Dear John,

Kenza is out today enjoying a well-deserved break, so it’s just me (Patrick) writing this Digest for you today.

Normally, July is a fairly quiet month for us at TakeAction. We use this time to rest and plan for the months ahead. Between the uprising that began in Minneapolis with George Floyd’s murder, the global pandemic, and the upcoming August 11th primary in Minnesota, this summer has been anything but quiet.

I hope that you can find some time to relax and recharge this summer. As the author Jia Tolentino said: “The people setting the best example right now are long-term movement workers, who know how to integrate righteous rage into a life that includes joy and pleasure and lightness—organizers know how to rest when they need to without ever leaving the fight.”

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The months ahead aren’t going to be easy, and we’re going to need you in the fight alongside us.

One ask before I get to the news: if you’re on Facebook, watch and share this video calling on the Minneapolis Charter Commission to let Minneapolis vote this fall to amend the City Charter.

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Here’s what we’re reading, watching, and listening to this week:

Black Visions Collective

“I want to make sure that the narrative is that these are queer Black women, these are queer Black youth that are doing this work.”

Minnesota Monthly talked with Oluchi Omeoga, one of the co-founders of Black Visions Collective about celebrating Blackness and building for the long term. Read the article here.

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Street Medics

Our co-worker LyLy sent in this story about the vital work street medics – particularly Black and brown youth – have been doing in the Twin Cities this summer, providing safe and accessible care for protestors. Read more in Teen Vogue.

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McGirt v. Oklahoma

Yesterday, the Supreme Court did something branches of the U.S. government have refused to do for hundreds of years: it honored a treaty with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The court ruled 5-4 that almost half of Oklahoma is Indigenous land. This is a huge deal. Read more about the case in Vox and check out this piece on Indigenous Rising Media’s Medium page.

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Freedom

We were out of the office last week when this came out, but it still feels timely. Five of Frederick Douglass’ descendants read his famous speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Check out the powerful video on NPR’s website.

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Restore the Vote

Washington D.C. is poised to allow all incarcerated citizens the right to vote. Minnesota should be next. Read more in The Appeal.

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Tattersall Union

All workers deserve a voice at their job and dignity at work. Solidarity with the workers at Tattersall Distilling in Minneapolis fighting to form a union! Read more in the Star Tribune.

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ICE

ICE threatened international students earlier this week with deportation if their classes were held entirely online. Now, students have to choose between their degree and their health. Read more in Vox.

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Reopening Schools

Politicians are debating what will happen with schools this fall while COVID cases are spiking. One thing is clear: if schools are going to reopen safely, we need to massively increase our investment in our public schools. Read this article in Forbes for an overview of the challenges of reopening schools in a pandemic.

And if you’re in St. Paul, mark your calendars for next Thursday, July 16th. We’re co-hosting a virtual townhall with our friends at the St. Paul Federation of Educators about reopening public schools. Find more information on Facebook.

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ASL

This video combines two of our favorite things: the postal service and a kid who loves her mailman. Watch it on Twitter.

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That’s a wrap. Have a great weekend.

-- Kenza Hadj-Moussa and Patrick Burke

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