GRAYSON, THANK YOU SO
%MUCH FOR
JOINING
US.
%>>
YOU'RE
WELCOME.%THANK
YOU.
%>>
A
MAN
WHO
HAS
MADE
BRIDGING
%GAPS
AND
BRINGING
COMMUNITIES%TOGETHER HIS
LIFE'S
WORK
%DESCRIBES THE
RIOTS
AS
THE
%VOICES
OF
THOSE WHO ARE
FED
UP,
%MARGINALIZED ON
THEIR
JOBS,
%PRICED OUT OF
NEIGHBORHOODS,
%OVERCHARGED ON
PAYDAY
LOANS
AND
%OVER-POLICED.
%MICHAEL
JOHNSON,
PRESIDENT AND
%CEO OF
THE BOYS & GIRLS
CLUB
OF
%DANE COUNTY
JOINS
US
FOW.
% NOW.%THANK YOU
FOR
BEING
HERE.
%SO
YOU
HAPPENED WHAT
HAPPENED TO%GEORGE
FLOYD A MODERN
DAY
%LYNCHING.
%DESCRIBE
HOW
THIS
FEELS
FOR
YOU
%AND
THE
COMMUNITIES YOU
SERVE?
%>> YOU
KNOW,
LAST
NIGHT I
WAS
AT
%A
GROCERY
STORE
WITH
M
Y
WIFE,
%AND
M
E
AND
MY
WIFE
MET
AT
THE
%UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.
%WE
WENT
TO
SCHOOL
AT
THE
%UNIVERSITY
O
F
MINNESOTA.
%PLAYED FOOTBALL AT
THE
%UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.
%HAD A FAMILY
THAT LIVED
IN
THE
%SOUTHERN
PART
OF MINNEAPOLIS.
%SO
WHEN I
WAS
--
WHEN
I SAW
IT,
%I
IMMEDIATELY BROKE
DOWN
I
N
%TEARS.
%HE
WAS
I
WAS
DEVASTATED BOY
WHAT
DEVASTATED BY
WHAT
I
SAW.
%I
WATCHED
M
Y
WIFE
BREAK
DOWN IN
%TEARS.
%AND SO
WHAT
WE
SAW
WAS
%DEVASTATING, IT
WAS
%HEARTBREAKING.
%AND TO
KNOW
THAT
WE LIVE
I
N
2020
%AND
THAT
THESE
KINDS
O
F
THINGS
%CONTINUE
TO
HAPPE
N
TO
PEOPLE
WHO
%LOOK LIKE
M
E
IS
JUST
NOT
%ACCEPTABLE.%>> THERE'S
BEEN A LOT
OF
TALK
ON
%THIS
PROGRAM AND
OTHERS
ABOUT
%THE USE
OF FORCE
PROCEED
HE
PROTOCOL
FOR%POLICE OFFICERS.
%BUT
IN
Y
OUR
MIND
IS WHAT
%HAPPENED IN
MINNEAPOLIS THE
%SYMPTOM
O
F
SOMETHING MUCH
%DEEPER?%>> YEAH.
%
I
THINK
WE
DO
HAVE
SYSTEMATIC
%RACISM
IN
OUR
COUNTRY
THAT WE
%HAVE
TO
NOT
ONLY
ADDRESS.
%WE
TALK A
LOT
ABOUT
RACIAL
%DISPARITIES, SYSTEMATIC
RACISM.
%BUT
WHAT
WE
DON'T
DO
AS A
%COUNTRY IS
MAKE
THE
APPROPRIATE
%INVESTMENT
TO
ADDRESS
SYSTEMATIC
%RACISM.
%YOU
CAN
ONLY
ADDRESS
SYSTEMATIC
%RACISM AS
IF
YOU
MAKE
IT
A
%FINANCIAL PRIORITY.
%A LOT
OF TIMES
IF
YOU
LOOK
AT
%LOCAL
MUNICIPALITIES, THEY
TALK
%ABOUT
IT.
%WHEN
YOU
LOOK
AT
THEIR
MUNICIPAL
%BUDGET, IT
JUST
DOESN'T
ALIGN
%WITH THE
PLANS.%>>
SO
WHAT
KINDS
OF
FUNDS
SHOULD
%THEY BE
PUTTING TOWARD
THINGS
IN
%MUNICIPAL
BUDGETS?
%>> YOU
LOOK
AT,
YOU
KNOW,
%WISCONSIN.
