MCH Advocates,
We mourn the murder of George Floyd and the countless black individuals before him who have had their lives cut short by racism and police brutality. We stand in solidarity with our neighbors and community members in Minneapolis and across the state.
We are committed to finding solutions that elevate voices of color, supporting organizations, and communities of color, and shifting our policies and power at the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless to reflect racial equity. We acknowledge that racism is deeply embedded within the fabric of this society and its institutions. Police brutality is just one part of a system of oppression that permeates our society and culture. As an organization, we haven’t spoken out about racism and police brutality in the ways we should have. We cannot allow the targeting of Black communities by law enforcement to continue, and we stand with those who call for the conviction of all four police officers involved in the murder of George Floyd.
Housing instability and homelessness overwhelmingly impact families and people of color. As an organization that advocates for emergency shelters, and safe, dignified affordable homes, we are committed to using our platform to advocate for policies that dismantle systems that perpetuate racial disparities and secure resources that create solutions to address inequities. Until we address the racial and social inequities in our communities, we cannot achieve homes for all Minnesotans.
As an MCH advocate, we know you care about the importance of community. We’ve seen you show up and fight for housing stability and economic security across the state. It’s time for us to show up together. We need to elevate and support Black organizing and grassroots local leadership and work together toward systems change and justice.
- Local Organizations. These are local organizations that are (and have been) doing the work to bring justice and awareness:
- Black Lives Matter — click here
- Black Visions Collective — click here
- Reclaim the Block — click here
- Communities United Against Police Brutality — click here
- Organizations that are directly helping bring relief to local businesses that have been hit. Along with the George Floyd Memorial Fund created by his brother, Philonise:
- The George Floyd Memorial Fund — click here
- Pimento Relief Fund – directly helping black businesses that don’t have insurance to rebuild — click here
- Northside Funders Group – is directly raising money to help businesses in Northside that have been impacted — click here
- We Love Lake Street – is organizing for small business & nonprofits in the Lake Street community to help them rebuild their storefronts and serve our neighborhoods — click here
- Locations that still need food/supplies. Spreadsheet created by a few community members that highlight where to donate, the best times for drop-offs, and what supplies are urgently needed across the Twin Cities. Things to note: this spreadsheet is updated regularly; something that is not needed today might be needed tomorrow. Also, locations that don’t have anything listed in the “Needs” column are accepting ANY donations. There is also a place to submit other locations/items that you see missing. — click here
- Resources and tools regarding racism and anti-blackness — click here
- Learn about MPD’s 150+ year history — click here
- “Where do we go after Ferguson?” by Michael Eric Dyson — click here
- Official Black Lives Matter website — click here
- Code Switch Podcast — click here
Black lives matter. Now is the time to listen, learn, and get to work.
