Title

Community Unity Gathering Reflective Exercise Guide

Widgets

Cultivating Seeds of Hope

Gather: to cause to come together in one place or group; to assemble gradually from various locations and sources; to bring close; to prepare to collect (oneself, one’s energies) to meet a situation; harvest.

“I would say that other-preservation is the first law of life. It is the first law of life precisely because we cannot preserve self without being concerned about preserving other selves. The universe is so structured that things go awry if people are not diligent in their cultivation of the other-regarding dimension. ‘I’ cannot reach fulfillment without ‘thou.’ The self cannot be self without other selves. Self-concern without other-concern is like a tributary that has no outward flow to the ocean. Stagnant, still and stale, it lacks both life and freshness.”
—Martin Luther King, Jr.

Explore. Soul Search. Commit to Act.

Chicago Avenue and Thirty-Eighth Street (For Justice)

While journeying to the location, ask yourself—what is the meaning of justice, and how are its causes advanced in my family or personal life?
Upon arrival to the site, breathe in the experience of this location (for 9 minutes and 29 seconds), while asking yourself—how is my view of justice transformed by the solemnity of this place?
After departure from the landmark, ask yourself—what concrete steps will I take to increase fairness of treatment and racial healing?

East Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue (For Change)

While journeying to the location, ask yourself—what difference can people power make in rebuilding the storefront passageway between west river and that theater on lagoon?
Upon arrival to the site, breathe in the experience of this location (for 9 minutes and 29 seconds), while asking yourself—how is my view of fruitful transformation colored by memories, disappearance, and remnants of this place?
After departure from the landmark, ask yourself—what concrete steps will I take to alter neglected geographies and renew confidence in the collaborative work of civic engagement?

4600 Columbus Avenue and East Forty-Sixth Street (For Equity)

While journeying to the location, ask yourself—what is the meaning of equity in distinction to equality, and why might treating everyone the same produce an unfair outcome?
Upon arrival to the site, breathe in the experience of this location (for 9 minutes and 29 seconds), while asking yourself—how is my view of fair housing practices transformed by the history of mob violence and courageous protest that endures in this place?
After departure from the landmark, ask yourself—what concrete steps will I take to dismantle systems that perpetuate inequitable living environments and obstruct families like Arthur, Edith, and Mary Lee from the right to establish a home?

Hennepin Avenue between Lake and Thirty-First Street (For Hope)

While journeying to the location, ask yourself—what is my daydream for a tomorrow united by our collective diversity, and what are causes to hope the reality of my vision for the future?
Upon arrival to the site, breathe in the experience of this location (for 9 minutes and 29 seconds), while asking yourself—how is my view of the future transformed by the beauty and story of (re)naming this place, Bde Maka Ska?
After departure from the landmark, ask yourself—what concrete steps will I take to build bridges or relations of trust that hasten the dawn of our more perfect union with sacred lands and beloved kinfolk?

Justice • Change • Equity • Hope

For additional information about Minneapolis College’s commitment to equity, visit the Equity webpage.