Hunter
07/05/21
The Iowa Freedom Riders activist group has announced a pause in their People’s Truth and Reconciliation meetings.
In an Instagram post Sunday, the group, which hosted a “Cops off Campus Kick-Off” Sunday night at the Pentacrest, said that the direction of the meetings have been veering off course.
The statement reads in part, “When we started doing these meetings, we hoped it would be a safe and healing place for Black and Brown people in Johnson County to discuss the injustices they face on a daily basis….Since then, the meetings have become a place for white people to come and discuss their issues, and while their issues are valid, they are more likely to be heard by those in power.”
The Iowa Freedom Riders were founded last year to separate from the Iowa City government and advocate for black and brown residents. The statement says the group is “disheartened” that their goals aren’t being met the way they would like.
Leaders, therefore, have decided to take a step back and reevaluate their strategies. The statement says that the People’s Truth and Reconciliation meetings “are not going away.”