AARP is offering free tax preparation assistance at the Pillsbury Creative Commons during this tax season.
🗓️ Monday, February 2 – Monday, April 13
🕐 Mondays & Wednesdays, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Pillsbury Creative Commons (PCC) – New Building
3529 Chicago Ave S, Minneapolis
By appointment only (no walk-ins)
To schedule an appointment, visit https://pillsburyunited.org/programs/tax-assistance/
Fear is a natural response to injustice. But the Black leaders we celebrate this month chose action over paralysis and courage over comfort by understanding that waiting for the perfect moment means change never comes. John Lewis was one of those leaders.
Lewis’s life stands as a testament to the power of nonviolent resistance and the willingness to sacrifice everything for freedom.
Portrait of John Lewis, 2006. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Lewis became chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee at age 23 and by 25 had been arrested 24 times for peaceful protest. He was brutally beaten as a Freedom Rider, suffered a fractured skull on Bloody Sunday in Selma, and endured incredible violence throughout his activist career, yet he never wavered in his commitment to nonviolent resistance. We see these things happening today through excessive force and murder in our street by federal agents.
At the 1963 March on Washington, Lewis was one of the “Big Six” leaders and the fourth speaker that day, delivering a powerful critique of police violence and the federal government’s failure to protect civil rights workers. He asked the question that still resonates today: which side is the government on when its own citizens are beaten for exercising and demanding their constitutional rights? Throughout his life, Lewis preached the gospel of “good trouble, necessary trouble.” He believed that creating change meant being willing to disrupt systems of injustice, to make people uncomfortable, to refuse to accept things as they are. He showed us that putting your body on the line for what’s right is the highest form of citizenship.
Right now, communities across Minneapolis are navigating their own moments of necessary trouble. Immigration enforcement is creating fear, families are in need of support, and neighbors need to know they’re not alone.
This is when we must remember Lewis’s example. Supporting your community might mean showing up at meetings, volunteering with organizations providing direct assistance, or simply being present for your neighbors in their time of need. It means refusing to look away when injustice happens in front of you.
John Lewis spent his entire life getting into good trouble. We honor his legacy by continuing that work, by refusing to accept fear as a reason for inaction, by standing up for what’s right even when it’s hard.
Stand with your community. Act despite fear. Build the world we deserve.
Angela Davis is a scholar and activist whose courage in the face of persecution transformed her into one of the most influential voices for justice in our time.
In 1970, our government was actively trying to destroy one of the most impactful groups of our time – the Black Panthers. As a member of the movement, Angela Davis faced murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy charges stemming from an armed courthouse takeover she had not attended. She spent over sixteen months in jail before being acquitted in 1972. What makes Davis’s legacy so powerful her life after that experience. She leaned into public life through decades of scholarly work and activism. She recognized that her notoriety could be put to a greater use for the common good. Similar to today, we see people leaning into the common good, and leaning into community activism as a way to stand strong and united against our neighbors being taken away, our children being afraid to go to school, and our local economies being put to the test.
Davis’s scholarship on the intersections of race, gender, and class has shaped how we understand oppression and resistance. She continues to teach us that freedom requires both dismantling harmful systems and building new ones rooted in care, education, and community support.
Right now, as communities face increased surveillance and enforcement, Davis’s vision feels more urgent than ever. Her work reminds us that acting despite fear means building movements, supporting each other, and refusing to accept systems that treat people as disposable.
Supporting your community might mean showing up for neighbors facing threats. It might mean educating yourself about the systems that harm the most vulnerable, or contributing your time and resources, or voice to organizations fighting for a world where the inherent dignity of all is recognized.
Angela Davis showed us that one person’s refusal to be silenced can spark a global movement. We honor her legacy by continuing to imagine and build a just world.
Stand with your community by building the world we deserve. Please give today to help Minneapolis communities survive these times.
