. And so reminding people, Hey, you're on native land. This is shared use territory, not territory from which Native people have been alienated.Treuer pointed out that Native people continue to face challenges to tribal sovereignty. The highly contested Line 3 pipeline runs through the land covered by the 1854 treaty.For the Racial Reckoning project, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.

Georgia Fort reports:Hundreds gathered at Prior Lake High School Thursday to demand a student who used racial slurs in a viral video be expelled.Students were joined by organizers and activists from Minneapolis. Toshira Garroway, founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, said if racist behavior goes unaddressed in high school it will manifest into these children’s adult lives. “We’re asking that the principal of this school…we want a resignation, or we want your [expletive] fired,” said Garroway. “We want those children that were involved expelled immediately.”Several of the youth became emotional when sharing their concerns for the safety of Nya, the Black student targeted in the viral video while others went on to share their own stories of racial tension and discrimination in the classrooms.“My chemistry teacher told me that George Floyd’s life didn’t matter,” said one student. “I told my principal about it and he said there is nothing he can do.”High Schoolers from St. Louis Park and Richfield were also in attendance to show solidarity. Many of them said they had experienced racist situations within their schools as well and demanded teachers who have racial complaints against them be fired as well.A Prior Lake school board meeting is planned for Monday night. Students and parents say they plan to voice their concerns and demands.

Medical experts point to a variety of reasons for these disparities, including poorer health as a result of structural racism and a hesitancy to get vaccinated.--Tiffany Bui reports:As COVID-19 cases spike in Minnesota, racial disparities in the infection rates persist. Data from the Minnesota Department of Health shows that Black, Latinx and Pacific Islanders are contracting COVID-19 at a higher rate than white Minnesotans, when adjusting for age.Medical experts point to a variety of reasons for these disparities, namely poorer health as a result of structural racism and a hesitancy to get vaccinated. According to Dr. Mary Owen, director of the Center of American Indian and Minority Health, vaccinations in tribal nations aren’t coming as quickly as they used to. She said a combination of factors contribute to someone not getting the vaccine, which can include misinformation and just general fear and anxiety. “We're living in a time that's really frightening in the first place,” said Owen, “and on top of it, we've seen things happen to our climate that are terrible. In Native communities, we see more of our folks impacted. So there's just this baseline of fear, I think that’s already there, it's just simmering. And so when you introduce something different, like a vaccine that some people are saying isn't safe, I think it feeds into some of those fears.”Owen said her center is focusing on targeting groups who may have more questions about getting vaccinated, particularly pregnant people and parents of young children. Black and American Indian Minnesotans have the highest gains in vaccination rates week over week, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. MDH’s Senior Equity Adviser Dr. Nathan Chomilo said the department has held 1,000 vaccination events focused on communities of color. However he acknowledged disparities in infections still exist.“Folks who have underlying health conditions because of  long standing disparities in access to health care, nutrition, environmental exposures – all those things continue to persist. We haven't fixed those with a vaccination campaign,” Chomilo said.This week, Minnesota reported the highest number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 this year, further diminishing the number of hospital beds available across the state.

MEnd Correctional Care was providing medical services for Beltrami jail in 2018 when 27-year-old Hardel Sherrell died in custody. Protesters say the state should shut the organization down. --Georgia Fort reports:Protesters gathered at The Minnesota Board of Medical Examiners Friday afternoon to demand the State shutdown MEnD Correctional Care. MEnd Correctional Care was providing services for Beltrami jail in 2018 when 27-year-old Hardel Sherrell died in custody. Video footage showed guards neglected to take his pain seriously for over a week, even when his condition deteriorated to paralysis. A private autopsy ordered by his mother revealed he was suffering from a rare but treatable disease. A witness nurse stated that, even after his death, medical providers for the North Central Minnesota jail claimed he had been faking his illness. “No doctor who has taken the oath to save lives would allow what happened to my son to happen,” said Del Shea Perry, Hardell’s mother. Perry said 55 investigations are being conducted into inmate deaths that have raised skepticism. Nurses from the Minnesota Nurses Association came forward in solidarity with Perry, saying under no circumstance should an inmate have been left neglected the way Hardel was.“The doctor failed to do his job, why should that doctor be out here still getting paid?” demanded Toshira Garroway, founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence. She said that this case reveals inequities in the medical and incarceration systems.“We are here to say the inhumanity and the lack of regard for human life has to stop,” said Garroway. At the beginning of October 2021 the Minnesota Legislature passed the Hardel Sherrell Act to create more protections for inmates who request medical attention.MEnD Correctional Care denies any wrongdoing. A representative for the organization said in an email that MEnD provided “daily, attentive care” for Sherrell.  A civil rights lawsuit is still pending in court.

