Access PDF of the statement here.
Dear MPHA Members and Supporters,
Again we find ourselves saddened by another death of a Black American at the hands of a police officer. We are heartbroken and outraged that Daunte Wright’s life was taken. As our community continues to grieve the murder of George Floyd during the Derek Chauvin trial, we find ourselves traumatized by police violence again.
We again implore our MPHA membership and all Minnesotans to join with us to create more just and equitable systems and institutions. We must strive to unravel systemic inequities like racism and discrimination and work to promote equitable distribution of resources and services that can reach all communities, but especially those that are most vulnerable.
We have previously called on Governor Walz to declare racism a public health crisis in our state. Racism can manifest itself in many ways, including both structurally and in long-standing institutions. As stated by the American Public Health Association, we must “acknowledge that violence in policing and the racial profiling that can perpetuate it are a public health crisis that needs our attention now”. Change will require brutally honest conversations. These conversations will likely be hard and some may find them uncomfortable, but they are vital to ensuring health and well-being of all Minnesotans.
Below are some resources from the Minnesota Department of Education, the University of Minnesota, and the National Institute of Mental Health.
Below are some ways that you can support those living in Brooklyn Center who may be impacted by school and business closures.
- Brooklyn Center Schools Food Drive (Monday-Friday at the “Blue Barn” gym at Brooklyn Center High School at 6500 N. Humboldt Ave, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm
- Brooklyn Center Schools GoFundMe: here and here
- Brooklyn Center Mutual Aid GoFundMe
- More listed in the Sahan Journal article here