Woodbury for Justice and Equality

🚩 Juneteenth 2024 Canceled

It's with heavy hearts to announce that Woodbury for Justice and Equality has decided to cancel the Juneteenth event scheduled for Saturday, June 22nd. This decision did not come down lightly. We know how excited you were to be part of this event, but your safety is our priority given the potential inclement weather. This is not a postponement, so there will be no announcement for a future date. However, we plan to be back next year with an extraordinary Juneteenth event. Thank you for understanding, and see you next year.

EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO POTENTIAL INCLEMENT WEATHER. 🚩

It's with heavy hearts to announce that Woodbury for Justice and Equality has decided to cancel the Juneteenth event scheduled for Saturday, June 22nd. This decision did not come down lightly. We know how excited you were to be part of this event, but your safety is our priority given the potential inclement weather. This is not a postponement, so there will be no announcement for a future date. However, we plan to be back next year with an extraordinary Juneteenth event. Thank you for understanding, and see you next year.

Honoring the memory of George Floyd (4th Anniversary) - It's 4yrs ago but still fresh in our minds - "I can't breathe...." Those words are forever ingrained in our memories. Continue to stand in solidarity with those seeking for Justice in our society.

VOTE TODAY!! There are important items for your schools on the ballot today. Both 833 and 834 have referendums and school board members to vote for.

Woodbury for Justice and Equality understands that investing in our public schools makes our communities stronger and more equitable for all students. Kids need room to learn and grow. Please VOTE YES for the bonds and levies on the ballot today too.

Unfortunately this week we also saw racism rear its ugly head in a SoWashCo school. We are gathering information on this incident, however it's a critical reminder of the working needing to be done. But that difficult work can only happen when district leaders-including school board members-see it and address it head on. We know that is the type of leadership we will get with SIMI PATNAIK, MELINDA DOLS, and SATONIA MOORE.

Now go VOTE!!

Election day is almost here! Elections matter and will impact the district for the next four years. Melinda and Simi PASSED a critical RACIAL EQUITY & INCLUSION POLICY and Satonia SUPPORTS it. Others in this race explicitly stated at the League of Women Voters Board Forum that they'd cut funding for equity work.

They need your HELP this weekend! Simi, Melinda, and Satonia are looking for several more VOLUNTEERS. Please help elect/reelect these fantastic, equity minded candidates. And remember to VOTE on Tuesday!

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Calling all volunteers! With Election Day being less than one week away we are requesting some help with door-knocking this weekend. We need as many people as possible to help get the word out about us and get as many people as possible out to the polls! We are having GOTV door-knocking events this Friday and Saturday and will provide you with everything you need for it, including snacks. It will be a fun time and an opportunity to help get the SoWashCo teacher endorsed candidates elected to the School Board to ensure that students continue to have a Voice in their schools. Thank you in advance!

You can sign up at bit.ly/833studentsfirst!

Great to speak to these fantastic candidates for 834 and 833 school boards last weekend at our meet and greet. Please get out and vote November 7th or before! For more info about these candidates and the importance of local elections please check out our website: https://woodbury4je.com/

Today is Indigenous Peoples' Day, also known as Columbus Day. On this day, we honor Indigenous peoples' culture and contributions to our world, Native American and Alaska Native Nations thrived here long before the United States was established, building rich cultures and valuable knowledge. Despite historical injustices, they continue to persevere, preserving their traditions and contributing significantly to society as innovators, educators, and stewards of the land.

W4J&E

Please join us Sunday 10/15 to support excellent candidates for 833 and 834 school board races!

What a fun day at One Woodbury! Thanks to the organisers of this fantastic event as well as everyone who stopped by our table to learn more about our work. It was great to see so many new faces.

We hope to see you at our next event too, the ISD 833 & 834 School Board Candidate Meet and Greet on Sunday, Oct 15. See our website for more details on that event woodbury4je.com.

It's almost here! One Woodbury is Saturday! We are so excited to see this amazing cultural showcase from our own community. After hitting the food trucks and watching the shows, stop by the Woodbury for Justice and Equality table and say hi. See you there!

Local elections matter! Come meet some great candidates for School Board in ISD 833 & 834. You can read their responses to our equity question on our website and come meet them in person on Oct 15. See you there! https://woodbury4je.com/2023-isd-833%2F834-election

Save the date - Candidate Meet & Greet Event, Sunday, Oct. 15th, 2023.

Woodbury for Justice and Equality has invited all school board candidates for ISD 833 and 834 to complete a survey question to help voters learn more about their stance on equity. All candidates were asked, “How should public schools approach issues of diversity in the student population including race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation?” Surveys are due 9/15 and answers that most closely align with the W4J&E mission will be published on our website and social media pages. Candidates whose survey responses, platforms, and community engagement align with W4J&E goals will be invited to attend an in-person meet and greet on October 15th at Edgewater Park. Stay tuned for more info and please join us to meet candidates on October 15th!

Woodbury for Justice and Equality was amongst the grant recipients. Thanks to Woodbury Community Foundation.