The tuition waiver program is available to enrolled citizens of federally recognized tribal nations in Minnesota. --Feven Gerezgiher reports:Starting next fall, the University of Minnesota is providing free or reduced tuition for Native American students on all five of its campuses.The University of Minnesota has offered free tuition to American Indian students on its Morris campus from its founding. This goes back to 1909, when Congress deeded a boarding school to the state of Minnesota with the stipulation that an institution of learning be maintained and American Indian students “be admitted free of charge.”The tuition waiver program is available to enrolled citizens of federally recognized tribal nations in Minnesota. Students must be starting their first year of an undergraduate program or transferring from a tribal college.Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College President Stephanie Hammitt said this is a good thing.“Anything that we can do to help the students to make it easier, make it less stressful for them to continue on -  that's what we want to support,” she said.  “And definitely with lower or free tuition, that is something that is going to benefit all those students.”Hammitt said having the financial assistance to attend a large, research institution like the University could encourage students to pursue different fields or advanced degrees.University officials said in a release that they’re working to improve retention and graduation rates of Native American students by increasing financial assistance and by reinforcing student support programs.Hammitt said extending the tuition assistance to transfer students from tribal colleges helps set students up for success.“Some students might not feel comfortable going directly to a university setting,” she said. “And therefore, you know, a smaller tribal college might suit their needs and help them gain the confidence they need to move on.”     Hammitt said ideally the financial aid would be offered to descendants of enrolled members, too. 

Critics of charter schools say they are draining funding from school districts; proponents say they are providing much needed options to traditional education. --Feven Gerezgiher reports:According to St. Paul school officials, last year close to 40% of the city’s school-aged children were not attending schools in the district. Instead, families are increasingly enrolling their kids in charter schools. Minneapolis Public Schools have seen a similar decline in enrollment.Myron Orfield is the director of the Institute of Metropolitan Opportunity at the University of Minnesota. He said proponents of charter schools promised they’d be more racially integrated than traditional public schools and outperform them, but they’ve failed on both counts.“Charter schools do worse than the public schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul,” said Orfield. “And so charter schools have entered the system, they've taken a huge number of resources away from the city schools. They really kind of crippled the city schools’ finances.” Orfield said charter schools have accelerated racial segregation, which often leads to gaps in funding and other inequities.However, for marginalized communities, charter schools can prove helpful. Dr. Samuel Yigzaw is executive director at Higher Ground Academy, a K-12 charter school in St. Paul known for its predominantly East African student population and diverse staff. He said the school has built relationships with the community, which has attracted more families.“They are making a choice based on what they see,” said Yigzaw. “They see their neighbor's son or daughter going to a good school and finishing, graduating, and then having a job. And that’s something the parents may value. Even if we say, ‘oh, they’re going to that school because there is someone that looks like them’, there has to be a good reason to come back.”Yigzaw said while traditional public schools are excellent, they do not work for some students, which is why they need options like Higher Ground.

“Envision SPPS” would close, merge or relocate eleven schools by next fall. Opponents point out that most of the schools slated to close are in communities of color.--Feven Gerezgiher reports: A Saint Paul Public Schools proposal that would close several schools is facing resistance from community members who say the plan leaves behind Black, Latinx, and immigrant families.School officials announced the proposal at a board meeting in October. Called “Envision SPPS,” it would close, merge or relocate eleven schools by next fall. Faced with 8000 empty seats across the district, officials say they want to consolidate resources to ensure sustainable and well-rounded education programs.Opponents point out that most of the schools slated to close are in communities of color.“This is an issue of unequal balance of power,” said parent Tseganesh Selameab. “If you see the schools that are being slated for closure, they're chronically under supported schools through SPPS.”Selameab said she chose Wellstone Elementary for its proximity and diversity - and doesn’t want to see it close.“They're really talking about taking a school that has a robust community and splitting it along language lines,” she said. “Like taking the Spanish speaking kids and sending them to the West Side and then the English speaking kids can get dispersed to other classes. It just feels like a very harsh splitting of a robust community that's integrated.”Saint Paul Federation of Educators President Leah VanDassor said the move is disruptive to students after an already stressful and difficult pandemic year.“Some of these places found out the day that the district announced it, that the school was closing,” said VanDassor. “I mean, this was a shock to a lot of people. There was a lot of harm done.” According to officials, the proposal is meant to address competition from charter schools. However VanDassor said, depending on how the school board votes on November 16, families might end up leaving the district in the coming year. 

