Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Hear what gusher say. Put him back. Screens up, make a few bucks. My life isn't marketing who you think you trying to play. Um, I like it better when like, nerdy was all fun and stuff. This is really angry. Like don't you think you said enough? Well that's freaking tough cuz I'm being loud and the people are not playing with you now. Yeah, you can burn a whole thing down. Y I don't care if y'all uncomfortable, we can burn a whole thing down. You can burn our whole thing down. Couldn't care about a another zone. You can burn a whole thing down. Burn it down, down. Y'all don't really care about a brother until we burn. Whole thing down. Burn it down, down, down, down. Yeah we about to go to work. Yeah, we about to let it
Speaker 1 00:00:42 Pokemon. Come on the youngins. What I'm focused on. I'm so old then go then. I ain't know you was talking about Pokemon, but I'm more like me and nerdy next to a burndown system with a candle of gas and a handful of matches and know we ain't miss some famous. Now my mission ladies be so complic here watching all the leaders leading bacon. No name minions, but we torture enough to take us and we give into survivors city yours.
Speaker 2 00:01:03 Views from the ground, views from the damn ground views from the ground views from the damn ground views from the ground views from the damn ground. And that's on that, on that on that. Alright, welcome back. Here we are. Um, we're going to move right into our first segment, which is gonna be,
Speaker 3 00:01:24 Uh, words of freedom. So here we are again. Um, with a segment, uh, on views from the ground. Views
Speaker 0 00:01:30 From the
Speaker 3 00:01:31 Damn ground. So one of these days they're gonna get it. Um, give better every movie <laugh>. But yes, this is words of freedom, um, where we give local poets the freedom to liberate themselves with their expression. And this month we've heard, uh, a bunch of work from Jane Del Ray, um, a local poet here in Minneapolis, um, who was in the studio last week. Beautiful interview, amazing interview. Love hearing her speak, what's on her mind and hearing a little bit of her background. So if you didn't get a chance to listen to that live, you can go back and look at, uh, the recording of that show. But, um, last week of the month, we're going to listen to Jane del Rey's poems. We're gonna listen to three more and those will be soft Black girl allegiance, dead before guilty and body return to sender.
Speaker 4 00:02:17 My strength is vulnerable, soft like a lover's lips. After a long day of fighting for my freedom and my week is strong like the poetry of a entire black woman's feet. I like to believe my strength comes from destroying every box they ever tried to put me in with the devilish smile. It comes from coloring outside the lines because I see the bigger picture and my canvas simply ain't big enough. It comes from doing exactly what I said I would do with or without a man's approval. You see, my strength comes from me and in these last days I've learned to become selfish with it too. I've decided to no longer be strong for those who have not been strong for me. I will not wield my womanhood to any person who runs at the first sight of my God ugly emotions. I will not carry anyone on my back who does not deserve the joys of my ride. And I will not pretend to be okay for the sake of others'. Peace. I like to see my people grow old with gray hair, speaking for their wisdom, spit and smacking, telling stories of what was, of what used to be. But it seems we can't survive long enough to see the inside of the jail cells. They say we belong to
Speaker 4 00:03:17 This machine. Didn't arrive with instructions, didn't come with no receipt. But I feel the need to return it because I don't understand its meaning. Seat on Sundays, the throat gets addicted to beer. On Mondays, the legs don't move. The mouth eats cake outside of birthdays as the eyes find new workouts to adapt and download. This motherboard is hardwired to love, but the ram is always outta storage. This engine runs at high speeds. Overheats and overthinks. This machine is so foreign but I can't return it so I guess I'm stuck with me.
Speaker 2 00:03:48 Yeah, those were excellent poems. And so what we are actually, um, gonna be doing next year, our next segment is gonna be the Nerdy Spotlight and we've been with Lieutenant Sunny all month and we did an interview with her next week. So take it away. Nerdy.
Speaker 0 00:04:06 Hello everybody. It's your boy Nerdy. And I am back again for the Artist Spotlight. You already know what it is on month we've been spending with just one artist from our community and it's time to check back in with Lieutenant Sunny. Now word on the street is Lieutenant Sunny runs with some pretty cool people called Fair Play Entertainment. I don't really know about 'em, I just heard they're really handsome. And on this next track word to Howie, you're gonna hear the likes of Brandon Paulus and to VK the word for that amazing hip hop collective. Do not sleep on Lieutenant Sunny and do not miss word to Hai. Here we go.
Speaker 5 00:05:00 Confetti in the air at the party. Feeling all over my body. Terry Yto waits outside the lobby, don't we? No deal words confetti in the air at the party feeling all over my body. Wait outside the lobby, don't we? No deal worth the house.
Speaker 7 00:05:31 It's a birthday. Go win the flame out. Weather is hot. Bring in the cake out. Birthday wish. Give me the payout. Said that your love me. Always going Stay down on leave in the house just like the Millie got the squad. Fpe Whitney, read the hotness in the Twin Cities about the party. See you and the Benny. All I wanna do is have fun tonight. Bring the black whip in the black car tonight. No fee fees in your heart tonight. Leave the boys at the bar tonight. Hey, big face that thing dumping. DJ Hayes got the place jumping and and Kane got the place. Crumping.
