Rep. John Thompson from the Minnesota Legislature discusses bills re police accountability and barriers in the Republican state senate
"Even the best training in the world cannot teach police, who are licensed to kill and deployed to enforce a racist system, not to be racist."
"And so, we’ll be fighting to make sure that when we talk about — when the Movement for Black Lives talks about defunding police, that we’re talking about all police, including ICE and Customs and Border Patrol; when we talk about abolishing prisons, that we’re talking about all of them, including detention centers; and when we’re talking about Black Lives Matter, we’re talking about all Black lives, including those of our people that are in this country without papers."
"Following are images from my time at the George Floyd Memorial Site and the Prayer Tree on the afternoon of Friday, January 1, 2021. I experienced my time at both of these places as holy, grounding, and renewing."
Editor's Note: Everyday as I drive down Lake Street and other parts of the city I see the signs of reconstruction...I also see the still boarded-up windows with artwork. Some of it is taken down, but new artwork has appeared on the sides of buildings, some clearly painted to stay. Boards created by community artists More
"Despite losing, Donald Trump has solidified support from an angry, disposed working class that cuts across racial lines."
COVID-19 “really highlights the intersection of social determinants and historical health issues that make people more vulnerable,” Allen said.
I’m a singer, songwriter, poet, mother, grandmother, auntie, activist and organizer. I have been involved in many organizations. Through them, networks developed and the relationships underlying them endured and grew. It’s those connections that support our ability to sustain activism over time and make change. — Barb Tilsen By Anne Winkler Morey Minneapolis Interview Project More
"...to connect these dots, from the Republican National Convention to white supremacists in the streets of U.S. cities to the president’s embrace of fringe conspiracy theories..."
Every major problem we have is global in its scope and requires global cooperation: climate crisis, COVID-19 pandemic, and nuclear war and all require international cooperation. Negotiation and diplomacy are required.
"Community control is not a reformist demand, because it calls for real transfers of power from the oligarchs and their politicians, to the people."
"Enormous amounts of money pour into various political campaigns around the U.S. with the apparent goal of influencing elections and manipulating governance throughout the nation." How is that affecting the 5th District in Minnesota, an epi center for recent activism arount the murder of George Floyd.
