HomeMy WebLinkAboutDec 5 2018 Tom Oye Award Winner -Arnie Bigbee
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
Contact: Jennifer Bennerotte, Communications & Technology Services
Director
Phone 952-833-9520 • jbennerotte@EdinaMN.gov • EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HRRC Recognizes Arnie Bigbee with Tom Oye Award
Edina, Minn., Dec. 5, 2018 – The Human Rights & Relations Commission (HRRC) awarded Arnie Bigbee the
2018 Tom Oye Human Rights Award for his continuous efforts to tackle tough issues in the community.
“When Arnie Bigbee is committed to an issue, he cajoles, implores, pleads, reasons and persists with his advocacy
until change happens,” explained Commissioner Ellen Kennedy when presenting the award at the Dec. 4 City
Council meeting. “Because change takes a long time, it means that on most issues, Arnie commits to the long haul,
to being in the good fight over the duration and to bringing others along with him to generate power to reach the
goal.”
Some of the issues that Bigbee has tackled are the lack of affordable housing in Edina, xenophobia and homophobia,
bullying in public schools, lack of affordable mass transit, racism and elder fraud. He is a former member of the
HRRC, Edina’s Race & Equity Task Force and Minnesota State League of Human Rights Commissions, and has been
part of the boards of many civic and faith organizations, including the Red Cross and United Way.
“Every city needs dozens of Arnie Bigbees,” Kennedy said. “We only have one and it is time to honor Arnie Bigbee
for his human rights work on behalf of Edina.”
The award was established in recognition of the late Tom Oye who helped found the HRRC in 1970 and served on
it for more than 30 years. Oye was also a Nisei soldier in World War II, a second-generation Japanese American
who served in the 100th Infantry Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. In 2003, Oye received the Prize
for Humanity by the Immortal Chaplains Foundation.
Nominees were evaluated based on their efforts to foster respect and dignity for others, model courage and/or
compassion in the advancement of human rights, and demonstrate leadership by example for improving human
relations or advancing human rights.
For more information on the award, contact HRRC Staff Liaison MJ Lamon at 952-826-0360 or
MLamon@EdinaMN.gov.
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