Speaker 5 00:06:03 What's next? I'm up to something y confetti in the air at the party feeling all overt TTO waits outside the lobby, don't we? No deal Where the highway confetti in the air at the party feeling all over my body. Cherry yto waits outside the lobby. No, no deal. Wipe
Speaker 8 00:06:40 We popping the bottle of tan ray. Invite the people who with me and we putting number like a decorate. Where you beef with aion Smoke on Louds. No discussion. Something for your head baby. No concussion. Just spin. Cause I get more loved than the tennis recorde dev. This a chamber. It's two after party. We gonna go missing. Wait for the special love. Like I like a company. Love, smile, come clip play. But for the competition, no gin at the mission. Where the gin she up there we on Mission? Yeah.
Speaker 5 00:07:29 Confetti in the air at fill all over the lobby, don't we? No deal worth the confetti in the air at the party all over my lobby. Don't no dear. Where's the highway
Speaker 9 00:08:01 Sunday has spin in like it's my birthday. So while my head in the worst way already told y'all I'm a starlee, I keep up moving like a track meet. I can racing through all these gala nines. You see the jacket so you know it's I'm treat the and Nery beat. I see I'm track fair play. Come up with the top spot with your top notch where he Finn get this top cro. Ah, I'm wearing ear range with a cross top of masculine. Hit our hot spot. Woo. We about to have a celebration and know that ever really took with patience the of creating. It feels so amazing. I'll never come down up to the side. Celebrate the word. You may not know my name with the bang going find me. Forget the same. And the game won't blind me up. Pretend that the ground won't ground me and meditate once two times to remind me to keep my center. As long as God is in the middle, I'm good. A fitting verse kissy told me I could reverse the curses nearly always told me I would
Speaker 5 00:08:51 Confetti in the air at the party, feeling all overt. Always outside the lobby. Don't we? No deal. Work the confetti in the air at the party. Feeling all over my body outside the lobby, don't we? No deal worth the highway.
Speaker 10 00:09:25 Uh, hi, my name is Jay. Um, I am an organizer with the Twin Cities Coalition for just for Jamar. Um, I also organize with Community Aid Network, uh, Minnesota, uh, which is a mutual aid group. Um, and I work at, um, a food shelf. Uh, when George Floyd was murdered, I was, um, I was actually just getting off of work, um, working with, uh, youth, uh, through Minnesota Youth Story Squad. Um, and yeah, I never watched the video footage because I find that kind of thing really upsetting and I don't really, I don't really need that to <laugh> to know that police mo murders are wrong and they're fucked up. Um, but I ended up, um, really feeling like radicalized by this murder because I saw, um, the way that the community responded. I think that youth especially were really, um, traumatized by the murder of George Floyd. Um, and I think that black people more generally, it was just a lot of trauma. And I think that it really, it really pushed me to get, um, involved with my community in a, in a, in a more robust and like, um, like continuous way, uh, that I hadn't really been doing before. Um, and I think, yeah, I, I met a lot of people that that felt the same way and that was kind of part of, part of healing, um, during and after the uprising. Um, so yeah, it's kind of my experience. Bye.
Speaker 11 00:11:10 I'm Nadia. I'm a videographer based in Minneapolis. And I capture and document what's happening in the movement through video. I actually remember where I was pretty well when I saw Darnell Frazier's footage of George Floyd's murder on 30th in Chicago by M P D. And I was just in my room at my desk. Um, I deliberately delayed watching it about a couple days later. Um, and when I did, and as we all see, as everyone saw, um, and, and, and seeing George Floyd laying there, essentially being tortured by Derek Chauvin, um, surrounded by cops and then seeing this like, weird distance that's just glaring between the police and the community members that are trying to intervene, that are almost helpless. But it, but it, it, it almost looks so like you almost wanna yell at the screen. Like, like get in there, like ju like get him off, like intervene.
Speaker 11 00:12:20 And then you realize the community members, they, they can't intervene cuz their life would be on the line too. Um, so just seeing that play out and, and seeing basically not only George Floyd be tortured, but also seeing this be on display, um, to traumatize the community that are just standing there helplessly almost, um, for me that just reinstated what Minneapolis policing and what policing is in the Twin Cities and, and just at large because we know about the deaths and the killings of police in Minneapolis beforehand. Um, but, but when I watch the footage this time around, to me it just instilled that what policing is, is, is also paralyzing to a community.
Speaker 12 00:13:07 My name is Kelly. I'm an academic advisor at a university in the movement. I am part of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar. I do a little bit of everything, uh, including logistics, petitioning, uh, security, art speaking, occasionally chanting. I don't remember where I was when I saw or heard about George Floyd's murder, but it really changed everything for me. I wasn't involved in the movement before his murder, but in the days after, I just felt like I needed to do something, anything. I basically stopped going to work and, and I started raising money for mutual aid for a few weeks. And then I started attending rallies and marches because I wanted to learn how to do more. Someone at one of the first rallies I went to talked about how some of us were there because we looked in the mirror and we didn't like what we saw. And that really resonated with me. And I didn't wanna be that person anymore. I understood that organizing was a path towards making substantial permanent change. So I answered a call to help organize the taking back pride march with TCC for J. And then I joined TCC for J and now I fight for community control of the police.
Speaker 2 00:14:45 All right, so welcome back The views from the ground. Views from the damn ground. So we are here with special guests now. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. We're gonna be talking about George Floyd Square and um, with us we have Huda.
Speaker 13 00:15:05 Hey everyone, this is Huda. Nice to meet y'all.
Speaker 2 00:15:09 Yes. And then we also have, um, Licia,
Speaker 15 00:15:13 That's my Alicia with a long eyes by the way, but nice to be here.
