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March 29, 2024

Show Your Support – Black Lives Matter

This year has already been challenging with the world in an uproar dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. But, when George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis, Minnesota Police on May 25th, everything changed. After a convenience store employee called police on Floyd for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill, he was arrested. Floyd was then pinned down by an officer with his knee in his neck, only to die minutes later after uttering ‘I Can’t Breathe!’

Since that day, the world has been protesting in the streets from New York, LA, Minnesota and Washington to Paris, Japan the UK and more. The four Police officers involved were all arrested and charges have been upgraded due to the 14 days of public protests. The officer who was kneeling on George Floyd Mr. Chauvin, was charged with second-degree murder. The remaining three, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao were charged with with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. George Floyd was laid to rest yesterday in his hometown of Houston, TX in a private ceremony with family and friends. All Sharpton issued a powerful sermon while Kim Burrell sang an amazing tribute song.

George Floyd’s death was a wake up call for us to realize all the lives lost to police brutality throughout the years. It urges us to remember the lives of Breona Taylor, Eric Garner, Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Philando Castile, Stephon Clark, Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson and others. These innocent lives taken too soon in the light of injustice. Black Lives Matter!

We need to do more and the fight will continue and here’s how you can help! There are several ways you can do your part to contribute to the fight for racial justice and equality right now. To view the full Anti-Racism Resource document click here. Take a look below for various organizations to follow and donate.

George Floyd Memorial Fund – covers funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and to assist Floyd’s family in the days to come. Donate

Minnesota Freedom Fund – community based nonprofit that combats the harms of incarceration by paying bail for low-income individuals. Donate

Black Lives Matter – fight to end state-sanctioned violence, liberate Black people, and end white supremacy forever. Donate

Black Visions Collective – create the conditions for long term success and transformation for all Black People. Donate

Reclaim The Block – organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety. Donate

Campaign Zero – police reform campaign which proposes research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in America. Donate

National Bail Out – Black-led and Black-centered collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers and activists building a community-based movement to support and end systems of pretrial detention and ultimately mass incarceration. Donate

Be Sure To Sign the Petitions

Justice for George Floyd – Sign

George Floyd Killers Brought to Justice – Sign

White House Petition – Sign

Justice for Breona Taylor – Sign

Justice for Ahmaud Arbery – Sign

Organizations to Follow

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Over THREE MILLION of you signed our petition demanding justice for #GeorgeFloyd. Without all of you and the brave people of Minneapolis putting their lives on the line by hitting the pavement and protesting every single night, #DerekChauvin may have NEVER been arrested. The protesting and anger you see on TV is a direct response to the systemic failures that have plagued Black communities for decades. We did not create this problem. The police officers who abuse our communities and prosecutors who fail to hold them accountable created this problem. It's time for a change. So let’s keep fighting for #WinningJustice. Text DEMANDS to 55156 to call on public officials to adopt a set of demands that will, over time, reduce the overall impact of policing in ways that are concrete and tangible, including: Here is the truth: policing is a violent institution that must end. If we do not take steps to deter public and private officials from supporting, investing, and protecting an unaccountable police force then we risk losing countless Black lives. Strengthen police use-of-force policies to protect human life and rights. End ‘broken windows’ policing and stop unnecessary prosecution of low-level offenses. Establish effective civilian oversight boards with investigative and subpoena powers. Respond to mental health crises with healthcare, not policing responses. Require independent investigations in all cases where police kill or seriously injure people. End the profit motive in policing. Invest in healthy communities not policing Do away with unfair protections for officers in police union contracts and Law Enforcement Officers’ ‘Bills of Rights.’ Increase transparency and accountability for officers with records of misconduct

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BREAKING: A supermajority of Minneapolis City Council Members commits to begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department and creating a new transformative model for cultivating safety in our city!! Today’s announcement comes after two years of organizing on police divestment by @blackvisionscollective and @reclaimtheblock, as well as the work of @mpd_150. #DefundMPD #DefundPolice [Image description: a crowd stands in front of a stage on a sunny day in a city park. Black young people stand on the front of the stage holding banners. The full text of the banners is not clearly visible but the banners state four pledges the Council Members have agreed to. At the back of the stage four Council Members are visible. Around the stage are white paper-mache puppets of stars and a person. The American Indian Movement flag is visible to the right of the stage with red, white, yellow and black vertical stripes. The flag is blowing, so the full central image is not visible, but the viewer can see a red raised fist in a circle.]

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