Jim Graham asked (sic):
"Can anyone tell me anything else, anything at all, Page has done in his life, and for our City, that would make us vote to have him represent us in the United States Senate. It may be that I was just to busy with a young family at the time to notice anything that Page did after football but before being "elected", but I seem to be ignorant of anything. I am open to be convinced however, if someone can tell me something."
EO - That's an easy one. Alan Page "gets it" when it comes to racism and disparity. Plus, he knows the law, and knows how it is used to perpetuate institutional racism.
Justice Page established the Page Education Foundation (http://www.page-ed.org), which funds Page Scholars. Page Scholars uses a combination of incentives, including college scholarships and community service requirements to encouage students of color to stay in school and pursue post-secondary degrees. There have been over 2,300 students who are Page Scholars, almost exclusively in the Twin Cities (http://www.page-ed.org/achievements.html). Those 2,300 students have given 165,000 hours of community service.
The Spokesman ran a good article last year: http://www.spokesman-recorder.com/News/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=41449&sID=23
From the article:
�Discrimination begins with trying to act as though we live in a colorblind society, when we don�t,� Page said. He added that attempts to make the law racially neutral have in some ways contributed to the problem.
�People of color are coming through the door disproportionately high, and when you follow the cases to the end, that disparity increases,� he said.
The Minnesota prison population reflects this increase. �Our prison system is made up of just about 48 to 49 percent African Americans,� Page said.
Page serves on a race bias task force aimed at eliminating bias from the courts. �We�ve made progress, but sometimes it�s frustrating because we haven�t made enough progress,� he said.
(snip)
Many of the students at the presentation were inspired by Page�s life, his ability to become a judge after playing professional football, and his commitment to giving back to the community.
Trumaine Lindsey, Jr., a sophomore sociology student, said that Page�s focus on education showed him the importance of what you can do with an education.
�A lot of people need to hear the message that he had,� Lindsey said. �If they have a role model like Alan Page and they hear his message, it can give them that extra boost when they feel like they don�t have any more left in themselves,� he added.
Page established the Alan Page Foundation and the Page Scholars Program to challenge minority youth in the Twin Cities to stay in school and pursue postsecondary education.
�I learned from his lifestyle that I have to make a difference,� said Derrick Binney, a sophomore journalism student. �Seeing him make it lets me know that I can make it, and in turn I reach out my hand to help other people,� he added.
EO - I would also suggest reading the Commencement speech he gave at St. Olaf last year if you would like a glimspe of his strength of character:
http://www.stolaf.edu/news/speeches/page.html
Is there anyone, anyone in the US Senate right now, other than perhaps Obama of Ill., who is willing to speak to the issue of persistant, institutional racism? Justice Page is an amazing man. He would make an amazing Senator.
Eric Oines Lind-Bohanon North Minneapolis
"One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means."
~ Martin Luther King Jr., Agitator
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