Seward Neighborhood Group

The Minneapolis Forward: Community Now Coalition has issued the first round of recommendations aimed at rebuilding the city in the aftermath of civil unrest surrounding the death of George Floyd. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins convened a virtual briefing of coalition members and funding partners to present the proposals from first of three planned work cycle sprints on Aug. 6.

The first round focused on four key areas of action including: business retention, prioritizing BIPOC/minority-owned businesses, supporting entrepreneurs who invest in the community, and real estate and investment.

Participants in the Minneapolis Forward: Community Now Coalition reflect leadership from Twin Cities foundations, community-rooted businesses, and community organizations that are working together to transform Minneapolis into a stronger, equitable, inclusive and innovative city. The coalition is a cross-sector action team whose work is guided by the expertise of Black people, indigenous communities, people of color, and immigrants, including young people.

Learn more about the coalition on the City’s website.

Have you completed the census yet? Completing the census will ensure that our communities receive resources for programs and services that we need. Many programs that our communities rely on, including SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and Head Start are funded through data that is obtained by the census. The 2020 Census is our chance to shape the future of Minneapolis for the next 10 years.

Census takers have begun following up in Minneapolis with households that haven’t yet completed the 2020 Census. Census staff have been hired locally and are here to help households complete their census forms. The goal of census door knockers is to help get an accurate count. Census staffers can be easily identified by a valid government ID badge that includes their photograph and a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark.

Census field staff follow both CDC and local public health guidelines, are trained in physical distancing protocols and will provide census takers with masks during their visit. Census staff have sworn a lifetime oath of confidentiality. Any information that you provide to them will not be shared with any entity other than the Census Bureau for statistical purposes only and never to identify an individual.

Find more information here on verifying a census taker’s identity, COVID-19 protocols or the strategy to visit households that haven’t responded yet.

Learn more.

NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) offers a variety of free online peer support groups for adults and young adults living with a mental illness, their families, friends, spouses/partners, as well as parents of children and teens. Led by trained peer facilitators, the support groups help individuals and families learn coping skills and find strength through sharing their experiences. The groups are specifically for those individuals suggested by the group’s title. For example, Family Support Group is only for family members and NAMI Connection is only for those who live with a mental illness and are over 18 years old, etc. Find a complete listing of group meetings and how to join in by going to namimn.org and clicking on “Support Groups” or go straight to https://namimn.org/support/nami-minnesota-support-groups/.

1919 University Ave., Suite 400, St. Paul, MN 55104
Contact: Chuck Krueger, 651-645-2948, ckrueger@namimn.org

Did you know that your neighborhood storm drains flow directly into the Mississippi River, and the lakes and creeks in Minneapolis? Join the over 2,000 people who are doing their part in protecting our local waterways by adopting their storm drains in the City of Minneapolis! The Adopt-a-Drain program asks residents to adopt a storm drain in their neighborhood and keep it clear of leaves, trash, and other debris to reduce water pollution. Learn more and adopt your drain at adopt-a-drain.org.

Like their Facebook page HERE.

The Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute (“Peacebuilding”) is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan public charity nonprofit organization transforming psychological trauma into nonviolent power with positive productive alternatives to revenge. They prepare individuals, organizations, and communities for truth-telling and repairing harm for healed, just relationships toward the possibility of reconciliation.

Their mission is to instigate, train, and support racially, sexually, culturally, ethnically, religiously, and economically diverse individuals and organizations to become trauma-informed, resilience-oriented, and restorative justice-focused, empowering communities in Minnesota, the USA, and around the world. Their vision is making Minnesota the peacebuilding power state for all.

You can find their August and September 2020 Trainings and Events HERE.

Due to the Primary Election, tonight’s CDC Meeting has been postponed until August 20 at 7:00 PM. We will send out the agenda and zoom link closer to that date. Thank you for your understanding and happy voting!

Hello Seward friends! The ‘equity & inclusion’ committee will be meeting this Friday August 7 @ 10:30 am via Zoom. We are looking forward to coming together as neighbors to discuss how we can be a more inclusive and equitable community.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87413480927

Agenda

10:30 am

• Brief intros

• Icebreaker: What does equity mean to you?

• Review & approve July minutes

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AEXyBetjvQHrQY3xILw5PHtwP7mVT8EuOawoBMa_Dok/edit?usp=sharing 

• Consensus vs. voting (previously the group had agreed on consensus, is this still what we want?) 
• Announcements: Motion from last meeting passed (SNG’s Equity and Inclusion committee advocates for defunding the police department as described in the proposed Charter Commission Amendment and we ask SNG to endorse efforts to pass the Charter Commission Amendment). Anything else?

10:45 am 

• Circle Process (Anne): This had previously been discussed as the method we’d like to use for these meetings–we will try today, and see how people feel–everyone ok with this?
  • Group norms (speak from the heart, say just enough, speak from the heart, listen to understand not to respond, stay present, timekeeper, what else?) 

 10:55 am Determining committee focus, tasks, & next steps (tabled from last meeting):

• Areas we want to focus on within SNG internally (see survey notes)
• Areas we want to focus on between SNG and the broader community, externally (see survey notes)
• Hopes & goals (see survey notes) 

11:30 am Review next steps (who wants to do what, timeline, minute taker for next 

meeting, etc.)