Speaker 2 00:15:18 Yes. Um, yeah, so, so we were just gonna talk about, um, the square and, you know, kind of like what has, what, what has been happening there for the last like two years. And so here we go. So we want to talk about like, so how did the square start? Right? Like, like kinda like run us through like, the first couple of days of the square.
Speaker 13 00:15:46 Um, my story starts actually outside of the square. Okay. And then transitions to the square. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So first I was actually over in Riverside. It was me and some of my friends and we decided that we wanted to be outside and take a stand for everything that was happening just because of the video that came out. And that was the video of George Floyd being stood on by Derek Chauvin and everything that came after that. I think. Maisha, you had a more direct start in the Square than I did. You were there since like day one. I think I did Came like day three or day four. <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:16:30 Yo. So how about you tell us your story?
Speaker 15 00:16:35 Um, uh, the first few days. The first few days was kind of chaotic in a way, but so calm in a way. Um, all I remember is, well not all I remember, but what I remember is it was a nice handful of people that turned into a few, couple tents of a people, a lot of people in the center. We blocked off the streets so the cars would stop coming. And the intersection, it was a circle of people. Uh, we blocked ev the streets off with everything that everybody dropped off. There was a bus on 37th in, I wanna say Columbus, but that's not really Columbus. That's still technically Chicago. Um, uh, cars on cars and like refrigerators, mattresses, pallets, everything. Cribs, like
Speaker 3 00:18:00 Basically whatever people have.
Speaker 15 00:18:02 <laugh>, trash, trash cans, dumpsters come, dumpsters coming outta nowhere. Like where did y'all get these from? Like, it was like a lot of stuff that was like, it was just crazy and like a blink of an eye. Like everything was just theirs. Like everybody understood the assignment without necessarily telling somebody what they needed to do. Everything was just raveling to what it needed to be. And then everything is up from there. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:18:35 And, and can you tell us about like how did it feel those first couple of days mean at the square? Like how did those, how did it feel?
Speaker 15 00:18:48 I've never been so afraid and safe all in the same breath in all my life. But that feeling lasted a very long time. It's like remaining in the same space for a long time. It's like holding your breath but only being able to breathe out of your no, only one nostril. Mm-hmm <affirmative> kind of like, but you're breathing but you're not really mm-hmm <affirmative> breathing. That's what it felt like in a sense. And then meeting people that you wouldn't even think to be meeting, not even knowing who they are, but you trust these people regardless of who they were or where it is that they came from. But everything just revolve to what it is.
Speaker 13 00:19:54 What's crazy is like the way that you trust them. Like you immediately have to trust them with your life cuz you guys are all outside together. And that was just a unique experience in itself. Like I've never seen that anywhere else any other time. And I think that's what builds the type of like love and community and family that is still there till today. And I think that's what makes it successful. Like after two years, that's why we have stuff. Like that's why there's still a stand there. And I think that's why there's still such a big community that continues to hold that space. Even though now I know it looks different,
Speaker 15 00:20:36 But it's not really different. Things always change Change and everybody, it is a transition. As I say. Like I said, like I always tell everybody we're in a war. So the war always looks different. There's always something differently happens. It's kind of like a wave. You gotta ride the wave. Sometimes it's calm, sometimes it's kind of ugly, just like storms. They're beautiful to some people, but they're scary to other people. Just like some people thought that 38th was ugly, horrible, bad people. Savages is what they called us. But those who were there rocking the hugs. Mm-hmm <affirmative> the support, felt
Speaker 14 00:21:32 The love,
Speaker 15 00:21:33 The uplifting.
Speaker 14 00:21:34 Mm-hmm <affirmative>.
Speaker 15 00:21:37 So you only can know what it was like unless you was there. That's why I think so many people traveled just to see, but they didn't even know what they were coming to see until they got there.
Speaker 13 00:21:51 I think it's the curiosity too.
Speaker 15 00:21:53 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, they was curious why they people because there was so
Speaker 13 00:21:56 Many people that came from like overseas. There was like that one Japanese reporter and I'm like, you're coming all the way from Japan just to figure out what it is over here or what it's what it's like, how it's different but you don't even know what it's really about. You never like, and a lot, I think that's a mistake a lot of people make. They just come, they take their pictures, they make videos, they talk about what their experiences are while they're there for that short period of time. They never ask questions to the people that are there.
Speaker 15 00:22:28 That's why I used to interrupt people interfere with they day. Okay. Yeah. I was kind of rude with it back if you really think about it. But it was needed though. I would agree. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> it was needed though. Like looking back I'd be like okay, sure I coulda did something differently. But in the sense I had to think about where my mental state was back then. What was happening back then. The things that were happening to me back then during that time in that space. The things that I had to keep to myself that things that I had to, A lot of things happened in that space. But a lot of good things happen in that space too. That's why we are so certain and so determined to keep that space alive cuz it's what people got so much out of that space that they didn't even ask for. Including the visitors and like, especially when the memorial, the G uh,
Speaker 13 00:23:31 Gf
Speaker 15 00:23:32 Gm. Gf gm, nope. Uh, the gallery. That's what we, oh yeah, that's what we called it was the gallery when the gallery opened that got that gave a nice platform to express what the space really was instead of just people coming out, taking a picture and just going about their business. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> instead of, now y'all got a space where now there's somebody in here that's going, you can't not allow somebody to talk in that space regardless if it was me in there. Regardless if it was <unk> regardless if it was some children. I done seen children talk to a group of people because you are able to express yourself in that space. You're able to talk your experience. You're able to let people know really what's happening. Cuz a lot of people didn't realize that the streets were closed the way that they was even living in the state of Minnesota until they actually came down and really seen what it was. But from the outside looking in, it might not be pretty, but it wasn't there to be pretty, it wasn't there to be pleasant to the eye. I like the artwork and stuff that was there, but I like the original barriers there before the other barriers came. Cuz it was just unique. It was what it was supposed to be. Now y'all making a front of something that is not, but that's another story. I
Speaker 13 00:25:04 Think the way that I saw it too was when they took the barriers away, that originally were brought there by the community members. They just put things that look like boxes to con like in my eyes I always look at it as like, when it looks like a box you're supposed to conform. And they wanted us to conform and be okay that alright, eventually these are the city's barriers. Eventually the city's gonna come back and take 'em away. And I think that's the biggest thing that it was like really hard to get over. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 15 00:25:33 <affirmative> because like some, we knew that those barriers didn't belong to us, but that what they considered to be trash, what they considered to be Nothing was everything.