An Indigenous youth group has brought together different nations and generations to heal from the violent legacy of boarding schools. --Feven Gerezgiher reports:When 215 children were found buried on the lands of a former residential school in Canada last spring, local community members found their own histories uncovered.Over the summer, members of Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli and Indigenous Roots in St Paul gathered to grieve and honor the found children - and the children that survived - through ceremony and sewing spirit medicine dolls. This week, their work culminates in Dia de los Muertos ceremonies and an exhibition.Ruti Mejia says the project was started by members of her traditional dance group who needed a space for healing. She says it has become an opportunity for intertribal connection.“We've historically been displaced and been dispersed to not collaborate with each other, and to some extent, sometimes put against each other,” explained Mejia. “But we really are intentionally disabling all of that, and dismantling that and really coming back to our ways of gathering, our ways of sharing, our ways of spending time with community, sharing a meal.” Elder Maria Morin McCoy is from the Bear Clan and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. She led the making of the spirit dolls as a way to give life to the uncovered children.“Through working through the dolls, the spirits of the children began to talk to the doll makers,” said McCoy. “So many of the people that participated in making a doll had actual experiences, dreams, or just knowings as they were sewing the bodies together of what had happened to the children, and they began to tell them their story.”McCoy said she and others involved with the project have been connecting with their loved ones who were directly impacted by boarding schools, finally opening up about difficult history.The exhibit is open to the public at the Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center through November 30th.

Many racial justice activists were disappointed to see Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey re-elected and the public safety charter amendment rejected.--Georgia Fort reports:A small group of protestors marched to the home of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey after learning he was re-elected. One disappointed voter said “Everybody here really thought that he wasn’t going to win again,” but after two rounds of tabulation, Jacob Frey was re-elected with 49 percent of ranked choice votes. His re-election was criticized by some residents who felt he didn’t effectively use his position to bring forth changes in policing following the murder of George Floyd.“He’s reverted, he’s gone back and made deals with…[Minneapolis Police Chief] Arradondo,” said another protester.In St. Paul, incumbent mayor Melvin Carter was re-elected with more than sixty percent of the votes. The controversial Minneapolis charter amendment on public safety was defeated. The final count revealed 56 percent of people voted “No” on the ballot question. However even those voting no said policing and public safety are still prominent issues.  Ballots in both Saint Paul and Minneapolis included questions on rent control. The proposal in St. Paul caps rent increases at three percent; the Minneapolis ballot question allows policy makers to begin working on a similar plan. The measures passed in both cities. “It’s really clear to us that housing justice is racial justice,” said one of the advocates for the St. Paul rent cap, “that Saint Paulites care for one another, that they’re going to show up to the polls for one another and we saw that in victory tonight.”Advocates for both measures said they are key to making housing affordable to low income renters. Opponents said the rent restrictions will discourage new housing construction. 

