{"id":3715,"date":"2024-06-07T20:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T20:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/?p=3715"},"modified":"2026-07-04T20:49:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T20:49:57","slug":"minnesotas-reckoning-spike-moss-on-george-floyd-and-systemic-racism-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/2024\/06\/07\/minnesotas-reckoning-spike-moss-on-george-floyd-and-systemic-racism-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota\u2019s Reckoning: Spike Moss on George Floyd and systemic racism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During a poignant conversation on Radio KFAI&#8217;s 90.3 FM during George Floyd week, community leaders and activists gathered on the popular show &#8220;The Conversation with Al McFarlane&#8221; to reflect on systemic injustices and the long history of racial strife in Minnesota. Broadcasting live from George Floyd Square in South Minneapolis, the discussion brought together influential voices, including Spike Moss, a stalwart freedom fighter and a vocal advocate for the Black community. Moss, whose activism dates to the 1960s, shed light on the persistent issues of police brutality and systemic racism exacerbated by George Floyd&#8217;s tragic death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMinnesota has been out of order for so many years,\u201d Moss began, his voice heavy with the weight of decades of struggle. He recounted the harrowing incident from 1966 when a young Black girl was brutally beaten by police, sparking the state&#8217;s first rebellion. &#8220;George Floyd was not just a man; in his death, he became a symbol, a sacrificial lamb that forced the world to look at the ongoing atrocities here,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moss detailed the historical backdrop of Minnesota\u2019s racial tensions, pointing out that despite being a northern state, it has harbored deep-seated racial bias. \u201cWe have had more rebellions than any other state, but nobody knew because the local media, owned by the powers that be, never let the truth out,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The conversation turned to the numerous cases Moss has handled over his 42-year career, fighting against the injustices imposed on African American and Native American communities. \u201cThere was no justice for Minnesota,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We have far too many police with extensive records of misconduct that have never been brought to trial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moss highlighted the systemic barriers that have prevented accountability, including the lack of action from city councils, mayors, and other state officials. He lamented the consistent failures to charge or convict white police officers despite clear evidence of wrongdoing. \u201cI won 90-some percent of all the lawsuits, and lost 100% of all charges against white officers,\u201d he stated, reflecting a grim reality of racial disparity in legal outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The discussion also touched on the economic disparities that have plagued the Black community in Minnesota. \u201cTo live in a state where white people own the majority of mortgages and businesses, and we own less than half of 1%&#8230; it&#8217;s not just racism, it&#8217;s a conspiracy,\u201d Moss argued, painting a picture of systemic exclusion and economic oppression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moss also brought attention to recent incidents, like the tragic case of Ricky Cobb II, who was fatally shot by a Highway Patrol officer during a traffic stop. \u201cRicky didn\u2019t make it home because of an unnecessary and aggressive police action, which is a symptom of the broader disease of racial injustice in our state,\u201d he pointed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the community grapples with these deep-rooted issues, Moss&#8217; words serve as a stark reminder of the challenges ahead. He called on listeners to acknowledge the systemic nature of racism and to actively work towards meaningful change. \u201cOur community will stand up because enough is enough. It&#8217;s time for action, for change, and for justice,\u201d Moss concluded, his message resonating with urgency and resolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This conversation, set against the backdrop of George Floyd Square and aired during George Floyd week, not only honored Floyd&#8217;s memory but also amplified the ongoing struggle for justice and equality in Minnesota. It served as a powerful call to action, urging the community and the nation to face and address the systemic issues that have long plagued society.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During a poignant conversation on Radio KFAI&#8217;s 90.3 FM during George Floyd week, community leaders and activists gathered on the popular show &#8220;The Conversation with Al McFarlane&#8221; to reflect on systemic injustices and the long history of racial strife in Minnesota. Broadcasting live from George Floyd Square in South Minneapolis, the discussion brought together influential [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3716,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[155,29,1094],"class_list":["post-3715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-george-floyd","tag-minnesota","tag-spike-moss","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Spike-Moss.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3715"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3715\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3717,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3715\/revisions\/3717"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}