Minneapolis event brings people together for a day of healing

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Saturday was a day for healing on Minneapolis' southside for the annual back in the day community festival at Phelps Field Park.

In the midst of the Back in the Day Community festival, organizers say they are trying to spread joy after a rough year due to COVID-19 and the death of George Floyd.

"We just really want to get people together," said Lisa Crawford, a co-organizer. "We thought about this because we get people together when we have funerals and we don’t see people for a while and then it’s like, ‘wow, we should get people together on a happy note.’"

It’s a yearly event that has been going for the last decade, but like so many other events, it was cancelled last year due to health concerns from the ongoing health crisis. This year’s theme is "What About The Children," inspired by the recent violence this past year.

"We’re losing our children while they’re outside playing innocently. We’re losing them to gun violence and they’re just playing outside innocently," Crawford said.

The event is not just about emotional wellness but physical health as well. Medical staff was on site to administer vaccines.

"The virus exposed the lack of healthcare in this community and other communities like it around the world," said Brother Shane Price, director of Power of People Leadership Institute. "We want to bring quality healthcare to the neighborhood."

Organizers say they plan to have more events like this one before the winter.