Coming to the Table

A big thank you to Crixell Shell from the Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute for facilitating this Coming to the Table (CTTT) session today. I knew of CTTT through my studies at Eastern Mennonite University, the story of how it came to be, and their mission to heal the persistent wounds of racism related to the legacy of American slavery. The table discussion topic today was: MPD150 “Enough is Enough”; a review of 150 years of the Minneapolis Police Department, at the previous attempts at reform over those years, and the recommendations going forward. Our discussion was enlightening and disheartening. Is reform possible, when numerous previous plans have failed?

Here’s more about CTTT: The CTTT approach to achieving this vision and mission is grounded in theories and practices of Strategies for Trauma Awareness & Resilience (STAR), with a particular focus on Transforming Historical Harms and their trans-generational transmission, working toward racial justice and equity through a Restorative lens, and utilizing Circle Process and Touchstones to create space in which participants feel safe enough, and motivated, to do the work. Then, the CTTT Approach involves four interrelated practices:

1. Uncovering History: researching, acknowledging, and sharing personal, family, community, state, and national histories of race with openness and honesty
2. Making Connections: connecting to others within and across racial lines in order to develop and deepen relationships
3. Working Toward Healing: exploring how we can heal together through dialogue, reunion, ritual, meditation, prayer, ceremony, the arts, apology and other methods
4. Taking Action: actively seeking to dismantle systems of racial inequality, injustice, and oppression; to work for the transformation of our nation.