Relationships Evolving Possibilities (REP) is an abolitionist group that runs a crisis hotline which responds to non-violent emergencies such as neighbor complaints or welfare checks. --Tiffany Bui reports:It was a summer night when Rivianna Zeller and their team got a call from the hotline from the dispatch center in Minneapolis.The caller said their neighbors across the street had been evicted from their home multiple times, and were now squatting in the house. The Hennepin County Sheriff's office wouldn’t do anything about it, so could they respond?Zeller is a volunteer with Relationships Evolving Possibilities, an abolitionist group that runs a crisis hotline which responds to  non-violent emergencies, like neighbor complaints or welfare checks. The hotline operates twice a week, from 7 p.m. until 12 a.m. Volunteers carry first aid kits, snacks, condoms and even cigarettes, which they offer to people when situations are especially tense. In this case, Zeller was surprised; the caller didn’t consider themself an abolitionist at all.“That was really exciting, honestly, to be like: “People are trying other things,” they said.“I was just really  glad that they called us and that we got to go check on these neighbors … rather than the sheriff or the cops showing up and kicking them out of their house again.”Though Zeller’s team was not able to talk to the people squatting, they did what they came to do: to offer help with consent and without force. “A lot of people call us because they just want someone to listen,” Zeller said.REP was formed during the summer of 2020 at the height of protests by a group of activists working in mutual aid. Their central tenant is “Black love and liberation.” Roxanne Anderson, a core member of REP, said the goal was to help deescalate conflict in communities as tensions soared. They wanted to give people the space to breathe and have compassionate conversations with each other.“Everybody was kind of like, in reaction mode. And we wanted to find ways to kind of slow down, get to know your neighbor. Think about how you might want to have a conversation about the fact that your neighbor always parks in a way that blocks your driveway, and instead of erupting in, in a violent episode about your driveway being blocked,” Anderson said.REP also teaches people how to form pods – groups they can turn to in a crisis instead of the police. Though their focus is on policing alternatives, REP stresses that their hotline is not a 911 replacement – at least not yet. Instead they’re focusing on responding to the calls they say don’t need an armed police response at all.“Oftentimes, that's what people need is somebody just to show up, somebody just to be there,” Anderson said. With their connections in the community, volunteers can offer to help someone make a call to another organization, like the Cultural Wellness Center.  “That's what we know that we can do, with doing as little harm as possible.”Anderson said REP is slowly and carefully building up its services, like the hotline. After a brief pause, the hotline has entered its second phase, where volunteers also received medic training. The group, which receives financial support from Family Tree Clinic, has made a commitment to operate for 10 years.“We know that it takes 10 years to root, it takes 10 years for systematic change to really be in place. It takes many years to even see if a program works,” they said. “We're not trying to say, ‘This is how you be an abolitionist.’ We're saying, “There are many ways in which abolition can happen. Here are some, what do you all think?’”

Voters in Minneapolis will determine the future of policing and public safety in the first major election since George Floyd was killed.Georgia Fort reports: Tuesday marks the first major election in Minneapolis since George Floyd was killed. Voters will determine the future of policing and public safety with a historic vote on the charter amendment. While policing continues to be a prominent issue, the increase in deadly gun violence has made it difficult for community leaders to agree on ways to move forward.Voting Yes on question 2 would agree to replacing the police department with a department of public safety. If passed, a commissioner would be appointed within 30 days and the city council would have oversight of the department… which is why Civil Rights Attorney and Minneapolis Resident Nekima Levy Armstrong says she’s voting no.“I am concerned we are going to put ourselves in a worse situation than what we are already in,” said Armstrong at a recent debate. Although voting “no” doesn’t provide the immediate change of replacing the police department, she said it also doesn’t mean she’s content with MPD.“I want to see MPD completely overhauled,” she said. “I want to see a robust system of police oversight.”JaNae Bates, communications director of Yes 4 Minneapolis, said police prevention programs are limited and having a public safety department would create more resources to tackle gun violence.“To be able to finally have some preventive and intervention measures that are part of a comprehensive department,” Bates said. “That means we can start to tackle big things like violence in community and gun violence prevention, something police officers will say is not a part of their work.”Also on the ballot are yes or no questions on rent control and government structure. You can find a comprehensive bipartisan guide for St. Paul and Minneapolis at blackvotesmattermn.com. 

Community members gathered Saturday at the Wilder Recreation Center to mark the anniversary of Demetrius Hill’s death, a Black man who was shot by St.Paul Police in 1997.--Safiya Mohamed reports:  This Saturday, community members gathered at the Wilder Recreation Center to honor the 24th anniversary of Demetrius Hill’s death, a Black man who was shot by St.Paul Police in 1997.Katie Wright, the mother of Daunte Wright, was present at the event along with other families who’ve lost their loved ones to police violence. “I don't know if there's ever really going to be justice,” Wright said. “We can get accountability. We can get our loved ones' murderers held to the highest accountability, but there's never going to be real justice for anyone.” Minnesota State Representative John Thompson was also present. He said he was there to show his support and to encourage people to vote. “I want people to know that we're important,” he said. “Our families are important, our communities are important, our votes are important, our voices are important.” Thompson hopes that attendees will feel inspired by these gatherings and will go out and be the change in their communities. “We have to put our faces and our voices in places that matter,” Thompson said. “If we're not at the table, we're on the menu and eventually we’re on the plate and we’ve been getting eaten up for years here.”Attendee Faith Allen hopes events like this remind the community that healing is possible and that they are not alone. “Healing from the trauma that the families are going through,” Allen said, “and to let them know that we are here for you - to see growth.” The event was hosted by Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence. 