11:40 am Choose committee name – time permitting (see survey notes)

12:00 pm Adjourn

Survey Responses

What would you like the E&I committee to work on internally (SNG)? 

• I am less aware of the “internal” focus of this work.  I would defer this to the SNG Board and staff.
• Discussing honestly what hasn’t worked about recruiting diverse board members in the past. Brainstorming and implementing ideas to make the structure of SNG more transparent and accessible to different kinds of people, and to new members in general. Recruiting a diverse set of new board members and staff (filling Sam’s position). 
• i would like to see that committee bridge the gap between the communities
• Addressing how SNG can be more of a welcoming and collaborative environment for our neighborhood’s different identities and backgrounds (ex. Pronouns during introductions, learning about the neighborhood’s different cultures, and learning what hurdles and roadblocks limit engagement of some neighbors).
• I’d like to see some members get weeded out. I don’t like the idea of people showing up and not wanting or intending on contributing to the committee’s goals. The last thing this committee needs is for folks to infiltrate and co-opt our work. 
• diversify the board, diversify events and make more inclusive, increase cultural awareness and humility, practice more inclusive outreach and event planning practices
• Ice breakers for cross cultural relationship building, creative use of the website to help educate white folks on Somali culture, food, values, and language (basics). 
• Blending the community.  These comments really resonated with me at the June meeting.  

What would you like the E&I committee to work on externally (Community/Neighborhood)?

• I like the idea of working to get more inclusive participation from the broader, diverse community.  I also like the idea of facilitating cross-cultural participation.
• Building partnerships with diverse community organizations and partners by listening and supporting their work before asking for their help.
• safety first
• Bridging relationships between East African and White communities. Raising up leaders of color 
• in the neighborhood as well as BIPOC owned businesses, supporting resources for vulnerable populations.
• I’d like to see systemic change take place in SNG at large. 
• Participate in diverse and inclusive neighborhood events, increase cultural awareness and humility 
• Something fun and music/dance oriented. I feel like we’re locked into being enraged, which has a time and place, but to segue into relationship building, laughter and fun will create relationships. 
• Alternative models to the current system of policing. 
• Connecting with Seward people of color to find out what their experience of the current public safety system has been like, and how they would like to see it change.
• Connecting with the city council to find out how they are going about changing the public safety system.
• Connecting with other neighborhood organizations and activist groups to find out how they are going about changing the public safety system.

What hopes or goals do you have for this committee?

• I would like this committee to get to a point (even if it takes a couple of meetings) where there are some clear, actionable goals that are also attainable.  I think we talked about A LOT of options at the first meeting – which was great.  But starting to think, even big picture around where we want to focus would be great (i.e. – making SNG more inclusive and diverse, cross-cultural dialogues, or broader equity issues outside of SNG, etc.).  I also think diversifying the membership of this committee would be great.  
• I hope it’s whatever the members want it to be! And that it helps SNG diversify membership and leadership, build deep partnerships with diverse organizations, and share power equitably.
• i am hoping that this committee will reach out diverse community in our neighborhood
• To help guide SNG and Seward Neighborhood to be more inclusive and welcoming spaces to all types of people.
• I hope this committee can right the many wrongs that have taken place in Seward in regards to equity & inclusion. 
• For it to represent the neighborhood and be inclusive of all. For all committee members to be active and participate.
• Practical event and community facilitation
• Understand the history of our neighborhood to understand how and why it became so segregated and has stayed that way, align hopes and goals with BIPOC community members and leaders, true integration in the community, how can we support the larger Minneapolis community in dismantling systems that make this city one of the worst in racial disparities in the country. 
• One hope is to help create a more blended community in Seward, which leads to greater equity and fairness for all the residents here.  Another focus is helping to determine what appropriate policing looks like in our community and to have a voice which helps to direct a vision for all of Minneapolis.  
• To connect with Seward-ites and build a more equitable and inclusive neighborhood and city.

Committee Name Ideas

DEI 

Equity & Inclusion Committee

Equity Committee 

I like F.U.N.! or E&I (F.U.N. = Focused on Unifying Neighbors)

Co-learning/Co-creating

Minute-takers (thank you!)

Abdirisaq

Anne

Christopher

Mark

Robin

Marina

The Seward Neighborhood Group (www.sng.org) requests your thoughts and opinions on how public safety is to be maintained. These opinions will be summarized and provided to the City Council and Mayor to help guide their efforts in making the type of deep, transformational change that we are often promised but so rarely see.

Some organizations have made proposals for changes that they feel are needed to ensure increased confidence in our safety. A short list of some of these organizations is found below. You may find the information provided by these organizations helpful. Note that this list is not exhaustive and other organizations and individuals may also be helpful to you.

* Communities United Against Police Brutality (https://www.cuapb.org/)
* Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar
* Reclaim the Block (https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home)
* Minneapolis Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC)
* Black Visions Collective (https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/)
* MPD 150 (https://www.mpd150.com/)

To take the survey Click Here.