Sparked : George Floyd, racism, and the progressive illusion

Select an Action

Title:

Sparked : George Floyd, racism, and the progressive illusion

ISBN:

9781681342085

Physical Description:

x, 228 pages ; 23 cm.

General Note:

Includes discussion guide.

Contents:

Preface: From Wonderful/Wretched Memories to Sparked Discussion of Racial Dynamics in Minnesota / Walter R. Jacobs -- Coloring in the Progressive Illusion: An Introduction to Racial Dynamics in Minnesota / Amy August -- Blackasotan Identity Lanes / Walter R. Jacobs -- A Letter to an Old Friend about Race / Darren Wheelock -- Will Words Lead to Action? / Marcia Williams -- My Beautiful, Broken Minnesota / Rachel Raimist -- In This Country / Catherine Ceniza Choy -- The Sound of the Police / Jerry Shannon and Sarah Shannon -- Black Life and Death in Minnesota / Wendy Thompson Taiwo -- In Transit / Thomas X. Sarmiento -- Everybody's Going Uptown / Rodolfo Aguilar -- Luna Lovers / Mario Alberto Obando -- Gesturing Towards Tenuous Inclusion / Jasmine Mitchell -- Learning the Music and Diversity Scales in My Minneapolis / Neeraj Rajasekar -- The Minnesota Paradox / Samuel L. Myers Jr. -- What's Understood Don't Need to Be Explained: Sometimes Gifts Come in Ugly Packages / Taiyon J. Coleman -- Minnesota Nice White People / David Todd Lawrence -- It Shouldn't Be Me or You but Especially Not Them: The Proximity of Black Death and Trauma / Mi'Chael N. Wright -- Some Abstract Place: Reflections on 'Black Life and Death in Minnesota' / Yohuru Williams -- White Justice in Life and Death: Will George Floyd Receive Justice? / Keith A. Mayes -- Crime and Imagination to Contend with It / Erin Sharkey -- Woop-Woop! That's the Sound of da Beast / Jason Marque Sole -- A Reflection on Racism, Police Violence, and Abolition / Amber Joy Powell -- Remembering David Cornelius Smith / Terrion L. Williamson -- On the Precarity of 'Safety': A Black Mother Contemplates What It Means to Defund the Police / Shannon Gibney -- Finding Myself in a Racialized World: A Personal Story of Being Black and Immigrant in Minnesota / Ibrahim Hirsi -- May 29, 2020: We Are Not Okay / Enid Logan -- Brown Minnesota / M. Bianet Castellanos -- Beyond Shadow Boxing: Reflections on the Matrix of Race in the Post-Floyd Era of Racial Protest / Jermaine Singleton -- Minneapolis Rise Up 2020: Black Lives and Whiteness Unveiled / Rose M. Brewer -- The State Is Not Our Friend / Brian D. Lozenski -- 'End White Supremacy' from Black Lives Matter to the Toppling of the Columbus Statue: A Testimonio from San Pablo / Gabriela Spears-Rico - 'Beyond the Borders of the State': Being Native in Minnesota / Katrina Phillips -- Rediscovering My Purpose: The Politics of Race, Access, and Change / Brittany Lewis -- George Floyd Was Murdered on Dakota Land / Kate Beane -- Unsettled Mourning / Kong Pheng Pha -- All the Stars Point North / Wendy Thompson Taiwo -- Minneapolis to the Sea: Haibuns in Memory of George Floyd / Kale Bantigue Fajardo -- Conclusion: Where Will We Be on May 25, 2022? / Walter R. Jacobs, Amy August, and Wendy Thompson Taiwo.

Personal Subject:

Floyd, George, 1973-2020.

Subject Term:

Racism -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis -- 21st century.

Racism -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul -- 21st century.

Racism -- United States -- 21st century.

Police-community relations -- United States.

Geographic Term:

Minneapolis (Minn.) -- Race relations -- 21st century.

