At our first People’s Movement Assembly (PMA) on July 27, we held space with a dozen BIPOC neighbors in Minneapolis to envision a new path forward for public safety in our city. A few key themes emerged:
🏡 Safety means community, family, friends, and familiar neighborhoods.
💕 People feel safe in communities and spaces where they’ve experienced love and support.
👐 Our public safety systems must prioritize humanity over all else – and our current police-only system doesn’t do that.
When do you feel most safe?
Our first PMA was focused on having in-depth conversations about public safety with Black and Indigenous people and people of color in Minneapolis. The upcoming PMA on August 10 is open to ALL residents.
An organizing tool developed and used by our comrades in the southern United States and the Global South, People’s Movement Assemblies provide space for community members to discuss an issue, share stories, build relationships, and mobilize together for solutions. PMAs are an interactive process and folks should come prepared to share their experiences with our public safety system.
We’re coming together to envision – and then mobilize for – the future of public safety in Minneapolis. With the Yes 4 Minneapolis public safety charter amendment language officially on our ballots this fall, we have a real opportunity to chart a new path forward together via a new Department of Public Safety that ensures the right response to the right problems – such as trained mental health workers and substance abuse prevention specialists.
These conversations have an impact that goes far beyond Minneapolis. For democracy to thrive, we need systems that care for, protect, and ensure all people can live dignified lives – no matter our race, gender, income, or zip code. We need systems that protect the value and integrity of Black and Brown lives.
Let’s share our stories and talk about what’s next. See you (virtually!) on August 10.
