Jason Sole, MnEEP award winner, on five years after the murder of George Floyd
Five years after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, the reverberations of that moment are still felt across Minnesota and the world.
For many Black Minnesotans, this anniversary and weekend of remembrance offer more than a moment of reflection. They mark a time to honor the lives lost to police violence, affirm their humanity, and confront a reality that still demands bold, systemic change.
In today’s Star Tribune, Jason Sole—a 2024 MnEEP Ron McKinley Award Winner, a criminal justice educator, and founder of the Institute of Aspiring Abolitionists—joins other influential Black leaders in sharing their personal and political journeys since that pivotal day in 2020.
Their voices speak to the weight of unhealed trauma, the ongoing struggle for accountability, and the enduring pursuit of racial justice. These are not only stories of profound grief; they are declarations of a liberatory vision and a testament to the collective power of community to shape a future rooted in equity, justice, and joy.
“Still, I haven’t given up. My hope lives in the American-born descendants of slave communities that refuse to forget, in the families who keep showing up and in those of us who speak the truth — even when it’s inconvenient. Because that’s how real change starts.” —Jason Sole
Jason’s voice is a powerful call a call to action, and one that MnEEP proudly honors as part of its 2024 Ron McKinley All My Relations – Equity in Action Awards. These awards recognize true warriors for racial and education justice: individuals who challenge systems, transform structures, and confront the colonial and racist foundations that persist in education.
The phrase “All My Relations,” rooted in Indigenous tradition, speaks to our interconnectedness, a value Jason exemplifies through his tireless work to build multiracial communities of care, center truth, and fight for a just and equitable future for all.
We are deeply grateful for Jason’s leadership, his unwavering commitment to racial justice in education, and his role in shaping a more equitable Minnesota!