Song of the Week

Listen to this song, Like Real People Do. I am on a Hozier kick, sorry not sorry. It’s written from the perspective of a Bog Man meeting a new lover in an Irish bog.

FREE DERRY and George Floyd

On May 25th, 2020 I lived 1.2 miles southeast of Cup Foods. By local South Minneapolis people’s standards who live their lives block by block, that’s four blocks south and twelve blocks east of where George Floyd was murdered. Like many of you reading this, this tragedy happened smack dab in the middle of our backyards, for some people, it was literally right where we lay our heads down at night, and put our children to sleep. This is actually the first time I’m really writing and reflecting on this day; I find it hard, and past due.

May 25th, 2020 was Memorial Day, and at the time of the murder, I was seeing my friend Mary after a long afternoon of studying at home for my national certification in occupational therapy. I heard about what happened to George the next morning and went to the protest that evening, May 26th. I made a sign that said Abolish the Police and taped gold foil paper cranes on the edges of the cardboard. I remember wishing the abolition movement had more of a visible and audible presence at the time, there weren’t any chants or many signs I heard about abolishing the police which surprised me. I was excited about the group MPD150. In my mind, abolition was right in line with what I wanted to do as an OT— to help people lead meaningful lives, with meaningful activities, relationships, pursue occupational justice, and liberation. None of that can be done well while incarcerated.

I left the protest that evening around 7p to continue studying for my big exam. That evening my manager, Mary Souder, who was one of the best leaders at Hennepin Healthcare at the time, texted to see if I was ok which I found a little strange. She knew I was at the protest. On Thursday, May 28th I drove to the Target on Lake Street because I saw the smoke and heard that things were burning. I was shocked to see the scene. On Friday, May 29th I saw more plumes of smoke biking to work at 8:30a. I asked my manager if I could come late to work, and called my mentor to see if I could help evacuate her and her building because the adjacent Dollar Store was being consumed by a raging fire. No police or fire departments were present as far as I could tell. I talked briefly with Irna and Raffo on the street after they assured me everyone seemed to have evacuated. With orange flames around 40ft tall at the Dollar Store in the background and feeling the dystopic heat on my face as we talked, they shared they were “ok”, and we scooted a little further from the flames. I then went to work, because I didn’t know what else to do.

Fast forward to a week ago on May 18th, 2025. I am in Belfast, Ireland. I’m at a bar with a newly made Irish friend named Michael. He is asking me about my experience with the uprising. “Minneapolis is known around the world now as a place of uprising. We all know George Floyd. We made a mural for him on our wall.” I wanted to cry. Instead I give him a copy of Ricardo’s calendar I brought in my backpack for just such an occasion.

Rewind to January 30th, 1972 and we are in Derry. On this day there was a massacre where British soldiers shot 26 unarmed civilians during a protest march in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland. Fourteen men were killed, many while running away or trying to help each other. Two were run down by British vehicles, some beaten. All were Catholic. This event became known around the world as Bloody Sunday. The British Army falsified all their documents, blamed protestors for instigating, and didn’t apologize until 2010 after interviewing 2,500 witnesses. It takes a lot of time and energy to undo state sanctioned false tales. Derry and Northern Ireland is still an extremely contentious part of the UK and the fight continues to try and reunite it with the rest of Ireland.

In the photos I saw at the incredible Museum of Free Derry, their protest looked a lot like ours five years ago on May 26th, 2020. Peaceful, people holding up signs, a big banner, and another march where we gather to be together and hope against all odds that our gathering makes a difference. Most of the time these protests are about a small circle of people, to help us know that we cared, that we did something amidst a society that constricts and surveils our grief and rage and hopes no one notices. We try our best anyways.

What was different on May 26th 2020 was that our protest of yet another black man being murdered, made huge waves around the world. Waves that swept an echoing-story of people facing the same circumstances in different contexts. Our protests on this day in Minneapolis destroyed material property in a way I had never witnessed before. I saw how the state and the world responded to material items being destroyed. It actually broke my heart at the time. To see what makes the news and what hadn’t, the varying price tags of attention attached to a life. What was beautiful was seeing solidarity in Minneapolis and for myself, years later, to see people’s eyes light up in Belfast and Derry when they heard I was from Minneapolis. I cried when I read a sign in the Derry Museum saying that they were inspired by student sit-ins in Berkeley in 1969, that “We Shall Overcome” became the anthem of the civil rights movement in Ireland after witnessing African American/Black folks marching for their civil rights.

When I walked on the shores of Achill Island in Ireland, I heard my ancestors say that they died for every ounce of the land I was seeing for the first time. I really felt how some of my ancestors had died and gave up parts of themselves forever. I’ll leave you with DCDA chairman Sean Keenan’s words, “If we have to fight, then let us for God’s sake fight as peace-loving people.” Peace loving people have to fight more often than we would like. I’ll never forget that I’m doing so, because I’d rather not be. Blessed be those who love and fight for justice arm in arm.

Drunk(ish) Antifascist History Fundraiser! Mark Your Calendars!

Please save the date for JULY 26th, 7p, at Bryant Lake Bowl Theatre for Sun Yung and my Drunk(ish) Antifascist History event. Doors at 6p, event starts at 7p. Tickets are $50-$100 sliding scale. This is your teaser. Flyer and link to purchase tickets coming soon. We have a hard hitting line up of guests who will be featured at this night of learning, fun, camaraderie, and resistance building.

Schedule With Me

OTR/L, BA, MHP, LMT,
she/they) Integrative Therapies

I offer trauma informed somatic informed therapeutic coaching, craniosacral therapy, Swedish massage, Thai bodywork, myofascial release, group workshops, and healing through art, play, and connecting to nature.

Community Events

The Legacy of the Northland Poster Collective: This is the poster collective Ricardo Levins Morales was a part of before he started RLM Arts. As a kid Olivia grew up in this collective and will be facilitating this panel THIS SATURDAY at CTUL, 3-6p. Free refreshments provided.

SINNERS: I haven’t seen this myself, but it’s directed by highest-grossing Black director in history, who made Black Panther, and it’s getting great reviews so wanted to share. It’s rated R, and is probably too scary for me, but I’ll read all the cliff notes.

Sun Yung’s Poetry Workshop!: My studio mate Sun Yung has a poetry workshop, it’s something to look forward to next February. I put it in my calendar and got to fee like I have my life together by entering something so far in advance.

Thanks for READING! xoxo Eiko