On July 26th, a council member criticized a DEI funding proposal as "racist," claiming it excluded white officers. The proposal aimed to prepare people of color for leadership roles for a more representative community. This ignorantly overlooks the distinction between equity (leveling the field for historically disadvantaged groups) and equality (providing the same opportunities for all). Woodbury for Justice and Equality disagrees and responded on August 9th. Watch 👇🏿👇🏼

Walter's Open Forum at City Council At the August 9, 2023 Woodbury City Council meeting, Walter spoke on behalf of Woodbury for Justice and Equality regarding a sitting council member's recent ...

Join us for our third annual Juneteenth celebration at the Ojibway Park on Saturday, June 17th from 11am - 3pm. If you are are able to volunteer time to set up for this event, please come to the Park at 10am. We are excited to see you all this Saturday....

Juneteenth 2023-Save the Date: Join us as we spend the day in reflection of how far we've come and how far we still need to go. It will be fun and exciting!!!

If you are a group, business, government entity, etc that want to have a table for this event, please reach us at [email protected]. Table spots go fast, so secure your spot sooner rather than later.

Yesterday, the core team of W4J&E engaged our community in the Kick-off Event. We were able to identify priorities through these discussions. This successful event also gave birth to the creation of a new committee - Community Engagement Committee. This committee will identify and lead planning of events that bring together a diverse group of residents to celebrate and build community together. Please reach out if you will like to be part of this committee or will like to volunteer in other ways.

In the wake of the senseless death of Tyre Nichols, we are once again grieving with the community at large. It happened again and the question we ask is why...?The horrific images of his last moments leaves us terrified and reminds us that we must stand together to combat police brutality. If it doesn't look right, raise your voice...

As we grieve Tyre Nichols, know that you are not alone. We share in your anger, frustration and grief. We are here for you and we must stand together during these trying moments. Please reach out to W4J&E if you need to talk or need a shoulder to lean on.

W4J&E Core Team
www.woodbury4je.com

Don’t forget to vote by November 8th! Early voting has begun- more information on how and where to vote: https://www.co.washington.mn.us/3441/Voting Local candidates need you to show up!

Please go to Woodbury for Justice and Equality’s website to see how candidates for ISD 834 school board, Woodbury city council, Senate district 47, House districts 47a and 47b, and Washington County Commissioner District 5 responded to our survey on equity topics: https://woodbury4je.com/local-2022-candidates

Voting | Washington County, MN - Official Website Absentee Voting for the Nov. 8, 2022, General Election will be available from September 23 - November 7, 2022.2022 Absentee Ballot Application

Prior to the meet & greet event organized by W4J&E, responses from local candidates on how they will support equity have been published on our website please click link to read👇

https://woodbury4je.com/upcoming-event

Dear Community Members,
Woodbury for Justice and Equality is hosting a Candidate Meet & Greet event on September 25th, 2022 at Powers Lakes Park from 1pm - 3pm. We will invite candidates who align with our goals as demonstrated by their answers to our equity survey, their campaign platforms, and their community engagement. This is your opportunity to meet your local candidates to ask clarifying questions and to know their stance on issues. Those in attendance will be
• ISD 834 School Board Candidates
• Minnesota Legislature Candidates
• City Council Candidates
• County Commissioner Candidates

Please, save the date!

As a 2022 grant recipient, Woodbury for Justice and Equality is thankful to Woodbury Community Foundation for supporting our mission in promoting equity and diversity. Together, we will build our community.

🛑 W4J&E Condemns Racist Propaganda in our Community.

It came to our attention that there have been flyers distributed in Woodbury and neighboring cities meant to promote a racist conspiracy theory. Woodbury for Justice and Equality condemns this act to divide and alienate our community members in the strongest terms and we call on authorities to take swift action to investigate this occurrence.

We also encourage anyone who has seen or been angered or rattled by this propaganda to reach out to us. Whoever distributed the flyers intended to sow isolation and division. We want to ensure that no one has their sense of place and identity in this community shaken by this cowardly act.

W4J&E Core Team

From the W4J&E Education Committee: Please get out and vote for the bond! Supporting public education is critical in working towards equity for our students.

Highlight of the Juneteenth event was George Floyd's aunt, Angela, showing up. "Lift up your voices - If something doesn't seem right, say something."

We are proud of the great turn out today to celebrate Juneteenth in our community. Thank you for coming out to make this happen and thanks to all the speakers for sharing your perspective and knowledge.

Juneteenth 2022 is almost here (June 18th, 2022). W4J&E is excited to celebrate this event with our community. Come enjoy free food 🌭 , good music 🎶, free games and other activities. Our Theme this year is Woodbury Together For Equity.

Today, we attended the George Floyd's memorial celebrating the second anniversary since his untimely death. The most memorable words inscribed on a signboard brought back memories of the horror that happened at George Floyd's Square.

"Tell my kids I love them. I am dead.... Please, Please, Please....." - George Floyd