Unity Community Mediation Team
“By The People, For The People”
For Immediate Release CONTACT: Ian D. Bethel
March 18, 2025 612 801 0034
Focus on Minneapolis’ History of Abuse of African Americans and Native Americans
Reject TakeAction Minnesota’s Charges of Threats of Violence and Homophobia
We are disappointed that TakeAction and its allies have charged leading members of our Minneapolis community in government and in the community with threatening officials and homophobia. We call on TakeAction to stand down because the things they are accusing people of did not happen.
We need tolerance from TakeAction and others who may be reacting emotionally to what Reverend McAfee is saying rather than hearing his appeal to the council to work with the community to respond to the violence that is, and historically has been, such a burden to the African American community. Fear of Black men who challenge those with privilege is a common response in our society. Minneapolis claims to be better than that. Reverend McAfee’s anger, as he said, comes from dealing with the trauma in his community for decades. Stop averting your gaze and work with us to repair the harm to those who have been exploited and excluded from the promise of America.
No one said anything homophobic. We are not homophobic because we don’t agree with your views. He was challenging the treatment of the Black community. The Black community was one of the strongest allies of the LGBTQ community in the vote for the 2012 marriage amendment, and we helped push it over the top. And please recall that last year when Council Member Vetaw was called the N word in a council session, no one stood up to defend her.
Our ADOS community is still waiting to learn from TakeAction what happened to the $35 million that Black Vision Collective raised in response to the killing of George Floyd and that TakeAction is the fiscal agent for. We continue to await the information on where that money went and how. There needs to be accountability and transparency on that. That would help us address the issues Reverend McAfee is talking about. Confronting these difficult issues is the hard work our leaders must take up. America has failed to recognize its history for far too long. Let’s recognize it, and deal with it, together.
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UCMT-Unity Community Mediation Team, 4301 First Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409
Ian D. Bethel, Chair 612 407 7660 [email protected]
REFORM, TRANSFORMATION, TRANSPARENCY, ACOUNTABILITY AND CONSEQUENCES
IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE COMMUNITY