Speaker 13 00:25:46 Something.
Speaker 2 00:25:49 Yeah. So you've um, talked a lot about, uh, what does, what people said about the Square, right? And all these misconceptions that they had. Yeah. Why don't you tell people what the Square actually was
Speaker 15 00:26:08 For like the first four months, to me it felt like a block party that never ended <laugh>. It was like the, the music never stopped. People never stopped loving on one another, supporting one another, making sure that everybody had what they needed. It wasn't even what they wanted. It was what they needed. You was hungry, you was fed, you ain't have some type of, I don't even know where the clothing, the clothing clothes. You just came outta nowhere cuz people needed, needed, still needed clothes, people needed clothes. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Okay. At the beginning. What? Think on day two I started, started barbecuing cuz I noticed all the drunk people.
Speaker 14 00:26:48 <laugh>, I know you hungry,
Speaker 15 00:26:50 I know you hungry, but bread helps observe it. So it was hot dogs for a long time. So it was like the things that you, and it was so crazy cuz everything that was needed, people didn't have to ask. It's like we noticed, just like somebody noticed that you need you over here crying by yourself. Let me, what can I do? How can I be supportive? What do you need right now here I can't do much, but here goes a tissue. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> that tissue meant a lot to some people. Cuz you noticed and you're now, you're making yourself available for me to be able to get through this little moment that I'm having right now.
Speaker 14 00:27:27 Mm-hmm.
Speaker 15 00:27:28 Or what about, um, the religious folks that came out there to pray with people? Didn't nobody ask nobody to come out there and pray with us, but people took the times out of they lives to come and pray with us.
Speaker 13 00:27:39 They even donated food,
Speaker 15 00:27:41 Donated food,
Speaker 13 00:27:42 Donate time. I think what it meant for me, the square and everything was crazy. Like, I, I didn't expect anything like coming there. I didn't expect anything. And then you just see everyone. It was like a well-oiled machine. Like it was just a never ending cycle of like someone was taking care, taking care of someone else. Someone was deescalating a situation somewhere else. Someone like, there was so many mental health workers out there that we didn't even know we had mental health workers out there. So they just started identifying themselves. Um,
Speaker 15 00:28:19 But the unique part about it all to me mm-hmm
Speaker 14 00:28:23 <affirmative>,
Speaker 15 00:28:24 Is that everything that happened, we were able to handle it as a community in a healthy way in the ways that was needed for the community at that time. It wasn't necessarily a, a whole big you little me like, it was, oh well how do you think that we should handle this situation? This is what's going on, blah blah blah, blah, blah. How do y'all think we should handle the situation? Then we all can come together as a collective of what we're gonna do with the situation. Just like the whole not having the police in the square was a collective decision. It wasn't just cuz somebody was like, you know what, no, the police can't come in here. No. Everybody felt that it was in the best interest for the community to keep the community safe, to keep the police out. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, everything was always for the most part, uh, dis decided as a collective.
Speaker 2 00:29:23 Yes. Um, with that being said, we're gonna take a quick break and we'll be right back.
Speaker 14 00:29:31 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>.
Speaker 2 00:29:32 All right. Welcome back to Views From the Ground, views from the Dan Ground. So, uh, we are talking about the Square today and we were, were just talking a lot about how a lot of the decisions that were made in the Square were collective. Right. And that kind of plays into, cuz y'all used to have like, um, daily meetings, right?
Speaker 15 00:29:52 Till this day
Speaker 13 00:29:53 It was two meetings a day this day. One morning one night.
Speaker 2 00:29:57 Yeah. And, and, and what type of things did y'all discuss in those meetings?
Speaker 15 00:30:02 Everything. It was a learning moment for some people. Um, a lot of unlearning in that space. Um, talked about events that was about to be happening, things that might have happened that people needed clarity on that happened in the Square. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, um, emotions. Emotions. A
Speaker 13 00:30:21 Lot of people, just like some meetings, there wouldn't be nothing to talk about except like how people, how people might have felt. How people took some things in a certain way or how it might even need to be explained. So a lot of education. A lot of education.
Speaker 15 00:30:37 And not in the sense of a school form education, but more of a understanding the next person standing next to you.
Speaker 2 00:30:49 Yeah. So, uh, so the Square had, uh, 24 demands, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and uh, can you kind of walk us through the day that those demands were made and what those demands were? Some of them were,
Speaker 15 00:31:06 Um, some of, some of the, uh, one of the demands was to investigate the Minneapolis Police Department. Uh, that got <laugh>. That one got checked off and they did get Chuck.