%I
LOVE
THIS
STATE.
%I'VE
LIVED
HERE
FOR
TEN
YEARS.
%BUT
WE'VE BEEN
TALKING
ABOUT
%RACIAL
DISPARITIES
FOR
50
YEARS.
%AND THE
FACT
THAT WE
HAVE
%AFRICAN-AMERICAN KIDS AND
OTHER
%KIDS
OF
COLOR
NOT
GRADUATING THE
%SAME
RATES
OF
THEIR
WHITE
%COUNTERPARTS
IS
A
SYMPTOM OF THE
%LACK OF
INVESTMENT
THAT
WE'VE
%MACED
IN
%PLACED
IN
OUR
SCHOOLS.
%SO
THAT'S AN
ISSUE
WITHIN
%ITSELF.%WHEN YOU
LOOK
AT
HEALTH
%DISPARITIES
AND THE LACK
OF
%RESOURCES FOR
AFRICAN-AMERICAN
%FAMILIES
AND
OTHER
FAMILIES
OF
%COLOR,
IT'S
FUNDAMENTALLY, THE
%KIND
OF
FINANCIAL
SUPPORT
THAT'S
%NEEDED
IS
NOT
THERE
AND A
LOT
OF
%TIMES
AGENCIES
THAT
ARE
LED
BY
%PEOPLE
WHO
LOOK
LIKE
ME
DON'T
%NECESSARILY
GET
THE
FINANCIAL
%SUPPORT TO BE
ABLE
TO
D
O
THIS
%WORK
AT
ALL
DIFFERENT
LEVELS%ACROSS THE
SPECTRUM.%>> AND
SO
WOULD
YOU
DESCRIBE
%THAT
A
S
SYSTEMATIC,
%INSTITUTIONALIZED
RACISM?
%>>
I
WOULD
SAY
WHEN
YOU
LOOK
AT
%--
JUST
GO
LOOK
AT
THE
BOARDS
OF
%DIRECTORS
OF
OUR
LARGE
COMPANIES
%HERE.
%LOOK
AT
THE
C
SUITES
OF
PEOPLE%WHO ARE
I
N
THE
CEO,
CFO
AND
COO
%SEATS.
%LOOK
A
T
THE
ORGANIZATIONS THAT
%RUN
THE
CORPORATIONS
I
N
OUR
%STATE.
%LOOK AT
OUR
FON
NONPROFIT
LEADERS.
%WHEN
YOU
DON'T
HAVE
DIVERSITY
%AND
INCLUSION,
THAT'S A
FORM
OF
%SYSTEMATIC
RACISM.
%WHEN
YOU
LOOK
AT
THE
INADEQUATE
%FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
TO
ADDRESS
%THESE
ISSUES,
THAT'S A
FORM
O
F
%SYSTEMATIC
RACISM.
%AND SO
THOSE
ARE
THE
CHALLENGES
%THAT
WE
SEE,
YOU
KNOW,
NOT
ONLY
%IN
WISCONSIN,
BUT ACROSS
THE
%COUNTRY THAT WE
HAVE
TO
BEGIN
TO
%ADDRESS.
%OR WHAT
WILL
HAPPEN
IS
WE'LL
BE
%TALKING
ABOUT
THESE
ISSUES
15,
%20 YEARS
FROM
NOW
BECAUSE WE
%HAVE NOT
MADE
THE
APPROPRIATE
%INVESTMENTS, WE HAVE
NOT COME UP
%WITH
THE
APPROPRIATE VISION
AND
%THE
PRIORITIES
TO
SUPPORT,
%ERADICATE THESE
ISSUES
THAT
%ADDRESS OUR
COMMUNITY.%>>
PROTESTS AND
RALLIES
HAVE
%HAPPENED ACROSS
THE
COUNTRY
AND
%HERE AT
HOME,
A
S
YOU
KNOW.
%SOME HAVE
TURNED
VIOLENT.
%SOME
ORGANIZERS
ARE
UNAPOLOGETIC
%ABOUT
THAT.
%WHEREAS YOU
CALL
FOR
PEACEFUL
%PROTESTS,
AND
YOU'RE
EVEN
%READYING
TO
HIRE
LIKE
75
%PEACEKEEPERS.
%WHAT
WILL
THEY
DO?
%>> YEAH.
