The People’s Way

The People's Way

The fight does not stop. The point of protest is to disrupt business as usual to signal that there is something wrong. What is wrong has not been rectified by the city.

Jeanelle Austin

Neighbors

"This is our home. It does not belong to the world. It does not belong to anyone... We live here and we deserve to be safe while we live here because most of us cannot afford to live anywhere else."

"I am here for the safety of my community. And I’m standing my ground. They’re going to have to kill me…. it's not my fault that they did this 270 steps from my house — that they killed a Black man."

"It needs to be made attractive for tourism and the people in the community."

"It just seems like no one is making it a point to listen to the folks that actually live here in the community, and are ready and willing to have a conversation."

ACTIVISTS

“We don’t need people to only come to the Square when big events are happening or for photo ops. We need politicians to pass the George Floyd Act and to provide practical solutions for both businesses and social issues in the neighborhood. That includes mental health services, treatment for chemical dependency, youth mentoring programs, training in the trades and other job services.”

“It’s an occupied square. It’s a protest zone, but it’s a community before it’s anything else. We maintain community — we forged it and sustain it through holding space, and feeding people and being here. I think we are providing a model for the city, let alone the country, of what it looks like when we put community first. It’s the community that brings a semblance of safety, and justice would guarantee it.”

“The George Floyd Memorial is first and foremost a place of protest, not commissioned by the City but by the people against the City”

Businesses

"The businesses that were able to hold on have struggled to do so… They need people to show up now and support them. New businesses also need financial help to get established in the abandoned storefronts in the area. There needs to be investment in the overall infrastructure such as improved lighting, fixing up the surrounding properties including the homes of neighbors, and a community-controlled memorial that honors George Floyd."

"As the community continues to hold space, it is imperative that decision-makers consider the economic toll that has been paid,” read the collective’s press release. “These once prospering Black businesses have seen great revenue loss, over 75% loss to date."

"'We own this,' said Alexander, whose family-run barbecue restaurant has been on Chicago Avenue for 20 years. 'I'm here for the long haul.'"

"I’ve always wanted to own a business around here, but they don’t really let Black people lease out businesses, at least not from what I’ve seen… I think only because of George Floyd a lot of people relinquished their leases. That’s just my opinion, though. So it made it a little easier for Black businesses that probably have never been over here before George Floyd."

Community

24 DEMANDS

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by former Minneapolis Police Department officers. This event sparked an uprising by the community in protest to systemic racism within the City of Minneapolis (the City).

On May 30, 2020, police vehicles drove through the George Floyd memorial in the middle of the night, causing the community to establish barricades to prevent vehicles from entering the intersection.

On June 2, 2020, the City of Minneapolis placed cement barricades at the street entrances of George Floyd Square for pedestrian safety. For weeks, city employees and community members engaged in conversations to discuss what happens next and address the needs of the community.

On August 6, 2020, city employees informed a handful of community leaders and business owners that despite no consensus, the City intends to remove the barricades the week of August 17th.

This resolution outlines demands for justice by community members who do not intend to allow the intersection of 38th Street East and Chicago Avenue South to open up without concrete actions of justice taken by the city in response to the murder of George Floyd.

Meet on the Streets, Justice Resolution

Mutual Aid

The People’s Closet

Born out of the 2020 Uprising, The People’s Closet sprang from a need for clothing as well as a need to organize an outpour of donations. The closet grew organically, ultimately using resources that became available during a time of upheaval and transformation – bus shelters for a transit route on hiatus as people filled the streets to mourn, pray and stand in solidarity. Now, some 18 months after the murder that took place at this intersection shook the world, neighbors still stop by daily to see if there’s something they can take to a friend or their own closet.

Jill Boogren