The former Brooklyn Center police officer will face both first and second degree manslaughter charges in the death of Daunte Wright. Meanwhile, Wright's family marked what would have been his 21st birthday. Georgia Fort reports:A Hennepin county judge has denied a request to drop the most severe charges against former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter. Potter fatally shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April. Potter faces both first-degree and second-degree manslaughter charges. The news came Wednesday which would have been Daunte’s 21st birthday. His family held a public gathering to honor his life. Over a hundred people gathered at the Brooklyn Center Community center. “I shouldn’t be celebrating my son as a memory. He should be here physically with us. And it’s not fair, said his mother Katie Wright. She said it’s been hard to overcome her grief.“Before three weeks ago I was like ‘I’m not going to get out of bed - I can’t celebrate his birthday,’ but because so many supporters and family members pushed, they were like ‘No you have to celebrate him’ and I was able to get up and I’m happy I did,” Wright said.Daunte’s birthday comes just days before a critical vote on the Minneapolis Public Safety Charter Amendment. Regardless of the outcome Daunte’s mother says police have to do better.Kimberly Potter claims she accidentally drew her pistol on Daunte Wright when she meant to use her taser. Her trial is scheduled to begin November 30.

The jury remained anonymous during court proceedings to protect their safety and ability to be impartial. However, Judge Peter Cahill has now declared that all 14 of the jurors’ identities will be made public.--Tiffany Bui reports:Juror number two. Juror number 19. Juror number 27. No names, only numbers; that’s how the court referred to jurors in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.The jury remained anonymous during court proceedings to protect their safety and ability to be impartial. However, six months after Chauvin’s case was decided, Judge Peter Cahill declared that all 14 of the jurors’ identities will be made public. Roy Futterman, a jury consultant and psychologist, says Cahill was likely waiting to see if there were any known threats against the jurors. “If the Justice Department or the police department said like we've been hearing people are overly interested in finding out about individual jurors, that might have swayed his opinion,” Futterman said. “But I think what he's saying is ‘I don't see any of that.’”In America, juries are not anonymous by default. While people may be nervous about what happens after the names are released, Futterman says transparency is necessary in the legal process. “You have to weigh that with the other idea that's very central to us, which is that legal proceedings should be out in the open, and we should know who's making decisions on a case,” he said. “Particularly about things that hinge on racial justice and police interactions with the community.”This decision comes after the Media Coalition, a group of local and national news organizations, asked Cahill to release juror’s names and other information, like their completed questionnaires. Three jurors have already revealed their identities to the public.State prosecutors earlier this year disagreed with the Media Coalition, concerned that jurors would be at risk for harassment. They also said that it could make it harder to seat jurors in the trial of the three other officers involved in George Floyd’s murder.

Mpls Cop Charged in Death of Bystander While In PursuitHennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman has charged Minneapolis police officer Brian Cummings with second degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide in the death of Leneal Frazier. Feven Gerezgiher reports:On Friday Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman charged Minneapolis police officer Brian Cummings with second degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide in the death of Leneal Frazier.“Officers have got to know if they are as brazen and as negligent as Officer Cummings, at least as long as I’m here, they’re going to get charged,” said Freeman.The county attorney said Cummings was in pursuit of a stolen vehicle near midnight, driving at high speeds for more than 20 blocks through residential streets of North Minneapolis. The attorney says he ran a red light and slammed into the driver’s side of Frazier’s car at nearly 80 mph, killing him.“That’s tragic. That’s criminal. That’s why we charged,” said Freeman.Freeman said the drivers of the stolen vehicle were never apprehended. He also said that pursuits have led to 40 fatalities in Minnesota in the last 10 years.Freeman is now calling on the Minneapolis Police Department to change its policies around pursuits.Mitchell-Hamline law professor Rick Petry found the news unexpected.“For a long time, it seemed like the county attorney in Hennepin County didn't charge police officers, no matter what they did,” he said. “So there seems to be a change in the tide for whatever reason.”Petry said MPD has clear policies indicating pursuits should not continue when they endanger public safety.“Policies are important, but even more important than the policies are the enforcement of the policy,” said Petry. “And that's been one of the big challenges in the Minneapolis Police Department for as long as I can remember is holding people accountable when they violate the law, or if they violate police policies.” Petry said Cummings faces up to 10 years in jail.(audio credit: KARE 11)

