FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
A SEAT FOR EVERYONE : The Freedom Guide that Explores a Vision for America.
Ron Edward's second book now available, from Beacon on the Hill Press, Minneapolis, March 12, 2008 For more information contact: Beacon on the Hill Press, books@beacononthehill Ron Edwards: the last man standing. Traditional Black organizations (NAACP, Urban League, churches, leadership forum) have lay down in acquiescent silence. Indeed, the NAACP national expelled Ron Edward for standing up and not being silent. Once young and energetic civil rights leaders have atrophied and become keepers of the status quo they once fought against bringing the civil rights movement to a standstill in the inner city. To once again to get a feel for what it is to stand, read A Seat for Everyone Silent Star Tribune and main stream media : They don't want you to read all the news, only the news they want you to read. Ron Edwards provides you with the news they won't. Ron discusses the major status quo areas that show little or no progress: inner city education, jobs, housing and public safety. Ron walks his readers through these key areas and references additional resources and background on his web site Unrest, disturbance: status quo price Minneapolis is willing to pay . Stated in his 2002 book it is still true with his 2008 book, as the City's refusal to comply and claiming there is no need anyway as no discrimination exists or has occurred in the areas in which it denies despite actively discriminating: city hiring, poorer education, fewer opportunities for housing and worse operations in public safety in the inner city and in the City/MPD's treatment of its Black officers. Minneapolis is so delusional that it has defined "minorities" to include so many that it proudly boasts it can now comply with minority hiring without having to hire Blacks. Combining printing with online: A unique feature is that Ron's book "marries" online use with traditional book publishing. The book succinctly presents its argument in less than 100 pages. This slim volume (literally, as this is easy to put it in your pocket and carry around for easy reference) includes five sample columns and one blog essay and lists of additional columns that can be found in the archive of www.theminneapolisstory . Ron Edwards continues to pulls the covers back , exposing the plantation mentality and actions, and then shines a Beacon of hope for rising above the current lows in inner city education, jobs, housing, and public safety. To the solution suggestions in his book of 2002, he offers a unque approach to bring education, jobs, housing and public safety to the inner city by combining satellite classes of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBUs) in the inner city with mentoring programs by inner city churches and community organizations willing to stand up for Black youth and feed them to HCBUs, while city government and its teachers unions figure continue to lie down and not stand up. ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BLACK AMERICAN ACTIVIST TELLS IT LIKE IT IS: Ron Edwards, well known civil rights and community activist, connects the dots to bring an understanding of the purposeful segregation and discrimination that he has witnessed, personally experienced, and fought against in Minneapolis over the past 40 years. In his newly released book, The Minneapolis Story, Through My Eyes, he provides 18 riveting chapters and 16 enlightening short Interludes of significant historical happenings, as he discusses throughout, how Minneapolis, one of the whitest cities in America has operated. Ron writes about what the great Pulitzer prize winning author James Baldwin called America’s systematic efforts "to keep Black people in their place."
Ron Edward’s biggest concern is for the war America is waging on young Black men and the systematic denial of this by so-called Black organizations that have become so irrelevant that no Black under 25 would give a dime for either the NAACP or the Urban League, who have become part of the problem, not the solution, as they collude with the city powers to keep poor Blacks down on the Mississippi’s Grandest Liberal Plantation. Ron Edwards book is destined to be a best seller as he brings to America an authentic voice of the everyday Black person In The Minneapolis Story, Ron Edwards connects the dots for the reader, acting as a beacon on the hill shining the light of truth. Ron Edwards brings a welcome relief to stand against the kind of self-serving and self-enriching proclamations of such self-appointed Black leaders. Sometimes like a voice in the wilderness, Ron Edwards never takes his eyes off the prize of equality’s freedom. And yet, as clear as it is that he doesn’t like the racist system of Minneapolis, it is also clear that he loves his city, its people, and that he brings a joy of living to the work he has done as a community advocate. Ron Edwards reflects those historic and legendary Black men who despite the station forced on them in life by their White overlords, could still find grace and dignity, respect and honor, in meaningful life of purpose supporting the civil rights and human rights causes. He doesn’t mix up the competing warriors fighting over the government and foundation monies. Blacks are the focus. Ron respects all legitimate minorities, and some of them have legitimate issues, but none come close to the issue of the centuries long discrimination against the Black man. Nonetheless, Ron Edwards finds way to address the situation in Minneapolis throughout the book, and provides concrete ways for evaluating how to develop "a better future" of "positive possibilities." He not only provides ways for people to talk the walk, he brings all of his suggestions together at the end of the book for all of those who want solid, positive suggestions for walking the talk. The Minneapolis Story will open your eyes and hearts. We hope it also opens you up to follow the positive action Ron outlines for all the peoples of Minneapolis to work and play and be in community together.
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Ron
Edwards thoroughly engages his reader in what will become known as
a must read not just in the Black community, but for all people who
want to see just how a city operates and what is behind a city’s
willingness to pay the price of unrest and disturbances in order to
deny Blacks adequate education (keeping Blacks in poor schools and
thus not competitive with suburban kids), housing (the Holmann project
as an example of razing Black housing in order to create White housing),
and job opportunities (purposefully denying Black contractors and Black
workers), as Whites systematically try everything, from gerrymandering
to court records tampering to stealing (shredding?) files to buying
off Black leadership to the theft of Black wealth and property, to
carrying out a war against young Black men to holding the University
higher than people, to manipulating the electoral process to a whole
range of corrupt practices, including setting up the mostly Black team,
the NFL Vikings, to be run out of town. The Minneapolis Story is not
just a tell all, it is an explain all, as Ron connects the dots to
explain the systematic efforts to deny Blacks equal access and equal
opportunity. But this is not just a Black story, for, as Ron Edwards
says, if they can do this to Blacks they can certainly also do it to
Whites who are not wealthy, powerful, or connected.