We the Unity Community Mediation Team (UCMT) are an authentic representative of the diverse communities of Minneapolis. We are African American, Native American, Latino, East African, and advocates for the LGBTQ community and the behavioral health community, who came together in the early 2000s to enter into a US Department Of Justice Community Relations Service sponsored five-year mediation and Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) implementation process with the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) in response to brutal abuse of our community members. Since the MOA signing in 2003, members have worked on public safety and public health issues until reconvening immediately after the tragic murder of George Floyd. UCMT is at the table today working with the Minneapolis Police Department to update and amend the existing MOA and to oversee its full implementation. Additionally, in response to the current gun violence crisis in Minneapolis the Unity Community Mediation Team, alongside other community partners, is developing community-based responses to public safety needs in Minneapolis and related communities to:
Foster the role of community youth in these public safety and public health efforts and to grow community leadership for the future;
Strengthen the community’s role in violence prevention and public health response to trauma and behavioral health challenges and the underlying causes and triggers of crisis events; and
Implement the community-based strategies articulated in UCMT’s MOA with the MPD, and update and amend the MOA to address current community needs.
Our Team
Board Leadership: Chair, The Rev. Ian Bethel - Minnesota State Baptist Convention First Vice Chair, Farhio Khalif - East African Women’s Advocate Second Vice Chair, Zachary Metoyer - Federal Mediation Now, Metropolitan Community Development (retired) Third Vice Chair, Mary LaGarde - Mpls American Indian Center, Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors Fourth Vice Chair, Frank Paro - American Indian Movement Fifth Vice Chair, Dr. Ora Hokes - Minister, Community Elder Secretary,Mark Anderson - Barbara Schneider Foundation Treasurer, Anita Urvina - Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission (retired)
Additional Board Members: Joe Beaulieu - Little Earth of United Tribes, Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors Lorraine Gurley - Pastor, Trauma & Grief Recovery Specialist Al Flowers, Sr - Safe Streets, KMOJ Host Addie Hammond - University of Minnesota Center for Urban and Regional Affairs Peter Hayden - President & CEO of Turning Point Nicholas Martens - Young People's Task Force Aisha Mohamud - Young People's Task Force Ahmed Omar - Young People's Task Force Harry "Spike" Moss - Freedom Fighter LaZya Smith - Young People's Task Force George Vickerman Rebecca Waggoner - Quorum, The LGBT Chamber of Commerce Shanasha Whitson - Community Partnership Collaborative 2.0, Brakins Consulting & Psychological Services Miles Wilson - Young People's Task Force Eric Won - Leadership Consultant (retired)
Staff: AJ Flowers, Project Coordinator Young People's Task Force
Our Partners
We move forward in partnership with community organizations working on behalf of high-risk youth, adults, and families: