We stand in solidarity and mourning with our students and their families who are part of the communities most affected by this tragedy. The deeply-entrenched problems of white supremacy, anti-blackness, and state violence are at the core of what happened while police detained #GeorgeFloyd.

We know that these same structural problems affect students who are at the core of our mission. We know that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” and when our students are affected, so is our entire community. We know that our students will be part of the solution for dramatically shifting the world to a more equitable place.

Our mission, opening access to debate as an activity and learning tool, is fundamentally about two things: effective problem solving, and shifting power by strengthening new and powerful voices that have been unheard.

There can be no progress without collective work – and we are committed to supporting our students as critical thinkers and effective advocates who use their voices to shift power and demand solutions to the problems we must solve.

Ways to Help

Aid Protests:

• National & Twin Cities Resources: This extensive document highlights ways to support the movement for Justice for George Floyd, including the Advocacy Toolkit.
• If You Protest: Make sure to Know Your Rights and follow New York Magazine’s tips for protesting safely during a pandemic.

Help from Home:

• Twin Cities Mutual Aid Map: This interactive map is updated with which organizations are currently receiving and distributing donations throughout the whole Twin Cities Metro. (Now multilingual and includes FAQ’s.)
• Assist the MN Human Rights Department Investigation: The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is investigating whether the Minneapolis Police Department’s policies, procedures, and practices violate the civil rights of people of color, particularly Black community members. Your experiences matter. If you have relevant information of interactions with MPD over the last 10 years, use this online form to submit your experience (translators and phone reports are available).
• Other Ways to Help from Home: Check out TeenVogue’s featured ways to help your cause while staying at home.

Educate Yourself & Others:   

• #BlackLivesMatter in the Classroom: the National Education Association provides a curated list of resources for educators.
• Reading Lists for All Ages: Check out resource recommendations from the Saint Paul Public Library. 
• Intermediate to Advanced Resources: Anti-racist researcher Victoria Alexander has compiled the extensive Anti-Racist Resource Guide, as well as book recommendations for different levels via Twitter. 
• Twin Cities-Centric Resources: Find organizations advancing equity work in Minnesota from MN Compass’ Racial Equity Resource Directory.
• VersoBooks: The End of Policing, which could also be informative for the upcoming policy debate criminal justice topic, is being provided free in Ebook form this week.
• UMN Press: The Reading for Racial Justice collection on University of Minnesota Press will be available for free e-reading until August 31st.
• Anti-Racist Resources from The Greater Good: Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine has an article compiling science-driven anti-racist resources, as well as the Building Bridges Playbook, which provides research-based strategies to promote understanding.

Do You Need Help?

If you’ve been personally impacted by events within the past week, resources are available to you:

• Community-Based Assistance: Request or Provide assistance. (For the St. Paul Community)
• Social Work Support for Teens: St. Paul Public Library’s social worker, Ruby, is taking your questions about school, unemployment, family concerns, mental health, and more. Call 651-300-9305 on Monday-Friday from 1-4 PM.
• Star Tribune has featured places to receive resources like donations of necessities and food, monetary aid, and cleanup. 
• Activism & Wellness: Check out the Center for Wellness and Counseling’s resources.

Do you know of other critical resources? Please email mnudl@augsburg.edu with your submission.