Speaker 15 00:31:25 You know, I think that one, you know, I said that one first cuz it was kind of big to me. I really looked into the police department. But yeah. Um, the, which other ones was it? Um, um, Murphy, uh, guy named Murphy got, um, murdered in the square. It was a demand to look into his mm-hmm. <affirmative> situation and get answers for him, for his family and everything. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, another demand was, I know they mentioned housing opportunities. I know they, um, looked into, I cannot think right now. Oh, I used to know him by heart back next, but we used talk about it all the time. <laugh>, um, the release of my umbrella was one, I remember the release of Myre. They had to look into, what's that attorney? That prosecutor? Mike Freeman. Mike Freeman recall.
Speaker 2 00:32:26 Mike Freeman,
Speaker 15 00:32:26 I think. Yep. They had to recall him. Um, it was a lot of things that were kind of pushed under the rug by Minneapolis that we wanted them to admit.
Speaker 13 00:32:41 They should have investigated Murphy Rank's case better.
Speaker 15 00:32:44 They should have. They should have.
Speaker 13 00:32:47 I think that's one that is still being filed for to this day.
Speaker 15 00:32:52 So not everything is checked off. I can't even say we're halfway there.
Speaker 13 00:33:00 We are a lot of things done, but there's still a lot of work to be mm-hmm. <affirmative> unpacked,
Speaker 15 00:33:05 Making progress,
Speaker 2 00:33:06 Making progress. Cause I remember there was at least eight or nine that got checked off the list mm-hmm. <affirmative>, which is, which is still a lot, um, that got accomplished. And especially when you have, um, you know, like investigate M p D and free Myam, Burres, you know mm-hmm. <affirmative>, some of the demands that it got met. Those are very crucial ones, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, and so, yeah. And, and I think it's important to remember that, you know, um, a lot of people were out there, but a lot of, you know, um, the reason why the Square existed was, was it was trying to get change. Right. Um, it was also trying to heal our community. Right. But, um, also had, uh, the demands that, um, that some got met. And I think that's really important to remember when we talk about the lake, the legacy of the square. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 15 00:34:01 <affirmative>, the progress that we did make, the change that we did stand for that are, you know, difference in laws have been changed. Bills has, bills have been passed to help better things for things. Not to quote unquote hypothetically continue to happen, but we know how that goes.
Speaker 2 00:34:22 Yeah. Um, tell us what type of events, um, did you run in the Square? I know the Square constantly had events going on, like every day. Um, just give us some examples of some of your favorite ones that had happened in the Square. I
Speaker 13 00:34:37 Think some of the birthday party that
Speaker 15 00:34:39 Was my a birthday parties be lit.
Speaker 16 00:34:40 Yo like remember like someone would just randomly come up and be like, you know, it's my birthday. And we'd be like, all right, who gonna break out the barbecue? <laugh>?
Speaker 15 00:34:48 Like yeah. Barbecues come outta nowhere. Somebody will pop up out with some cake outta nowhere. Like parties be like in a blink of an eye. Be like some hours notice. And everybody's there though. Yeah. Everybody's there. You'll just think up like, Hmm. Ooh, the morning breakfasts, the people who were dedicated to come out for the morning breakfasts, she
Speaker 13 00:35:07 Get some good coffee.
Speaker 15 00:35:07 Yeah. I ain't gonna lie. Um, I, the rollerblading, the roller skates, the, that was fun. We skated a few times in the square. I
Speaker 13 00:35:16 Busted my
Speaker 15 00:35:16 Ass. The bouncy houses were always fun. Um, twin Cities relief was always out and, you know, throwing, uh, I wouldn't necessarily say that they were events, but I call 'em events cuz they was giving out every everything. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, feeding people essentials diapers. Yeah. Didn't milk groceries. Everything And groceries produce like
Speaker 3 00:35:41 There was like clothing and food drives and stuff like that. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And I know you guys had like a couple things where y'all would like paint the streets and stuff like that, right. Like you guys were, got people together with supplies to do more art type of stuff too. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> was
Speaker 13 00:35:53 Malcolm X to that? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. I think that was one of my favorites too. Just seeing like, yeah. People still remember like,
Speaker 15 00:36:01 And I, my, I don't know, um, I say my favorite part and I can't even say it was the event cuz I don't even think people knew that it was happening or whatever, but I wanted a Emmett Till to be painted for a long, long time. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> a long time. And this guy named George came from New York and painted Emmett Till. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 00:36:20 <affirmative>. Wow.
Speaker 13 00:36:20 I remember that.
Speaker 3 00:36:22 Yeah. I mean, not to mention like all the vigils and everything that have happened, like there was a vigil for Emmett Till. There was a vigil for obviously George Floyd vigil for Jacob Blake. There was so many things that those type of events too and that like would always bring people out and like you've been setting a space for like, us to mourn together but also heal together to those events
Speaker 13 00:36:42 I think. Sorry. But, um, I think what's really interesting to me was the amount of light that was even shed on the community. Like IES passed away from the community right at the 38th of Chicago. We still remember Nini. A lot of people know about her ghettos, squid. Like, it, it just like brought a bigger light to those that have passed away from the community as well and not forgetting about other people.
