The officer who is charged with killing Floyd committed a heinous and unacceptable act that has spread pain and anger throughout our community and nation. The other three officers who were on the scene have been deemed complicit in Floyd’s killing by the top cop in Minneapolis, Chief Medaria Arradondo. Although the actions of the police and the resulting death of Floyd are at the forefront of our minds, those actions, although a major contributor, did not cause our predicament. The individuals burning and looting our community (some of whom, according to law enforcement, are not from Minnesota and include White supremacists) did not cause our predicament. If we are truly compelled to ensure there is an end to this chaos and pain, we must be mindful of the root causes of our situation. To end the pain, we must take responsibility for what needs to happen differently, going forward. Taking responsibility must occur simultaneously with addressing the immediate symptoms that are manifesting.
If you have a deep understanding of institutional racism, it should be no surprise that Minnesota has become the epicenter of this national crisis. Although Minnesota is consistently highly ranked in terms of its population-wide outcomes in education, our economy, and amenities; it’s also true that Minnesota leads the nation in the gap in hope and opportunity between Whites and Blacks. Institutional racism, although disguised, is reflected by these extreme disparities. A recent Star Tribune article highlighting our nation-leading disparities reports that for people of color, Minnesota ranks 48 out of 50 in poverty and home ownership; 39 out 50 in educational attainment; 41 out 50 in median earning; 44 out 50 in unemployment; 45 out of 50 in labor force participation.
These disparities are unacceptable! At Youthprise, where I am honored to serve as vice president, we applaud the young people who have refused to give up in the face of adult opposition and are currently on the front lines peacefully fighting for equity and justice. Listening to young people, our mission was recently refreshed to “increasing equity with and for Minnesota’s indigenous, low-income, and racially diverse youth.” We are committed to addressing disparities rooted in institutional racism, and we won’t stop until we see change. Soon, we will be sharing meaningful action steps Youthprise will be taking to address inequity in the Black community. We will also be issuing a call to action to our broader community. It will take all of us not turning away, but turning over every stone to uncover, expose, and correct the disparities plaguing our community. Our youth are leading the way; let us join them!
—marcus pope is vice president of Youthprise, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that works for equity with and for Minnesota’s indigenous, low-income and racially diverse youth.
