After the murder of George Floyd, the movement to defund and/or abolish police gained greater attention and momentum. But what do these terms really mean? What vision of community does this movement support, and what systems can we change to improve policing here in St. Peter and Greater Mankato? For this session, we will engage in a conversation with renowned civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong for some insights about the defund/abolish movement and how efforts at reform are playing out in Minneapolis. We will also hear from local advocates about their experiences with the police. The goal of this session is to help us envision the kind of community that we want to move toward.
Moderator: Bukata Hayes (Greater Mankato Diversity Council)
Panelists:
- Nekima Levy Armstrong (Civil Rights Attorney and former president of NAACP Minneapolis)
- Sabrina Mercedes (Education and Prevention Program Coordinator for the Committee Against Domestic Abuse)
- Justin Coates
