By Paul Gunderson
Minneapolis and the surrounding areas have recently been through both trying and inspiring times. The near occupation of our community by federal agents designed by an administration wanting to seek retribution against our community was appalling. Families were torn apart; businesses were hurt and people lost their lives. At the same time, “neighboring” was coined as a phrase describing how our community reacted to this challenge. We all know the story. The focus of the nation, and the world, was on Minneapolis due to the gestapo-like tactics of a government agency out of control and for the way our citizens pushed back by standing up for their neighbors and their community. It is important that we remember these times. Both the tragedy – how and why it happened, and the triumph – how everyday citizens demonstrated that the power in a democracy is, indeed, in the hands of the people.
Understanding that it is early to be thinking about how we honor the lives of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pert (the sting of their tragic deaths and the hurt felt by their families and our whole community must first be dealt with), I propose an idea for how we can honor their lives, as well as the life of George Floyd, and the resilience of our community and the power of civil engagement. I suggest a commissioned sculpture, the parameters for which can be determined by a civic arts committee, to be created and then permanently displayed in a prominent space within the Walker Art Center Sculpture Garden.
The murder of George Floyd impacted not only Minneapolis, but the entire world. His death and our community’s reaction to it led to a dialogue about the relationship between policing and the citizenry. Similarly, the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti brought national and global attention to that same relationship. The reactions of Minnesotans to these events demonstrated that in America the power to change society is, and always has been, in the hands of its citizens. When our community chooses to act, to collaborate, to demonstrate peacefully and powerfully, change occurs. This memorial should be designed to convey that message while honoring the lives lost in the process.
The commemoration should adopt the language of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award presented to the citizens of the Twin Cities as a perfect addition to the sculpture/memorial:
“The people of the Twin Cities responded with extraordinary courage and resolve. Tens of thousands took to the streets to peacefully protest federal overreach and threats to immigrant families and constitutional protections, while others documented enforcement activity and alerted neighbors to federal agents’ presence. Across religious, racial, and political lines, a broad coalition of residents of the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs united in peaceful resistance despite violent confrontation and real personal risk, defending their neighbors’ rights and strengthening the national movement to protect American democracy.”
The Sculpture Garden is a focal point for Minneapolis and the Twin Cities, with tens of thousands of visitors every year. Having this memorial in that space is most appropriate. Because these three events brought attention to Minneapolis, it will be a place where visitors from around the country and world will come to pay respects to the lives lost and to be reminded of the power they hold in our democracy. It will be a memorial worthy of George Floyd, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pert, and to our community.
While each life lost has its own story and is worthy of its own monument, celebrating and remembering them collectively creates a more powerful and lasting memorial while also telling a bigger story, the uniquely American story, that power belongs the people.
Paul Gunderson, Downtown Minneapolis
