On Tuesday April 19, 2016, 150 ISAIAH clergy and faith leaders marched silently through the Capitol with tape over their mouths to symbolize the millions of people who have been and who are being silenced through mass incarceration, deportation, over policing, and economic violence.

IMG_4460 3After the march, they rallied outside the State Office Building decrying the Minnesota House Leadership’s refusal to allow hearings on proposals designed to close racial disparities in Minnesota, including Restore the Vote, Sentencing Reform, Juvenile Justice Reform, and Driver’s Licenses for All. They pointed out that the Leadership supports proposals which continue the exploitation of communities of color, such as the opening of a private prison.

“We are here seeking to stimulate a more meaningful conversation around the harsh and unfair laws and sentences which are largely responsible for mass incarceration and pervasive racial disparities across our state,” explained the Rev. Melvin Miller from Progressive Baptist Church in St. Paul.

Following the rally, 15 clergy and leaders brought their distress at the lack of progress on these issues to meetings with Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk and Rep. Tony Cornish, Chair of the House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee.

The event was part of a national week of action with the Healthy Heartlands project, a collaborative of community organizers and public health officials in Minnesota and six other states – Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin – focused on improving health equity.