Throughout this month, we will be sharing the stories of civil rights leaders who inspired people to act despite fear – people who were catalyzed in moments similar to this one. These are individuals who chose courage over comfort and action over silence. Their legacies remind us that transformation requires both vision and the willingness to fight for it, even when the outcome is uncertain.
Thurgood Marshall stands with his family, 1965. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Thurgood Marshall understood that the law could be either a weapon of oppression or an instrument for liberation. As special counsel for the NAACP, he won 29 of the 32 civil rights cases he argued before the Supreme Court, systematically dismantling the legal foundations of segregation. His greatest victory came in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education, when the Supreme Court declared “separate but equal” unconstitutional in public schools, essentially striking down Jim Crow laws.
Marshall refused to accept fear as a reason for inaction – much like what we are witnessing today – as he actively fought against segregation during a time when representing Black clients in civil rights cases could cost you your life. He faced death threats, hostile judges, and a legal system designed to preserve white supremacy. Marshall’s legacy extended beyond the courtroom. In 1967, he became the first Black Supreme Court Justice, where he continued to fight for affirmative action and civil liberties until his retirement in 1991. His life’s work proved that one person’s courage, multiplied across a movement, can transform society.
Right now, our communities face their own moments of fear and uncertainty. Increased ICE presence has created anxiety and fear in neighborhoods across Minneapolis. And yet we are seeing how communities are standing up, and leaders are pursuing legal action because of what men and women like Thurgood Marshall accomplished in the past.
This is when we must call on how Marshall and a movement of people transformed America’s evolution as a country. Change happens when people refuse to let fear stop them from acting, when communities come together to protect the most vulnerable among us, and when we use every tool at our disposal to defend dignity and justice.
Right now, supporting your community might mean checking on your neighbors. It might mean learning your rights and sharing that knowledge or volunteering your time or donating to organizations who are getting mutual aid to our communities, or simply showing up when it matters most.
Thurgood Marshall showed us that one person’s courage, multiplied across a movement, can transform society. We honor his legacy not just by remembering his victories, but by continuing the work he started.
Your gift today will help families who are unable to go to work and have had family members taken away with housing, utilities, and other vital needs.
We wanted to make sure you are all aware of a couple resources at the state to support populations that might feel particularly vulnerable during this time.
The Refugee and Immigrant Helpline, Refugee and Immigrant Helpline / Resettlement – Department of Human Services, is a connection to helpful information, resources and services in your community. Our navigators are here to provide support and guidance you can trust. We value your privacy. Not sure where to get started? Just ask, and we can help. We welcome every person and every question. If a navigator isn’t available right away, leave a voice message or send an email 24/7 to get a call back.
We are here to help
Additionally, for anyone that feels like they have been discriminated against because of their race, national origin, or other identity, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. This online form can be filled out to report incidents of discrimination, https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/.
North Market accepting donations for community:
📍North market | 4414 N Humboldt Ave | Minneapolis
📅 Mon-Fri 🕛 8:30am-9:30am
Items Accepted:
Full list of items needed: https://pillsburyunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Food-Shelf-Wishlist.pdf
Donations are distributed through Pillsbury United Communities (PUC)Food Shelves located at:
PUC- Brian Coyle Community Center
420 15th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55454
612-338-5282
PUC – Waite House Community Center
2323 11th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55404
612-721-1681
North Market is an Enterprise of Pillsbury United Communities.
In this moment we ask ourselves: how do we best show up for one another?
The answer: active radical care and love. What does that look like? For us that means standing firmly with our community; listening deeply and working in solidarity. Our centers and programs are open. Today we are working hard to meet the ever-increasing needs of our neighbors while facing the same threats ourselves. While we are not new to crisis, this manufactured chaos and lawless assault feels different. Here are some of the ways we are activating care and love:
On Saturday, January 17, a small group of anti-Muslim agitators and aggressors have planned an action in Minneapolis. We will be following the guidance of our partners in Cedar Riverside about how to support within the neighborhood where our beloved Brian Coyle Center stands as a second home to so many. We encourage our friends and allies to do the same.
