In wanting to support our city and one another at this time, we have come together to share a joint message.

Our community is grieving. Again. This time, we grieve the loss of Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man at the beginning of his adulthood; and we grieve the loss of two 15-year-old high school students – Deshaun Hill, a North High School student, and Jahmari Rice of Richfield.

We grieve the actions that continue to erode the trust that our community is working so hard to rebuild. We grieve the ongoing crisis of a society where all of us need to feel safe, and many of us don’t.

As Meet Minneapolis, an organization charged with encouraging and welcoming visitors to Minneapolis, we commit to focusing on a path forward and navigating complex issues of public safety through a lens of equity, justice, and a deep commitment to supporting all of our city’s residents and visitors alike.

It’s easy for many of us to relate to Amir, Jahmari and Deshaun. We have children, friends, and loved ones who are just beginning their lives.

For those of us who are people of color, and who have children and loved ones who are people of color, we may feel the pain especially personally and deeply.

I [Melvin] have two sons and seven grandsons, and they are always in my thoughts and prayers.

Since the killing of George Floyd, Meet Minneapolis has committed to helping our community lead the way forward.

The death of Amir, through the controversial practice of a no-knock warrant, once again raises questions about safety, police reform and social justice. Our city has taken a step back – not forward. With the deaths of Deshaun and Jahmari, we are confronted, once again, with the urgent need to end gun violence.

As an “ally-in-progress” and the mother of a 22-year-old son who is also a person of color, I [Dara] hold our community close in this grief. My heart breaks for the parents and loved ones of these beautiful young people. I am committed to supporting policy and practices that will save our children’s lives.

We have learned that not all roads are straight, and not all steps are in the right direction. Meet Minneapolis is responsible for helping our industry recover, which will bring activity, jobs and a vital piece of our economy back to Minneapolis. We will continue to do that work while advocating for public safety reform, social justice and equity.

We are in a unique position to come together, to support those who create equitable policies, and to be a unifying force in our city, our communities, and among our neighbors.

We look forward to working collaboratively with you toward this vision.