Art work Dona Park

The call for the abolishment of police, policing and the police state is not a new call. For centuries, Black and Indigenous people have called for the end of violence enacted on their bodies and communities by police. They have been calling for other possibilities that move us from the appearance of safety to truly safe and whole communities.

You are invited to learn more and participate

University Mennonite Church is inviting interested congregations and community members to participate in a nine-week study engaging in learning about the call for police abolition. We’ll follow a curriculum developed by the Mennonite Church USA. The curriculum is an initial guide for those who are desiring to begin or continue their reflection on what it means to engage the forces of state, their commitments to non-violence and how to act to end policing and police brutality. Although the curriculum is rooted in Anabaptist theology, all are invited to participate. Click here to register.

Review the curriculum

Meet the writing team and view the entire curriculum at https://www.mennoniteusa.org/abolition-curriculum-intro/

Zoom meeting schedule

All meetings will be held on Zoom on nine consecutive Wednesdays from 7 to 8:15 pm EST.

January 5 – Individual and Community Safety
January 12 – The Purpose of Policing in the United States
January 19 – The History of Policing and Police
January 26 – Transformative Justice
February 2 – The Landscape of Policing – Incarceration and Bail
February 9 – The Landscape of Policing – Policing Our Children, SROs, School-to-Prison Pipeline
February 16 – The Landscape of Policing – Police and the Streets
February 23 – The Landscape of Policing – City Hall, Political Change and Revolution
March 2 – Review and Closing – 8 to Abolition and Next Steps

If you’re interested in participating, click here to fill out a simple Google form with your name and email. When we get closer to the beginning of the study, we’ll send you the Zoom link.

Want to help?

We welcome others to help facilitate one or more of the sessions. Detailed lesson plans and resources are provided for each session and minimal preparation is required. If you would like to help or want to find out more, contact Joel Weidner, joelpsu82@outlook.com. You can also indicate your interest in helping out on the Google form (above).