St Cloud Member Meeting: Building Power with Legislators

Posted December 17, 2018

Our political arena at this moment is controlled by corporate power and political elites. Because of this, many people and their values are left out of the conversation. We believe to change this reality, we need to build authentic power with our leaders. Whether it’s a city council member or a U.S. Senator, building power to advance progressive policies is important and at the core of the work TakeAction Minnesota does during the legislative session.

Join TakeAction members and leaders at our St. Cloud member meeting to learn how to build power with legislators. Attend breakout sessions on our three legislative opportunities we’ve identified.

The first part of this meeting will be a training on how to build power with legislators. The second half will be breakout sessions on the three legislative priorities. Join us to learn, ask questions, and grow your own community leadership skills.

Building Power with Your Legislators Training:

Voting is important, but even more so are the many ways people get involved after Election Day to hold our representatives accountable. This training prepares you to go deeper with your legislator and to help you get in a relationship with the very issues they are elected to tackle.… Continue reading »

Second Chance Coalition Day on the Hill

Posted December 5, 2018

Join over 60 Minnesota organizations for the Second Chance Day on the Hill at the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda.

The best way for you to influence the polices that impact you and those you care about is by meeting in person with your legislators. This year we will only be visiting legislators if we have a pre-scheduled meeting for at least one constituent.

Between the hundreds that show up to the rally and the visits that happen, this is the greatest way to show our law makers that Second Chances are important for ALL Minnesotans.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!… Continue reading »

Win the Day: Volume 3

Posted September 24, 2018

Dear Friend, 

We’re one week closer to Election Day. This week, Win the Day is about creating a fair and inclusive state through our politics. 

Let’s imagine what Minnesota would be like if we decided that in our politics, everyone’s in, and nobody’s out. This simple idea could change everything.

The Trump Administration is a master of othering. Pushing people out of our society, deciding who belongs and who doesn’t. Who is and isn’t worthy.

But he didn’t invent the narratives that some politicians use to divide us by our race or class. He just exploits them.

So, fellow progressives. We need new narratives.

Imagine the revolution that would take place in our politics if we decided everyone’s in, no exception. In our health care system. In our democracy. In our circle of human concern.

This is the big change we’re fighting for. This is how we win the day. 

Here are the stories, people, and ideas we’re excited to share with you this week. 

How one union expanded who’s in for 85 years. 

Defining who’s in and who’s out has real consequences, in law and in culture.  And it’s never expanded without a fight.… Continue reading »

Connecting Our Stories — Emily

Posted February 15, 2016

Emily Terrell is a Leader with the Justice 4 All Program at TakeAction Minnesota. As a
photographer she aims to document the progressive movement and as a counselor she works with young women in the Juvenile Justice System leading restorative practices. See her work on display this Wednesday, Feb 17th at an event sponsored by the MPLS NAACP. 

I believe that stories are powerful. Spending time with people, hearing their stories, and collectively finding meaning within them is what I do, and it is my life’s work.

It is why I was excited to partner with Justice 4 All on the Restore the Vote project. Because there are 47,000 stories in Minnesota that are not being heard by our body politic. 47,000 faces, names, histories, experiences, hurts, successes and perspectives that are excluded from the decision-making process.

Through the Restore the Vote project, I wanted to capture some of those faces, some of those perspectives, and make sure that the stories were told, even if they can’t do it at the ballot box, yet.

Justice 4 All and their community partners engaged the state of Minnesota in a rigorous campaign last session. I was invited to the Restore the Vote Panel and Exhibit hosted by the Minneapolis NAACP to share photography that highlights the stories of real people, people who are not able to have a voice in their democracy and who’re still fighting to change this, with the support of many allies, because we still haven’t won.… Continue reading »

“Is it too much for me to ask for my receipt?”

Posted January 22, 2016

Last week the Justice 4 All Program was supportive of an event at Lino Lakes led by a group of incarcerated men called the B.R.I.D.G.E Trust. This group is led by Kevin Reese who, even though he is incarcerated, has organized not just the men at the prison, but several community partners, the MN Dept. of Corrections (DOC) and the Governor’s office to take note of the powerful work they are leading to advance prison reform.

It is my pleasure to share Kevin Reese’s wisdom on the issue of Voting Rights Restoration with you. Please share with your people.   

My name is Kevin Reese, and I’m 28 and I’ve been in prison since I was 18. I take full responsibility for my actions that led me here. The state of Minnesota sentenced me to 22 years to pay my debt to society, and paying my debt is what I’ve been doing. I’ve completed every mandate that the judge placed in front of me, and tapped into every resource the prison can offer.

Now I want to pose the question: after I pay my debt is it too much for me to ask for my receipt? And on that receipt can we acknowledge that, jobs, community, and family are the cornerstones to keeping people from ending up back in prison?… Continue reading »

Taking Stock of Session

Posted May 26, 2015

We can change who benefits in our economy when we change who decides in our democracy.  It is because we believe in this simple idea that we as members of TakeAction Minnesota spend so much time, attention and energy at the State Capitol during legislative session.

