Justice for George Floyd

Today our community gathered to mourn the death of George Floyd, who was senselessly murdered by a Minneapolis police officer in front of bystanders while he begged for his life.

The absolute disregard for Mr. Floyd’s life is horrific and all too familiar for people of color and indigenous people in our country. His killing has laid bare once again the ongoing scourge of racism and unequal justice that has been with us all along.

Our community is justifiably angry and grieving. The rage and pain that exploded over the last week has led to both peaceful protests and riots in our streets. We have lost many treasured businesses and community assets that will take years – if not decades – to recover.

As we grieve for what has been lost in our city, we also grieve with the family and community of George Floyd, whose pain is immeasurable, and who have lost a beloved son, father and family member. Our hearts go out to them. Their loss cannot be repaired no matter how much time passes.

We are also deeply concerned about the impact of this week’s events on our students, families, staff and communities. For students, this occurred right on the cusp of long-awaited high school graduations and added to the intense challenges they are already facing with distance learning and the stress of life during a pandemic.

AchieveMpls is deeply committed to creating a more just and equitable community and ensuring the well-being and success of our precious young people. Alongside our partners at Minneapolis Public Schools and Saint Paul Public Schools, we are working tirelessly to connect with students and provide support and safer spaces to process their feelings of anger and grief.

With MPS leadership, we have also established a new MPS Student Support Fund for private donations to support basic needs and provide social-emotional resources for students during this increasingly uncertain time and beyond. If you’re looking for a way to directly impact MPS students, please consider a generous donation.

We also encourage you to seek out ways to support organizations that are providing critical on-the-ground support right now. And we invite you to effect long-term change by supporting our work to close our state's wide education, employment and wage gaps by preparing students for meaningful, family-sustaining careers and skilled leadership in our community.

Ending racism, violence and injustice is a task that falls to all of us. We must fight for a future in which we do not wake up to the news of another senseless death. We must fight for transformative change in our political, economic, education, cultural and social systems. And we must create a community that truly embraces each and every person and places no limit on what our young people can accomplish.

Only then can we achieve our vision of a truly equitable and vibrant community in which every single young person can attain their full, powerful potential in our world.

We are so thankful for your partnership in the weeks, months and years ahead.