black lives matter

#JusticeForGeorge /  by Stories I Didn't Know

As many of you know, our documentary was produced and filmed in Minnesota. Most of our team lives within a few miles of the street where George Floyd was killed while in the custody of four Minneapolis police officers. We honor his life, stand with the demand for justice, and commit to doing the work of dismantling the institutional racism that runs our cities, state and country.

It’s hard to find the right words to communicate right now because we are all hurting. That’s one reason we make films. We know that film has the power to create space for vital discourse, which is needed now more than ever. We made Stories I Didn’t Know to spark conversations and open up a dialogue about issues that are difficult to discuss including land theft, genocide, slavery and generational trauma. When the time is right, we do hope our documentary can be an avenue for conversation, mobilization and, ultimately, action.

Frederick Douglas’ words ring true today: “Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without ploughing the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the roar of its many waters. The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”

We will soon be posting a list of organizations seeking urgent donations for emergency food, supplies and help for rebuilding. It’s a long road ahead and we plan to be part of it every step of the way.

EDIT: find the organizations below the picture.

#JusticeForGeorge

- Rita Davern and Melody Gilbert, directors Stories I Didn’t Know

Photograph: Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times

Photograph: Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times

Want to help rebuild?

The following organizations and community projects are helping to rebuild the Minneapolis and St. Paul communities hit hardest by the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd. Your donation will make a big difference. (Thanks to the Support The Cities project for identifying some of the resources below.) https://www.supportthecities.com

  • Du Nord Riot Recovery Fund - Du Nord Craft Spirits is a Black-owned distillery with a building that was damaged.  This fund supports black and brown companies affected by the riots.

  • Joyce Preschool - emergency fund for families who had to evacuate their homes near Lake Street last week, and who are now coming back to a devastated neighborhood with no grocery stores within walking distance. 

  • Lake Street East African Worker Recovery Fund - Business owners have raised millions to rebuild, but workers have no recourse until then. The Awood Center is raising money to provide aid to hundreds of workers until they can return to their jobs. 

  • Migizi Communications - MIGIZI Communications advances a message of success, well-being and justice for the American Indian community. Support them rebuilding after fire.

  • Pimento Relief Fund - We’re partnering with Pimento to provide black business without insurance relief after white supremacists set them on fire during the protests.