We are soon to commemorate the 5th Anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. This newsletter contains several events directly offering space to remember. Take time to reflect on what you recall from this day and the way in which your own racial justice journey has grown since then. Where do you see continued places of growth for yourself as you continue in the work towards justice?
You will also find information about the work of the St. Paul Reparations Commission and a petition to pardon Jason Sole. Each of these newsletter announcements are connected to the anti-Black racism that undergirds our country’s history and all offer opportunity for us to remember and act collectively!
Keep going!
In this issue:
- What’s Happening with the St. Paul Reparations Commission?
- SURJ-TC Welcome Gathering
- George Floyd 5-Year Anniversary / Rise & Remember
- Community Visions Council
- Memorialize the Movement! Justice for George (JFG) events
- Sign the petition: Pardon Jason Sole by Juneteenth!
SURJ EVENTS
What’s Happening with the St. Paul Reparations Commission?
Find out on Saturday June 7th! Betsy Raasch-Gilman has been following along closely, attending commission meetings. Explore the work being done to identify harms caused to communities and families affected by chattel enslavement by the City of St. Paul, and upcoming recommendations for creating a city-run reparations fund. What’s the difference between reparations and public policies which improve lives for all? How would people qualify for reparations payments? Where will the money come from? Bring all your questions and concerns! Before the end of the year, there could be a need for action in support of reparations from white St. Paulites.
Saturday June 7th, Twin Cities Friends Meeting, 1725 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, from 10 to 12!
Please note that Grand Avenue is closed in front of the location, so parking is on side streets and along the Summit service road behind. The 63 bus route and A line are close by.
SURJ-TC Welcome Gathering
Being in community is a powerful support and antidote to disruptions and changes all around us. This Welcome Gathering is an opportunity for you to learn more about us and see if we could be a potential community ~ a political home ~ for you.
We are offering a Welcome Gathering on Tuesday, June 17th from 7:00pm – 8:30pm over Zoom. We will share stories about anti-racism in our lives and then talk about how you can get more involved with SURJ-TC and how we can support you in deepening your commitment to racial justice work.
Please register if you would like to attend. We will send the Zoom link, along with a reminder a few days before.
We offer Welcome Gatherings regularly, so if you are interested and can’t make this one, keep an eye on the newsletter for future dates.
COMMUNITY EVENTS OF INTEREST
George Floyd 5-Year Anniversary / Rise & Remember
May 25, 2020 was the day that a police officer knelt on George Floyd’s neck for over 9 minutes, murdering him on the street. Each May since then, the Rise & Remember observance and festival has been held at 38th and Chicago, the site of the crime. Known as George Floyd Square, the intersection has been occupied by nonviolent Square Keepers every day since. This is a tremendous act of community courage which is respected by justice lovers everywhere.
You are invited to any and all of this three-day event! May 23rd is a concert at Quincy Hall at the U of M, all other events are at or near the intersection of 38th and Chicago.
Volunteer at Rise and Remember
Volunteering is fun and fulfilling on any of the days. We’re looking for volunteers for a variety of jobs. May 25, the actual anniversary, will be the busiest day at George Floyd Square (GFS), but there is plenty to do each day.
Sign up for Volunteer jobs at this link for any of the 3 days, including:
- Set-up and tear-down
- Welcoming volunteers
- Help in the Mutual Aid area, folding clothes, organizing donations
- Green rooms for performers at Quincy Hall and at GFS
- Self-Care Fair / Kid Zone
- Sanitation / Green Team
- Arts Areas
- Vigil Areas
- Hospital Chaplain
- Vigil Chaplain
- Stage Managers, and more
Community Visions Council
The Community Visions Council (CVC) is tasked with developing plans for the future of George Floyd Square. We meet 10:00-Noon, every 3rd Saturday of the month at 3901 Chicago Ave S 55407, and online at gfscvc.org. You are welcome to join these meetings. It’s an excellent opportunity to roll up our sleeves and work together in this multi-racial coalition. See you there!
Memorialize the Movement! Justice for George (JFG) events
Through art-making, exhibits, and gatherings, our Black community has found a safe space year after year in JFG to share stories of pain, community care, and transformation. By creating a space for constant dialogue and adaptation, Memorialize the Movement works to honor the Minneapolis uprising of 2020 as part of the collective identity and history in Minnesota.
Curated art by Black artists on display, May 25, 2025 at Phelps Field Park: The 5th annual Justice for George event will feature many new artistic mediums. In addition to the large-scale exhibition of the murals, live music and dance performances, and live mural paintings. As we reflect on five years since George Floyd’s murder, we encourage people to not forget, and to continue to act.
Sign the petition: Pardon Jason Sole by Juneteenth
SURJ-TC has been building with Jason Sole of the Institute of Aspiring Abolitionists (who is also a core member of REP and co-founder of Humanize My Hoodie) over the past year and a half. It’s beyond time that the state of Minnesota pardon Jason so he can focus on building towards an abolitionist future, without these 20-year old convictions hanging over his head. Sign the petition and share it with your friends today!
GET INVOLVED WITH SURJ-TC!
SURJ-TC is a local chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice, a national organization organizing white people to build the political will to end white supremacy. White people have been told for years by Black, Indigenous, and people of color that we need to educate and organize our own people. So that’s what we try to do. Learn more at www.surjtc.org. SURJ-TC is one of 150 chapters and affiliates nationwide. Learn about SURJ National at surj.org.
Our work is local and so are our volunteers. Within this volunteer-driven culture, we strive always to make our work as transparent and non-hierarchical as we know how while holding ourselves accountable to our mission of ending white supremacy and implementing our theory of change (i.e., self-education, action, and calling in more white people).
We welcome volunteers in our working groups and teams and can offer a variety of tasks and areas of interest. If you’d like to find out more or are interested in other ways to get involved, email showingupforracialjusticemn@gmail.com.