Updates

October 26, 2021

Our work calls us to learn hidden truths…

Urban Homeworks staff went on a Sacred Sites Tour led by Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs from the Mohican Tribe. We visited Pilot Knob Trail or Oheyawahi, Fort Snelling State Park, and Dakota Internment Camp following the Dakota-US War.

As we approach the end of the year and continue to work towards a more just and affordable housing space, our work calls us to learn about BIPOC communities and the root of their true meaning. Amid racial disparity, we wanted to take time and space to learn about historic sites within our state that hold a more profound truth than what lies above.

Our staff was eager to visit a sacred place for the Dakota people in Minnesota, the Oheyawahi or Pilot Knob trail, which is truly a place to reflect on the Many Stories of the indigenous people who for centuries used this space as a sacred gathering and burial ground. Oheyawahi or Pilot Knob is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and comprises public and private land.

Although a place of reverence, this landscape has been altered throughout history within the last few hundred years, yet its stories remain suspended in time. As we learned during our visit, We learned that for the native people, stories are not part of a chronological construct; stories live within the space of their origin. It was powerful to hear these stories on the very land that they took place.

Within our responsibility of fighting for racial equity, we must learn the truth of our history. Today we challenge you to invite your circles to embark on a Sacred Sites tour, whether a group of friends, your family, or your workplace.

As we reflect upon the neglected, we invite you to Take Action and continue to be bearers of the truths that have been ignored. It is within these actions that we can start to repair the damage some of those stories hold.

To schedule your tour, contact Jim Bear Jacobs at jimbear.jacobs@mnchurches.org.

You can also learn more about Sacred Sites tours at

http://www.mnchurches.org/what-we-do/healing-minnesota-stories.

July 12, 2021

Perpetuating Hope

Hope. In 2020, our notions of hope were challenged beyond measures previously defined. We witnessed, without blinders, the ways our systems of health care, housing, policing, and education fail the most vulnerable in our communities. We were faced with ourselves and our capacity to move systemic injustice to a place of balance, a place where all humans have space and opportunity to live life to its fullest.

In 2020, we witnessed human greed, corruption, xenophobia, racism, and ableism prevail over the greater
good. When the state, and eventually the world, went into lockdown, we were forced to wrestle with the outcomes and health disparities of our elders, of our educators, our healthcare workers, and our houseless. As things shut down within our city, the reality that North Minneapolis is a food desert struck hard. Folks worried about their capacity to pay rent and worried about feeding their children as work hours became limited or they were laid off. We experienced the collective worry around how much wider the gap in student education would grow and the impact of our already entrenched housing crisis. The weight was unbearable. And yet, there was hope.

Other parts of the world encouraged us to remain steadfast in our lockdowns with tender songs and Facebook messages (like these). Healthcare workers determined to continue their efforts, even as depression spiked in the field. We found hope in these sparks. We found hope in their light. We had hope that we would be together again, hope that we would slow the rate of lost lives, hope that our young people would somehow thrive and grow and learn and hope that our elders would be safe.

We held tight, as a moratorium on evictions went out nationally, and as nonprofits, food shelves, and independent neighbors began providing food within communities that had lost their already limited access. Hope. Hope leads us to see abundance in crisis. Hope leads us to acknowledge our excess.

At Urban Homeworks, we slowed our development work, eventually bringing it to a halt as we responded to the immediate needs of our communities. And we looked to you, our donors and supporters, to stand with us with contributions as we shifted to that “innovative community development” that is responsive to community need because we have Hope that the human capacity to neighbor overcomes our capacity for avarice.

For many of us, the world ended again when we witnessed the torture and death – the public lynching – of George Floyd. Our breaths grew shallower as we tried to fathom the unnecessary and inhumane stealing of life amidst a year of already so much useless human loss. The year, once again, forced all of us to reckon with the impacts of systemic racism, injustice, and white supremacy. We were required to examine ourselves and the oppressions we have allowed to persist. And yet, we continued fighting for justice, fighting for the humanity of all people to be recognized because we held tight to Hope. A hope that the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech would finally ring true. A hope that our communities sweltering with the heat of oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. A hope of Jubilee for all.

