Time of Reckoning is a series of community engagement and healing justice sessions that culminate in a Black-led town hall and policy action roundtable focusing on the criminal justice system and its collateral consequences. The culminating event will include local policy makers who have the power or influence to implement the recommendations brought forth by the community through this process. 

Convened by the community and co-chaired by Dr. Brittany Lewis of Research in Action (RIA) and Dr. Joi Lewis of Joi Unlimited, this work was spurred by the murder of Mr. George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). This process is an opportunity for true “radical re-imagining” of what is possible within our collective efforts to advance racial justice.

The first forum will be virtual and hosted on Monday, December 7. 

Critical Engagements: Time of Reckoning consists of five critical community healing and policy action engagements that aim to illustrate to the nation what community-centered policy change can look like. 

Narrative + Action: Each session is structured like a congressional hearing with scripted narratives from Black community members, questions from policy makers, and a live work session with the goal of developing tangible actions and bold visions for Black futures.

Centering Black Families: Time of Reckoning forums are centered on the different elements of the Black family- the women, men, transfolx, children, elders, and caregivers. To center the participation of members of the Black community, non Black allies are encouraged to participate in the live stream on Joi Unlimited’s Facebook page.

An esteemed team of twelve Black thought leaders have helped steward this work, including Lulete Mola, Marcus Owens, Hassan Qais As-Sidiq, Pastor Brian Herron, D.A. Bullock, Leslie E. Redmond, T. Mychael Rambo, Tish Jones, Tomme Beevas, and Hani Ali.

The Pohlad Family Foundation has provided initial support and there is an opportunity for others to invest as we move forward in this important work. This community reckoning, healing, listening, and action initiative is also supported by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency that enforces the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The Act is one of the strongest civil rights laws in the country.