Brandon Brice

HHR Radio Exclusive Interview with Brandon Brice

 
Dear Friends,
 
Combining his outstanding academic credentials, political experience, and personal experiences, Brandon Brice has emerged as an energetic force for change in Harlem and beyond, inspiring a focus on “social entrepreneurship” in urban communities. Don’t miss out on what is guaranteed to be a stimulating, inspiring, and motivational interview.
 
 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hhr
 
 
http://www.brandonbrice.com/
 
Brandon Brice has been a fighter for Harlem residents and the preservation of Harlem’s history. This Howard University graduate is a former Rutgers University Eagleton Institute of Politics Fellow and surrogate for the Republican National Committee. Brandon is a long time active blogger and spokesperson for HipHopRepublican.com. Brandon has worked as …



A Republican in Harlem? Brandon Brice Showing the Community Side of Republicanism

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Tiffany Shorter
Brandon Brice is a community organizer and an active Republican in Harlem. Republicans  working in the black community is not generally a normal concept. Self-empowerment, financial success and small government are words usually associated with the Republican Party, but not community involvement.  Brandon,  however, shows that Republicanism and community work are not mutual exclusive.

Why are you in  Harlem?  You have a Bachelor’s degree from Howard University, worked for the United Nations as well as corporate America, so why drop the larger salary to work in the community?
I’ve lived in Harlem for five years now and seen a lot.  People, …



What’s a Republican in 2009?

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By Brandon Brice
One of the mistakes that those seeking to lead are constantly making is speaking with one voice to different constituencies in neighborhoods, cities and rural sections in America This mantra of conservative, libertarian, republican and right wing is often associated with the emphasis of less government, less taxes, individual responsibility and more access to entrepreneurial opportunities. Sadly, this message is not heard as intended but often overshadowed by eight years of Bush and the assumption that all Republican’s are wealthy. In last November’s election, we witnessed a severe divide amongst the rural vs. urban class, as well as …



The Aging of Harlem

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By Brandon Brice
For the past year I have observed as a community activist in Harlem, the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community of aging seniors suffer, many whom were alive in Harlem during the days of the Cotton Club, the great poets of the Harlem Renaissance era Langston Hughes and James Baldwin and the late days of Malcolm X. However, Harlem has transitioned into an area of new commercialism, new developments and a rising percentage of newcomers from mid-town and downtown moving to uptown.
Unfortunately the rise of new residents and the influx of money for new rental properties have raised the standard …



T.I.’s Road To Redemption: A Solution for the GOP’s Urban Outreach?

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“You dont have to be a dopeboy to have money”
~T.I.
By Brandon Brice
Rapper T.I.,whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr., recently got busted for trying to buy illegal firearms and silencers for protection, but the Atlanta judge cut his sentence for a year if he did community service by helping other kids. MTV, a subsidiary of Viacom, decided to portray in a series of episodes titled, “T.I’s Road To Redemption.” The interesting concept behind this show is that it takes young at-risk youth from the streets of inner cities nationwide, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, etc., and grants these young black …



A FEW GOOD MEN: America’s Call to Action

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By Brandon Brice
In this year’s past election, the Republican’s nominee Sen. John S. McCain and the GOP portrayed him as a true American hero; being shot down and captured by the enemy, surviving five years into captivity and being beaten to the point of having life sustaining fractured limbs. Unfortunately, the Grand Old Party still couldn’t defeat the Democratic nominee, losing to a message of hope, change, and a financial rescue plan. Last Sunday morning, as I walked down 125th street in Harlem, I noticed a man around the age of 50 years of age asking people for change. The …



“Urban Conservatism”: The New Agenda for the Republican Party

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By Brandon Brice

In my recent article, “Jobs, Baby, Jobs”, the idea of job creation and common sense dominated the main theme. As conservatives, libertarians or moderates we realize that now President Barack H. Obama is our new Commander and Chief, but we can always look towards the future. Vice Presidential candidate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, during the debates, once suggested that America return to basics.
Gov. Palin was correct, but the audience she missed is the millions of low income families nationwide. In the next three to four years, the GOP should adopt the agenda of “urban conservatism”, a movement …



