Responding to the call to Defund The Police

BLACK LIVES MATTER DISCUSSING THE CALL TO DEFUND POLICE Join us for discussion at our Virtual Coffee Hour this Friday 6/11 - 1:15pm EST Register here to join us. In the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade by police officers, organizers are lifting up powerful sets of demands to defund the police.   As the Movement for Black Lives writes: "When we talk about the impact of this deadly culture of police violence, we are not talking about hypothetical statistics... These are our families. Our neighbors. Our friends. Ourselves. Police have been given carte blanche to terrorize Black communities for far too long. And when they are called on it, they respond with even more violence that is clearly illegal and outside of every regulation on the books. Should that not tell us something about what is required of us in this historic moment? It’s quite simple: the way to reduce police violence is to reduce the scope, size, and role of police in our communities." In Minneapolis last Sunday, a veto-proof majority of the City Council pledged to do just this. Similar demands are being raised across the country. Join PPF's Communications Manager Katie Blanchard, a Minneapolis resident involved in organizing to defund the Minneapolis police, for an open discussion about these demands and what they can mean for our congregations and communities. All are welcome. LEARN ABOUT DEFUNDING THE POLICE There are an extraordinary amount of resources being shared by organizers, activists, researchers, and practitioners who have been calling to defund the police for a long time -- many of them black women whose work and scholarship we know is too often undervalued and erased. Please take some time to learn about the framework of abolition, especially if you notice that your knee-jerk reaction is one of skepticism or critique. Let yourself hold these reactions alongside curiosity and self-education. A small sample of resources: Video: Ruth Wilson Gilmore on Covid-19, Decarceration, and Abolition Article:This is why we talk about police abolition by Minnesota House Rep Aisha Gomez Podcast: American Policing - Throughline podcast Long-time abolitionist and geographer Ruth Wilson Gilmore says, “Abolition is about presence, not absence. It is about building life-affirming institutions” Memorial at the site of George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis. Mural by Xena Goldman, Cadex Herrera, and Greta McLainin, Photo: WCCO. ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Register here for our Book Club, reading How to be an Antiracist, which will begin later this summer. Register here for Peace Camp, which will include teach-ins about white supremacy and anti-racism. If you are participating in protest: Risk, Courage, Discernment: Spiritual Preparation for Action, Covid-19 protocols remain as essential as possible in a context of mass protest. Wear a mask and bring hand sanitizer, water, and snacks. There are so many roles to play in a movement, including but not only protesting. It's a great time to let yourself reflect on what role is good and right for you. Our shared Pentecost fundraiser for PPF and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers continues and we welcome support. The impact of Covid-19 on essential farmworkers does not cease in a time of mass uprising, Brutal police murder, farmworker abuse, global pandemic, economic catastrophe: we are in a profoundly difficult and complex time and the needs are great and intersecting. Donate here. We have raised $5,800 of our $8,000 goal. Presbyterian Peace Fellowship 845-786-6743 | presbypeacefellowship.org Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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