| | Note from Executive Director Finding Humanity | | In early 2021 I attended an online event hosted by the U of M titled "A Conversation with Resmaa Menakem: Racial Healing, Equity and Justice." In his talk, Resmaa Menakem said something that I will never forget. He said, "Race is not about skin color. Race is about species." I was utterly struck by this statement. Race is not about skin color. Race is about species. Race is a social construct that says Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are less worthy of human rights than white people because members of the BIPOC community are less human than white people. This is the sometimes explicit and often implicit narrative used to justify racism. When we dehumanize someone, it is much easier to behave cruelly toward them. This is why it is crucial to do the hard work of finding the humanity in every person - even people we disagree with, dislike or are biased against. As we reflect on the 3rd anniversary of George Floyd's murder, I challenge each of us to honestly consider ways we might dehumanize another person or group of people to rationalize our cruel behavior or to justify the systemic denial of someone's human rights. Can we stretch ourselves to instead find the humanity in every person and act accordingly? With Revolutionary Love,
Leah | | | |
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3rd Annual Rise and Remember
George Floyd Memorial Celebration
May 25 - 27 | | | |
Organized by the George Floyd Global Memorial (GFGM), Rise and Remember exists to hold in remembrance those we have lost to the pervasive impacts of systemic racism, and to gather people to pursue racial justice and equity. Throughout Rise and Remember, GFGM will host a two-day conference, a candlelight vigil, a gala, and a festival. Their vision is that through this annual event, they can inspire people to rise to the occasion, come together in community, and build racial equity. | | | |
FNVW staff invite the FNVW community to join us in attending the MN Justice Research Center (MNJRC) event happening at George Floyd Square on May 25th.
At this event, MNJRC will discuss: the history of policing and historic opportunities with Dr. Yohuru Williams and Dr. Michael Lansing; the work in community to shape a consent decree between the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the Minneapolis Police Department; and engage in a facilitated conversation about how these efforts have felt and what comes next. | | | |
Three Years Later:
Community Reflections on Shaping the Consent Decree
May 25, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
3736 Chicago Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55407 | | | |
FNVW will gather at George Floyd Square at 5 pm before the MNJRC event.
Email Samantha@fnvw.org for more details or to RSVP | | | | | |
| | Apply to Be a Quaker Voluntary Service Fellow | | | |
Are you looking to work for social justice, live in community and deepen your spiritual practice? Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) offers 11-month Fellowships in Boston, Portland OR, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis. FNVW is a site placement for the Minneapolis QVS cohort! We'd love to have you join our team. Applications are still open. Apply Today! | | | | | |
| | 🎙NEW Everyday Nonviolence Podcast Episode🎙 ConnextMSP: Breaking Down Hiring Barriers for Young Professionals of Color | | | |
 | ConnextMSP episode guest Roshandra Brown | | | | | ConnextMSP was built to ensure that young professionals of color in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul region are recruited, hired, and supported by local employers as they launch their careers. This is a critical lever for addressing the harm caused by the racial inequities of our current economic systems, advancing inclusive economic growth, and building a 21st century workforce in our region. Join Everyday Nonviolence host Naomi Gedey as she speaks with Roshandra Brown about ConnextMSP's Talent Network. Roshandra Brown served as the ConnextMSP Network Manager for three years prior to starting her role as the Director of Development and Scholarship Programs at the Minnesota Private College Fund in April 2023. | | | | | |
This episode was hosted and produced by Naomi Gedey with audio engineering by P.J. Hoffman.
Music generously donated by Bensound.com. | | | |
| | People Camp: Caring for Our Future Early Bird Registration Discount Ends May 31st! | | | |
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| People Camp is a unique, one week, intergenerational community living experience run by FNVW and open to all. Early birds who sign up before May 31st save $40 per weekly adult registration 3-day and 7-day camp options will be available again this year! Check out the People Camp Guide to learn more about what People Camp is all about! | | | | | | | |
| | People Camp Sneak Peek - Book Club Choices | | | |
One of the many activities available to People Campers is the opportunity to participate in facilitated book club discussions. Check out this year's book selections: | | | |
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The Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman Bregman debunks the myth of human self-centeredness, and makes an argument for our innate goodness and cooperation as the greatest factor to our success as a species. Take a deeper look at the Stanford prison experiment, the Kitty Genovese bystander effect, and many more examples throughout human history. How does this shift in perspective influence your interactions with our fellow humankind? All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles This is the story about women, mothers and daughters, who chose the profundity of love over dehumanizing conditions.It follows the history of this rough cotton bag, embroidered with just a few words, that now sits in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. The book takes us through the history of this bag, starting in 1850s South Carolina when an enslaved woman named Rose gave this sack filled with a few precious items to her daughter, Ashley, as a token of love and to try to ensure the child’s survival as well. Ashley was nine years old when separated from her mother and sold. Decades later, Ashley’s granddaughter finds the bag and embroiders the family history onto it. The author, Tiya Miles, is an historian. She unearths the presence of these three generations of women through painstaking research into historical archives. The author enables us to follow the paths of their lives from the experience of slavery into the Jim Crow Era, the era between emancipation and the civil rights movement. Miles’ search to uncover this history is part of the story itself. | | | |
| | 27th Annual Community Peace Celebration on June 16th! | | FNVW invites you to come be in company with us at the upcoming Community Peace Celebration in our neighborhood. This is an event for the whole family - all are welcome! There will games, live entertainment, food, and different activities for all ages. | |  | | |
Help make the 27th Community Peace Celebration safe and successful by volunteering at the event. Opportunities can be found here: CPC Volunteer Sign-up | | | |
Community Peace Celebration
Friday, June 16th 2023
2 - 6 p.m.
Western Sculpture Park
387 Marion St.
Saint Paul, MN 55103 Please let us know you are planning to attend:
Community Peace Celebration RSVP | | | FNVW will be tabling at the Community Peace Celebration! We are looking for individuals who can commit 2 hours during the event to connect with the community and share FNVW’s mission, vision, and programs. If you are interested in tabling but do not feel prepared table, the office staff would love to share information about tabling with you and practice with you before the event. Reach out to samantha@fnvw.org to express interest, request support, and ask questions. We look forward to seeing you there! | | | |
| | Save the Date: Walk for Peace & Justice! September 30th at 10 a.m. | | | | FNVW invites all groups, organizations and individuals in Minnesota that promote nonviolence, peaceful conflict resolution and equitable justice to join us at this huge community building and fundraising event! This event takes place on Day 10 of Twin Cities Nonviolent's annual 12 Days Free from Violence. | | | Our kick-off location is Brackett Park in Minneapolis. We will walk to the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge for a Hands Across the River Ceremony followed by food, music and speakers at the Danish American Center.
Learn more and register at: fnvw.org/walk4peace | | | | Together we will uplift the vision of a world beyond violence and a culture rooted in nonviolence. | | | |
