A Minneapolis neighborhood council recently hosted an event to teach attendees how to be antiracist.
The Linden Hills Neighborhood Council, located in southwest Minneapolis, formed an equity committee in the fall of 2020 in order to fulfill the council’s goal to use its resources — “financial, political and human — in ways that support long-time efforts to address systemic racism and inequity.” The goal was formed after the death of George Floyd last spring.
An event, called “How to start (and continue) being antiracist,” was sponsored by the council on Tuesday as part of this effort to confront racism in their community.
The event was hosted by 2021 St. Anthony Village High School graduate Monique Walker, who has led workshops on antiracism in the past, according to Linden Hills’ website.
“By thoroughly examining terms like ‘white silence’ and ‘prison industrial complex,’ Ms. Walker expertly leads participants to examine their own experiences with and participation in racist systems, while simultaneously bringing us to a place of greater empathy, understanding, and courage,” reads an event description.
The workshop, which was virtual, addressed “whiteness in Minnesota” and focused on defining terms related to white supremacy, enhancing understanding of “racist systems,” sharing stories, and building empathy, according to a promotional poster advertised on the council’s website.
The first event, held in April, in the “race and equity speaker series” was titled “Apartheid in Minneapolis” and analyzed systemic racism in “housing, wealth, health, public schools, and public safety.”
The Linden Hills Neighborhood Council’s equity statement says they “envision a community” in which residents act with “socioeconomic awareness” and attempt to get rid of racism and injustice in the community.
Rose Williams
Rose Williams is an assistant editor for Alpha News.
