Rev. Shane Harris

CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER SHANE HARRIS TO DELIVER “STATE OF POVERTY” ADDRESS AT MLK DAY BREAKFAST

“Being America’s most expensive city is anti-Dr. King.”—Shane Harris

January 14, 2024  (San Diego) -- Civil rights leader Shane Harris and the People's Association of Justice Advocates  will serve hundreds of unsheltered individuals and low-income families with a free breakfast on Martin Luther King Day, January 15, from 9 a.m.to 11 a.m. at the Living Water Church, 1550 Market Street, San Diego.  Harris will give an MLK Day address announcing new policy efforts to combat poverty, calling new efforts to raise sales taxes in what has already been deemed America's most expensive city 'anti-MLK' as well as calling out San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria for failing to demonstrate dr. King's policies as San Diego further prices out the working class under his leadership 


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LAW ENFORCEMENT, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS CALL FOR REPEAL OF LAW HINDERING ANTI-TRAFFICKING EFFORTS

East County News Service

PHOTO: Shane Harris, President of the People's Association of Justice Advocates, speaks out as National City Police Chief Jose Tellez, anti-human trafficking advocate Marisa Ugarte, Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, National City Mayor Ron Morrison and Abdur Rahim Hameed, President of the National Black Contractors Association, look on.

 

March 22, 2023 (San Diego) – Civic leaders are urging Governor Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature to repeal Senate Bill 357, a recent law which decriminalized loitering with the intent to sell sex.  Elected officials, police chiefs and civil rights leaders say that far from protecting victims of sex trafficking, the law has created opportunities for perpetrators to exploit vulnerable minors.

 

At a press conference in late February in San Diego, officials including California Attorney General Bonta, San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit, National City, CA Police Chief Jose Tellez and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan discussed how this law has made it even more difficult to address human trafficking. 


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THREE KINGS BARBERSHOP IN LEMON GROVE ANNOUNCES FREE HAIRCUTS FOR FOSTER YOUTHS IN MAY

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Harris along with Three Kings Barber Shop Dandre Moore (left) and David Brown (right), courtesy of People’s Association of Justice Advocates.

May 16, 2022 (Lemon Grove) -- May is National Foster Care Month.  The People's Association of Justice Advocates (PAJ) and the Three Kings Barbershop in Lemon Grove are teaming up to provide haircuts free of charge to current and former foster youths up to age 21 during the month of May. Each haircut will save young people between $30-45.


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CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER CALLS FOR RACIAL BREAKDOWN OF JAIL DEATHS

By Miriam Raftery

February 9, 2022 (San Diego) – Last week, the California State Auditor affirmed that over 185 people have died in San Diego County jails from 2006-2020. Today, the People’s Association of Justice Advocates (PAJ) called for a racial breakdown of those deaths as well as data on how many of those who died ever came before a judge.


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NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST SHANE HARRIS LAUNCHES NEW COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC STRATEGY FIRM

East County News Service

Photo: S. Harris Communications has a mission to serve businesses, nonprofits and individuals who have struggled with a media presence.  According to Harris, the company is believed to be the only Black-owned communications firm locally.

November 11, 2021 (San Diego) -- Rev. Shane Harris, a national civil rights activist and President of the People's Association of Justice Advocates, recently announced that he is entering into private sector business with the launch of S Harris Communications.  With the new endeavor, Harris says he aims to take skills he learned as a young activist in developing an “unorthodox communications strategy” into the private sector to train creators, nonprofits and businesses who have struggled to build their communications strategies and are historically left out of being covered in the media.


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LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEADERS REACT TO GUILTY VERDICTS IN DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL FOR KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD

By Miriam Raftery

Updated with reactions from the President and Vice President

Photo, left: Screenshot via CNN, Derek Chauvin is remanded into custody after verdict
 
April 20, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – Local social justice advocates voiced gratitude for today’s jury verdict in Minneapolis, where a jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts (second degree murder, third degree murder, and manslaughter) in the death of George Floyd. But activists also cautioned that more action is needed to bring about reforms in policing to prevent future injustices.
 
After video of Floyd’s death under the knee of officer Chauvin on May 25, 2020 went viral on social media, protests erupted nationwide including La Mesa, Santee and El Cajon in San Diego’s East County.
 
Francine Maxwell, President of the NAACP San Diego branch, called the verdict “a step in the right direction.” In her statement, she adds, “This has taught my son today what hope looks like, that when police don’t obey the law, this is what justice looks like. This police officer, who joined a noble profession, he was not noble. He operated under the color of the law.”