In 2020, we struggled and fought alongside those most impacted by system failure. We continue to fight so that survival will no longer be the baseline for anyone living in our Minneapolis and St. Paul communities. We fight because we believe, as Christ did, that each and every one of us was created to live a full life. A full life is a life that is valued enough to be protected and not targeted, no longer viewed as disposable chattel, but held up as worthy and deserving of love. At Urban Homeworks, we believe that means a life uplifted by a place to call home, nutritious food that nourishes our bodies, and quality education that nourishes our minds.

Some have balked at our determination to speak truthfully about the roots of systemic oppression – at our clear and defined use of the words white supremacy. As we continue into 2021, we commit to acknowledging the heinous truth of white supremacy at work in this country and our community, and to remain in the societal tensions that that truth inevitably bears. We are resolved because we know that if we do not speak truthfully, if we do not acknowledge the roots of housing injustice, the roots of poverty and disinvestment, the roots of crime and violence – nothing will change.

The path of justice has never been an easy road, but we fight on. For we all have a right to shalom, a right to thrive. There is abundance. There is enough.

Thank you to all of those who stood staunchly alongside us in 2020. To the residents and homebuyers, the volunteers, community organizers and partners, the funders, and supporters – thank you for standing with us in Hope.

In solidarity with gratitude and love,

AsaleSol

June 15, 2021

Celebrate Juneteeth!

Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States nearly 2 1/2 years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation on June 19th, 1865. Check out the list of activities organized by the Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board and Juneteenth Community Board commemorating Juneteenth:

June 13-19: Juneteenth Story Strolls Story Strolls are a fun way to enjoy reading while spending time outdoors. Community members are invited to visit the park and walk the path as they read the book. This is a self-guided tour that families can enjoy at their leisure. Story Stroll signs will be up on a continuous basis for the week. “Black is a Rainbow Color” by Angela Joy Location: Trails near Theodore Wirth Beach area “Juneteenth for Mazie” by Floyd Cooper “Juneteenth for Mazie” by Floyd Cooper Location: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park “The Undefeated” by Kwame Alexander “The Undefeated” by Kwame Alexander Location: North Commons Park. Presented in collaboration with Hennepin County Library.  Presented in collaboration with Hennepin County Library June 15 (Dusk/9 pm): Drive-In Movie: “42” Location: Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board Headquarters Register Here June 17 (6-8 pm): Community Panel Discussion – Bridging the Gap Virtual June 18 (7-9 pm): Shingle Creek Juneteenth Family Night Location: Creekview Park – Announcement of Essay Contest Award Winner and Coloring Contest  – DJ music provided Djdime – A special announcement from General Granger  – Youth dance performance  Distribution of Juneteenth Activity Bags June 18 (Dusk/9 pm): Outdoor Movie: The Great Debaters Location: Creekview Park All June 18th activities presented in collaboration with Shingle Creek Neighborhood Association and Creekview Park.  June 19 (10 am -Noon): Community Panel Discussion – Public Safety: Where Do We Go From Now Virtual (1 pm – 3 pm) Music in the Park – DJ D.I.M.E., Jovonta Patton, Royal Family Music Group Flight for Freedom – Kite Flight Location: Bethune Park 9 pm Outdoor Movie: Jumanji: The Next Level Location: Webber Park

More ways to learn about Juneteenth:

June 1, 2021

People Oriented Development (POD Power)…

The first quarter of 2021 pushed us into new places of growth and strength. While 2020 was a challenging year of reacting to traumatic and confusing events, 2021 has been a time to build on the relationships and trust deepened throughout such a difficult time.

In this first quarter of 2021:

• We hosted two virtual POD meetings with residents, with 23 residents attending (a POD is a group of UHW residents who live within two blocks or less of one another).

• We distributed $250 to three PODs for February community-building activities.

• Four of our residents attended a class hosted by our partner Hope Community to receive support in purchasing a duplex in the community.

We also paid out $125,000 to 70 different Minneapolis residents to help with overdue rent and utilities because of COVID-19 losses. Out of those individuals:

• 50% were UHW residents
• 25% were residents of Al Maa’uun housing (a partner organization we collaborated with)
• 25% were undocumented families who did not qualify for government assistance earlier in the pandemic

We have begun training with 10 of our residents to better organize and leverage power within their community as we work together for equity and justice. The class was a part of the Virtual Housing Justice Forum hosted by Urban Homeworks in partnership with elected officials, community members, and partner organizations on May 20th over Zoom. Visit www.urbanhomeworks.org/hjf to see highlights from the forum.

