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2021-02-21Laura Larson Oral History, 2021/02/21
Self description: “My name is Laura, and I am in two bands right now. I am in a band called Scrunchies and a band called Kitten Forever. I play guitar, base, drums, and I sing in those two bands. I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For work, I work at a community cooperative grocery store, in an administrative position, but one that is community outreach based and have a lot to do with meeting and coordinating with our community partners, a lot of the work that I do is about mutual aid, and helping out the community with the resources that we have available to us. Besides that I am a visual artist, I like to paint, I like to draw, I like to read books, and I live in a little duplex with my partner and our cat Sissy.” Some of the things we spoke about included: - In addition to performing in the bands Scrunchies and Kitten Forever, working for a community grocer and its ties to health activism. - Income and racial disparities in Minnesota. - The fear that comes with being uninsured in the United States. - The national confusion around the values of masking and other safety precautions and the burden placed on individuals to make these decisions in the absence of clear and consistent messaging. - The significance of shutting down music events while keeping sporting events going. - Media representation of event cancelations, freezers of bodies, and overwhelmed hospitals. - Living less than a mile from where George Floyd was murdered and movements to defund the police. - How the ongoing destruction of the earth conditioned the pandemic and the enduring importance of climate change. - Grocery store workers being essential workers who still did not receive vaccination prioritization. - Collective trauma and that fear begets fear. - Making and consuming art as a form of self-care. - How new the internet still is as a technology. Cultural references: Save Our Stages, The Atlantic article “Cancel Everything”. See also: https://scrunchies.bandcamp.com/ https://kittenforever.bandcamp.com -
2021-04-21Derek Chauvin guilty in death of George Floyd
The jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of all three charges in the murder of George Floyd. Crowds outside the Minneapolis courtroom and at the location where Floyd was killed chanted "justice" and "Black lives matter" after hearing the verdict. -
2021-03-29911 Dispatcher Jena Scurry Testifies in Derek Chauvin Trial
Jena Scurry, a 911 dispatcher with the city of Minneapolis, testified in court Monday that she called police after watching footage of George Floyd's arrest because "something wasn't right." Scurry took the stand in the first day of testimony in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the ex-Minneapolis police officer charged in Floyd's death. Scurry saw Chauvin on camera kneeling on Floyd's neck during the fatal May 2020 encounter. Watch part of her testimony here and read more: https://cbsn.ws/3rvfM6F -
2021-04-02Who was George Floyd?
Who was George Floyd? If you live in the Twin Cities, myself (and countless others) have spent the last year thinking of him daily. It almost feels like he's watching us. As the Chauvin trial aims to paint Floyd negatively, I feel it's important to honor him and share what I've learned about his life. A short IG caption doesn't do enough to fully give Floyd's story justice, but these are pieces of his life I've been intrigued by and want to learn more about. If I'm missing or incorrect on something, please drop it in the comments. George Floyd was born in North Carolina and grew up in Houston, Texas' Third Ward, a predominantly Black neighborhood in the city. His mother, a single parent, moved the family to the Third Ward when he was 2, so she could find work. At 6 feet, 6 inches, Floyd developed as a star tight end for Jack Yates High School and played in the 1992 state championship game in the Houston Astrodome. With dreams of turning pro, he attended South Florida State College on a partial scholarship. After two years there, Floyd spent a year at Texas A&M University before returning to Houston and his mother’s apartment to find jobs in construction and security. While there, he ended up bouncing between jobs before serving nearly five years in prison. Floyd was also a musician, he occasionally was invited to rap with DJ Screw, a producer whose music is recognized as cementing Houston as a stronghold for hip-hop. He performed as a rapper using the stage name Big Floyd in a hip hop group, Screwed Up Click. As a father looking to provide for his five children and find a fresh start, Floyd moved to Minneapolis. One of his first jobs was working as a security guard at the Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Center -- the city’s largest homeless shelter. Floyd kept his connection to Houston, regularly returning to the Third Ward before his death. ✊🏽❤️ -
2021-04-01After three days of witness testimony, it is clear those who observed George Floyd's death have been traumatized by what they saw.
