My Reflections
By Lulete Mola - Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Women's Foundation of Minnesota
The story of coming from vibrant communities full of love, kindness, power, and support while also interacting with harmful and often violent systems — education, health care, workforce, and more— is the story shared by many folks pushed to the margins in Minnesota. Perhaps that is why many of us are heartbroken and sick but not completely shocked by the murder of George Floyd that catalyzed an uprising and re-energized a global movement for racial justice.
Those of us who call Minnesota home have been pleading with the nation to SEE the injustice here for as long as I can remember; economic, police, and social violence has always been prevalent. Too often, we were made to be invisible by headlines praising Minnesota’s prosperity, but that was never OUR story.
From school infrastructures mirroring prisons to degradation in public spaces, unlivable wages, severe housing insecurity, and so much more, Black, Native, and communities of color in Minnesota are continuously harmed, and we are exhausted.
Make no mistake: our communities are vibrant, innovative, and resilient AND we cannot resilience our way to freedom and justice. We need significant shifts in power and a rebuilding of systems.
ABOUT THE REFLECTIONS CAMPAIGN
After a year of reckoning with the ravages of racism in our schools, businesses, neighborhoods, and halls of justice, we see clearly that racism is deeply woven into every fiber of our society and that the consequences have touched each person in America. We see the depths of division and racism and the imperative to work in new ways to address very old problems.
The Center for Economic Inclusion invited leaders at all levels and from across sectors to share their reflections of the past year; several members of the Center’s staff have also participated. We wanted to learn how they have reckoned with racism over the past year; what is different in the places where they live, work, and play; what they think the the future holds; and what they think it will take to reimagine and build an economy that truly works for everyone.
We thank the leaders who answered our call to participate in this campaign. All week long, we will share their powerful reflections, in their own words.
> To engage with our entire Reckoning to Rise Together series, click here.