End of Session Phonebank hosted by Justice 4 All

Posted May 5, 2017

Please RSVP at this link: https://secure.everyaction.com/Y56B9ee3FkSorRItmxm6jQ2

Contact Tommy Franklin, J4A Organizer; tommy@takeactionminnesota.org 651 500 8503… Continue reading »

End of Session Lobby Day hosted by Justice 4 All

Posted

Please RSVP at this link: https://secure.everyaction.com/ImknZUUfyEql-Hu2c9D0uQ2

Contact Tommy Franklin, J4A Organizer; tommy@takeactionminnesota.org 651 500 8503… Continue reading »

A Call to Justice

Posted July 29, 2016

We don’t have a Justice System, we have a crime and punishment system. One that protects the profits and property of the wealthy, and divides and controls the rest of us. If we do nothing, this system, steeped in racism, sexism, and built to enhance corporate power, will continue to target and dismantle our families. All over the country, people are standing up and demanding justice. Here is what the Justice 4 All program has been up to this month, and what we have coming up.

The Leaders of the Justice 4 All Program repeatedly joined BLM, AFT and allies in the streets, shutting down highways and taking arrests. We supported artists who were weary from marching and therefore decided to take their heartfelt expressions to the Minneapolis streets by painting a powerful mural. J4A Leaders continued our work on Voting Rights restoration and met with the Secretary of State’s office. Lastly, we brought our partners together for an event in North MPLS focused on fun and supporting our family members who are incarcerated.

Together with C.E.O. (Change Equals Opportunity), Mad Dads, the Office of Black Male Student Achievement, we hosted a 3 on 3  stop-the-violence basketball tournament along with our J4A Community Member Meeting.… Continue reading »

“If they come for me in the morning…”

Posted May 3, 2016

Angela Davis said “If they come for me in the morning, they will come for you at night.” A reminder that none of us are safe from systems steeped in ideas of racial, gender and economic oppression. Not white folks, black folks, not other people of color, not men, women or transgender folks. Not poor or middle class, we all stand to lose from a crime and punishment system designed to protect the profits and property of the wealthy and divide and control the rest of us, so we better come together. The only way to create the change we seek is to build a statewide multiracial movement.

The Justice 4 All Program (J4A) has been working on building our part of the movement during the month of April.

We started things out at Saint Cloud State University. J4A Leaders led a powerful discussion on the impact of the Justice System, and students left ready to take this work to the streets. Much more to come in Saint Cloud.

Three times this month we publicly debated Republicans on the issue of Justice Reform. We were live on MPR with GOP Rep. Tim Miller, author of the proposal to reopen a prison in Appleton MN.… Continue reading »

A call to action

Posted April 5, 2016

James Badue is a member of the Justice 4 All Program at TakeAction Minnesota. He is helping to lead the fight to remove barriers to employment, housing and democracy for Minnesotans impacted by the Justice System. As J4A members gear up to take on new fights, James offers this powerful reflection on the announcement from Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman that there will be no indictment in the shooting of Jamar Clark.

As I sat at the table of Muddy Waters in South side MPLS with Tommy Franklin (Justice 4 All Organizer), Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman’s announcement played live on his laptop. The aggravation of knowing the results before he announced it sat in my chest as I recalled the murder of a friend of mine who was shot and killed by the police on his graduation day. Then Trayvon, Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Walter Scott, Eric Garner, and all the other unknown brothers and sisters who have been murdered by the police with no justice.

In this city, there is no justice, it is just “us”.

Having recently been freed from the walls of imprisonment in 2014, I, like many of us, know what being held accountable for our actions means.… Continue reading »