YWCA Minneapolis Calls for Meeting with Mayor Frey and Chief Arradondo

May 30, 2020

(Minneapolis, MN) – Earlier this week, YWCA Minneapolis reached out to Mayor Frey requesting a meeting with him and Chief Arradondo to discuss how YWCA, with its expertise in equity and inclusion training, may help.While it has not been occurring since the pandemic, for a number of years, YWCA Minneapolis has rented out space to the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) for some of their training.Concerns have been raised by community members about this arrangement between YWCA Minneapolis and MPD, especially in the recent aftermath of George Floyd’s murder. YWCA Minneapolis released a joint statement with YWCA USA and YWCA St. Paul condemning the actions of the MPD in the murder of George Floyd. Ultimately, YWCA Minneapolis may decide to severe this connection with the MPD, but first, it has requested to meet with city officials to provide an opportunity for an honest reflection of MPD’s culture and racist actions toward people of color.“If our approach is to turn our backs and cast out those whose views we find vile or disturbing, we will never achieve racial justice and equity for Minneapolis, for Minnesota and for the world. We hope that Mayor Frey and Chief Arradondo are prepared to walk a path towards healing,” states Michelle Basham, president and CEO of YWCA Minneapolis.For over 128 years, YWCA Minneapolis has been a leader in the work to achieve racial equity, including helping community groups and companies conduct tough conversations about racism and their role in it through its Inc.lude™ Equity and Inclusion Consulting. YWCA stands ready and willing to help the city, the community and the Minneapolis Police Department start to heal by doing this work, and if not, they will sever ties. YWCA is awaiting Mayor Frey’s response to their meeting request.About YWCA MinneapolisYWCA Minneapolis is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women and girls. For more than 128 years, we have worked to create opportunities to overcome social injustice, particularly in matters of gender and race. Last year, YWCA Minneapolis served more than 30,000 people in our community through high-quality programs and advocacy focused on racial justice, early learning, youth development and wellness.CONTACT:marketing@ywcampls.org612-460-1125###

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YWCA Statement on the Murder of George Floyd