Speaker 15 00:37:15 And then it also brought a light to recognize that George Floyd wasn't the only person killed by the police on that corner. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. So it was, it, it brought a lot of light being able to pull off what we pulled off to take the street, bring what the light that needed to be there. Cause a lot of people just feel like, oh this is, this randomly is just happening in Min, like hold on, pause, let's talk about this. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So so that gave it a space for conversation. And then it was kinda like, I used to call it home cuz all the, I, I think everything was even to me cuz like, even when people who used to march ended up at 38th and like, we used to be on internet all the time. Like, who was having a march today and where is they going? Just so we knew who was coming mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And like, it was nice to know why people were marching and to be able to give them a space to talk about why they were marching mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And then to give people a, a opportunity to understand and learn why they were marching. And it'd be nice to just come together and being able to learn of why all are these reasons that equal outs the liberation that we're fighting for. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 13 00:38:30 <affirmative>, I think this pa these past two years I've learned a lot about like murdered and missing indigenous women too. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and I didn't know a lot about that. Like prior to the two years that have passed. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. I think like when we were talking about education, like that's one thing I was schooled on. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>.
Speaker 2 00:38:54 All right. Um, and so we're just gonna take a quick break here. Um, and then we'll, we'll be right back.
Speaker 13 00:39:03 Hmm.
Speaker 2 00:39:03 All right. We're back. Um, here at Views from the ground. Views
Speaker 13 00:39:07 From the damn ground. Okay. The hood on New <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:39:10 Thank you for joining us. So, um, I really want to talk about, um, all the community support that the Square received and I mean like local community support with like people on the block, but also all the support that y'all received from the metro area and from out of, um, and around the country. Right. And so, um, tell us a lot about that and how you were able to build those type of connections with the community and keep 'em going. I mean,
Speaker 15 00:39:43 Uh, I give, um, the p the community that really stood out to me was the people who wasn't from here, who remained here to make sure they told the right story. Like, and like, and I mean that they would be out talking to the community like, okay, does this sound right before I publish it? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> is it, is it okay that I, did I do this right? Instead of just taking things from their lens and not necessarily understanding it. Even though you standing here don't mean you understand. Just cuz you standing here don't mean that you're supposed to, that you're paying attention to what it is that you're supposed to be paying attention to. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So I give big ups to them. But it was nice for the people outside of the city donating some of their pro uh, their produce, what they, what they grew. It was nice for people to donate. They, yeah. The propane
Speaker 13 00:40:34 In the winter, we needed propane.
Speaker 15 00:40:36 We need a propane to keep the, uh, the tints warm. The guy who kept bringing the wood out, he didn't live nowhere near the cities, but he made sure that we had wood all winter. Um, the, uh, Tuesday, the Jesus burgers, they was faithful. They was out there every Tuesday. Jesus burger. I ain't, I refused to eat a burger, but they was out there every Tuesday. And
Speaker 13 00:41:02 Every Tuesday people expected them to come out. And that was the thing too. Like some people like, because of unfortunate situations, we do have a lot of unhoused people in Minnesota like, and especially in Minneapolis and it's congested. So understanding right when the uprising was happening, we had Powderhorn right next door and there was so many tents there, there were so many people that were coming out from the encampment that were coming to 30th of Chicago just to be fed like dang near community heroes out here that were cooking
Speaker 2 00:41:39 <laugh>.
Speaker 15 00:41:40 But like when I did that, um, I made that dinner and all them people donated all that food and I got all them random helpers. Uh, I refused to participate in Thanksgiving, the first Thanksgiving after George Floyd died. And I was like, we could, I was like, I'm willing to participate and cook. I like, I wouldn't barbecue. I barbecued every day, every day. I refused to barbecue on that day and feed people cause I'm not participating in these shenanigans. But the next day I was like, I'll cook the next day and like within 24 hours we have all Tucson helped me get all this food. All these people donated all these food. I got all these random volunteers I ain't never met before to peel potatoes. Uh, uh, helped me cook everything and ended up feeding everybody and a whole group of encampments and all that other good stuff. So it's like, like I said, things happen in the blink of the eye and we could pull off everything if we wanted to.
Speaker 2 00:42:35 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Yeah. And I, um, and I think it's really powerful to see the neighborhood, um, get behind the square. Right. But, but, but I think it's really important to realize that this happened for an entire year. Right. And it's still happening. And like, what did you do to build connections that strong that could survive two years with the neighbors? Like, cause cause we have, we, we've seen a lot of autonomous zones over the years, right. You know, all around the country and the world, but mm-hmm. <affirmative>. But what, what was able, what was able to keep those relationships going?
Speaker 13 00:43:17 I think truly the community like, and who the community is made up of. Because like, I remember one day, like we were at a meeting, it was a nighttime meeting and someone said, all right, tomorrow try and like bring a, a car full of people and your family and this is in third and come to this event. And then it just slowly got bigger and bigger and bigger. I think just the sheer amount of like word of mouth just got it to where it was. And I think the fight, cuz there was so many people advocating, like more than you understand, there's so many people that were advocating for us to get whatever was needed to make it to the next day. I think we had like a survivalist mentality for a while too. Like we just need to survive to make it to the next day and then the next day would come and we'd think the same. Like, we need to survive to make it to the next day. We need to figure out how to get some people more clothes on their back because they've been wearing the same outfits for another day. And I, I know that was the outcome of the clothing closet.
Speaker 2 00:44:30 Yeah. That, that I think that's really powerful. Like living in the present moment, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and then adapting to the needs that you need right now. Right.
Speaker 13 00:44:39 Because nothing was promised. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, there was no like guarantee that the square was going to be there.
Speaker 14 00:44:45 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>,
Speaker 15 00:44:47 I think communication and communication was big in this space. Um, people wasn't trying to be in charge. Didn't nobody wanna be in charge. People didn't even wanna be there. But <laugh> we had to be there like, um, the support. The support. Not saying that people wasn't out there for their selves, but it was more people out for support than there were people that was out there for their selves.
