On February 16, a group of abolition organizations across the country released a historic declaration to divest from prisons and policing and build safer communities for all. It gained immense traction nationally, with prominent signatories from the public sector and mainstream unions. But what is the deeper meaning of this movement, and what has happened since the historic protests of the summer?

The closing of the Dauphin jail is a victory: keeping jails open is not a way to keep anyone safe, together with family, or to improve conditions in particular places. Now, The Manitoba NDP must either distinguish itself as a party genuinely committed to new politics, or confirm that it will continue with failed law and order politics which increased jail capacity by 52% while doubling the jail population during their 17-year hold on power.

Capitalism lives and breathes racism. It can’t survive without it. It picks it up, cultivates it, and injects it into everything. Because of this, the particular racial strategies of Winnipeg capitalists in 1919 are crucial for understanding the racism of our striking ancestors. In turn, this requires that we comprehend that those businessmen were the products of a specific racist tradition.