Saving the Roof Depot

By EAST PHILLIPS NEIGHBORHOOD INSTITUTE 

The East Phillips Neighborhood Institute — through investor Agro Fund One, Ltd. — has offered to purchase the historic former Roof Depot building. Agro Fund One hopes to participate in East Phillips residents”™ own idea: turn the huge former Roof Depot warehouse building into the East Phillips Indoor Urban Farm. This indoor farm would be a community-based aquaponic urban farm facility, with a farmer”™s market, community kitchen, cafe and coffee shop, and other entrepreneurial spaces to be owned and operated by neighborhood residents. Jobs and job-training would help provide living wage and second-chance jobs with a priority for local community residents. However, if the City is allowed to go forward with its plan, the huge former warehouse building at the intersection of East 28th Street and Hiawatha Avenue, would be demolished and replaced with Minneapolis”™ proposed Hiawatha Campus Expansion Project — a centralized storage and maintenance facility for their Public Works Department with all its equipment and vehicles. 

The City”™s plan would add greatly to the environmental injustices faced historically and currently by the East Phillips neighborhood. This neighborhood is one of the most diverse areas in Minneapolis and is home to the Little Earth of United Tribes community — one of the only Native American-preference housing complexes in the country.… Read the rest “Saving the Roof Depot”

Raise Your Voice

Way Forward: Abolish?

By PETER MOLENAAR 

It appears that a section of the deep state has been mobilized to thwart the well armed Proud Boys, (sons of Little- Boy-Man). Indeed, a thin blue line is forming to defend the degree of democracy afforded us under the capitalist system. Meanwhile, ”we the people” will defend and deepen democracy- the thread that ties us ultimately to socialism. On the other hand, some “fine citizens”™”™ are infiltrating the police. 

In opposition to the looming electric vehicle revolution, the military industrial complex demands more copper from the ground. For her part, Mother Earth declares a limited capacity to serve both. Hence, a developing contradiction is emerging within the present ruling class. 

A framed art print rests on my desk, conveying,; KNOW PEACE, LIVE JUSTICE. There is an image of an African-descended person caressing a dove. The artist, Ricardo Levins Morales, is much appreciated around here, but allow me to pick a bone with him. 

Scattered about in our mini lending libraries is found a book called: Enough Is Enough (the cover is purple). 150 years of MPD misconduct has been documented as a backlog to the almost daily ongoing outrages in this country. Try to remember every name”¦ my aging brain suffers from several head injuries, including two stemming from armed robberies, during which I was knocked unconscious.… Read the rest “Raise Your Voice”

Peace House Community”“A Place to Belong

By MARTI MALTBY 

In Praise of Creativity

About a month ago, I attended a seminar for grant writers. Everyone there hoped to find more effective ways of convincing foundations to give money to our agencies. During the discussion, someone asked me how Peace House Community had pivoted in our service delivery model since the onset of covid. If you aren”™t sure what they were talking about, don”™t feel alone. I understood all the words they used but still had to translate the question into normal person language. 

“Pivoting” is the trendy new way of asking how organizations are adapting to changing circumstances. I was supposed to say something like, “We”™ve pivoted to external service delivery to reduce the risk of covid transmission onsite”, which would have meant we”™re serving meals in our parking lot instead of in our building. The person I was speaking with would have understood my answer, but I couldn”™t bring myself to say such a ridiculous sentence. 

Instead, I explained that PHC has been flexible about how we provide our services. I spend a lot of time speaking with our community members about what they need and figuring out how to meet those needs. If I asked them how I should pivot, they might think I was about to break into dance and move a safe distance away.… Read the rest “Peace House Community”“A Place to Belong”