Re-Imagining Policing in America

For our July salon, PMS will learn more about the movement to re-imagine policing in America. The Minneapolis City Council was among the first in the nation to vote to "defund the police" in the wake of the massive outrage following the murder of George Floyd. We are lucky to be joined by two dynamic women activiists on the front lines in Minneapolis about their vision for policing in their community. 

Anika Bowie is the Vice President of Minneapolis NAACP where she advocates for civil rights and liberty of all people on both sides of the river.As an advocate for youth, electoral justice, and criminal justice reform, she was coined the daughter of the historic Rondo neighborhood when she ran for Saint Paul City Council Ward 1 in 2019. Anika is a young change-maker who dedicates a lifetime to serving the under-privileged and empowering the voices of youth, women, families impacted by racism, sexism, poverty, mass incarceration or all above. Anika is a honorary graduate from Hamline University majoring in Criminal Justice minoring in Social Justice and Sociology. She is a lead organizer in political affairs specialized in criminal justice reform and restore the vote over the entire state of Minnesota. Anika strives to pave the way for young people with challenging backgrounds aiming to overcome adverse circumstances and break generational barriers.

UyenThi Tran Myhre is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, currently living in Minneapolis, Minnesota; occupied Dakota land. She is part of MPD150, a Minneapolis volunteer collective challenging the narrative that police protect and serve. UyenThi has worked in AmeriCorps literacy and college access programs, in higher education and women's and gender equity centers, and in the nonprofit world. She is also a contributing writer and editor at Project Yellow Dress, a storytelling platform that highlights the histories, voices, and experiences of the Southeast Asian diaspora. She is a feminist and cat mom and holds a Master's in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota.

MPD150 is an independent association of organizers, activists, researchers, and artists that came together in the spring of 2016 in anticipation of the Minneapolis Police Department's 150th anniversary. In the winter of 2017, MPD150 published their report, Enough is Enough, a 150-year performance review of MPD. The MPD150 report examines the department's current role and impact, especially on marginalized communities, explores viable alternatives to the policing model, and makes the case for police-free communities as a practical necessity.