GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — MN House passes Minnesota Police Accountability Act of 2020
After debate continued into the early hours of Friday morning, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved legislation that holds police accountable to their communities in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Passed in a 71 to 59 vote, the Minnesota Police Accountability Act now returns to the Senate floor on the GOP-imposed Friday deadline for the special session. The People of Color and Indigenous Caucus in the Democratic-controlled Minnesota House put forward a package of three bills. An amendment made in the Thursday session combined those three bills into one. The bill addresses banning choke holds and warrior style training for police, reforming accountability measures and updating public safety culture, giving officers more access to training and reviews.
Just days after reopening for the first time since George Floyd's death, the owner of Cup Foods suddenly closed the corner grocery store again Thursday. George Floyd died under the knee of a now-fired Minneapolis police officer just outside the store on May 25, after an employee made a 911 call alleging forgery. Cup Foods had remained closed for weeks after Floyd's death, as a memorial grew in front of the store at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. The store reopened for the first time Monday, but a co-owner said he's received backlash for reopening, and closed the doors again Thursday. Mike Abumayyaleh, a co-owner of the store said he wants to wait to open until they feel safe. He also said he's spoken to community organizers for some upcoming weekend events, and they all felt it would be best to keep the store closed. Alfonso Williams, a member of the Agape Movement, said they want the world to know the store is closed. The 'Agape Movement' is a group of men who have called the neighborhood home since birth, and have been keeping the intersection at 38th and Chicago secure on their own time since day one. Leaders with the Agape Movement say reopening the store is like opening an unhealed wound that hasn’t stopped bleeding.
The year was 1985. Barbara Bergeron said that was the year she and a few others held what they believe was the first Juneteenth celebration in Minneapolis. Bergeron volunteered for 11 years after that, watching the celebration transform from its beginnings as a small gathering in the Oak Park neighborhood to a full day of events at Theodore Wirth Park. She still holds on to some of the old fliers and mission statements from the first years of the event. She says not many people had heard about Juneteenth, and she was happy to bring them to the celebrations so that they could learn more about it. On June 19, 1865, slaves were declared free in Texas after the civil war. This was after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863. Lee H. Jordan started participating in local Juneteenth events, first as a vendor. Now he's the Midwest and state director for the national Juneteenth celebration. Jordan said Juneteenth shouldn’t be thought of as African American history, but U.S. history and is a celebration for those who believe in freedom. Jordan said there’s a list of what he calls "freedom laws" or events that happened in our country’s history on the 19th of June. The list, from the NJOF, which is trying to make Juneteenth a National Day of Observance, covers historic moments from 1862 to 1968. It proves there’s a lot to remember and celebrate on this day, especially with people you love.
