The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence, and the Politics of Policing in America was published in May 2024 with Princeton University Press. The book traces the history of the MPD, from its founding through to the murder of George Floyd and attempts to "end" policing as we know it in Minneapolis. As this history shows, the record-breaking mobilization in the 2020 emerged not from a single moment of rage, but decades of organizing efforts. Yet the politics of transforming policing proved more complex than they first appeared, with the two visions of police---as both a threat and potential form of protection---thwarted transformation. The book takes stock of what changed, and what remained the same, in Minneapolis' approach to public safety in that aftermath.

You can read the preface and introduction for free through De Gruyter. For press coverage, scroll down. If you're reading The Minneapolis Reckoning with a book club, check out these Discussion Prompts. For academic reviews of the book, see Sociology of Race and Ethnicity (Krasnicki, 2025), American Journal of Sociology (Vitale, 2024), Punishment & Society (Steel, 2024), and Law & Social Inquiry (Gordon, 2024).

In 2025, The Minneapolis Reckoning won the Emilie Buchwald Award for Minnesota Nonfiction at the Minnesota Book Awards.

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Book Praise

“The Minneapolis Reckoning is a timely, thought-provoking examination of the larger context that led to the murder of George Floyd by police in May 2020 and the resulting struggle for reform. Michelle Phelps takes readers on a journey from the streets of Minneapolis to the corridors of power, unraveling a complex tapestry of competing interests and contests over public safety. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the problem of policing and its possible solutions.”

—Elizabeth Hinton, author of America on Fire: The Untold History of Police Violence and Black Rebellion since the 1960s 

“Overpoliced yet underprotected, Black communities have long pushed for better policing. The Minneapolis Reckoning highlights the political processes, bureaucratic mechanisms, and self-interests that make police reform so difficult and so necessary. Anyone concerned about the perpetual crisis of American policing should read this book, which is likely to become a definitive guide to the nation’s 2020 uprising.”

—Victor Ray, author of On Critical Race Theory: Why It Matters and Why You Should Care