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President's Letter: Minnesota Shows Us the Way Forward

Dear friends,

Last week, following months of terror on the streets of Minnesota, the administration announced a plan to end its surge in the state. This was an extraordinary breakthrough with essential lessons for the emerging pro-democracy movement in America.

A leading coalition of Minnesota labor, faith, and community groups put it best: “History will show what this was: regular people, clergy and teachers, janitors and soccer moms, people across all of our complicated differences, simply refusing to let our neighbors be attacked and abducted without a fight.”

Let’s say it plain: the guardrails failed the people of Minnesota. The courts did not stop what M. Gessen rightly called a campaign of state terror against the people of a major city. Neither did corporate titans or politicians. The people of Minnesota organized to save themselves and their neighbors, and by doing so roused a wave of indignation and activism among everyday people of good will across the nation.

On January 23, hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans — according to one poll, 38 percent of the state’s voters — participated in a citywide general strike. This was the largest case of citywide nonviolent disruption since the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was nearly 70 years ago. More than 700 businesses closed, and over 50,000 people marched in frigid temperatures to peacefully protest the governments’ repression of peaceful protestors and abduction of vulnerable community members. Despite provocations and intimidation, the Minnesota movement took the moral high ground, maintaining extraordinary discipline and commitment to nonviolence. Organizers estimate that perhaps half of the population of the twin cities area participated in activities of some kind, from mutual aid to peaceful protest.

In the days after the killing of Alex Pretti, Minnesota could have spiraled into grief and chaos. Instead, organizers made the strategic decision to go block by block to hold vigils. They mourned. They sang. And they channeled their grief into action, leading to some of the most impactful collective action we’ve seen in recent years.

This bravery penetrated the national and global consciousness, turning the tide of public opinion and spurring hundreds of solidarity actions outside of Minnesota. Numerous celebrities are now using their platforms — with Bruce Springsteen releasing Streets of Minneapolis, Bon Iver wearing a whistle to honor demonstrators, and Bad Bunny singing out at the Grammys and in his powerful Super Bowl performance. Many others have worn ICE OUT pins at recent award shows and declared that “Enough is Enough!” Organizing moved the culture.

Those of us who have worked in and around organizing know: this remarkable organic response was undergirded by years of tireless work and strategic planning. Organizations that have allowed everyday people to make connections across differences, get trained in nonviolence, and offer each other mutual aid are the heartbeat of Minnesota’s resistance to this federal incursion.

Minnesota has one of the strongest faith, community, and labor organizing eco-systems in the country. Organizations like ISAIAH MN, UNITE HERE, Unidos MN, SEIU, Minneapolis Federation of Educators and TakeAction Minnesota, as well as movement leadership activated and developed in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, worked together to deliver major wins for immigrants, people of color, and working families across the state in recent years. They invited people into action, trained neighbors, shaped strategic collective action, and raised and deployed resources where they were needed most.

I’ve written previously about how “power protects” — organizing and collective action are the strongest antidote to authoritarianism. Minnesota offers irrefutable evidence of the power and necessity of organizing.

As we mark this step forward, it’s important to heed the calls from our friends in Minnesota: the campaign for justice is not over — not for the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti; not for those who were brutally assaulted, detained or deported without due process; not for those who were arrested and charged for peacefully protesting, observing, and reporting; and not for the community. The trauma and material consequences of the government’s actions will endure for years to come.

Everyday people are far ahead of the elites who lead major institutions in this country. Minnesotans understood the risks — they experienced them firsthand — and still they chose to speak up, stand up, and step out into the cold. Too many powerful people have hidden, equivocated, capitulated, or collaborated. As Freedom Together’s Managing Director Daniel Altschuler writes in a new piece in The Guardian, “there is no shortage of courage in our country right now. It is just unevenly distributed.”

It’s a watershed moment. At Freedom Together, we feel called to live up to the example of the people of Minnesota.

An ICU nurse, Alex Pretti delivered a eulogy at the bedside of a veteran who had served his country. Pretti’s remarks ring true now, as we honor the heroic work of people who stood down violence and state terror with breathtaking love, discipline and courage.

“Today we remember that freedom is not free, we have to work at it, nurture it, protect it, and even sacrifice for it. May we never forget and always remember our brothers and sisters who have served so that we may enjoy the gift of freedom. So in this moment, we remember and give thanks for their dedication and selfless service to our nation in the cause of our freedom. In this solemn hour, we render them our honor and our gratitude.”

In solidarity,

Deepak Bhargava

President

Freedom Together Foundation

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