Saint Paul (Minn.) -- Race relations -- 21st century.

United States -- Race relations -- 21st century.

Genre:

Essays.

Summary:

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was killed by Minneapolis police officers, sparking months of unrest at home and around the world. As millions took to the streets to express their outrage and speak out against systemic racism, injustice, and institutionalized violence, the city of Minneapolis and its residents were deeply shaken. For many, George Floyd's murder and the ensuing uprisings shattered the city's reputation for progressive ideals and a high quality of life. For many others, the incident simply caught on camera a representation of the harsh realities and paradoxes that they have been living with for generations. In the words of Jasmine Mitchell, "the 'Minnesota nice" comforts and illusionary progressiveness resides upon the ignoring of White racial terrorism and fears of Blackness, brown immigrants, and resistance to White supremacy. Sparked brings together the perspectives of social scientists, professors, and other academics who work or have worked in Minnesota. The essays present reflections on racial dynamics in the Twin Cities and the intersection of the wonderful and wretched sides of that existence, revealing deep complexities, ingrained inequities, and diverse personal experiences. --

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Lake Elmo Library	305.800973 SPA	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	305.800973 SPA	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Reflections on race in Minnesota in the wake of George Floyd's death and the uprisings that followed, as told by current and former residents of the state.

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was killed by Minneapolis police officers, sparking months of unrest at home and around the world. As millions took to the streets to express their outrage and speak out against systemic racism, injustice, and institutionalized violence, the city of Minneapolis and its residents were deeply shaken. Formany, George Floyd's murder and the ensuing uprisings shattered the city's reputation for progressive ideals and a high quality of life. For many others, the incident simply caught on camera a representation of the harsh realities and paradoxes that they have been living with for generations. In the words of Jasmine Mitchell, "the 'Minnesota nice' comforts and illusionary progressiveness resides upon the ignoring of White racial terrorism and fears of Blackness, brown immigrants, and resistance to White supremacy."

Sparked brings together the perspectives of social scientists, professors, and other academics who work or have worked in Minnesota. The essays present reflections on racial dynamics in the Twin Cities and the intersection of the wonderful and wretched sides of that existence, revealing deep complexities, ingrained inequities, and diverse personalexperiences.

Excerpts

From "Will Words Lead to Action?" by Marcia Williams I must admit that I didn't want to write this piece. It feels like I am giving away too much by sharing my experiences and emotions. I know that words have power, but Black people have been writing our stories and sharing our truths for over four hundred years--and so much of that time our words have fallen on deaf ears. Constant accusations of "oversensitivity," "making race an issue," or imposing "political correctness" onto "innocent" white folk gets old. It is also extremely painful. Black people are often accused of being angry, and we are--but underneath our anger is a pain so raw, so intense, and so constant that the only way to keep going is to "numb" ourselves to the many faces of racism that reveal themselves day to day. The numbing itself is exhausting, as is the process of deciding which racist comments/actions we will respond to, how to respond to them, or whether to let them go. . . . I would like to think that the graphic and undeniable murder of George Floyd would be the catalyst we need for revolutionary change to the racial culture of America. But I fear that not many people would be willing to sacrifice their racial privilege, even those who are outraged at this act of police brutality and are now out in the streets protesting.Renouncing such privilege (and certainly relinquishing power) is fundamental to achieving racial equality, and while the protests may provide a glimmer of hope in the moment, it is too easy for white people to turn away and go back to a world where George Floyd's murder--much like Emmett Till's--becomes just another piece of American history that they can convince themselves we have moved past. Meanwhile, Black folk are left behind with the Herculean task of trudging through the toxicity of racism--our reality dismissed, our words lost in the wind, and our bodies once again fodder for those who seek to eradicate us from the earth. Excerpted from Sparked: George Floyd, Racism, and the Progressive Illusion All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Walter R. JacobsAmy AugustWalter R. JacobsDarren WheelockMarcia WilliamsRachel RaimistCatherine Ceniza ChoyJerry Shannon and Sarah ShannonWendy Thompson TaiwoThomas X. SarmientoRodolfo AguilarMario Alberto ObandoJasmine MitchellNeeraj RajasekarSamuel L. Myers Jr.Taiyon J. ColemanDavid Todd LawrenceMi'Chael N. WrightYohuru WilliamsKeith A. MayesErin SharkeyJason Marque SoleAmber Joy PowellTerrion L. WilliamsonShannon GibneyIbrahim HirsiEnid LoganM. Bianet CastellanosJermaine SingletonRose M. BrewerBrian D. LozenskiGabriela Spears-RicoKatrina PhillipsBrittany LewisKate BeaneKong Pheng PhaWendy Thompson TaiwoKale Bantigue FajardoWalter R. Jacobs and Amy August and Wendy Thompson Taiwo

