Last week, we witnessed another horrific act of police violence, as unarmed citizen George Floyd was held and fatally suffocated by the Minneapolis Police Department. His final words, “I can’t breathe”, echoed that of Eric Garner, another African-American man who lost his life to senseless police brutality in 2014. We must come together as a community and demand change. This cannot go on. The Peace Center stands firmly with those fighting for a just world. We must demand accountability from those in positions of power and must let our voices be heard. Our thoughts and wishes are with you all who are grieving and processing during this time.
We are standing with you – Andrew Kodama, E.D
There are many ways to get involved and support. We need people behind the scenes working longterm in the community to create the change we want to see. In the meantime, we will keep updating this post with calls to action and resources from community partners. These resources have been compiled from various sources online.
TAKE-ACTION Minnesota is a group providing excellent updates: https://takeactionminnesota.org/justice-for-george-floyd-blacklivesmatter/
DONATIONS TO ORGANIZATIONS:
• The Bail Project, a nonprofit that aims to mitigate incarceration rates through bail reform.
• Black Visions Collective, a black, trans, and queer-led social justice organization and legal fund based in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
• The National Bail Fund Network has a directory of community bail funds to which you can donate, along with a COVID-19 rapid response fund. Another list of funds is available here.
• A Gas Mask Fund for black youth activists in Minneapolis is raising money to buy gas masks for demonstrators who’ve faced tear gas during protests.
• The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which supports racial justice through advocacy, litigation, and education.
• Communities United Against Police Brutality, which operates a crisis hotline where people can report abuse; offers legal, medical, and psychological resource referrals; and engages in political action against police brutality.
• Northstar Health Collective, a St. Paul–based organization that provides health services and support at protests.
• The ACLU, which provides legal services and support for a broad range of people with civil rights complaints.
• Free Them All for Public Health, which aims to free incarcerated people amid the coronavirus pandemic, is raising money for people who have been arrested during New York City protests over the weekend. What doesn’t go toward local bail will reportedly be sent to other cities, and COVID Bailout NYC.
• The Atlanta Solidarity Fund is raising bail and bond money for jailed protestors in Atlanta.
• No New Jails NYC aims to keep the city from constructing new jails, and to instead divert funds that currently go toward the police and incarceration toward housing, ending homelessness, mental health, and other community support systems.
• The Know Your Rights Camp, an organization founded by Colin Kaepernick that provides education and training in black and brown communities, set up a legal fund for Minneapolis protestors.
• Fair Fight, an organization founded by Stacey Abrams that aims to end voter suppression and equalize voting rights and access for fairer elections.