Interrupting Violence in Minneapolis, One Lawn Chair at a Time
Over the course of a few weeks in Minneapolis last spring, three children were shot. Two of them died and one was critically injured. Tragedies like these are occurring around the country; the rise in violent crime has been well reported. Yet while it's easy to shake our heads in horror and disbelief, one group in Minneapolis is trying to do something…by sitting in their lawn chairs.That's right: As part of a project called '21 Days of Peace,” volunteers from local churches and community groups are peacefully sitting in their lawn chairs at four intersections deemed hot spots for crime. And so far, these peaceful sit-ins are working. In June, homicides in Minneapolis declined from June 2020, and the same thing happened in July and August, according to the Minneapolis Police Department. Rape and aggravated assault also declined year-over-year in June and July. What makes the simple act of sitting so powerful? Two of the peaceful protestors wrote about it in a recent editorial in the Washington Post. We talked to Louis King, co-author of the article and president and chief executive of Summit Academy OIC in Minneapolis, about the incredible progress these peaceful sit-ins have made and his hope for what it could mean for communities around the country.
Q: Tell us about what's happening on these violent street corners in Minneapolis –
A: The genius behind this is Reverend Jerry McAfree, who's had a ministry that's touched poor people, and people in the gang life, for years. He hasn't just been feeding them; he's been going out there intervening and bringing about truces. And after three children were shot, he called me and said, 'I want to do this project called 21 Days of Peace.” And he did. Rev. McAfree went to these corners in a way nobody else could. It's amazing.Q: Why do you think these sit-ins are working so well to reduce violence?
A: There's a tremendous amount of respect for the church people who are sitting on these corners. I've seen kids come up to some of them and say, 'I'm sorry. I was raised better than this.” And what we've discovered is that these kids in gangs hanging out on these corners are under a tremendous amount of stress…guns everywhere, police, COVID. And we all know how hard COVID hit these communities. Suddenly you have people showing up who are praying for you, and giving out hamburgers and sno cones? That's got to help a little bit!Q: The inroads these peaceful protestors sitting in their lawn chairs have made is incredible. Does it give you hope for the future, and for other communities?
A: It gives me so much hope. We've received calls from Nebraska, Mississippi, Michigan, Indiana…there are so many other places that need movements like this. I truly hope others follow and tap into the epic power of the black church. Because what it's doing is giving back these communities to the people who live there. What we're seeing in Minneapolis is true community building…the kind you can't get through a non-profit, philanthropic process. It's got to be the people in the community working with people in command holding each other accountable.Please note that we may receive affiliate commissions from the sales of linked products.