After three days of witness testimony, it is clear those who observed George Floyd's death have been traumatized by what they saw. During her testimony, Minneapolis Firefighter Genevieve Hansen shared, "There was a man being killed. I would have been able to provide medical attention to the best of my abilities. And this human was denied that right." Hansen was off-duty at the time but called 911 after witnessing George Floyd's arrest. She can be heard in a bystander video calling for police to check Floyd's pulse and provide him medical attention. In her 911 call, she told the operator that she "literally watched police officers not take a pulse and not do anything to save a man." Photos taken at the All Eyez On Justice Rally, March 28, 2021. -
2021-03-29Today, Opening Statements Begin in the trial of Derek Chauvin
Today, opening statements begin in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for third-degree murder, second-degree unintentional murder, and second-degree manslaughter charges. Even with visceral and jarring visuals of George Floyd's final moments, a Chauvin conviction shouldn't be presumed. On March 23, 2020, Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old Black man, was killed after being physically restrained by Rochester, New York, police officers. A grand jury declined to bring any charges against the officers involved after reviewing police body cam footage. On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner was killed on video by a New York City police officer who put him in a prohibited chokehold while arresting him. After a grand jury considered the case for two months, they decided not to indict the officer involved. Last night, Rev. Al Sharpton, Attorney Benjamin Crump, and the family of George Floyd held a vigil to honor George Floyd before the trial began. -
2021-03-29Derek Chauvin trial begins
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer filmed with his knee on George Floyd’s neck in May, faces murder and manslaughter charges for the encounter that sparked months of historic protests around the world. This stream contains graphic content. Chauvin faces charges of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other officers charged in the case — J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas K. Lane and Tou Thao — are set to be tried separately in August. George Floyd died on May 25 after being handcuffed and restrained facedown on a Minneapolis street during a police investigation of a counterfeit $20 bill that allegedly had been passed at a local market. The Post’s Rhonda Colvin will anchor live coverage featuring reporters Holly Bailey and Joyce Koh from Minneapolis. The program will also feature reporters Keith Alexander, Mark Berman, Tim Craig, Nicole Ellis, Hannah Jewell and Eugene Scott -
2021-03-22Activists are Showing Solidarity for Victims of Police Violence
As the Derek Chauvin murder trial is underway, outside the courthouse activists are showing solidarity for victims of police violence by placing 'locks for love ones lost' on fences and barbed wire. For the second week, National Guardsman and Minn. State Police removed these locks. Through Friday, there are six people of color and seven white people among the 13 jurors chosen for the trial. There are two remaining jurors to be selected. -
2020-07-09“And 12 civilized people said that was OK. That was OK.”
“He was murdered right here in this area, this nice, little area here where all the white folks say they got the best police department in the city,” Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile told the crowd. “ ‘Our police department is the best in the city!’ I say, ‘For who? For who?’ You don’t have to worry about driving down Larpenteur after it gets dark. “That man (St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez), shot my baby five times,” she continued. “Not once, not twice — he shot him five times. While he was seat-belted in his car. Can you, just for a moment, think about how Philando felt, starting down the barrel of a gun? Them bullets just ricocheted off every bone, every organ, just tore his body up inside. “And 12 civilized people said that was OK. That was OK.” -
2020-07-19This is What My Community Looks Like
“This is what my community looks like. We are a community and we support all the families that are here.” - Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, at Mother's March (6/12/20) -
2020Protest Against Bob Kroll Wrongful Arrest and Excessive Force
Bob Kroll is the president of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, the union for the city's police department. In his 31-year policing career, Kroll has been involved in three shootings, received 20 internal affairs complaints, and been the subject of lawsuits for wrongful arrest and excessive force. A 1995 lawsuit against Kroll alleged he used racial slurs while beating, choking, and kicking a handcuffed 15-year-old boy. In a letter to his police union members following the death of George Floyd (83 days ago), Kroll described him as a "violent criminal" and called the protests a "terrorist movement". Kroll is also a member of the City Heat motorcycle club, a group that is described as white supremacists by the Anti-Defamation League. Yesterday, protesters gathered outside Kroll's home in Hugo, MN and marched in his neighborhood demanding his resignation. Photos from Let’s Roll to KKKroll’s!, Aug 15, 2020 -
2020-08-19George Floyd Memorial Zone
"The next thing I'm pissed off about is 38th and Chicago. I'm tired of Chicago. Why is not Floyd? When we were protesting at the beginning, what we said was 38th and Floyd." - Huda Yusuf (@justaskhuda) On August 6th, Minneapolis city employees informed community members and business owners they were planning to remove barricades surrounding the George Floyd Memorial Zone. This area extends in a four block radius and contains the site where Floyd was murdered by police on May 25th. The city's phased reopening has since been postponed to an undetermined future date. Community members have released a list of 24 demands before the area can open again for normal vehicular traffic. This includes recalling Mike Freeman (Hennepin County Attorney), ending qualified immunity, investing $400,000 in a youth jobs program, and firing four Bureau of Criminal Apprehension officials in leadership positions. Link in bio to the full list of demands. Photos from Sit-In at George Floyd Memorial, August 17, 2020 -
2020-09-01National Protests Against Police Violence
Minneapolis joined national protests against police violence and the lack of justice for those murdered or harmed by the police such as Daniel Prude, Breonna Taylor, and Miguel Vega. The national day of action was organized by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, a group opposing the unjust treatment of individuals for their racial or political beliefs. They emerged from the Committee to Free Angela Davis, a group that successfully defended Angela Davis and helped her receive a not-guilty verdict from an all-white jury for kidnapping and first degree murder charges in 1972. -
