Episode 06: More Than a Moment: Minneapolis, Our Movement, and the Ongoing Struggle for Freedom with Minister JaNaé Bates, Co-Executive Director of ISAIAH

In this episode of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast, Minister JaNaé Bates Co- Executive Director of ISAIAH, a multi-racial, state-wide, nonpartisan coalition of faith communities fighting for racial and economic justice in Minnesota joins host jaboa lake, Race Forward Senior Director of Impact Evaluation, Learning, and Research for a compelling conversation on the legacy of resistance that shaped—and continues to shape—the movement sparked by the murder of George Floyd. As we mark five years since the 2020 uprising in Minneapolis, this episode explores the long arc of organizing, solidarity, and struggle that has challenged state violence and demanded racial justice across generations.

Together, jaboa and Minister Bates unpack how Minneapolis became both a flashpoint and a beacon—revealing the deep roots of structural oppression and the enduring strength of community-led action.

Listen in for this timely dialogue that will:

• Illuminate the historical throughlines connecting George Floyd to past uprisings and present-day resistance
  
• Uplift lessons from grassroots organizing, faith-based strategy, and narrative power
  
• Explore the difference between symbolic allyship and real, sustained solidarity
  

Five years since the spark that ignited a global movement, this episode offers grounded perspective and bold possibility for all who continue to fight for racial justice, from the local to the national level. Through movement memory and strategic vision, jaboa and Minister Bates remind us that resistance is not reaction—it’s a practiced, purposeful path toward liberation.

Resources

Statement: Race Forward Remembers George Floyd and Continues to Call for a Transformed Public Safety System
https://bit.ly/4kuJjtD

ISAIAH
https://isaiahmn.org/

Executive Producers: Hendel Leiva, Cheryl Blakemore, Priscilla Sam