Speaker 2 00:45:22 Yeah. Um, elaborate a little bit more. You said um, people didn't want to be there but people had to be there. Elaborate a little bit more about what you mean when you say that
Speaker 15 00:45:32 I'm a mom of two sons. You think I wanted to be out there for two straight years and some change. Do you think I wanted to risk my parenting? Do you think I wanted to risk everything that I risk because I wanted a bigger co I, I I wanted change. I wanted something different. Yes, I wanted to be out there cuz I was there, but no, I didn't want to be out there cause I felt I had better things to be doing. But I'm glad I got a village and it isn't just me. So I can do what I needed to do and it's nice that I was able to do what it is that I needed to do. Cuz now if you knew my sons, you will understand <laugh>. Like it's nobody. Covid people wanted to risk their health. Forget being a parent that's risking my health. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> thousands of people in the intersection. Not in a, a building, not in a thousands of people in the intersection. There wasn't no arms reach in between you and the next person. You ain't had no choice but to brush your shoulder up against somebody else in the intersection. Just imagine how many people that is.
Speaker 13 00:46:43 And we ain't never caught no covid
Speaker 15 00:46:45 While we was in school and there was never a covid. Nobody had got covid. So it, it was never a outbreak in the square. Think thank the man above
Speaker 14 00:46:54 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>.
Speaker 2 00:46:56 Yeah. Um, so what, how successful have the businesses been in the square?
Speaker 15 00:47:04 Uh, not the business. I can't speak on the businesses.
Speaker 13 00:47:08 I think truly like they've made money. Like we can't say that there wasn't a benefit. No. But at the same time there was also a loss of money. Like no matter what they were closed for a little bit.
Speaker 15 00:47:23 Yeah. But we did what we could as a community to uplift them to go eat what was in the square. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So it was, um, I can't say that they did or they didn't, I can't say. But we tried to support them and get them as much business as we could within that period of time that we were there. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 13 00:47:47 <affirmative>.
Speaker 2 00:47:50 So can we talk about the ser name, um, cemetery. When did that like start? Was that like an ideal that came from one of the daily meetings that y'all did?
Speaker 13 00:48:02 No.
Speaker 15 00:48:02 Or that was, I can't remember. That was when it went up. I refused to walk over there for a very long time. So I really don't have too much say about say their names cuz that space is a little bit too heavy from all I can
Speaker 13 00:48:18 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I wanna say it was, it was too artists that didn't even expect for it to become what it was.
Speaker 13 00:48:30 Um, Anna and Connor, I don't know if some people know about them, but Anna and Connor are very like not well known. They're not from Minnesota. They always visit when we got like, big events and we call 'em up and we like to send 'em a message like, Hey, we'd love to have you guys here. Like they've shown us nothing but love and community and appreciation. I think like one thing I've talked to Anna about and she's told me was, um, they just dropped off all the tombstones one day and sectioned it off and like placed in everywhere and then there was just a flood of messages asking for more people to be added onto the memorial.
Speaker 13 00:49:13 And I think that's one thing as well of like the communication that you brought up. Like they've communicated with certain community members that have reached out because again, they're not from Minnesota, they didn't grow up here, but they put it in our hands to take care of their art and to continue it to what it is and if it doesn't survive, there wasn't like a plan to like keep it sustainable or anything like that. That was more of the, the effort from community members reaching out to them and asking for permission to like continue the art. Cuz I think it was still, it was still well known. Like this is someone else's art, we should still include them in the conversation. And I know that was a big thing as well, especially with the gallery. Mm-hmm <affirmative> with the gallery, setting certain things up. Like if we knew who the artist was, like checking in with them and seeing like, what can we do to support you or can we put this out? Do we get your permission? Like going through those. I, I call 'em little small battles cuz it's a battle for them to allow us and it's a battle for us to show it in a way that they met.
Speaker 2 00:50:32 Alright. And um, so, so let's talk about, um, a lot of people visit the the square, right? And what we would see is a lot of white reporters coming to the square and trying to spend their own narrative of what was going on and stuff like that. Uh, how did y'all handle that and how did that like, make people in the square feel?
Speaker 15 00:50:54 We kicked them out. We kicked them out. We ain't allowed 'em in the report. After a while them reporters knew this is not that do not come here. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and they already knew, especially when they seen certain people they're like, yeah, <laugh> <laugh>. Like, yeah, let's, after a while they knew or whatever. And then after a while or whatever when we started, like when they started back coming or whatever, they came most definitely correct.
Speaker 13 00:51:19 Yeah. They reached out to the community.
Speaker 15 00:51:22 Sorry. Or like, or like the, the one reached out to the anniversary. The first or the verdict when they all wanted wanted to come out and be in the space. They most definitely came Correct. They learned mm-hmm <affirmative> they understood. So it's kinda like mm-hmm <affirmative>, I'm glad that they were able, able to step outside of their career minds and be able to do their work in a different way that wasn't hurtful. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>.
Speaker 17 00:51:53 Um, I have a question. Um, I can't imagine like everything that went into those two years and I wanna ask what were some challenges you guys didn't expect? And I know like every day wasn't promised, so maybe every day was like, how are we gonna do it? But like, what's something that came up that was like, huh, I didn't think this would be a challenge, but like I'm happy we worked through that.
