Brown Tones
A Progressive Voice in Regressive Times
Vol. 1 Special Issue 27 December 2002
Brown Spotlight: Brother Shane Price
This Brown Spotlight was to have appeared in the December 20, 2002 issue of
Brown Tones. Unfortunately, I did not receive the interview responses before
I left town for the Christmas holiday. I intended to include this Brown
Spotlight in the January 3, 2002 issue of Brown Tones, but due to the
timeline of the impending election, I have decided to produce a special
issue of Brown Tones featuring Brother Shane Price. Shane Price is the Third
Ward Green Party candidate for Minneapolis City Council.
In each issue of Brown Tones I will spotlight a person of color that is
working for change in his or her community. Some of the people spotlighted
you may know from reputation, others may be folks of whom you have never
heard. But, all those spotlighted will have one thing in common: an
uncompromising commitment to building a just world.
Shane Price, a long time peace and justice activist from North Minneapolis,
is running in a special election to replace former Minneapolis City Council
member Joe Biernat who resigned after being found guilty of exploiting his
office for personal gain. This is Shane Price�s second run for the
Minneapolis City Council. In 2001, he placed second, with 36% of the vote,
to Joe Biernat.
Shane Price, or Brother Shane as he is referred to by his neighbors and
friends, describes himself as a peacemaker, servant leader, mediator, and
community organizer. Brother Shane has worked for change in government,
education, community organizations, churches, and on the street for a
decade. He passionately organizes for and represents the values of social
and economic justice, non-violence, grass roots democracy, and environmental
wisdom.
Currently, Brother Shane works for Hennepin County. He coordinates the
African American Men Project (AAMP) where he manages a $500,000 budget and
staff of six. Brother Shane has also developed and implemented a state and
county sponsored peacemaking initiative to address child abuse and neglect
issues�the first of its kind in the country. Brother Shane also is the
director and co-founder of the Social Justice and Cultural Wellness Center,
a 501c3, where he has organized an annual Peace March since 1995. In his
work at the Social Justice and Wellness Center and through the Peace March,
Brother Shane has worked with thousands to begin healing the community from
wounds caused by prostitution, murder, drugs, unemployment, and apathy.
Brother Shane draws deeply on his own experience with the streets of North
Minneapolis and his spiritual beliefs to paint a picture of hope and justice
for the Third Ward.
I greatly appreciated the chance to communicate with Brother Shane�s
campaign. I asked Brother Shane to respond to five short questions
concerning his campaign, his work for peace and justice, city government,
and communities of color in Minneapolis.
Brown Tones: Currently, only one person of color, Natalie Johnson Lee,
serves on the City Council. What do you believe are the major roadblocks
keeping communities of color frombeing fully represented on the Council? How
will you deal with serving the needs of the 3rd Wardand also being (along
with CM Johnson Lee) the sole elected voices of communities of color incity
government? (Communities of color currently make up roughly 35% of the
population of Minneapolis).
Brother Shane: I believe that people who have been historically oppressed in
this country have internalized their oppression. I call this internalized
oppression the "Eternal Klansman". Some of us know the "Klansman exists and
some of us don't. It [Eternal Klansman] limits progress, opportunity, dreams
and steals away God's gifts. For those of us who don't know it exists, it
encourages negativity, laziness, procrastination, and the attitude that
someone else is to fight for your rights, handle your responsibility, raise
your kids, etc. because you do not believe you can do those things for
yourself. People that internalize this oppression have little or no hope
that there will be change. The Hope and Change message is hurry and get
free. Your first chance is December 30.
As one of the very few elected voices for communities of color I will offer
support and agreement with Natalie Johnson Lee who is already seated and
overwhelmed by hearing from people of color from every ward. They seek her
assistance because she is the "only one." I would provide her with an
opportunity to share the responsibility of hearing the joys and concerns of
the people of the City of Minneapolis.
The City of Minneapolis is a corporation. It is designed to do business and
provide services on your behalf. If you are a taxpayer you are a shareholder
in the corporation. As at taxpayer, you have a vested financial interest in
maintaining a quality of life for your children and your community. As in
every for profit corporation, there is a board of directors: the city
council is the duly elected board of directors of the City of Minneapolis.
When you become a director, you are a director put forth by a geographical
location that represent the divide of the corporation of the city of
Minneapolis, when you are a director you are a director of all of the
affairs of the corporation, not just the geographical location of the
section that put you forth. Your vote has implications for all of them.
Because other communities understand that more than we do, they will
financially support people who have an agenda that is more like theirs.
