06/03/2020
Hey Alumni of WHOA and community members!!
We write to you in a moment of intense sadness and anger at the injustice of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a short drive from campus. In this time and always, we must work together to denounce systems that uphold injustice, to support organizing and activism efforts on campus and in our respective communities, and to evaluate the changes we can make in ourselves to combat discrimination and racism, particularly anti-Blackness.
We at WHOA stand in solidarity with other student groups on campus working hard to bring support to Black students, and on the ground activists in the Twin Cities region. We are reaching out to you because at the end of the day, our physical house is just 14 people, and we as students have less power and money than Carleton alumni. We know there are many more of you in the WHOA community and that when we act collectively, we have so much more power.
Below are action items we are asking you to take as alumni/supporters of WHOA:
1) Put pressure on President Steven Poskanzer to take concrete steps toward ensuring the safety and well-being of Black students at Carleton per the Black Student Alliance demands. After receiving immense pressure from Carleton students, current President Steven Poskanzer released a joint blanket statement with the St. Olaf President that merely asked the Northfield Community to engage in race-based discourse, and to "do better" somehow. An entire week later, Poskanzer released a second statement that still left much to be desired. We are asking you to leverage your power as an alum to put pressure on President Poskanzer to leave behind the empty words, and directly address the demands outlined by Carleton’s Black Student Alliance. Email your thoughts to Poskanzer at [email protected] with [email protected] (VP) cc’d.
2) Contribute to the Carleton College Black Student Alliance mutual aid. BSA has set up a fund for Black Carleton students affected by COVID-19 or who demonstrate general financial need. To contribute, venmo -2020.
3) Contribute to Reclaim the Block, a coalition that organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety. WHOA supports Reclaim the Block’s mission to actively move away from policing by creating long term community safety alternatives. If you are looking to get connected with other on-the-ground response efforts in the Twin Cities, please email WHOA House Program Manager Anna Schumacher ([email protected]), and she will connect you with mutual aid networks in the Twin Cities area working to address community needs.
4) Seek out mutual aid funds in your own community. Many Twin Cities region organizations are getting incredible exposure and international support right now. Monetary resources also need to be directed to less visible groups, and mutual aid funds across the nation.
Any questions can be directed to 2020-2021 WHOA House Program Manager Anna Schumacher ([email protected]).
Thank you for your time, your commitment to change, and your generosity.
In solidarity,
Residents of Wellstone House for Organizing and Activism 2019-2020
Links:
Carleton College BSA statements: https://www.facebook.com/CarletonBSA/?ref=br_rs
Stevie P's statement #1: https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/president/news/?story_id=1000080663
Steveie P's statemnt #2: https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/president/news/?story_id=1000081041
Reclaim the Block: https://secure.everyaction.com/zae4prEeKESHBy0MKXTIcQ2
