Monday, Sept 14th, was the first day of the Dialogue to Action series where St. Paul police, District Councils, and community members met to discuss issues of race and equity in their neighborhoods. Led by youth facilitators, it began by discussing goals each participant wanted accomplished through this project. The goals ranged from establishing better lines of communication between police and community to developing solutions to the current distrust and animus (real and imagined) between the two group. Attendees told stories about their positive and negative experiences with law enforcement, establishing a space for real dialogue where frustration, anger, even laughter were freely expressed.
After 2 hours of engaging dialogue, one thing was clear; having conversations about race and policing was not going to be easy for any parties involved. These issues were not going to be solved after one meeting, but all agreed to do the work and embark on a process to build trust, create solutions, and take action.
These dialogues are open to the public and food and bus passes are provided. Youth are strongly encouraged to participate. The next meeting is Monday, September 21st, 6-8pm at Wellstone Center. For questions, contact Chia Lor at District1chia@gmail.com.