We’re grateful to directly hear the stories and see the impacts YOUR SUPPORT has in our community, like:

• The person who tears up every time she recounts how UHW helped her after the Drake fire left her and her five kids homeless;
• The family who, upon receiving their rent support check, invited us in and shared stories from the whole family about how COVID impacted them;
• And all the families who are grateful to have a safe home for their children to study and do school work thanks to the support you and our partner NAZ (Northside Achievement Zone) provide.

June 1, 2021

A message from our Executive Director…

Peace and Liberation Urban Homeworks Residents, Families, Donors, and Supporters!

It has been two full months since I officially stepped into the role as Executive Director and seven months since accepting the post as Interim. Do I get less sleep these days? Absolutely. In the last two months, some of our residents started the Neighborhoods Now course through the University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA), while others concluded a homeownership course offered through our partners at Hope Community. We elected two board co-chairs – introductions coming soon. We closed on our office sale to Juxtaposition Arts to aid in their community art-space expansion. And in this first quarter, we saw our number of families enrolled in the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) reach 25% – and we will not stop there! This quarter has been filled with opportunities for us to model our values – to model the core of our mission and vision. We have developed new partnerships and strengthened old ones. In quarter one, we asked ourselves what it truly means to Neighbor in times like these. Neighbor is one of our longstanding Core Values.

To Neighbor means humbly accepting that there is ongoing work on oneself and a conscientious effort to do that work. It means stepping up and responding to the suffering of others with mutual aid and support. Step Up is seeing a need and acting, in partnership, alongside those who have that need. We believe in stepping up in ways that honor our communities, not silence or overshadow their voices with our own. We apply our Core Values internally and to the way we landlord our rental units, develop housing and people, and steward the communities that have trusted us to provide dignified, affordable housing for 26 years. As paired with our mission and vision, our values drive us to work on dignified, affordable housing while standing against all forms of racism and systemic oppression that our communities face daily. This is what it means to Step Up and Neighbor. As we work to increase the number of affordable rental opportunities across the city and make homeownership more accessible to those we currently rent to, we will continue to stand in solidarity with the marginalized and oppressed just as Jesus did when He walked this earth.

Thank you to everyone who took a moment to celebrate us as we moved forward into the future with a renewed sense of purpose and passion. Thank you to our residents who continue to demonstrate belief in our work by sharing your stories and journeys with us. You show up and continue to build community regularly. We are inspired by and so grateful to you for your demonstration of grit and resolve. And thank you to those of you who signified your support with an increased donation in quarter one. We recognize the courage it takes to have your spending reflect your values. We get this done with each one of you. For change comes by us, together. Quarter two is already off to a promising start!

Until next time – may we all continue to work for justice, may we all experience peace,

AsaleSol Young,

Executive Director

May 24, 2021

Learn more about Danyika Leonard, Urban Homeworks Co-Chair

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Danyika Leonard joined the Urban Homeworks board in the Spring of 2020 and began serving as the board co-chair in April 2021.

She is the Principal and Co-Founder of the Ujima Collective, which exists to create solutions and empower those seeking to address issues impacting the Black community. Their work encompasses collaborative efforts of educators, organizers, artists, youth workers, and teachers committed to doing community safety, equity, and racial justice work.

Danyika is also a policy director at Education Evolving, where she advocates for policies that clear barriers and create opportunities for educators to design student-centered learning experiences that equitably honor the unique assets, interests, identities, and aspirations of all students—and prepare them to thrive in the 21st century.

She sees herself as a restorative practitioner by calling, and social worker by trade. Her work has focused on building innovative collaboratives of state, county, and local organizations for system and policy innovation for educational achievement and holistic family success. She has experience in community organizing, housing & workforce development, policy work, and youth and family empowerment, and design thinking. As an advanced results-based facilitator and Art of Hosting Practitioner, she is passionate about bringing people together to get things done.

Danyika holds a Master of Public Affairs degree from the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs and is a 2016 Roy Wilkins Community Policy Fellow. She lives in North Minneapolis with her husband and two children.