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FEARING UNREST AFTER ELECTION, LEADERS CALL FOR CIVILITY

By Miriam Raftery

November 3, 2020 (San Diego) – With some downtown businesses boarding up over concerns about potential civil unrest once national election results are announced, a coalition of civil rights and business leaders today held a press conference calling on elected leaders to sign a civility pledge to urge  a civil and safe election regardless of the results. 


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CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER SHANE HARRIS RECOVERS FROM COVID-19, RETURNS TO NATIONAL STAGE TO FIGHT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE

East County News Service 

Photo, left:  Rev. Shane Harris during George Floyd march on bridge in Minnesota in late May

 

June 18, 2020 (San Diego) – Rev. Shane Harris, president of the People’s Alliance for Justice, spent two weeks in quarantine battling COVID-19.  Today, the nationally known civil rights leader based in San Diego announced he has tested negative and is returning to the public to lead multiple reforms ad proposals on inequalities in policing, racial justice and COVID-19.


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GOV. NEWSOM ANNOUNCES $42 MILLION TO PROTECT FOSTER YOUTHS IMPACTED BY COVID-19

Rev. Shane Harris, local advocate for foster children, calls on Governor to extend foster care 180 days for youths aging out of the system

By Miriam Raftery

 

File photos:  Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rev. Shane Harris



April 13, 2020 (San Diego) – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a $42 million investment to protect foster youths and foster families impacted by COVID-19over the next three months, including $40.6 million in state general fund money and $1.4 million in federal funds.

 

The Governor is making more than $27 million available to help families stay together, nearly $7 million to support social workers and $3 million to support Family Resource Centers, among other expenditures.


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REV. SHANE HARRIS LEADS SUCCESSFUL EFFORT TO DOCUMENT FOSTER YOUTHS IN HOMELESS COUNT AND CHAMPION REFORMS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Rev. Shane Harris, courtesy of the People's Alliance for Justice

January 19, 2020 (San Diego) – Rev. Shane Harris, a former foster care youth, is emerging as a powerful voice for documenting and improving conditions for foster youths and those who have aged out of the foster care system.

He recalls turning 18 and being instantly homeless. “They dropped me off at B Street in downtown San Diego with an emancipation letter and one bag of clothes,” he has stated.” It wasn’t his first bout of homelessness. Harris had entered foster care at age 8, lost both parents, and ran away from one foster home earlier, winding up sleeping on the streets and couches of friends for six months. Now he wants to spare other young people from suffering similar ordeals.


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EAST COUNTY FOSTER CARE TOWN HALL AND TURKEY GIVEAWAY WED. IN EL CAJON

 

 

East County News Service

November 21, 2019 (El Cajon) – The People’s Alliance for Justice and its president, national civil rights activist Rev. Shane Harris, will host a town hall forum on foster care disparity Wednesda,Nov. 27 at 6:30 p.m. (check in at 5 p.m.) at the Choice Harvest CHurch, 760 Palm Ave. in El Cajon.

Free turkeys will be provided to attendees. Call 619-354-8051 to RSVP for the turkey giveway.

You’re invited to the free event to learn about injustices in the foster care system, hear from foster youths and professional to discuss changes they believe are needed

This event will be moderated by East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery.  Call (619)354-8051 to RSVP and register for a free turkey, or email paj@peoplesallianceforjustice.net.


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LISTEN NOW: OUR INTERVIEW WITH REV. SHANE HARRIS ON MONDAY’S MARTKIN LUTHER KING DAY MARCH AND TAKING BACK DR. KING’S DREAM IN SAN DIEGO

 

East County News Service

Hear our interview, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM radio, by clicking the audio link.

January 13, 2017 (San Diego) –  Rev. Shane Harris with the National Action Network (NAN) aims to reclaim Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream here in San Diego, the eighth largest city in the U.S. , starting with a local MLK march on Monday.  This week, in an exclusive interview with East County Magazine on KNSJ,  Rev. Harris shared his concerns and visions for the future.

“What we’ve seen with the Democrats and Republicans nationally and statewide is they will run around touting Dr. King, but they don’t understand his dream and vision,” Rev. Harris explains. “Dr. King died for a poor people’s campaign.  He was getting ready to lead a poor people’s march in Washington D.C. when he was killed.”

Audio: 

Interview with Rev. Shane Harris on MLK March 2017

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