>> Eric: AS IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT HAS SURGED AROUND THE STATE MANY SMALL BUSINESSES ARE FACING FINANCIAL CHALLENGES.

EARLIER THIS WEEK THE MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCED NEARLY 30 MINNESOTA COMPANIES HAVE DONATED ABOUT $4 MILLION TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES NAVIGATE THESE CHALLENGES.

RT RYBAK HEADS UP THE MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION.

FORMER MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR HAS BEEN URGING COMPANIES TO STEP UP AND HELP.

WELCOME, MAYOR.

THE 60 CORPORATION LETTER THAT WAS SENT OUT URGING COOPERATION -- I WONDER HOW YOU SEE THE CORPORATE COMMUNITY'S INVOLVEMENT GOING.

>> YEAH.

WELL, THAT WAS A ASSOCIATION TRYING TO GET A CONSENSUS WHICH IS ALWAYS TOUGH BUT I THINK THAT WAS PRETTY UNIVERSALLY DISMISSED AS NOT SAYING MUCH, HONESTLY.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE IS SATURDAY AFTER THE MURDER I CALLED A COUPLE PEOPLE WHO WERE EX-CEOS, DOUG BAKER AND DAVE M CLENNAN AND CALLED FOR HELP IN GETTING BUSINESS LEADERS INVOLVED, CHRISTOFF FROM ECOLAB AND FROM MEDTRONIC AND GOT ON THE PHONE AND WITHIN ABOUT A DAY AND A HALF THEY HAD 20 DIFFERENT LEADERS, NOW 27, AND THEY'VE PUT IN OW $4 MILLION, WHICH IS GREAT.

IT IS A GREAT START.

THED >> Cathy: HOWEVER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CORPORATIONS THAT ARE MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR COMPANIES.

>> AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN INCREDIBLY SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY AND OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES.

REMEMBER WHEN GEORGE FLOYD WAS MURDERED WE DID SOMETHING SIMILAR AT THE MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION.

COUPLE LEADING BUSINESS LEADERS, MORTENSON, ROD YOUNG FROM DELTA DENTAL STEPPED UP AND PUT MONEY IN A POT AND SLOWLY OTHERS CAME ALONG.

WE WOUND UP EVENTUALLY RAISING 15 MILLION, 35 FROM THE STATE, INVESTED IN SMALL BUSINESS AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO AGAIN.

GOOD START, WE NEED A LOT MORE.

>> Eric: DIFFERENCE IN MINNEAPOLIS, GEORGE FLOYD REACTION TO THE I.C.E.

REACTION.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS A DIFFERENCE?

>> YEAH, IT'S SUCH A GOOD QUESTION, ERIC.

BECAUSE THESE ARE TWO INCIDENTS THAT SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON THIS ONE CITY AND YET THEY COULDN'T BE MORE DIFFERENT.

GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER WAS A SHOCK TO EVERYONE, CAME OUT OF THE BLUE.

IT WAS BASICALLY A WAR AMONGST OURSELVES, AND E REALLY NEEDED TO LOOK EACH OTHER IN THE EYE AND ASK SOME PRETTY TOUGH QUESTIONS.

AND THOSE DIVISIONS I THINK TO A DEGREE STAYS 'TIL THIS DAY.

THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT.

SAW IT COMING, INVESTING A LOT IN THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, OUR FOUNDATION AND OTHERS, AND THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE WOUND UP DOING A LOT OF WORK IN KEEPING THE PEACE IN THIS COMMUNITY, MORE IMPORTANT, THIS IS EALLY I THINK BEEN A UNIFYING EVENT BECAUSE IN SPITE OF INCREDIBLE CAPITULATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD WITH BULLYING THAT'S COME OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE, THIS COMMUNITY HAS STOOD TOGETHER AND SUDDENLY NOW THE ENTIRE WORLD IS LOOKING AT US ALMOST EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEY SAW AS OFTEN A DYSFUNCTIONAL -- THIS IS NOW -- NOT ONLY THE CITY AND THE WHOLE STATE, SPRINGSTEEN IS ONE OF THE MANY -- >> Cathy: WHO WAS HERE EARLIER TODAY AT FIRST AVENUE.

>> HE WAS.

BUT -- PEOPLE SEE THAT THE IDEA WHEN YOU HAVE A BULLY TRYING TO DO SOMETHING AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE AS VIOLENT AS BULLIES FROM I.C.E.

HAVE BEEN DOING, WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS STAND TOGETHER.

IF YOU'RE AFRAID, HOLD YOUR NEIGHBOR'S HAND, AND THIS IS THE MOST -- I HAVE HONESTLY NEVER BEEN MORE PROUD OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR STATE.

AND IT'S BECAUSE WE ARE PROVING TO THE WORLD THAT WHEN SOMEBODY TRIES TO ISOLATE PEOPLE AND BULLY THEM OVER HERE, IF YOU STAND TOGETHER AGAINST A BULLY, MINNEAPOLIS AND MINNESOTA ARE SHOWING THE WORLD.

>> Cathy: I UNDERSTAND OU HAVE PARTICIPATED IN SOME OF THE PROTESTS, IS THAT RIGHT >> I ABSOLUTELY -- >> Cathy: WHAT SPURRED YOU INTO THE STREETS?

YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT.

>> FRANKLY ALWAYS HAVE DONE THAT, CITY HALL AND GOT THIS FOUNDATION JOB BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO GO OUT AND EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT SOMETIMES THINGS LIKE NIGHT FLIGHTS AT THE AIRPORT WHEN I DID A PAJAMA PARTY AT THE AIRPORT YEARS AGO.

OR NOW WHEN YOU SEE SOME REALLY HORRIBLE THINGS HAPPENING N THIS COMMUNITY.

I MEAN, WHEN YOU, WHEN I BEGAN GOING TO PROTESTS THIS YEAR, IT WAS KIND OF PEOPLE MY AGE, HONESTLY.

THIS IS VERY, VERY DIFFERENT NOW.

AND SO WHEN YOU WALK AROUND A PROTEST LIKE TODAY YOU'LL TALK TO PEOPLE FROM ALL AGES, ALL BACKGROUNDS, BUT A CLEAR SENSE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING STRONGER AND STRONGER AND STRONGER, WE'VE BEEN IN THE COLD, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING, BUT THEY'RE STAYING IN THERE.

AND THE REAL COOL THING IS GO TO ANY COFFEE SHOP RIGHT NOW AND WHAT YOU SEE IS YOU'LL SEE A WHOLE STACK OF DIAPERS AND HOME GOODS THAT PEOPLE ARE DELIVERING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE AFRAID TO GET OUT OF THEIR HOUSE.

THEY'RE ORGANIZING TO GO TO CHILDCARE OR CHOOLS AND PARENTS ARE SURROUNDING THAT, THESE ARE THE HEROES.

THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE STREET TODAY BUT THERE WAS ONE PERSON HOLDING A SIGN ON A ORNER TODAY ALL BY THEMSELVES, EVERYBODY IS GETTING UP OFF THE COUCH WHICH I THINK FOR MOST OF THIS YEAR PEOPLE DIDN'T DO.