Speaker 13 00:52:16 I wanna say six 12 mash. Like it wasn't, I don't, I don't call 'em a challenge, I call 'em like we had challenges where some people's health was at risk and understanding that there was already a set group of individuals that were, that it was their job now to go out and figure this out cuz we can't call 9 1 1 the way that like maybe we were used to before or like to call for an ambulance, there wasn't gonna be an ambulance that shows up to 38th and Chicago unless someone is dead. Sadly. And that's kind of the reality of it all was to figure out a system where if there was something wrong, what would we do if someone was hurt? What was the plan? Um, um, cope I think was only taking calls. They weren't showing up in person. So like if someone has a mental breakdown, who's the person to respond And like figuring out all of that and now having an answer to it that there was a set protocol or like a set thing to follow. Like we knew who to call, when to call, how to react to, I think we got trained into a lot of stuff. Who,
Speaker 15 00:53:37 Who in the square deals with the situation until who we need to come gets there. Yeah. Mm-hmm <affirmative> like it was, but it was so understood that it wasn't like, okay today you do this, you do that, this and that and this. It was already, and everybody mind, everybody knew what skill set you had, what you brought to the space. It wasn't no, oh well what can you do? It was okay, I know I could do this so I'm gonna do this. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. But then we paid attention to our surroundings to know, okay, I know he's good, I know she's good, I know mm-hmm <affirmative> you and then no having to, after a while you gonna learn who you around and then it, and then if people didn't start learning people over time it was like, what was you doing here? But then it, but it wasn't that though, so it was automatically like for a long time I didn't know nobody name for a long time.
Speaker 15 00:54:35 Hmm. And the people didn't know my government name for a long time. So it was like, it wasn't who you are, it was what you had to bring to the village and regardless of what it was, as long as it wasn't hurtful cuz yeah we had to turn some people away from the village. Everybody else called a, you know, I call it a village. And to me, regardless of what it is that you brought, you brought, unless it was hurtful. And then once again, we gonna come to it as a collective. Do we feel in the best interest? Do we, does this individual need to stay in the space or do we need to kind fully ask this person that they're no longer allowed here because you're being hurtful. So yeah. I can't say that everybody was welcome to the village cuz I'd be lying. But if you, there was some people that was hurtful that came to the space and we had to protect our space cuz this was what our safe space, that was the safest space in Minneapolis for a long time.
Speaker 17 00:55:35 I just really appreciate you going back again about important the collective is and how it was to the square and how I think some people question, um, you know, can community make these decisions? And I think you guys are a living testament that yeah, we can and we can do it amazing and just let us do it and let us show you how we can do it and how well we can do it and how we all have some skills to bring. So I just really appreciate you bringing that and coming back to that again and again.
Speaker 3 00:56:03 Um, my question for y'all is like, we always talk about like legacy, we always talk about like what side of history are you gonna be on? That type of thing. Like, so my question is like, do you think there will be a time where people like in Minneapolis or in Minnesota or in the US or in the world, do you, you think there will be a time where like they ever forget what happened at 38th and Chicago?
Speaker 15 00:56:28 No cause No cuz they shook everything. They made everything Paul stand still and notice it for a long period of time. And it's still being talked about. People are still visiting, people are still coming and showing support. People are still standing up, people still wondering what we going to do next. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. So
Speaker 13 00:56:57 I think what's what's crazy is like, I think the trickle effect, it started with a man passing away, which not even passing away. I think that's, that's sole sugar.
Speaker 15 00:57:10 I'm sugaring at you like
Speaker 13 00:57:12 <laugh>, I sugar gutted that say so. But a man was brutally killed, lynched by lynched, you're right by Minneapolis Police Department. And that affected so many people across the world. I don't think anyone could forget this. It was like reached across the world. Our own city went in a whole uprising. Like we can't forget an uprising. There was marches burnt down, up and down the street. Lake street was burned up and down,
Speaker 15 00:57:49 Everything was burnt and, and, and it wasn't other
Speaker 13 00:57:52 Cities were even burnt down too. It
Speaker 15 00:57:53 Didn't last a day. It didn't last a few hours. It didn't last for a moment. This is lasting still a little bit too long mm-hmm. <affirmative> for people to be forgetting about it. Yep.
Speaker 13 00:58:02 Like it hit the
Speaker 15 00:58:03 Door. And I don't think
Speaker 13 00:58:06 Atlanta,
Speaker 15 00:58:06 I don't think us as melanin folk is gonna let anybody forget. That's how messed up y'all got us.
Speaker 3 00:58:17 And then my, my question, so when it comes to the actual intersection of 38th and Chicago with, when we talk about suppression and how the city feels one way and how they'll try to open the streets, they'll try to make a roundabout, make it look pretty, they'll try to, we're gonna do our own memorial type thing. Like do you think that there will ever be, um, let's see, how do I put this? Like I was talking to someone earlier about on the 25th of May or the weekend before or after. Do you think there will ever be a time where the square is empty? Like on George Floyd's anniversary? Will there ever not be people filming that intersection?
Speaker 15 00:59:03 No, I think it'll always be filled.
Speaker 13 00:59:06 You can always try and erase the memory, but it'll never be gone. Just
Speaker 15 00:59:09 Like a lot of people swore up and down, we wasn't doing nothing this year. They swore up and down. There was not no event happening, blah blah times. No, there's a gala, there's all types of stuff happening and it's not even in his memory. But also the fight ain't over. We still in war. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>.
Speaker 2 00:59:32 Well I wanna, um, thank both of you for coming into the studio today and sharing our perspective. I want to also personally thank y'all for how much work that y'all have put it into the movement and you know, just this historic, um, point in time and holding it down, you know, from the ground. And I just appreciate how much both of y'all have done. So.