Because we want a state where all of us can thrive, prosper and live life to the fullest, TakeAction Minnesota and our member organizations work on a number of issues that are the essence of what we all need to be whole people, fully alive.  Each of us needs health care we can depend on and work that is dignified.  We need a voice in the decisions that affect us and a criminal justice system that is just that – just – for all people regardless of the color of our skin or class.  We need quality schools, clean water, and healthy food.

Contrary to what we read in the paper or see on TV, there is more to what happens at the legislature than what Republicans and Democrats say about each other.  Legislative session is where the people’s interests – our interests – collide with those of powerful corporations and wealthy elites. Since legislative session wrapped up last week, now is a good time to take stock of how we – the people – fared in the decisions that our elected leaders made.… Continue reading »

Still Fighting to Make 47K Voices Heard

Posted May 21, 2015

Last weekend, strong, bi-partisan language that would restore the right to vote to 47,000 Minnesotans stalled at the Capitol.

Thousands of Minnesotans like you took action this year to move this campaign forward — Minnesotan’s like Debra, who fought every week to honor the memory of her son.

Debra’s family is just one of many that knows the pain of being isolated from the community — and also the joy of being part of our democracy. Her story is why we fought this year, and why we’ll keep fighting.

“I am in the fight to restore the vote for my son.

He was a great child, and as he grew older he had run-ins with the justice system that resulted in his incarceration. After his release, he did all he could to show everyone that he was a better man, father, and citizen. But the system wouldn’t allow that. He could not sign a lease to stay and support his family. He could not vote to change discriminatory laws. Because of his criminal record he faced barriers to moving on with his life. For years, my son battled depression, expressing tear-filled frustrations to me because of his unfair treatment.

In 2012, after waiting what seemed like a lifetime, a little blue slip of paper came in the mail.… Continue reading »

How to Eat an Elephant

Posted April 27, 2015

Nathanal Doehling is a Leader with the Justice 4 All Program at TakeAction Minnesota. He has been through the Justice System and is dedicated to making sure all people have a fair shot at a job and a voice in their Democracy. Here’s a blog by him on the campaign to restore the vote: 

It is no accident that over 47k people have been locked out of their Democracy. It is no accident that over 20k of those people are people of color. Since we know it’s not an accident and those who make the laws know it’s no accident, let’s correct the language being used. The system is not broken. It is working the way it was intended to. Locking up people of color and locking us out of our Democracy.

But a problem that is people made can be people solved.  People on all sides of the political spectrum using our vote and our voice is the only way we can change the way things are.

But sometimes this problem can feel bigger than an elephant.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite a time! How do you eat a donkey? One bite at a time! I don’t see me eating any elephants or donkeys but I do know that the system has made a meal off of our communities for too long.… Continue reading »

47,000 Voices Heard

Posted April 13, 2015

This week leaders from the Justice 4 All Program will be hosting a rally for the 47,000 Minnesotans being denied the vote by our Justice System. Jason Sole is a Professor at Metro State University and a respected trainer and advocate for Justice Reform. Jason has a compelling story to tell that you can read in his book “From Prison to PHD.”

Below are remarks Jason made in support of voting rights restoration. I invite you to read his story and come out and join us as we rally this week to make these 47,000 voices heard. 

 “I have only been able to vote once in my lifetime.

As a young black man in America, I got into trouble and tried to defend myself in the only ways I knew how. I felt there was nowhere for me to run for protection. I paid the price and took responsibility for my actions, but now, even though I’ve been on probation since 2006, I will not be able to vote until 2026.

Across the world, we are hearing people screaming that Black lives matter. But according to Minnesota, with respect to voting, Black and Native American lives don’t matter at all because we are the most disenfranchised.… Continue reading »

Lining the highway to St. Cloud

Posted April 6, 2015

There are enough Minnesotans being denied the right to vote to theoretically line the highway between MPLS and St. Cloud. These are people working and paying taxes. Parents who can’t vote for school board, people who have spent time in a cell but can’t vote for Judges responsible for sentencing. And for what? What do we gain as a society from stopping these 50,000 Minnesotans from influencing who governs them?

Last month, over 100 people from communities impacted by the justice system took to the phones at TakeAction Minnesota to fight for the restoration of voting rights. These were new partners like Minneapolis Mad Dads, Better Futures MN, Change Equals Opportunity (C.E.O.), Ujama Place and NdCAD. Progressive allies like the Communication Workers of America (CWA) and the Restore the Vote Coalition.

Together we made over 12,000 calls to connect Minnesotans to their legislators asking them to support the restoration of voting rights. Out of the folks who took action with us, one third knew someone with a criminal record.

We have strong bi-partisan support with over 30 Republican legislators signed-on on to the bill, and communities are asking elected officials at the Capitol to do the right thing and give every day Minnesotans a voice in their democracy.… Continue reading »