Jonathan Mason grew up in the Twin Cities with family roots stretching back to 1930s Minneapolis and the Mississippi Delta. He earned a criminal justice degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, worked in Minneapolis Public Schools and founded a cultural competency firm. Then the murders of Jamar Clark, Philando Castile, Thurman Blevins and George Floyd pulled him to the front lines of Minnesota's civil rights movement, and he has not stepped back since.

In this episode of Blacklight on Sports, hosts Charles Hallman and Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald sit down with Mason for one of the podcast's most expansive conversations, covering front-line activism, economic self-reliance and the urgent push for Black agricultural sovereignty.

Mason talks about his decision to become more vocal and visible after seeing the depth of systemic inequity up close.

”Once I started to unpeel the onion of what actually was going on in Minnesota, I took it upon myself to be more vocal and active. I said, I can change the narrative. I'm going to have to be vocal, but I have to follow the law. That was my biggest thing.”

Drawing on his background in law, Mason took on a leadership role organizing peaceful demonstrations, challenging law enforcement systems in court and demanding structural accountability across Minneapolis and the state.

But his work extends far beyond civil rights marches. Partnering with his longtime close friend and former NBA player Rashad Vaughn, Mason is helping run 20 Pastures Farm in Milaca, Minnesota, a working farm and educational hub that is redefining what life after sports can look like for both athletes and urban youth.

With Black farmers accounting for roughly 0.2 percent of all farmers in Minnesota, 20 Pastures Farm is a ground-breaking effort toward self-determination. The farm has already brought more than a hundred inner-city youth out to the country to experience farm-fresh meals, gather eggs, interact with livestock and learn the mechanics of local food production. Youth also learn woodworking through Mason's furniture venture, Mason Tree LLC, alongside livestock management, butchering and agricultural economics.

”So many times we see kids fall into that echelon of just basketball, sports, or music. We're teaching people within our community that we can take and create our own system around the things that we need.”

The team is currently working toward acquiring a USDA-certified food processing plant, which would be the first Black-owned facility of its kind in the region, with plans to establish direct-to-door fresh meat and produce delivery for urban families utilizing EBT benefits.

On food access, Mason is direct.

”You deserve the best of the best. It doesn't matter if you're on government assistance or you've had a tough patch in your life. You still deserve to eat well.”

Mason also speaks to civic engagement as local election cycles approach, urging residents to focus energy on city and county leadership where policies on clean water, local business and neighborhood safety are actually made.

He closes with a principle drawn from Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton: observation and participation.

”I want everybody that is in a role of leadership to give your skills without gatekeeping. Give them to the next generation. Just start, go, and let it lead where it leads.”

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Executive Producer/CEO Publisher
Tracey Williams-Dillard

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
3744 4th Ave South
Minneapolis MN 55409
612-827-4021

MSR Digital Studio
Ray Seville

Charles Hallman
MSR Sports Columnist 

Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald, PhE.
MSR Sports Columnist

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MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER 1934