Looking at campaign contributions will show you what agenda's are being
advanced. It is not enough to be smart, you must be smart and make a
contribution.
Brown Tones: How long have you been active in the Green Party of
Minneapolis, and why did you choose to run on the Green Party ticket? How is
the Green Party different in the way it serves the needs of communities of
color in comparison to the DFL and the Republican Party?
Brother Shane: I've been involved with the Minneapolis 5th District Green
Party since 2000. The Green Party represents an alternative platform where
change and growth can take place. A place for people of color and whites to
connect and build together because it provides an opportunity for change.
The Green Party isn't necessarily different, the Green Party has egos,
agendas and it suffers from racism like any other party, but they [the Green
Party] seem more willing to be honest about some of those things than the
others do. The DFL gets stuck because of its own bureaucracy.
The Green Party has been at the forefront of every social justice issue that
has come down the pike in Minneapolis: highway 55, supporting Councilwoman
Natalie Johnson Lee when the Police Federation tried to get her to resign,
speaking out for Federal Mediation, speaking against Police Brutality. They
stepped up for social justice and endorsed Natalie Johnson Lee when the DFL
would not touch her, and they endorsed Shane Price whom the DFL would not
support. The Green Party has been at the center of political change where as
Democrats and Republicans lay back and allow business as usual. Mark Dayton
and Norm Coleman said nothing about [former Republican Senate Majority
Leader] Trent Lott, I would want to know where they stand. Having said all
of that, I am on a journey to find the right party for me and this is not to
say my journey is over. Green Party members have stepped up to provide
resources and people power to the Hope and Change campaign. To say that a
Black man is right for this job and that he can lead the community to
reconciliation and facilitate people to work together for our communities is
a courageous gesture.
Brown Tones: What do you believe are the top three immediate priorities
facing the city?
Brother Shane: The top three issues facing the city of Minneapolis are
creating a functional, strategic plan for Urban Redevelopment that has full
support of the city council, city department heads, state representatives
and state senators;
expanding localized economic opportunities; and creating new jobs and
bringing more young men and other people who have been excluded into the
development equation. The city is growing, and the population is growing and
developments are happening without people of color at the table.
Brown Tones: If elected, would you vote in favor of a resolution from the
City Council opposing a U.S. pre-emptive military strike against Iraq? And,
if the resolution were vetoed by Mayor Rybak (as he has promised to do),
would you vote to override his veto?
Brother Shane: I would vote for a resolution opposing a strike. That is not
an issue that will be decided at the city government table. It is important
for city government to weigh in. I would also vote to override a veto.
Even more importantly I support a resolution that supports the reparations
movement. Reparations are an ignored yet hugely important step in the
American healing equation. Making a formal apology for slavery will say much
about how far white and black people have come in their healing. It will say
that America is being honest with itself in its heartland. Part of the
disdain for America is that it says one thing overseas and does another when
it is convenient. Americans are not aware of the true image of Americans
abroad. So a formal apology will be the righteous and just thing to do.
Brown Tones: How do you see the city government working to offset the budget
cuts that will undoubtedly be coming down the line while still preserving
the safety nets needed to keep the city healthy? And how do you envision
involving the community in budget decisions over the next year?
Brother Shane: I have read the McKenzie report, and some things are clear
and some things are not so clear. What is clear is that there is some
duplication of services where the county and the city overlap. The City
Council and the [Hennepin County] Board of Commissioners need to pay more
attention to where they can work together. The city of the Minneapolis is
the county seat and they [Board of Commissioners and City Council] have to
work to keep the city strong.
They can do this by creating new jobs and getting young men engaged in
becoming taxpayers and shareholders in the city and by being intentional
about how new development dollars are spent and how city revenue is
strengthened.
I am not pessimistic about the budget. The sky is not falling. With the
community, I plan to work from a philosophy of strength. I will listen to
constituents who have the most to lose, and who are not currently involved
in the discussion. My campaign is a multicultural coalition. I plant to
utilize that coalition approach to work with the community to process items
and work together to respond to these issues.
Brown Tones: Thank you Brother Shane and Hope and Change campaign staff
member Angela Dawson for providing this interview to Brown Tones.
If you would like more information on Brother Shane and his campaign, you
can direct your web browser to www.shaneprice.org. And if you live in
Minneapolis� Third Ward, remember to vote this Tuesday, December 30, 2002.
At the time that the interview was conducted I was unaware that CM Robert
Lilligren (DFL) also identifies as a person of color. CM Lilligren is of
Native American descent.
Brown Tones Information
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Look for the next issue of Brown Tones on January 3, 2003.
� Copyright Brown Tones Media 2002
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