On Friday community members gathered to observe the National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality. They held a vigil outside of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Office in St. Paul to honor lives lost to police violence. Safiya Mohamed reports:On Friday community members gathered to observe the National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality. They held a vigil outside of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Office in St. Paul to honor lives lost to police violence. “We’re here to say we are done dying,” said Angela Rose Myers, President of the Minneapolis Chapter of the NAACP.  “We are done being lied to by killer cops, and by the ‘bureau of coverups and amorality.’”Myers said the BCA is responsible for the cover-ups of killings and other brutality by law enforcement. Bayle Gelle echoed this sentiment. Gelle is the father of Dolal Idd, who was shot by police in late 2020. The police then raided Gelle’s home and interrogated his family before telling them that Idd was dead.  “I hope we can change this system of corruption,” Gelle said. “We feel really sad and upset about the way our system, our state is working.” Gelle said he hopes that public demonstrations will lead to accountability in law enforcement.“The people in the United States - especially in Minnesota -  I think they will understand why we’re standing here, because we need to have police reform.”  For attendees like Maya - who asked not to share her last name - the vigil served as another opportunity to address the injustices going on in the community.“It's our duty as folks in the community to fight for intersectional issues and show that we care enough to show up,” she said.Maya said she hoped attendees of the vigil walked away feeling reenergized and a renewed sense of hope. 

Noor was initially sentenced to 12.5 years for the 2017 shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who he shot and killed while responding to her 911 call. His sentence was reduced to four years and nine months.+--+Feven Gerezgiher reports:On Thursday a judge re-sentenced former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor to four years and nine months in prison. Noor was initially sentenced to 12.5 years for the 2017 shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who he shot and killed while responding to her 911 call.In September, the Minnesota Supreme Court threw out Noor’s murder conviction, prompting a need to re-sentence him for the lesser charge of second-degree manslaughter.University of Saint Thomas law professor Rachel Moran said Judge Kathryn Quaintance gave Noor the highest possible sentence for the charge.“I think she's legitimately concerned about what he did that night. He did take someone's life, even if not intentionally,” Moran said. While the Minnesota Supreme Court decision means Derek Chauvin will likely have his third degree murder charge dropped, Moran said his sentencing will not be impacted.“He was convicted of a more serious offense, which is second degree murder. And in Minnesota, you only get sentenced on the most serious offense,” Moran explained. “So he's serving 22 and a half years for second degree murder. The fact that he can get his third degree murder conviction vacated doesn't have any practical effect on that 22 and a half year sentence.”As a former public defender, however, Moran has a low view overall of the criminal system's ability to bring justice through prosecution.“I don't think it necessarily brings safety to the community. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to criminally prosecute officers at all, but the idea that that's what will now hold police accountable for all misconduct and protect communities that have been the targets of police misconduct… I don't think a couple of criminal prosecutions are going to do the trick,” she said.Based on time already served, Moran says Noor could be released on parole next summer.

The U.N. has demanded the U.S. respond to allegations of Indigenous rights violations related to the pipeline construction. Tiffany Bui reports.--Tiffany Bui reports:In late March Indigenous-led organizations asked a United Nations committee to take action against the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline. The Giniw Collective and Honor the Earth argued that the construction of the tar sands  pipeline violated numerous rights of the Anishinaabe under an international convention against racial discrimination.In a win for advocates, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination wrote a letter to the U.S. requesting a response to these allegations.Kate Finn is the executive director of First Peoples Worldwide, which helped bring the case in front of the UN. Finn said the letter is a key step in acknowledging that the pipeline construction has caused harm to the Anishinaabe.“It really does plainly state these human rights violations,” said Finn. “And we can take this letter to businesses and to financial institutions and to insurers to say ‘here are the violations that are attendant to Enbridge’s pipeline.’”The U.S. has yet to make a response viewable by the public, as of the writing of this story. And Finn doesn’t expect there will be one.    Still, the United Nations’ attention to Line 3 has raised awareness to an international level.Keri Iyall Smith, a professor of sociology at Suffolk University, said it is not uncommon for Indigenous people to turn to the United Nations after exhausting all their legal options at the local, state and federal level.“I like the words that Walter Echo Hawk uses,” said Smith. “He calls it ‘the courts of the conqueror.’ And it's very logical that it's hard for Indigenous peoples to win in the courts of the conqueror, in the courts of the settler state. More frequently, what does happen is Indigenous peoples need to lean on that international support and international pressure to assert their rights.”Line 3 began operating at the beginning of October; activists say they will continue fighting for Indigneous cultural and environmental rights. 