Preface: From Wonderful/Wretched Memories to Sparked Discussion of Racial Dynamics in Minnesota	p. vii
Coloring In the Progressive Illusion: An Introduction to Racial Dynamics in Minnesota	p. 1
Part 1 Wonderful/Wretched Memories of Racial Dynamics in the Twin Cities
Blackasotan Identity Lanes	p. 17
A Letter to an Old Friend about Race	p. 21
Will Words Lead to Action?	p. 25
My Beautiful, Broken Minnesota	p. 29
In This Country	p. 33
The Sound of the Police	p. 37
Black Life and Death in Minnesota	p. 41
In Transit	p. 49
Everybody's Going Uptown	p. 53
Luna Lovers	p. 57
Gesturing Toward Tenuous Inclusion	p. 61
Learning the Scales of Music and Diversity in My Minneapolis	p. 65
Part 2 Sparked Reflections on Race and Racism in Minnesota
The Minnesota Paradox	p. 73
What's Understood Don't Need to Be Explained: Sometimes Gifts Come in Ugly Packages	p. 77
Minnesota Nice White People	p. 84
It Shouldn't Be Me or You but Especially Not Them: The Proximity of Black Death and Trauma	p. 89
Some Abstract Place: Reflections on "Black Life and Death in Minnesota"	p. 95
White Justice in Life and Death: Will George Floyd Receive Justice?	p. 101
Crime and Imagination to Contend with It	p. 105
Woop-Woop! That's the Sound of da Beast	p. 110
A Reflection on Racism, Police Violence, and Abolition	p. 114
Remembering David Cornelius Smith	p. 120
On the Precarity of "Safety": A Black Mother Contemplates What It Means to Defund the Police	p. 126
Finding Myself in a Racialized World: A Personal Story of Being Black and Immigrant in Minnesota	p. 130
May 29, 2020: We Are Not Okay	p. 138
Brown Minnesota	p. 141
Beyond Shadowboxing: Reflections on the Matrix of Race in the Post-Floyd Era of Racial Protest	p. 147
Minneapolis Rise Up 2020: Black Lives and Whiteness Unveiled	p. 156
The State Is Not Our Friend	p. 162
"End White Supremacy": From Black Lives Matter to the Toppling of the Columbus Statue: A Testimonio from San Pablo	p. 168
"Beyond the Borders of the State": Being Native in Minnesota	p. 176
Rediscovering My Purpose: The Politics of Race, Access, and Change	p. 180
George Floyd Was Murdered on Dakota Land	p. 185
Unsettled Mourning	p. 192
All the Stars Point North	p. 199
Minneapolis to the Sea: Haibun in Memory of George Floyd	p. 206
Conclusion: Where Will We Be on May 25, 2022?	p. 209
For Further Reading	p. 219
Reading Discussion Guide Edgar Jesus Campos and Amy August	p. 225

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Excerpts

Excerpts

Table of Contents

Helpful Links

Research Links

Contact

Events and Rooms

Follow Us

Today's Hours