Amren Ortega - Writer

Several years ago, I lived in the Twin Cities. Every time I went to the grocery store, I drove past the site where Philando Castile was murdered by police officer Jeronimo Yanez. And yet, I did little to confront police brutality or to cast light on the injustices that Black and POC citizens face on a daily basis. By hosting these posts about groups that work to address social justice issues - whether that's through moving city budgets away from policing and toward violence prevention, or through providing better funding for affordable housing, or any of a number of other noble and noteworthy goals - I hope that my one small voice can steer others toward these causes. [Image: Reclaim the Block logo] Reclaim the Block  is an organization founded in 2018. At its core, the organization pressures the City of Minneapolis to divest from the police force in favor of investing in the community. Take a look at this screenshot from the  2020 City of Minneapolis budget  (keeping in min