Community Healing Related to Police Violence
Prayer and Meditation
UPDATED April 12—
On March 9, 2021, Healing Our City launched the Healing Our City Virtual Prayer Tent, an online version of the community prayer tent hosted last summer in North Minneapolis. For approximately 20 minutes every day, people can join in at 8am Central Time for a virtual prayer experience, which begins with a daily reflection from a spiritual leader.
The reflection is followed by a period of 9 minutes and 29 seconds of silent prayer — the length of time Derek Chauvin had his knee on the neck of George Floyd, resulting in his death. The event will continue throughout the course of the Chauvin trial and during the trials of the other officers involved in the killing of George Floyd.
After the death of George Floyd, Sondra and Don Samuels founded Healing Our City under a tent in North Minneapolis, where people of all faiths could come together for extended moments of silent prayer and meditation.
The virtual prayer tent is non-denominational and welcomes all people who believe Black Lives Matter. healingourcity.org
Some of the upcoming daily reflection leaders include:
- Wednesday, April 14: National African-American social justice activist, scholar, and public theologian Ruby Sales
- Sunday, April 25: Whitney Terrill, Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light Environmental Justice Program Manager
- Thursday, April 29: Cynthia Bourgeault, modern-day mystic, Episcopal priest, writer, and retreat leader. Cynthia is a core faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation.
- List of future speakers in process
- Reflection leaders featured in video since March 9
Community Grants
The City of Minneapolis has awarded roughly $1 million to seven community organizations to provide positive outreach and support services during and after the trials of the former officers involved in the killing of George Floyd.
The seven organizations are: A Mother’s Love, Center for Multicultural Mediation, NACDI (Native American Community Development Institute), Corcoran Neighborhood Organization and T.O.U.C.H. Outreach, C.E.O. (Change Equals Opportunity), Restoration Inc., and We Push for Peace.
These community organizations will provide positive outreach and community engagement; support two-way communication between community and the city; provide informal de-escalation, mediation, and conflict resolution if needed; and share information about existing city and community resources and supports and help community members access those resources when appropriate.
The organizations will work in geographically specific areas of Minneapolis covering north, south, and downtown.
Healing Circles
Virtual and in-person community healing circles, organized in partnership with the City of St. Paul, are led by community-based healers who use their lived experiences and training to facilitate a welcoming and safe environment for participants to express themselves.
Healers include:
- Yolonde Adams-Lee: Specializes in conducting healing circles for both mental health as well as chemical dependency clients and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW).
- Nancy Avila: Specializes in Energy Work, Sacred Listening, songs, ceremony and sacred medicine. Certified minister and Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW).
- June Blue: Specializes in Indigenous Cultural Healing.
- Nancy Bordeaux: Specializes in working with historical and current trauma intervention and healing, offers teachings on traditional/cultural holistic health and wellbeing, hands-on self-care and healing practices.
- Renee Butters: Specializes in Energy Healing, Myofascial Release, aromatherapy and Native American/Indigenous healing, is a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner, Certified Hands on Healer, Certified Aromatherapist, Certified Sexual Assault Advocate, Reiki Master Teacher and Myofascial Release Practitioner.
- Sierra Carter: Founder of The Zen Bin, conducting community healing, self-care, self-healing and holistic wellness.
- Camille M. Cyprian: Specializes in ceremonies, circles, some Hoodoo spiritual and root workings (medicines, oils, salves and& topicals), mindfulness/meditation, some somatic movement.
- Serene Eidem: Specializes in constructing trauma informed peacemaking sessions, providing health /life coaching for at risk families, and energy healing services; is certified as a Reiki Master, Healing Touch Practitioner (level III,) Family Spirit Home Visitor, DV/SA Advocate and SCOUT Peacemaker.
- Irreducible Grace Foundation: Specializes in fostering voice, breath-work, movement, somatic healing and fostering community; the work is led by youth and young adults of color teaching from their lived experiences with healing from trauma and life trials.
- Amoke Kubat: Is a spiritual elder of IFA/Orisa tradition and specializes in Destiny Work, divination, prayers, purification, and offerings. Is a retired Special Education teacher and practiced re-evaluation co-counselling for 40 years.
- Shirlynn LaChapelle: Specializes in conducting healing circles for both mental health as well as chemical dependency clients; is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW).
- Tolulope Ola: Specializes in holistic wellness, African storytelling, gratitude meditation and sound healing.
- Chamath Perera: Specializes in mindfulness practices (movement, breath, meditation, storytelling, listening), organizational development, facilitation and circle keeping; approach is influenced by the indigenous culture of Sri Lanka.
- Marika Reese: Specializes in healing through oral sharing, community focused sharing, faith and sacred circles; is the Co-founder and chair of the Community Healing Team in Minneapolis.
- Brittany L. Wright: Specializes in storytelling, healing circles for mothers, music/poetry making sessions, and Sacred Woman/Kemetic (Ancient African) spiritual rituals; is a Certified healing justice practitioner through the Orange Method of Healing Justice created by Community Healer and Elder Dr. Joi Lewis.
Restorative Justice Space
The Legal Rights Center is offering legal and restorative practice resources.
- Open Restorative Processing Space for Community Members – Fridays 4:00-5:30PM – Register
- Recordings from previous events
Week of Activation
The Minneapolis NAACP & Don’t Complain Activate will be hosting a Community Activation Week for George Floyd April 22- 24.
- April 22, 6 pm, Shiloh Temple International Ministries — 1201 West Broadway Ave N in Minneapolis
- April 23, 6 pm, Healing Rally held at George Floyd Memorial Square — Chicago Avenue and 38th Street
- April 24, 1 pm, Prayer and Praise for Victory — Hennepin County Government Center, 300 S 6th Street
- Details: Facebook event
