Why We’re Backing Brown Pride – By Dhaya Haran
The end of May and start of June is a special time for our Sāmoan communities, with both Sāmoan language week and celebrations for Sāmoa Independence Day in full swing.
The theme for this year’s language week is ‘Mitamita i lau gagana, maua’a lou fa’asinomaga’, meaning ‘Be proud of your language and grounded in your identity’. And every year on 1 June the auspicious occasion of Western Samoa’s independence from New Zealand is marked and celebrated.
The concepts behind both events – pride, being grounded in your culture and self determination – are also great descriptions of the social change agents in our communities fostering collective empowerment and doing so against the odds.
One such initiative that caught our attention a couple of years ago was Brown Pride.
With a deep sense of cultural identity and consciousness of the politics of colonisation, this group of young Sāmoan and other Polynesian entrepreneurs is igniting change and creating a powerful movement. Their commitment to reclaiming their heritage and driving pragmatic social change makes them the flax roots change agents worth backing.
At the heart of Brown Pride is a profound connection to whakapapa. Embracing their roots, these entrepreneurs are tapping into the strength and resilience embedded in their cultural heritage. By focusing their businesses around this strong foundation, they’re not only preserving their identity but also using it to cultivate empowerment within their community and the enactment of alofa in tangible and practical ways.
Catalysing Young Kings
Being entrepreneurial themselves, Brown Pride knew they could facilitate real economic empowerment for young people in south Auckland, and we agreed.
They developed a prototype programme called "Young Kings" to assist young south Aucklanders who were not engaged in employment, education, or training (NEETs), as well as those disengaging from school and employment due to lack of interest. We connected them to funding from Manurewa and Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local boards.
Through the pilot, 12 young people were given the chance to explore their interests, gain essential certifications such as in first aid and driver licensing, improve financial literacy, strengthen their cultural identity, establish support networks, and receive pastoral care. Nine of the young people went on to the formal economy with full time employment or in enterprise. Three of them continued training towards their employment goals.
Currently, a cohort of 20 young people are participating in the second version of the Young Kings programme, again with the support of Manurewa and Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local boards. Longer term and larger investors like He Poutama Rangatahi have been introduced to them.
In catalysing this new programme, The Southern Initiative (TSI) was able to provide a ‘safety net’ for Brown Pride. By providing seed funding we reduced their financial risk so they could just concentrate on developing and delivering a proof of concept and then crowd-in other funding.
“That is always our plan. We’re not about transaction; we’re here to support young people’s mana motuhake in the economy. The project is the vehicle, but it’s not the final destination; it’s the starting point for us to build a relationship around”, says Sarah Sinnott, Kaihautū of the Youth Economy team at TSI.
Building a relationship of trust based on shared kaupapa is fundamental to how we engage with partners. Through this, we were able to use our social capital to introduce Brown Pride to other potential investors and help them to develop their internal capability and build their confidence.
Manurewa Local Board members Joseph Allan and Melissa Moore meeting Johnnie Timu and Peter Faalili from Brown Pride in June 2022
Fronting up for the change that is needed
Brown Pride goes beyond cultural celebration; it embodies a consciousness of the ongoing impact of colonisation on indigenous communities. Through their work, these young entrepreneurs challenge the status quo and confront the systemic barriers that hinder the progress of Māori and Pasifika youth. By doing so, they inspire a broader dialogue on decolonisation and create spaces for authentic narratives to be heard.
Brown Pride has an unwavering commitment to effecting pragmatic social change from the grass roots up. These entrepreneurs aren’t merely dreaming of or waiting for a better future for south Auckland; they’re actively creating it. Through their businesses, they’re creating employment opportunities, fostering a different kind of economic growth and building a movement all at the same time.
Backing cultural identity
Part of TSI’s job is to spot talent, and we’re pretty good at it. But this doesn’t happen at arms-length through a faceless, bureaucratic application process – social change has never happened like this. It comes from being inquisitive about the people behind the kaupapa and developing authentic relationships. By supporting Brown Pride, TSI is investing in the very individuals who have the knowledge, experience, and dedication to drive sustainable change for their own communities.
Backing Brown Pride isn’t just about funding; it’s also about recognising the immense potential within these young entrepreneurs and providing them with resources, mentorship, connections and opportunities. It’s a patient investment in human, cultural and social capital designed for the long-term.
TSI has consistently recognised the importance of Māori and Pasifika owned and operated organisations in south and west Auckland. These organisations have culturally centred values and connect with young people who have been failed by conventional agencies. By engaging with flax roots organisations like Brown Pride, TSI has witnessed the transformative power of cultural capital in helping young people connect to economic opportunities, education, and overall wellbeing.
TSI and rangatahi from Brown Pride and Mā Te Huruhuru coming together for an engagement event to respond to the Mayor’s proposed Annual Budget at the Brown Pride space in Manukau, March 2023
Tania Pouwhare, TSI’s General Manager, met with Brown Pride last year,.
“I had heard all about Brown Pride from Dhaya, who has been an avid supporter from day one, and when I met them, so was I”, says Tania.
“I love their tagline ‘Established in 1929’. It’s a reference to Black Saturday, that shameful day in this country’s history when New Zealand military police gunned down Mau independence demonstrators peacefully protesting through the streets of Apia, killing 11 people including prominent leader Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III.”
“Brown Pride unashamedly draw strength from the mana of their tupuga, and when you come across that, you know you’re dealing with a really special kind of deeply conscious entrepreneurship; one that’s confident in its past, present and future”.
But it hasn’t been easy for the Brown Pride crew. It’s taken blood, sweat and tears, and the purpose of their kaupapa hasn’t always been well understood.
“I was flabbergasted when I heard that a potential funder had asked them to change their organisation’s name because ‘Brown Pride’ might be offensive to some people. But they refused to compromise their integrity. That signalled to me that they are tika and pono – principles that can feel in short supply these days. I’m so heartened that we have young people like this coming up through the ranks and we’ll continue to back them however we can because they personify the types of values we want to see more of in our economy”, says Tania.
Culturally grounded, politically conscious, resolute and self-determining: I think the Mau movement would be very proud.
You can see recent media articles about Brown Pride’s journey in:
Brown Pride: The South Auckland gym ‘by the people, for the people’
Dhaya Haran is a Specialist Advisor in TSI’s Youth Economy team. You can find out more about Dhaya in his bio.