Making Tamales: Community Solutions to Community Violence

***Disclaimer: We had some technical issues when recording this episode—we apologize for the reduced quality and any listening difficulties it may cause.***Today, crime is down across the country. However, in Minneapolis, we see a dangerous pattern of non-lethal assaults not being investigated and violent crimes going unsolved. On top of this, just weeks ago, a mass shooting occurred at Annunciation Church in South Minneapolis, taking the life of 2 children, injuring others, and traumatizing everyone gathered in the space forever. This moment raises the question: how do we, as a community, respond in the face of violence? How do we take care of each other and act politically to make sure it doesn’t happen again?In “Making Tamales: Community Solutions to Community Violence,” MNJRC Executive Director Justin Terrell gets real with long-time organizer Katrina Mendoza about the impact of violence on communities, the unfunded and under-recognized individuals who disrupt violence long before it happens, and what it looks like when communities lean on each other.About our guest:Katrina Mendoza is MNJRC’s Organizing Lead on our evaluation of Project PEACE, which is a violence intervention effort by the city of Saint Paul. She has been working alongside the St. Paul community for over 25 years, in health education, grassroots organizing, leadership facilitation, and public service. She’s a community auntie and an unapologetic fighter for social and racial justice, driven by her dedication to honoring the ancestors, uplifting future generations, and making loved ones proud.Resources:Learn more about MNJRC’s Project PEACE EvaluationAbout the podcast:Transformation Blueprint: Reimagining Criminal Justice in Minnesota translates MNJRC’s work on the criminal legal system into an accessible podcast that bridges research and community action. This podcast connects our audience to timely developments in the criminal legal system by featuring researchers, advocates, people who work in the system, and people who are impacted by it. We strive to translate research into actionable tools for change with and by community, provide plain-language education on complex legal concepts, and spotlight innovative justice initiatives making real impact.About MNJRC:The Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to driving meaningful change to Minnesota’s criminal legal system through rigorous and community-centered research, education, and policy development.Visit our website and join us in this work: ⁠⁠⁠mnjrc.org⁠⁠Keep up with MNJRC on social media:⁠Instagram⁠ @MinnJRC⁠Facebook⁠ @MNJRC⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ @MNJRCMusic: Borough by Blue Dot SessionsThis podcast is made possible by support from listeners like you. If you want to help us continue doing this work, visit mnjrc.org/donate. Thank you.