Community group joins Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition to discuss Floyd trial

The Minnesota Rapid Response Coalition planned to join Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition in a virtual meeting Tuesday evening to discuss the upcoming trial of Derek Chauvin charged in George Floyd’s death.

“I have to be frank: It’s been traumatic, you know. It’s been an experience that no one should have ever had to endure. It’s unfortunate, but it’s a harsh reality,” said Alexander Bourne, MRRC founder and lead strategist for the Floyd case. “I think for us we’re just trying to continue to be proactive.”

The Tuesday evening meeting is the first of many these groups said they plan to have ahead of and during the trial of the former officers charged in the death of George Floyd.

“To seize the opportunity to turn our pain into power — turn a minus into a plus — is in our quest to keep hope alive,” said Bishop Tavis Grant, national field director for Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Organizers say future community meetings could address understanding the legal process of the trial, allowing the community to express their feelings and First Amendment rights around demonstrations.

“Perhaps Minneapolis and Twin Cities are our Selma and Birmingham of this era of people gaining a real sense of where do we go from here,” Grant said.

Grant works side-by-side with Jackson, who has been on the forefront of civil rights issues for decades.