WILL ALSOP'S SUPERCITY

Lake Street Speaks is a photographic collection of the street art that emerged in Minneapolis, Minnesota following the murder of George Floyd. Set with the verse of Minneapolis poet Rashaunea Ambers Winston, this 78-page soft-covered book memorializes the community's reaction to the unjust police murder of a black man that inspired Minneapolis and the world to raise its voice for social justice.

My name is Susan Shields, and I have spent thirty years building a thriving textile manufacturing business from my basement up. In 2017 I began using my years of experience and know-how to pay it forward to other young women starting in business. After the murder of George Floyd when the pain felt in her city of Minneapolis and world-wide emerged in the city's street art, I wanted to save the temporary art for future generations and support the BIPOC community. This book is the result. 100% of the profits support Minneapolis BIPOC female-owned or run nonprofits.

My name is Rashaunea Ambers-Winston, and I was born and raised in North Minneapolis. My love for poetry started when I was young. I've always had strong bonds with my English teachers, and that's why my passion for writing kept me going. Writing was a way of healing for me because I was able to write down my emotions which brought me relief. In 2016, my oldest brother was murdered due to gun violence, and this caused many battles as I had to grieve and continue in school. But one thing I did know is that writing created a safe place when it came to expressing my deepest emotions. Life comes with many unexpected situations but we must hold on to joy, and hope. Over the years, my journey in writing has grown in many ways such as writing about the injustice that African Americans face in an unfair world. We matter, and speaking about our truth matters too.

Principal Mauri Friestleben, from North High School in north Minneapolis introduced Rashauanea and Susan. Over the year following the murder of George Floyd, Rashaunea and Susan began a friendship and journey to create Lake Street Speaks.