And this…from a loved one in Minneapolis.

As most of you know (and if you didn’t know, now you do) me and my family live in the heart of Minneapolis. We live in the North neighborhood, about half a mile from downtown and about 2 miles from uptown. I just wanted to give a very upfront picture of what is actually happening over here, bc I believe the media isn’t reporting/showing it all the way it is; instead placing blame where it doesn’t belong and paving a road for more pain and destruction.

During the day, protests are generally pretty peaceful. No one is trying to hurt anyone, just simply exercising their first amendment rights. There are also organized clean-ups. LOTS of people donating to established drop sites for those in the communities affected, that need help. Safe places for people to go to rest, rejuvenate, cry, talk. A community coming together to fix something that has caused so much pain and suffering to our friends, family and neighbors, for far too long. And I am proud of Minneapolis for stepping up and not being afraid to FINALLY make that change and to support and lift eachother during this time. It’s emotional and beautiful and overwhelming.

In the evening, some things have shifted. This isn’t everywhere; some spots are still very peaceful. There are still people out doing good. But with the widespread coverage of what’s going on in our city, we have unfortunately attracted anarchists and white supremacists from out of town, even out of state, that have seen this as their opportunity to cause the destruction and uprising that they have been waiting for, and derail the purpose of the protestors that are doing right. Last night there were some arrests made, and 90% of those arrests were people that didn’t live in Minneapolis, or even MN. There have been truck loads of white men, armed with rifles, driving around the protest areas and neighborhoods. One of my best friends owns a home just blocks from the 5th precinct and she was up most of the night, protecting her home, bc a group of white men were running around her neighborhood, lighting garbage cans, cars, anything they could find, on fire in front of people’s homes. These are not BLM protestors. These are not protestors fighting for equal rights. These are opportunists that don’t even believe in the cause, and are fighting for their own beliefs, allowing the blame to be placed elsewhere. We’ve seen it with our own eyes.

For those that don’t live in Minneapolis/St Paul and would like to help, I am more than happy to pass along event pages for clean-ups and gatherings to help our affected communities. I am also happy to take any donations you may have and can distribute them accordingly. I have also listed some organizations below that could use some help, by way of donations, to support their cause; one is a Northside arts nonprofit, that is crucial to our neighborhood, and had some damage.

If you believe that what happened to George Floyd, and the countless other black and brown people all over our country, was wrong, then you should be doing something about it. It’s time. And there are so many ways to help! If you don’t believe that what happened was wrong, please unfriend me now. This is about human lives that have been taken and can’t be replaced. I don’t care what religion or political party you come from….this is about PEOPLE.

Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
Lake Street Council
Black Visions Collective
Reclaim the Block
MN Freedom Fund
Black Lives Matter
Juxtaposition Arts

I love you Minneapolis
Black Lives Matter