In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, corporate interests and politicians have engaged in aggressive action to save the status quo. They want nothing more but to return to “normal.”
Racial justice is at the center of a nationwide uprising. And people opposing the protests sparked by the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor would also like nothing more for everything to just go back to “normal.”
But we know, “nothing could be worse than a return to normality,” as scholar Arundhati Roy recently wrote.
Across the nation, COVID-19 sparked conversations about the purpose and priorities of government that have since been accelerated by the uprisings. Fights are now taking place in city halls across the nation, as budget cuts are inflicted and movements advance to reorient the focus of government away from the punitive force of policing.
People want to “start over.”
Out with the old, in with the new.
People want community control of police, community safety hubs, and forms of self-governance that prioritize protecting life, rather than the status quo. Racial justice is at the core of this movement.
The unprecedented wind-down of the status quo caused by the pandemic presents tremendous opportunities. Minneapolis is considering disbanding its police department.
Join us for a conversation and live Q&A with organizers working with community groups across the nation that are grappling with these and other questions.
- What new challenges are communities facing under COVID-19?
- How do we stand in solidarity with what is happening?
- How do we engage under these circumstances?
- How do we use this moment to secure lasting change?