The future of the Black Lives Matter movement in Minnesota

Nekima Levy-Pounds didn't consider herself an organizer for Black Lives Matter Minneapolis, she says, until she was charged as one.

Levy-Pounds, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas and the president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP, was charged last January in connection with the Black Lives Matter demonstration at the Mall of America.

"Once I saw my name on that list, I said, 'Okay, you're charging me as an organizer, so I'm going to become one.'"

Levy-Pounds has since acted as a spokeswoman for the group. She joined MPR News' Doualy Xaykaothao to discuss the Black Lives Matter movement in Minnesota and the group's plans going forward.

Police brutality and the income gap between white residents and African-American residents is of particular concern, Levy-Pounds said.

"Overall, in the state of Minnesota, we have a really solid reputation as being progressive, as being a place where people's incomes are generally higher than others of the country, where people have not only a good quality of life but an excellent quality of life," Levy-Pounds said. "The sad part is that that is true for white Minnesotans, not necessarily for people of color. A study came out by 24/7 Wall St. that ranked Minnesota as the second worst place in the country for African Americans to live."

The Minneapolis and St. Paul chapters of Black Lives Matter have been in the news in the last year for organized protests at public events. Levy-Pounds acknowledges that some people have had negative reactions to these events, but that has not discouraged the group from considering future demonstrations.

"Anyone who has studied the history of protests understands that protests can be disruptive, protests can be inconvenient, protests will disrupt the status quo and business as usual — that's the whole point."

To listen to the full discussion of Black Lives Matter in Minnesota, use the audio link above.