HOW MUCH MONEY HAS BEEN REDISTRIBUTED SO FAR?

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As to date, Black Visions and Reclaim the Block have received $30 million since the murder of George Floyd this summer in donations. Currently, Black Visions and Reclaim The Block will have reallocated $8.9 million to community members, organizations and other groups.

Through the Emergency Fund [06.17.2020]:

We regranted $767,000 to 176 individuals and 17 organizations.


Through the Transformative Black-Led Movement Fund [08.12.2020]:

On August 12th 2020, we launched the Transformative Black-Led Movement Fund in partnership with Nexus Community Partners in order to rapidly distribute mutual aid and grants efficiently supported by a community governance process. A committee of trusted, experienced, and diverse Black community members (who are  youth, LGBTQ, artists, community organizers, healers, and elders) made these decisions by ranking and voting after extensive discussion and review. This fund was originally allocated $3.1 million, however through adaptation to clear need, we increased it by an additional $4 million in December 2020 so that we can invest in more community-led safety experiments immediately, for a total of $7.1 million in the TBLMF.


As of February 2021:

  • Given out $1.1 million to individuals for mutual and legal aid 

  • Awarded $6 million in grants to 121 organizations, collectives, artists, healers, organizers and more 

Through grantmaking to partner organizations supporting a police-free future:

  • We have regranted $1,035,000 to 19 partner organizations who are leading work to also shape the future of safety in Minneapolis, such as BBCC, SEIU Local 26, Black Immigrant Collective, Unidos, SEAD, FIRM, SWOP, Isuroon, BLAC-MN, ACER, MN Youth Collective, and more. In addition, there is another $320,000 scheduled to be allocated by the end of April 2021.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION AND REDISTRIBUTION?

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2020 was an unprecedentedly wild ass year. Octavia E. Butler told us God is Change, and so it feels right (wrong?) to say this has been a massively godly year. We feel grateful for all the transformation that has been possible, and though a year of difficult growth, we are proud of what we have accomplished, alongside so many, including: 


  • Opened our very first brick and mortar office

  • Responded to COVID-19 and moved mutual aid to our membership

  • Led a global movement to #DefundPolice that resulted in action this year to remove almost $8 million from the Minneapolis Police Department and reinvest those funds toward prevention, mental health services, and community based alternatives 

  • Moved a veto-proof majority of our city council to commit to dismantling the Minneapolis Police Department, so that all their future actions would be measured against this public commitment 

  • Trained and organized to action over 70 partner organizations and 40K community members on a path toward community led safety and abolition

  • The Yes 4 Minneapolis coalition launched the #PeoplesPetition for a new Department of Public Safety & reached the goal of 20,000 signatures


As an organization committed to the liberation of all Black people, Black Visions knows we must be centered in a practice of consistent accountability rooted in the transformative justice principles we seek to center inside our work. After calling for the defunding of the police after the murder of George Floyd, the increased attention and resources Black Visions and Reclaim The Block received also came with a lot of questions from community members with requests for transparency and accountability. Through multiple letters and public meetings, we have tried to address those questions, and we will continue to do so now as well as in the future as we engage our community on what it means to be accountable for the resources we have received during the uprising.

We know that if we want to create a future where Minneapolis residents are able to have safe and sustainable communities, on our terms, we have to show what it's like to address conflict, and various forms of violence without recreating or buying into the systems we are working to dismantle, and it is in this spirit we move forward. 


Please check back for more information as our process continues to unfold. If you want more information, please contact us!