Economics: The New Slavery in Black America

 By Brandon Brice
Last Sunday as I sat in the congregation of one of the most prestigious churches in Harlem, it mesmerized me to hear the praises, chats and applauses for President Barack H. Obama, as our nation’s 44th President of the United States. As a black man, it was an incredible moment in history to see someone who shared my same features, living on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Interestingly, statistics show that a large majority of Americans feel that racism no longer exist, but fail to realize that the real culprit may be economics, not racism. Economics is the study of …



Harlem is not for Sale! Stop the Rezoning act of 125th Street.

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By Brandon Brice
Big lights, commercial real estate and an expansion of SOHO are a few projects in the making for the upcoming agenda of the City’s Urban Planning Commission for rezoning Harlem’s 125th street. Harlem, a haven for black culture, arts and socio-political movements, has recently over the last five years experienced the effect of intense gentrification, which has directly affected small business and longtime home owners. Before the controversy of the Harlem rezoning act, Harlem residents battled the prestigious Ivy League institution Columbia University over the rapid expansion of land and property, thus resulting in intense rental spikes for …



Can the “Man of Steele” save the GOP?

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Brandon Brice
In recent news the former GOPAC Chairman and Lieutenant Governor from Maryland, Michael Steele made history by becoming the first African American to lead the Republican National Committee. In Steele’s victory speech he proclaimed to set out a new mission to take the Republican Party to every corner and inner city neighborhood in America, as an effort to rebuild the Grand Old Party. Unfortunately all conservatives are not on board with this urban agenda, leading some republican critics to suggest that it’s the wrong direction for the party. In a recent article, former Klu Klux Klan member, David Duke …



A Time for Real Change: The New Faces of Black Politics

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By Brandon Brice
In the era of wasteful spending, economic expanision through the federal governemnt and a sudden decline of capitalism, the American people are demanding the need for new representation in urban communities.  As a moderate republican, I must admit that I disagree with the President on various issues but understand that we share a common goal, to educate and inspire. As American voters observed in the 1960’s, civil rights activist’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Hon. Malcolm X and Howard activist Stokley Carmichael, black communities were presented with a plethura of new voices, new political ideas and innovative …



What’s Wrong with the “Hip” in HipHopRepublican.com?

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By Brandon Brice

HipHopRepublican.com in recent years has revolutionized the way that young audiences nationwide are looking at the GOP. The blogsite has introduced a new manifesto to Republican politics in urban America, but has faced controversy because of the name”hiphoprepublican.com”.
 One Sunday morning as I reached for my I-POD player, I noticed two songs titled ” I Put On” and “My President is Black” by southern rap artist Young Jeezy. In the song’s lyrics Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama is uttered in the background, but I don’t hear any reference to John McCain. Interestingly the Hip Hop culture has assisted the Democratic …



The Inconvenient Truth behind the Business of Healthcare

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By Brandon Brice
Policymakers, voters and our nation’s top experts have all argued that healthcare is the top issues in America second to only solving our countries unemployment crisis. Unfortunately, policymakers in Washington have once again missed the mark by not taking into full consideration that by granting healthcare to all, you forfeit the best in quality for all.
Healthcare experts suggest that the federal government should regulate cost by allowing the quality of healthcare services to equate to that of cost. What healthcare experts have failed to realize is this puts America in an economic bind. By suggesting that the government …



Jobs, Baby, Jobs: What’s the Biggest Issue facing America?

Brandon Brice

As a transplant to New York relocating from Detroit, better known as “Motown” or the “Motor City,” I know first hand  effects of job loss, especially when dealing with the auto-industry. Michigan’s once pride and joy, the big three; General Motors, Chrysler and Ford Motor Company recently experienced dramatic job loss increasing unemployment rate for the past six to eight years in Detroit. What’s interesting is not all of these local plant closings, employee downsizing and lay offs are due to the economy, but many other factors. The reality is that the demand for American cars is just not …