Maggie Lile, features editor

In the earlier weeks of November, a documentary screening event welcomed students into Hagfors for a night of thinking critically about Minneapolis’s history, as well as its future. The documentary, “Paradox: Echoes of Reform & the Minneapolis Police,” is split into 3 episodes. Made up of thorough research, interviews, and even archival footage, this project explores the reform—or lack thereof—in the Minneapolis Police Department, as well as the lead-up to George Floyd’s murder. 

“Many Americans think that the police provide public safety, when in fact, policing sometimes makes the public unsafe. Many presume that crime goes down when the number of cops goes up—but that is not the case,” stated Dr. Michael Lansing, a decorated author, modern-day historian and Augsburg faculty member. Examining the name of the series—“Paradox”—Lansing points out the paradoxes implied by the topic of police brutality. “Communities of color and queer communities have often experienced overpolicing while remaining underprotected,” he added. “Those are just three historical paradoxes that the film investigates.”

The event was co-hosted by the Sabo Center for Democracy, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Office of Faculty Development and the Department of History alongside Lansing. When asked why this event was important to him, Lansing said, “As a long-time faculty member at Augsburg, I know that our campus takes community connections seriously. The history of policing in Minneapolis—our city—is a critical piece of the story and experience of many people who live and work and study at Augsburg.” 

But, this event was not just a screening: it was also a space for open discussion. Throughout the film, attendants were invited to talk about the contents of the film. Lansing stated that he had a lot of amazing questions to answer, adding, “My favorite part was seeing so many Augsburg students interested in this absolutely critical history.” 

Joining Lansing and the Augsburg students was Daniel Bergin, an award-winning documentary filmmaker at Twin Cities Public Television. Bergin has produced many critical films focusing on the heavy histories in our area, such as “North Star: Minnesota’s Black Pioneers,” “Jim Crow of the North,” and “Flour Power,” which Lansing was actually interviewed for. “It was so great to have him there,” Lansing said. “Besides being a great filmmaker, Daniel is a great historian. So he was able to offer up some pretty great insights to all those who attended the event.”
If you missed the event, there will be screenings all across the Twin Cities area, which can all be found at https://www.overpolicedmsp.org/