Over the last year and a half more Black, Indigenous, and people of color are finding community and healing in Twin Cities parks. --Feven Gerezgiher reports:Over the last year and a half more Black, Indigenous, and people of color are finding community and healing in Twin Cities parks.Maria Fernandez moved from Venezuela with her family five months ago. She now goes on weekly hikes with Huellas Latinas Hiking Club.“I feel great! I feel this group is an amazing group,” she said, adding that she appreciates the space to meet new people.Luisana Mendez says she started the hiking club during the pandemic to share the peace and inspiration she finds being outdoors. “I want more of my Latino community to come and enjoy each park in Minnesota and not just hiking,” she said. “You can enjoy biking, or running, or paddle boating or kayaking or whatever you like. But go enjoy the park because every space is for us - it’s for everybody who lives in this beautiful state.”Mendez says she thinks it’s a barrier for many Latinos that most of the information about outdoor activities is in English.In June 2020, an outdoors educator formed a Facebook group to get BIPOC outdoors; it now has over 1,200 members.Chaya Harris is program director for Outdoor Afro, which has chapters across the country, including in Minnesota. She says in the aftermath of several high profile police killings, the organization has seen more people seeking nature to process traumatic experiences.“We turn to nature as a source of healing, as a source where we can just get outside, unwind, decompress,” she said. “We like to say that we can lay our burdens down by the water side.” Harris says Outdoor Afro leaders are trained in creating accessible programming to help people feel safe and supported as they explore Minnesota’s green spaces.

Lawyers for the family of Winston Smith are protesting the decision to not prosecute the officers involved in Smith’s death; they say the investigation lacks integrity.--Georgia Fort reports:Lawyers for the family of Winston Smith are protesting the decision to not prosecute the officers involved in Smith’s death. Smith was fatally shot by members of a U.S. Marshals task force in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis in June. The Smith family's attorney, Eric Newmark, said the investigation lacks integrity.“Every single member of that task force that was present when Winston Smith was killed refused to submit to an interview with the BCA - think about that,” said Newmark.Attorney Newmark said there are inconsistencies in the investigation. Original reports from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension claimed there was no body camera or other surveillance footage. But Newmark said the Crow Wing County Attorney cited body camera footage of the aftermath in a letter explaining his ruling to Attorney Mike Freeman. Freeman was originally assigned the case but handed it off to Crow Wing County due to a conflict of interest.Winston Smith was a well known comedian, artist and father. His brother Kidale Smith said it’s  been challenging for Winston’s children.“When I show her a picture of her dad she plays with the picture like he’s still here. It’s actually very heartbreaking to watch,” he said. Community questioned the loophole that allowed an incident like this to happen without any body cameras. Police officers deputized on a Federal task force are not required by law to use them. “If law-enforcement has their way, all these individuals involved in the shooting - we will never know any of their names and that’s astonishing, it’s disgraceful,” said Newmark.The case file is still classified as under investigation. Once the case is closed all evidence will be available by request to the BCA.

Feven Gerezgiher reports:On Saturday, over 80 people participated in a children’s march to end gun violence in North Minneapolis. Organizers said the event was initiated by the family of 12-year-old London Bean who was shot and killed in September. A suspect has been identified, but is still on the run from police. Bean was the third child killed in a shooting in the neighborhood this year.“None of these kids have gotten justice. Not even one. And that right there is a message within itself,” said Allegra Kennedy, Bean’s aunt and a long-time activist in North Minneapolis. She attended the march with her children. Kennedy says everyone should be getting involved before gun violence impacts their own families.Four year-old Ariel Wells led the crowd in a chant demanding justice for the children whose lives had been claimed by gun violence. The event - a collaborative effort by several community organizations - included a celebration of children. Wisdom Young with the nonprofit Black Bold and Brilliant led a pledge affirming community values.“I pledge to honor and protect all black life,” the crowd repeated after her. “I pledge to protect and value our beautiful black children. Our collective black future. We will win together. Ase.”Young and other organizers urged those who attended to understand their collective responsibility to end gun violence.