Political Profile: April Brown, Candidate for Providence City Council in the 9th Ward
GoLocalProv Political Team
Political Profile: April Brown, Candidate for Providence City Council in the 9th Ward
1. What do you think is the biggest political issue this campaign season in Providence?
The issues that Providence is facing are not single issues; they are complex and often intertwined. My focus is on being the voice of and with Ward 9 residents as we tackle environmental justice, housing security, and job equity. The issues in my ward are happening in other wards and we hope for collaboration to face them.
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2. What do we need to do to improve Providence's economy?
We need a council person in all wards who has the strength to support small business growth, increase job training, facilitate creation of employment opportunities to earn a living wage and fight for equal pay, regardless of gender or race. Our neighbors are working hard, often at multiple jobs, to support themselves, their families, and community. As elected officials, it’s imperative that we find ways to help move them closer to these goals.
3. What is the greatest challenge facing Providence as a city?
Housing insecurity is a challenge we have been watching unfold in Providence for years. We are watching rents increase with little to no accompanying job or pay increases. We can talk about jobs, the environment, and many other challenges but we cannot ignore that residents are living in homes that are not always well maintained, safe or affordable. We have to change this!
4. Why are you running for office? What makes you uniquely qualified?
My love for Providence as an entrepreneur, artist, interim Director of the Racial & Environmental Justice Committee and co-director of the annual Langston Hughes Community Poetry Readings has allowed me to see the city from many angles. Ward 9 has been my home for almost 50 years and the well-being of the neighbors and neighborhoods it encompasses are important to me. Our Ward, our City, deserves someone who will fight to give them a full-throated voice at City Hall. That’s my promise when I join the City Council.
5. Who is your inspiration?
Community activism is in my blood. My mother, 80-year-old Grace Brown, who has vowed never to leave Ward 9, was a founding member of Direct Action for Rights and Equality (D.A.R.E.) in Providence. I grew up understanding that you honor yourself, your family and your community and continue to do work that aligns with my values and hopes for Ward 9 and all of Providence.
All socials: @aprilforward9
Bio: April Brown is an entrepreneur, artist, interim Director of the Racial & Environmental Justice Committee, and co-director of the annual Langston Hughes Community Poetry Readings in Providence. She has community activism in her blood;her mother, 80-year-old Grace Brown, who has vowed to never leave Ward 9 and April helps care for, was a founding member of Direct Action for Rights and Equality (D.A.R.E.). Brown’s experience includes being an ordained minister and former teacher, education administrator, artist programmer and college counselor. More specifically, here in Rhode Island, she has worked with the State for its drinking water quality initiative, with Rhode Island Black Storytellers and the National Association of Black Storytellers as the African Marketplace director; and with Turnaround Arts: Providence as its local program director. She is a published poet, acclaimed singer and actress who has performed in the United States, Japan and Israel. Brown holds a Bachelors of Arts (BA) degree from the American University, in Washington, DC, and a Master’s in Education from the University of Rhode Island. It's no wonder that when asked, she served in several community-at-large leadership positions for arts and civics organizations. She has also served as a board member of Community Music Works and is a member of the Special Committee for Commemorative Works for Providence and other boards throughout the State.