Robin’s Community Commitments

 

Photo © Brooklynn Kascel

 When elected to represent Ward 2 on Minneapolis City Council, Robin pledges to…

  • Have a community office in Ward 2

    Robin commits to having an office in Ward 2, so that everyone has a place to engage directly with their local representation outside of City Hall. The community office will have open office hours with Robin’s staff, Robin herself, and for use by local community groups. It can be a resource for groups of neighbors who are organizing towards our shared agenda. The community office can also be a resource for Robin to put community power behind our shared agenda, for example by hosting her meetings there instead of at City Hall to shift the power balance back into the community.

  • Donate Part of Her Salary for Ongoing Organizing

    City Councilmembers make over $100,000 a year. Over half of Ward 2 residents make under $35,000/year. When representatives are so out of touch with the daily experiences of their constituents, it’s no surprise we see them siding with the wealthy or failing to stand up for the residents who need it most. Robin will donate a portion of her salary toward community office rent, resources, and staff.

  • Host Community Organizing Meetings

    We know that Robin cannot take on the political establishment and win by herself. It will take a mass, multiracial movement to make change. In the first six months after her election, Robin will host Organizing Meetings with the following constituencies aimed at realizing our shared agenda:

    Elders & Seniors, Renters, Unhoused Neighbors, Small Business, Formerly Incarcerated & Survivors of Police Brutality, Union Members, Public Housing Residents 

  • Student Empowerment

    Students at the University of Minnesota and Augsburg University are a huge portion of Ward 2’s population and are historically disenfranchised from both elections and ongoing organizing for municipal policy work that directly impacts them. Undergrads, graduate students, recent graduates, university faculty & staff, and high school students deserve resources and specific political empowerment work. Robin for Minneapolis has already supported students organizing around campus safety and has two paid student organizers on staff. Robin commits to continuing this work beyond the election and hosting standing Student Organizing Meetings throughout her time in office. 

  • Participatory Budgeting

    Robin for Minneapolis was proud to be the only municipal campaign to help develop and sign on to The People’s Budget, a comprehensive budget proposal that was created by dozens of organizations representing thousands of Minneapolis residents following the Uprising. Robin commits to developing and implementing local Participatory Budgeting practices to make sure Ward 2 residents are setting the priorities for our city.

Relating to Organizations in Conflict

Introduction

Just like when the great political activist and abolitionist Harriet Tubman set out on her maiden voyage on the Underground Railroad, along with true grit and determination, the only compass she had was the North Star. And just like Harriet, Robin understands that now is the time to be courageous. There is no road map to the world we need because in many ways it doesn’t exist, and therefore there may be some missteps along the way. As we #HealBuildRiseUp together to help create the roadmap to a world that we all deserve, leaders like Robin know that we can’t allow fear or perfectionism to navigate our course, as they only serve as roadblocks on the already rocky path toward liberation. Just like Robin’s campaign is the North Star for Ward 2, this policy is the North Star that helps guide the campaign in relating with organizations in conflict, and it takes courageous leaders like Robin to lead the way not only for Ward 2 but for all the people of Minneapolis.

Relating to Organizations in Conflict

As a campaign led by several survivors and labor organizers, we know all too well that the testimonies and accounts made by survivors and workers are often dismissed and discredited, especially when they come from Black women and femmes. This dynamic continues to make survivors fearful of sharing their truths. This dynamic also helped birth the powerful #MeToo Movement, which gave millions of survivors an opportunity to finally speak their truths and to use their collective power to both publicize their abusers and hold them accountable. 

We continue to stand in solidarity with the #MeToo Movement and express gratitude to survivors who come forward to share their stories and to seek accountability. 

Robin for Minneapolis stands with workers and survivors. To ensure that our actions also align with our support of survivors, we embrace a policy reflecting this commitment.


Guidelines

While these are guidelines, the campaign recognizes that the nature of conflicts and disputes may warrant differing approaches and responses. In incidents where the  core team believes a custom approach/response is needed, they will bring that proposal forward for approval from the at-large campaign team via email and/or a weekly campaign meeting before moving forward.

  • It is not the role of the campaign to litigate, investigate, and insert ourselves into active disputes regarding sexual harassment or labor violations.

  • In the case of active worker- or survivor-led boycotts, protests, actions, or other organized responses, the campaign will follow the demands of the workers or victims provided they align with Democratic Socialist values. This will include:

    • Supporting and amplifying organized actions like statements of demands, informational pickets, strikes, and petitions. 

  • The campaign cannot substitute itself for a clear or current demand from workers or survivors. 

    • “Call-outs” or other social media content that exist to spread information without a clear and organized demand can be used for internal assessment or awareness, but will not be publicly shared on campaign platforms.

  • If there is not a clear or current demand from workers or survivors but significant concerns still exist, the campaign will continue to engage with the organization while maintaining a healthy distance by:

    • Not accepting direct financial donations.

    • Not holding joint campaign events such as fundraisers.

    • Not extending invitations to join podcast shows.

    • Not amplifying the “accused” on social media. 

    • Not amplifying campaign endorsements made by the “accused.”