Becca Good, wife of Renee Good, the woman killed by ICE officers in Minneapolis on Wednesday, said in her first public statement on the tragedy that “Renee was made of sunshine,” and called upon people to honor her through kindness and love.
In the statement, shared with Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), Becca said that “kindness radiated” from her wife, who “had sparkles coming out of her pores.” She noted that “Renee was a Christian who knew that all religions teach the same essential truth: we are here to love each other, care for each other, and keep each other safe and whole.” She painted a picture of the two of them in their car with their 6-year-old son as they traveled to Minnesota to make their home, and the joy and community they had begun to experience there.
On Wednesday, they “stopped to support our neighbors,” Becca said. That’s when Renee was killed by an ICE agent.
Becca wrote of the three children Renee left behind, noting that their 6-year-old “already lost his father” (Renee’s second husband, who died in 2023). Renee also has a 12- and a 15-year-old from a previous marriage, living with other family.
Becca then explained:
I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him. That the people who did this had fear and anger in their hearts, and we need to show them a better way….
We honor her memory by living her values: rejecting hate and choosing compassion, turning away from fear and pursuing peace, refusing division and knowing we must come together to build a world where we all come home safe to the people we love.
I hope you will go read her words in full. I cannot imagine the grief that she and the whole family are experiencing, nor the strength and compassion Becca has to issue such a statement of love at a time when many of us would be raging (and maybe she is raging, too, but nevertheless chooses to show us her love).
There is so much to be done to repair our broken world. May we honor Renee’s legacy as Becca asks, and take action to make it better.
Since some of you may wish to support the family directly, I’ll note that a GoFundMe set up for them has already raised more than $1.5 million, and the organizers now say, “We’ve closed this GoFundMe and will place the funds in a trust for the family. If you’re looking to donate, we encourage you to support others in need.”
Go. Do. Love.