2020-10-15Demand to Pass the American Dream and Promise Act
Last night, protestors marched from Senator Amy Klobuchar's (@amyklobuchar) office in downtown Minneapolis to the Hennepin County jail to demand she take leadership in helping pass the American Dream and Promise Act. The bill would provide permanent protections for many undocumented immigrant youth, but also for the more than 400,000 people with temporary protected or deferred enforced departure statuses who live and work in the United States. This bill passed the House of Representatives in June 2019 and has been held up in the Senate. -
2020-10-26Protesters Denounce Inhumane Conditions at ICE Detention Facilities
On Saturday, protesters marched through the Mill District of Minneapolis and visited the residence of James Stolley, Chief Counsel for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota. Marchers denounced inhumane conditions at ICE detention facilities locally. In the last few weeks, ICE has been criticized nationally for pressuring detainees to have invasive surgeries (including sterilizations) and underreporting the number of positive of COVID-19 cases by failing to test detainees. -
2021-01-04Dolal Idd Was Shot and Killed by Police
Twenty-three year old Dolal Idd was shot and killed by police Wednesday evening outside a gas station less than a mile away from the site of George Floyd’s death. Dolal's family only learned of his death after police raided their home in the middle of the night. Minneapolis Police Chief Arradondo shared that officers were performing a traffic stop as part of a "probable cause” weapons investigation when they approached Idd. Arradondo refused to provide specifics. The edited body cam footage released by the police has only raised further questions about the incident. "We want police officers to have serious consequences for their use of force -- and right now they don't. Right now they’re given a great deal of discretion to kill people,” said Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director of CAIR (@cairmn). -
2021-01-12Activists Give St. Paul Mayor List of Demands
On Sunday, activists and community members hand-delivered a letter to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter's home signed by over 500 constituents and 25 local organizations demanding the city stop evicting people from encampments during inclement weather and the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter is asking city officials to meet these requests: ➡️ Convene an emergency St. Paul City Council meeting to address these issues ➡️ Place a moratorium on enforcement of any illegal camping ordinance, to last the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic ➡️ Halt the clearing and disposal of tents and other sheltering materials to ensure that unhoused people do not lose what may be their only present means to self-quarantine and practice social distancing ➡️ Adhere to the existing statewide eviction moratorium ➡️ Follow best practices outlined by the National Homelessness Law Center -
2021-02-28Transphobia
From Drew Arrieta: Dolores "Lola" Gonzalez was an employee at a South Minneapolis Cub Foods for seventeen years. After asking management at the location to act on ongoing transphobic and discriminatory harassment received from co-workers and customers, she was dismissed from her position on February 17th. Yesterday, community members and customers rallied to show support for her and condemn Cub Foods for upholding transphobia. -
11/27/2020CJ Willingham Oral History, 2020/11/27.
The Oral History interview is with CJ Willingham and she describes her experiences and views during the pandemic year. CJ gives her encounters during the initial pandemic and how the pandemic is affecting her now. She explains her perspective on more than the pandemic. CJ shares her knowledge on protests, police brutality and police reform. -
2020-05-31Holistic Heaux creates the Rebellion Aid Relief Fund in the wake of George Floyd’s murder
I submitted this image because when George Floyd was murdered in my hometown while I was away , I felt powerless, unsure of how to help. Through social media I was able to see the tireless action taken in order to build up and preserve the hurting community. Small business owners Zedé and Zora Harut, of Holistic Heaux, are a fantastic example of such support. Along with other community organizers, Holistic Heaux collected funds to disperse and buy supplies for Black and brown women in Minneapolis during the unrest in the city. The program has since continued in an attempt to lessen the toll the pandemic has taken on mothers and children who are a part of a population that is much more at risk of becoming infected with the virus. The tireless work of the many individuals, like Zedé and Zora Harut and their business, Holistic Heaux, to provide relief throughout the uncertainty created by the pandemic and protests should be preserved and remembered for the positive impacts they have had on their community. -
2020-05-26NAACP Responds to George Floyd
I live just South of Minneapolis. The murder of George Floyd was horrific and brutal. It disrupted the community at multiple levels and it is still disrupting it months later. The official response of the local NAACP chapter is important to note. -
2020-06-02Racism Caught on Cell Phone
This cartoon drawn by Michael de Adder was posted on Twitter in response to the murder of George Floyd being caught on cell phone camera. It highlights the racism that is seen by the majority of the public versus what minorities experience in their everyday lives. -
2020-08-31hermit HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 60
BLM History -
2020-06-27Minneapolis set a blaze
This is important to me because I feel like the genuine facts of the riots are looked over by Republicans and Democrats alike to sustain their respective narratives. My personal experience with this situation was first hearing the story of George Floyd and his tragic unnecessary Murder. That day I was glued to the news reading story after story. Then, right before I went to bed, I say this image above in video form and didn’t believe what I saw. People were running around in panic while others looted and set fire to buildings whether big construction sites or small businesses. Fear was induced in the people of Minneapolis as well as for me that the same thing would start occurring across the US, which it did. I also feared that fires and looting would begin to occur near my house in downtown Annapolis, but thankfully the only thing that occurred were peaceful protest which were very much so necessary.