Meet Marcus
I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and raised in North Minneapolis as the oldest of five brothers. I am a writer, political activist, community organizer and social entrepreneur with a background in youth development and community development. My interests include music, engaging the wonders of nature, spirituality, African American history/culture, travel, literature, culinary arts, architecture, participatory democracy, community organizing, housing and business development, education, entrepreneurship, a wide variety of performing and visual arts and several sports. I am married with two young children, a 7 year old daughter and > 1 year old son.
In 1996, I graduated from Patrick Henry high school and then moved to Louisiana to study English at Southern University. I’ve completed a community organizer training program, a community cultural development fellowship, a community development apprenticeship / seminar, and a variety of public policy and advocacy trainings, and micro-entrepreneurship trainings. I’m currently studying Accounting/Finance. I am passionate about lifelong learning and advocate for youth and adults to pursue viable career and community service oriented education.
Community engagement is very important to me. I have served my community in many quiet, anonymous ways and places as a super volunteer since high school. It has been my pleasure to have planned and hosted a variety of public events: community meetings, conferences, a community convention, and performing arts shows.
Most of my working career has been in the nonprofit sector, but going forward, I’m transitioning into entrepreneurship. In recent years I have worked as a community relations manager, a coalition organizer and community organizer for a community development corporation and a foreclosure prevention coalition. Since 2009, I have practiced legislative advocacy, including the past two legislative sessions at our state Capitol.
Although I am typically disappointed in most politicians and lack faith in most legislative bodies to justly serve the most vulnerable people, family and communities in our society, I still believe in the power of representative democracy to provide equitable leadership and to enact just public policies if and when enough good people are engaged to challenge and hold corrupt forces of power accountable, and to champion the advancement of our most humane, collective public interests. It is my firm belief that people who are affected by issues need to be involved in addressing them!
In 2009, I ran for City Council because I wanted to demonstrate the kind of political leadership that my community deserves: equitable, engaging and effective. In 2012, I’m running for State Representative and intend to get elected because I am neither a career candidate nor will I be a career politician. I don’t have much time and refuse to lose now. My purpose in running for elected office is to champion public policies and public investments that will progressively address some of the most critical issues challenging my hometown and our state. I also want to build political, social and economic power for North Minneapolis with an emphasis on racial justice, i.e. ending detrimental racial disparities, and a commitment to social and economic justice for ALL. Time will tell if I change my mind, but I believe now that I will only serve 2-4 terms before recruiting a righteous successor, and becoming a mentor for future political leaders. My philosophy on the role of government and socially responsible community organizations in serving people is explained in three words: People over Profits.
I know I have many diverse interests, plans and goals in life, but I am most passionate and devoted to the well-being of my family. Family should always come first, for everyone, and everyone should have the opportunity to receive a high quality education during their youth, earn livable wages as adults and maintain basic survival needs, most importantly habitable shelter, food security and affordable healthcare.
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Top 10 Reasons to Elect Marcus Harcus in House District 58A
10. Marcus Harcus’ name rhymes, therefore he’ll have the coolest name in the State Legislature and will quickly become known by all of his colleagues in the House of Representatives.
9. Marcus Harcus grew up in North Minneapolis and he’s raising his own young family here today because he’s passionately committed to the Northside. Marcus Harcus is an unofficial Northside ambassador who positively represents our community everywhere in the world he travels, countering negative stereotypes.
8. Marcus Harcus is a working class man currently living without health insurance. Marcus knows the struggle of earning a low-income and not being able to afford the expensive cost of living. Conversely, Marcus also has experience earning a middle class income and understands losing it.
7. As a father of young children, Marcus Harcus can relate to the concerns of parents, especially regarding community schools and safety. Marcus understands the contemporary challenges and failures within the Minneapolis Public Schools because he went through the system and had to remove his daughter.
6. Marcus Harcus understands many of the most complex issues challenging Northside neighborhoods because he’s befriended residents living in crushing poverty, worked with hundreds of at-risk youth in our community, and has been closely exposed to gang violence and drug dealing as a teenager in the 1990s. His grassroots perspective is unique among his electoral opponents in terms of being qualified to address these problems.
5. Marcus Harcus is a Community Organizer with a burning fire in his heart for social, economic and racial justice. He’s a true progressive who will organize coalitions of advocacy organizations and residents to present sound data, compelling testimonies and mobilize people in numbers to advance progressive public policies and champion equitable public investments.
4. Marcus Harcus has studied public policy and practiced legislative advocacy at the city, state, and federal level, with experience during the past two legislative sessions at our state Capitol.
3. Marcus Harcus ran for City Council in this district in 2009, knocking on 10,000+ doors, demonstrating his commitment to robust community engagement, reaching out to inform and represent all residents, and not only the minority of reliable voters as typical status quo politicians do. None of his opponents are willing or able to represent and serve our entire district in such an equitable, engaging and effective manner.
2. Minnesota is shamefully home to some of the worst socio-economic racial disparities in the nation. Marcus is the only candidate in this race with a deep understanding of structural inequities and their role in perpetuating these stark disparities. Of the 201 current state legislators, there are only 6 legislators of color. It is imperative that more legislators get elected who can advocate for policy issues with a racial equity lens.
1. Marcus Harcus has a plan to win the Primary and General Elections. Marcus has name recognition, the widest appeal to our diverse community, and he learned how to win from losing. Marcus is running to DO something not to BE something. The Northside deserves better political leadership. Marcus Harcus represents the future of Minnesota!
