On May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Black citizen George Floyd was murdered by four members of the Minneapolis Police Department. Under suspicion of attempting to use a counterfeit $20 bill, police kneeled on his neck as he lay, handcuffed and face-down, on the street for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. He died.

Almost immediately, protests and vigils began across the city. In the following days, rioters damaged hundreds of buildings, looting and setting fires. Over 40 businesses were destroyed by fire, and well over 300 sustained damage. Many of these businesses were locally-owned, founded by Black, Indigenous, and Latinx entrepreneurs.

While we as a Minneapolis community work to seek justice and reinvent its future, we also face the daunting task of rebuilding its small business community. We are committed to both reforming our society, and providing support to those in need as we rebuild.