It can be hard to feel connected to community when opportunities to physically be in community are limited. However, organizations are stepping up to provide opportunities to connect virtually. To celebrate the wealth of online events out there, and to make content from these events accessible to folks who may not be able to virtually attend, AAOP is recapping 1-3 online opportunities each month! You can see our past and future recaps at http://aaopmn.org/tag/virtual-event-recap/
Writer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
On July 19, Voices for Racial Justice hosted a virtual press conference alongside organizing partners. The press conference provided an overview of the just wrapped up 2021 legislative session, highlighting the missed opportunities, and future possibilities, for supporting racial justice and equitable futures for our Minnesota communities.
One major criticism of the legislative session was its lack of transparency. Physically, the State Capitol was largely inaccessible to the public during the last year (it re-opened officially in June), and was surrounded by a chain link fence for many months following the summer 2020 uprisings.
While part of this can be connected to necessary pandemic safety requirements, not having people in the people’s house has exacerbated long existing transparency issues. Many crucial pieces of legislation are created and negotiated behind closed doors. Communities of color and other marginalized Minnesotans are further silenced and alienated from a process that is already inhospitable to us.
Redistricting is another crucial issue. Annastacia Belladonna Carrera (she/her) of Common Cause Minnesota spoke at the press conference about Common Cause Minnesota’s ongoing efforts to enact comprehensive redistricting reform. The goal is to remove politicians from the process, which would limit opportunities for partisan gerrymandering and increase the power of communities to observe and participate in a process that can have such a huge effect on our future.
“BIPOC and other disenfranchised communities would finally have the opportunity to be equitably represented, not just in representation, but in the process.” -Annastacia Belladonna Carrera
Several speakers at the press conference focused their remarks on missed opportunities this legislative session to pass laws that would further racial justice and equity in our communities. Deb Fitzpatrick (she/her) of Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota spoke about the need for paid medical and family leave, which would prevent families who experience a crisis from taking a long lasting economic hit while they try to care for their loved ones. Nan Madden (she/her) of Minnesota Budget Project spoke about efforts to enact comprehensive tax reform. These changes would include an increase in the working family credit, an expansion of the renter credit, and the creation of a new tax bracket which would allow Minnesota to hold the wealthiest among us accountable for paying their fair share.
Tawanna Black (she/her) of the Center for Economic Inclusion shared an initiative to get the Minnesota legislature to adopt racial equity impact notes. This would require state legislators to assess each piece of legislation through a racial justice lens. How would this legislation help or harm communities of color? How would this legislation lessen or grow racial inequities? These are questions lawmakers need to be asking, and racial equity impact notes would ensure that’s exactly what happens.
“We are reckoning for racial and economic justice, together. Racial equity and justice is possible, and necessary, and it requires accountability. Help us demand accountability from our legislators.” -Tawanna Black
Several speakers at the press conference addressed issues of education and educational equity for BIPOC children. Sandra Saucedo- Salagan (she/her/ella) of Coalition to Increase Teachers of Color and American Indian Teachers in Minnesota noted that while the legislature did move this session to increase the number of teachers of color in the state, the actions they have taken won’t be enough to increase the percentage of teachers of color in Minnesota. “The percentage of teachers of color has remained flat over the last decade at 5%, with students of color reaching 37%.”
Paula Cole of Educators for Excellence Minnesota spoke about the need to decrease discipline disparities between white and BIPOC children. “Unfortunately the Minnesota Legislature missed out on major opportunities to eliminate gaps in suspensions in our state [this session]. What our children really need is social and emotional support so they can stay in school to learn.”
While all the organizations represented at the press conference expressed disappointment in this year’s legislative session, there was hope, determination, and optimism when thinking about the future. Organizers and communities are mobilizing like never before, and lawmakers are taking notice. It is only a matter of time before we are able to harness our people power to enact real change, creating better, fairer futures for all our communities.
“Our communities are dying because of the result of racial equity and disparities in Minnesota…We’ve waited too long for racial equity in Minnesota. It is time that the language of racial equity, heard so often at the Capitol, turns into a process for achieving it…We ask that all legislators take note of our voices and lead for racial equity.” -Brett Grant (he/him), Voices for Racial Justice
Sources:
Photo Credit: Voices for Racial Justice
Graphics: AAOP
Bierschbach, Briana, “Minnesota Capitol reopens to public after 15-month lockdown”, Star Tribune, 10 June 2021. https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-capitol-reopens-to-public-after-15-month-lockdown/600066874/. Accessed 21 July 2021.
Cook, Mike, “Racial equity impact note could be needed for proposed legislation”, Minnesota Legislature, 25 Mar 2021. https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/15848. Accessed 21 July 2021.
Hinrichs, Erin, “From pushback to engagement: How Minnesota school districts have reacted to being flagged for discipline disparities”, MinnPost, 8 July 2019. https://www.minnpost.com/education/2019/07/from-pushback-to-engagement-how-minnesota-school-districts-have-reacted-to-being-flagged-for-discipline-disparities/. Accessed 21 July 2021.
Winter, Deena, Lopez, Ricardo, “Lawmakers decide on billions in spending, shrouded in secrecy”, Minnesota Reformer, 1 June 2021. https://minnesotareformer.com/2021/06/01/13464/. Accessed 21 July 2021.
Special thanks to Voices for Racial Justice for allowing AAOP to attend and recap this event!
Watch the press conference in full here!
Learn more and get involved with all the participating organizations that shared their work at this press conference:
Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota
Coalition to Increase Teachers of Color and American Indian Teachers in Minnesota
Educators for Excellence Minnesota
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
Solutions Not Suspensions Coalition