A Native American woman accused a police officer of harassing her and pulling her over without cause while she drove in town. A Black man claimed multiple violent run-ins with the police. A second Black man originally from Chicago accused law enforcement of singling him out while he was fishing next to several white people on a lake.
âThatâs a classic case of profiling,â said the third man identified as Jay. âBeing up here I want to be part of the change. I donât want to be part of the problem. But how can I be part of the change when Iâm already deemed a criminal?â
Based in the Sixth Judicial District, the Iron Range Equal Justice Committee, in partnership with Voices for Ethnic and Multicultural Awareness, is hosting an upcoming listening session meant to cultivate relationships by talking about racial issues.
The event, named âConversation with the Courts,â is scheduled to run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 6.
Seraphia Gravelle, a co-founder of VEMA, said over the phone Thursday that she was invited to join the committee âto bring people of color from the community to the tables to tell their stories in regards to their experiences with the justice system on every level.â She described how she agreed to join the event, because she thought âthis was a great idea as far as citizens to understand the justice system and for people working in the system to hear their stories.â