David and Earl and the list. Yes we need to acknowledge our activists. It
shows people that you do not need to hold eleective office to make a
differnce. Below is a suggestion I made last fall and again last winter.
RT said it was a good idea. I'm still waiting for a few more people to
speak up. It's time to push the Library Board, Library implementation
committee and Architect to see this happen
p.s. i'm really tied up with my real work and have little time to devote to
this so I NEED HELP!
...orig. message.......
Below is a draft of the beginning of a proposal that
probably should go to the New Library Implementation Committee and a few
local foundations.
We are lucky that Nellie Stone Johnson had a city-wide, even state-wide
visibility. We are actually going to honor her for being an activist.
But what about all those neighborhood activists that have made this city
great but haven't risen to the visibility of Nellie. Every neighborhood
has them but no one beyond the neighborhood knows who the are or what they
did. If we don't honor these people--if we don't make these people
visible--we run the risk that people will think you have to be
extraordinary (like Nellie) to have an effect.
Here's the idea: Last year I was in Chicago and the conference center of
one of the downtown colleges has a hall of neighborhood activists. About
ten activists from Chicago neighborhoods were featured. Each had a
sculpture, a painting, and a short description of what they did. It was
one of the most powerful public art exhibitions I've ever seen.
The new Minneapolis Downtown Library is planned to have a "significant
public space." Lets take the Chicago idea and expand on it:
"The Nellie Stone Johnson Hall of Community Activists."
A statue of Nellie Stone Johnson as you enter the building. Then in the
first year we start with five activists, each with a sculpture, painting
and story. Every three or four or five years, we add an activist.
Here's the first rule for picking the activists: Except for Nellie, no one
who was elected to office can qualify.
_______________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy
Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more:
http://e-democracy.org/mpls