Beginning on Tuesday, January 20, we will be collecting donations of food and provisions at North Market Monday – Friday from 8:30 AM-9:30 AM to help facilitate and disseminate support across our networks. This rapid response is one of many strategies we are using to help get food for people who are too afraid to leave their homes.
On Friday, January 23rd, labor unions, immigrant rights organizations, community groups and faith leaders across Minnesota are calling for a “Day of Truth and Freedom” — a statewide economic blackout with the call of no work, no school, no shopping to stand against federal immigration enforcement and honor the life of Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by a federal ICE officer in Minneapolis earlier this month. We will be closed in solidarity to support and hope you will join us.
Lastly, we are setting up a Rapid Response Fund. This fund will allow us to continue to provide food, space for legal representation, personal care items, community connection and critical services and resources for our community as we navigate this terror with care and love. We will continue to show up for our community in these ways because that is what being a loving and caring neighbor looks like.
Please stay connected and support one another during this moment of collective action.
In Solidarity,
Anthony Washington
President & CEO
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This morning, we witnessed the continuation of state sponsored terrorism as ICE agents murdered a member of our community near an elementary school in Powderhorn Park. Pillsbury House and Theatre (PH+T) and Pillsbury Creative Commons (PCC) are a mere three blocks away from the scene where at the same time staff witnessed ICE agents circulating our beloved community center.
As ICE continues to increase its violent presence in our communities, we encourage community members to support each other by ensuring loved ones are accounted for, and elders, children and vulnerable community members are in trusted locations. Despite the anger we are feeling, we ask our beloved South Minneapolis community to refrain from engaging armed ICE agents who appear to be willing to shoot unarmed people without provocation or cause.
We condemn these actions. We condemn the weaponization of law enforcement agents against ordinary people—people who work, live, raise their children, take care of our elders and contribute towards making Minneapolis and Minnesota one of the most desirable cities and states to live in. No one deserves to face death while expressing their dissent with government policies; no one deserves to die while picking their children up from school, purchasing groceries, or carrying out the duties of daily living.
The antidote to the fear and isolation being actively sown in our community is increased connection. We know that our actions of radical love and care will uphold our deep commitment to the very democratic ideals that have shaped our nation and continue to inspire so many people who seek refuge, freedom, and belonging.
While our individual actions may sometimes feel insignificant, our connection to one another in action, solidarity, and care can be a powerful force for healing and justice. We encourage all to embrace the neighbor and stranger alike, and to lean into our collective strength in support.
MIRAC – Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee: Emergency Vigil in Response to ICE Shooting
TODAY, January 7, 2026
5:00pm
E34th St and Portland Ave S
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CubZ9Kw2a/
Know Your Rights
Documenting and Responding to ICE https://pillsburyunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Documenting-and-Responding-to-ICE-12_03.pdf
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid: https://mylegalaid.org/
MN State Resources https://mn.gov/ombudfam/resources/immigration.jsp
Immigrant Advocates Network https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota https://www.lssmn.org/services/refugees/services/legal
CAIR MN https://cairmn.org/
Photos provided by Juan Coleman
Participating Organizations:
Pillsbury House + Theatre was abuzz with activity during the 2025 Summer Internship Showcase as community members gathered to see what our interns had been working on over the past few months. The theater itself was host to a vibrant program of readings and performances, while all throughout the building, interns had the opportunity to share the impact of their experiences in media, agriculture, fashion, and more. All in all, it was a day of learning, discovery, and celebration of the incredible achievements of our hardworking interns.
Youth Internships have always been a crucial part of Pillsbury United Communities’ ongoing efforts to prepare our communities’ youth for a wide range of career paths, and these summer internships were no exception. We are incredibly grateful for all of the interns who chose to spend their summer with us, as well as the community members and partners who make it possible for us to be able to offer these programs.
Photo Credit: David Pierini
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