With about 5 weeks until the September 13 Primary, I am launching a Cyber-Campaign for the Minneapolis Public Library Board. I will be sending weekly emails with information about me, my ideas for improving our Library system, and the philosophy that informs my campaign, prefaced by the inspiring works of local and national authors. I ask that you please forward this email to as many folks living in Minneapolis as possible!
A New Humanity Andrea Jenkins, Hosmer neighborhood (Honorable mention in the "Home Sweet Home" Poetry Competition) A man once said "I have a Dream" but you can't buy a house with a dream you can't feed those babies with a dream but/ you can't achieve those things without a dream So, what are we talkin' about here, today? we are talkin' about how we are gon' stop the disproportionate lock down of our brothers and sisters we are talking about how we gon' get those drugs out of our communities we are talkin' about how we gon' help lil' Johnnie learn to read, how we gon' help Miss Jackson buy that house that she has dreamed about, how we gon' become owners rather than consumers, how we gon' take control of our own lives, for the sake of those yet to come, we are talkin' about a New Humanity So I say to you today my friends Dream big Dreams Dream the world Then wake up and act. I am running for Minneapolis Library Board because I recognize our libraries as the single most important social institution that facilitates human liberation. Not only can Johnny - and Jasmine - learn to read by checking out that stack of books that their parents could never afford to buy, listening to Story Hour, getting help with homework, and developing a life-long love of books, but Johnny and Jasmine can learn that they have the mind-power to change the systems of racist injustice, gender supremacy and class privilege that keep their families locked out of prosperity and peaceful co-existence with all other species on this planet. Libraries are the gate to truth, consciousness, self-education and the transformative power of knowledge. When libraries are devastated, as ours have been in Minneapolis over these last several years, our access to information is limited in an unacceptable manner. We the people have to have open, accessible, programmatically rich and free libraries!!! I will work to open the Minneapolis Library system seven days a week, to secure an equitable balance of access to technology and creative, dynamic programs that will increase patronage in our community libraries, to protect the rights and health of staff, to enrich our collections and acquisitions, to serve communities most in need of libraries - youth, poor and working class folks, the homeless, and elders, and to organize library lovers and users into a formidable advocacy force that will demand that our city and state fund this essential and critical institution on a plentiful and continual basis! Please look out next week for my Funding Plan!! forward ever, Samantha Smart Candidate for Minneapolis Public Library [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.home.earthlink.net/~smartlibraries2005/ REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
