Jeremiah Ellison: The Artist-Activist On Forging Real Change

Apr 26, 2021

Jeremiah Ellison, an artist, activist, and Minneapolis City Council member, shares insights on the recent civil rights struggles following the deaths of Daunte Wright and George Floyd. He discusses the intersection of art and activism, emphasizing the need for police reform and community engagement. Ellison calls for innovative approaches to public safety beyond policing, tackling economic challenges that contribute to violence. His perspective highlights the importance of community accountability and the emotional resilience required for meaningful change in a charged socio-political landscape.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Early Artistic Impulses

As a child, Jeremiah Ellison drew on peeled-back wallpaper.
His parents sought ways to channel his artistic impulses constructively.

ANECDOTE

Community Engagement Through Art

At age eight, Jeremiah learned about community engagement through art.
His instructors tasked him with gathering community feedback for a mural project.

ANECDOTE

George Floyd Square Experience

Rich Roll visited George Floyd Square and found it different from his expectations.
The experience highlighted the importance of firsthand experience over media portrayals.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

This month, events in Minneapolis captured the world’s attention. The recent death of Daunte Wright and the conviction of Derek Chauvin sound a significant shift in the civil rights movement and the country at large.

Today, artist, activist, and politician Jeremiah Ellison is here to help us make sense of this historic moment.

As some of you may know, I spent the week of April 13th, 2021 (pre-Chauvin verdict) in a very tense Minneapolis. Motivating my visit was an intention to better understand the events and circumstances that brought the world’s focus upon this city—not from what I read online or saw streaming endlessly on cable news—but rather from a first-hand, experience-based perspective.

In addition, my objective was to conduct meaningful, nuanced conversations with Minneapolis civic leaders who are grappling with the important issues that have recently dominated national news coverage. Issues that include police misconduct and public safety reform; the roots of civil unrest and the purpose of protest; and of course the role social activism has played in all of this.

This conversation, the first in a series of Minneapolis-themed episodes that I will be releasing over the coming weeks, is one powerful result of that good faith inquiry.

Representing Ward 5 on the Minneapolis City Council, Jeremiah sits at the vortex of the many complicated issues that concern his community, and from the start has been one of the leading and most prominent voices calling for the reimagination of public safety.

On the one hand, Jeremiah is a very unlikely elected official. An artist at heart and painter by trade, he’s both a muralist and a comic book illustrator. He’s into Silver Surfer. And Batman.

On the other hand, he is the son of former 6-term Congressman Keith Ellison. Currently Attorney General for the state of Minnesota, the Ellison elder was also in charge of the Chauvin prosecution. In other words, it’s fair to say that Jeremiah was born for the role he currently inhabits.

My week in Minneapolis was extraordinary. There were so many experiences I will never forget. I learned much. I’m better for the trip. And my time with Jeremiah has much to do with that. I’m grateful that he took the time to share his truth and for his trust in my ability to share it.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll597

YouTube: bit.ly/jeremiahellison597

This is a powerful exchange. My only ask is that you welcome Jeremiah and his testimony with an open mind and an open heart.

P.S. – Special thanks to talented Minneapolis local photographers/videographers Bennie Wilson and Jordan Lundell for portraits & an upcoming video we are working on.

Peace + Plants,

Rich