Reimagining Public Safety

Faith and community leaders to lead public forum:
“Reimagining Public Safety: Confronting the Problem of Policing”

Plymouth Congregational Church of Minneapolis and United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities invite the public to a virtual dialogue, “Reimagining Public Safety: Confronting the Problem of Policing.” Scheduled three days before Derek Chauvin’s sentencing, faith and community leaders will seek to understand the ways Black and African immigrant communities in the Twin Cities can ensure public safety for the most vulnerable amid patterns of police brutality.

Tuesday, June 22
7:00 p.m.

Panelists include local leading voices that bring a wealth of experience and expertise to issues of policing, policy, and public safety in these communities:

• Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis, lead minister at Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis
• Rev. Nekima Levy Armstrong, JD, civil rights attorney-activist, scholar, and former Minneapolis mayoral candidate
• Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN)
• Moderated by Rev. Dr. Gary F. Green II, assistant professor of pastoral theology and social transformation at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, St. Paul

“In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd and protests about police brutality, there is a new sense of urgency about re-thinking policing and community safety, especially for the most vulnerable,” said Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis, lead minister at Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis. “We are at a critical moment in the Twin Cities and in Minnesota where all of us have to come together and think about how we can create safe communities that work for every resident regardless of where they live.”

“We now stand at a historic inflection point, on the precipice of new possibilities, but we must be willing to deal seriously with the foundations of this structural issue of white supremacist violence toward Black humanity if we are going to live into a future that doesn’t recreate the mistakes of our racialized past,” said Rev. Dr. Gary Green II, assistant professor of pastoral theology and social transformation at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.

The event is hosted in partnership with the Minnesota Council of Churches and the Hennepin History Museum.

The suggested ticket price is $10, but donations of all sizes or none are accepted to ensure the event is accessible to everyone.

Register here: https://content.unitedseminary.edu/confronting-the-problem-of-policing