%SO ONE OF
THE
THINGS
I'M
%CONCERNED
ABOUT,
IMMEDIATELY
%WHEN I
SAW
THE
PROTEST THAT
%HAPPENED
I
N
MADISON,
STARTED
OUT
%VERY
PEACEFUL.
%IT WAS
BEAUTIFUL.
%YOU
SAW
BLACK
PEOPLE, WHITE
%PEOPLE, YOUNG
PEOPLE,
GAY,
%STRAIGHT,
LGBT
COMMUNITY.%IT
WAS A
BEAUTIFUL
THING.
%
I WAS
GETTING A
PHONE
CALL
FROM
%THE
MAYOR
WHILE I
WAS
OUT
RIDING
%MY BIKE
ASKING
FOR
SUPPORT.
%I
COULDN'T BELIEVE
WHAT I WAS
%SEEING.
%I
SAW
OUTSIDE
AGITATORS,
PEOPLE
%ENCOURAGING YOUNG PEOPLE
T
O
%BREAK INTO
BUSINESSES.
%IT'S
UNACCEPTABLE.
%
WE
SHOULD
NEVER
UTILIZE THE
NAME
%OF
SOMEBODY THAT WAS
KILLED
TO
%PROMOTE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.%SO
I
DECIDED
TO
HIRE
75
%PEACEKEEPERS WHO WOULD BE
THERE
%TO SUPPORT
THE
PROTESTERS, TO
BE
%THERE
TO
OFFER
WATER, TO
BE
%THERE IF
THERE'S AN
EMERGENCY
%ISSUE, TO BE
ABLE
TO CALL E
HE
MS
%WORKERS,
TO
SERVE
AS A
LIAISON,
%IF
SOMEBODY
IS
DOING
SOMETHING%THAT IS
GOING
TO
AGITATE
AND
%CREATE AN
UNHEALTHY
ENVIRONMENT,
%WE
WANT TO
BE
THERE
TO
%DEESCALATE THOSE
KINDS
OF
%ISSUES.
%AND
LET
ME
SAY
THIS,
TOO.
%I'M
SORRY.
%LET
ME
SAY
THIS,
TOO.
%
THAT
WE'VE
BEE
N
TALKING
T
O
THE%POLICE
DEPARTMENT,
OUR
PROTEST%HERE
IN
MADISON HAVE BEEN
%PEACEFUL
THE
LAST
TWO
NIGHTS.
%WE
ASK
THE
POLICE
CHIEF
TO
%DEMILITARIZE
HIS
POLICE
FORCE.
%HE
LISTENED.
%BECAUSE WE HAVE
ADULTS
OUT
THERE
%THAT
WANT A HEALTHY
ENVIRONMENT,
%IT HAS BEEN
VERY,
VERY
PEACEFUL
%THE
LAST TWO
DAYS.
%>>
WITH
JUST
ABOUT A
MINUTE
%LEFT, WHAT IS
YOUR
HOPE
AS
WE
%MOVE FORWARD
FROM
THIS?
%>> I'M
HOPING
THAT WHAT
HAPPENED
%TO GEORGE FLOYD
NEVER
HAPPENS
%AGAIN.%WHAT
HAPPENED
TO
ERIC
GARNER
I
N
%NEW YORK
NEVER
HAPPENS
AGAIN.
%I HOPE
THAT
WE
BEGIN
TO
REALLY
%NOT ONLY
TALK
ABOUT
DIVERSITY
%AND
INCLUSION,
BUT
WE
ACT IT
OUT
%ON.
%I
HOPE
AS A
STATE
AND
AS A
%NATION
THAT
WE
MAKE A PRIORITY
%PEOPLE
WHO LIVE
IN
MARGINALIZED%COMMUNITIES.%WH
AT YOU SEE
IN
OUR
COUNTRY IS A
%LOT OF
BUILT-UP
ANGER
FROM
FOLKS
%WHO HAVE
BEEN
MARGINALIZED
AND
%IT'S GOING
TO
TAKE
PEOPLE
THAT
%LOOK LIKE
YOU
AND
PEOPLE
THAT
%LOOK
LIKE
M
E
AND
PEOPLE
WHO
HAVE
%INFLUENCE TO
HELP
CHANGE
THESE
%CRITICAL
ISSUES
THAT
IMPACT
OUR
%COUNTRY.%>>
W
E
LEAVE
IT
THERE.
%MICHAEL
J
OHNSON, THANK