% >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
% >> WITH LESS THAN TWO MONTHS
% UNTIL THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, GET
% OUT THE VOTE GROUPS HAVE THEIR
% WORK CUT OUT FOR THEM.
% "HERE AND NOW" REPORTER STEVEN
% POTTER CAUGHT UP WITH FOLKS
% WORKING TO INCREASE VOTER
% TURNOUT FOR A SPECIFIC AND
% SOMEWHAT NEGLECTED DEMOGRAPHIC
% IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN.
% >> OUTREACH WORKERS ARE HITTING
% THE STREETS TO GET OUT THE
% VOTE AHEAD OF THE NOVEMBER
% ELECTIONS.
% >> I FEEL LIKE I'M LACKING A
% LITTLE EDUCATION JUST BECAUSE I
% DON'T KNOW WHO TO VOTE FOR.
% >> VOTERS LIKE MIRACLE HOLMES IN%
RACINE WELCOME THE PERSONALTIME
% AND ATTENTION.
% >> WHEN YOU AREN'T BEING%ENGA
GED, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT TO% FEEL THA
T YOU'RE BEING IGNORED.
% >> THERE ARE NEARLY 250,000%
BLACK RESIDENTS IN THE CITIES
% OF MILWAUKEE, RACINE AND
% KENOSHA. THOSE RESIDENTS,
% HOWEVER, HAVELONG SAID THAT
% ELECTED OFFICIALS, POLITICIANS%
AND THEIR CAMPAIGNSHAVE%NEGLECTE
D BLACK COMMUNITIES.% >> I THINK WHY
RESIDENTS HAVE% FELT IGNORED BECAU
SE LARGELY WE
% HAD BEEN, AND I THINK 2016
% PROVED IT.
% >> THAT'S WHEN EXPERTS SAY
% DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL
% CANDIDATE HILLARY CLINTON TOOK%
THE BLACK VOTE FOR GRANTED,
% NEVER VISITED WISCONSIN,
% ULTIMATELY LOST THE STATE.
% IN RESPONSE TO THAT NEGLECT AND
% TO HELP BLACK LEADERS MAKE THEIR
% VOICE HEARD, ANGELA LANGE
% CREATED THE MILWAUKEE GROUP
% KNOWN AS BLOC, WHICH STANDS FOR
% BLACK LEADERS ORGANIZING FOR
% COMMUNITIES.
% >> BLOC IS A YEAR ROUND CIVIC%
ENGAGEMENT ORGANIZATION THAT%LAUN
CHED AFTER THE 2016% ELECTION.
% IN SOME WAYS, PEOPLE WERE VERY
% FRUSTRATED BY THE LACK OF%EN
GAGEMENT.
% I PERSONALLY WAS VERY FRUSTRATED
% TO HEAR FROM DEMOCRATS AND
% PROGRESSIVES THAT SAID IF YOU
% PEOPLE WOULD HAVE JUST COME OUT,
% WE WOULDN'T BE HERE.
% AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A
% COMPLETELY MISGUIDED
% INTERPRETATION OF THE ELECTION
% BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY IS SOME OF
% THE MOST DISENFRANCHISED AND
% LEAST ENGAGED, BUT YET WE WERE%
TO BLAME.
% WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
% BUILDING LONG TERM BLACK
% POLITICAL POWER.
% WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE
% FEEL THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO
% DEMOCRACY AND THAT THEY CAN
% FULLY PARTICIPATE IN IT BECAUSE
% THEY KNOW HOW DEMOCRACY AND
% THESE INSTITUTIONS FUNCTION.
% I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE THINK
% OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AS JUST
% VOTING WHEN IT'S SO MUCH MORE%
THAN THAT.
% >> SINCE ITS CREATION AFTER THE
% 2016 ELECTION, BLOC HAS GROWN
% TO INCLUDE UPWARDS OF 50
% SO-CALLED AMBASSADORS, EMPLOYEES
% OUT KNOCKING ON DOORS, ENGAGING
% RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
% >> OUR BREAD AND BUTTER IS%RE
ALLY KNOCKING ON DOORS,% MEETING PE
OPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT,% AND ASKING T
HE QUESTION, WHAT% DOES IT LOOK LIK
E FOR THE BLACK% COMMUNITY TO THRIV
E?
% >> WITH THE SUCCESS BLOC HAS HAD
% IN MILWAUKEE, THE GROUP EXPANDED
% INTO THE CITIES OF RACINE AND%
KENOSHA.
% JAVONNA LUE IS LEADING THE BLOC%
EXPANSION.
% >> MOST OF MY JOB ENTITLES
% BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS.
% >> BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND
% MANAGING NEW RACINE AND KENOSHA
% AMBASSADORS.%LUE HAS HER TEAM
KNOCKING ON
% DOORS IN THESE TWO CITIES A FEW
% TIMES A WEEK.
% >> AMONG THE PRIMARY ISSUES THAT
% BLOC ORGANIZERS ARE HEARING FROM
% RESIDENTS ARE CONCERNS OVER
% AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SAFETY,
% INFLATION, AND THE NEED FOR
% FAMILY-SUPPORTING JOBS.
% LUE SAYS IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET
% OUT AND VOTE BECAUSE OF ALL
% THAT'S AT STAKE.
% >> WHY WOULDN'T YOU GET OUT
% THERE AND VOTE?
% IF WE DON'T GET OUT THERE AND
% VOTE, SOMEBODY IS GOING TO MAKE
% A DECISION THAT DOESN'T GO WITH
% THE VALUES THAT WE HAVE.
% >> AS TO VOTER TURNOUT, IT
% CHANGES FROM ELECTION TO
% ELECTION.
% WE TALKED WITH UW MILWAUKEE
% POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR.
% >> ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK
% REALLY BROUGHT ON KIND OF SOME
% CONCERN FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
% IS THAT THE BLACK VOTERS HAVE
% BEEN THE BACKBONE OF THAT PARTY
% FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND I THINK
% 2020 REMINDED THEM THAT THERE
% ARE TIMES WHEN YOU CANNOT TAKE
% THAT VOTE FOR GRANTED.
% >> ALTHOUGH BLACK RESIDENTS TEND
% TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATIC
% CANDIDATES, REPUBLICANS SAY
% THEY'RE WELCOMING THOSE VOTERS
% TO THEIR SIDE OF THE POLITICAL
% AISLE.
% KEN BROWN IS CHAIRMAN OF THE
% REPUBLICAN PARTY OF RACINE
% COUNTY.%>> I AM EXCITED FOR
MORE AND
% MORE BLACK VOTER TURNOUT BECAUSE
% AS I SAID, WE ARE ONE OF THE
% MOST DIVERSE CITIES IN AMERICA
% AND IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN%
AND A LOT OF BLACK VOTERS ARE
% COMING IN AND THEY'RE LOOKING IN
% A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
% THEY'RE PROSPEROUS, WE'VE
% ACTUALLY HAD PROBABLY 30% OF THE
% NEW BUSINESSES THAT HAVE OPENED
% IN DOWNTOWN RACINE OVER THE LAST
% COUPLE YEARS ARE BLACK-OWNED
% BUSINESSES.%THEY'RE WORKING
PROFESSIONALS.
% THEY'VE INVESTED A LOT IN THOSE
% BUSINESSES AND THEY WANT TO
% SUCCEED.
% AND I DON'T THINK SOCIALISM,
% WHICH IS WHERE THE DEMOCRATIC
% PARTY IS TODAY, IS GOING TO LEAD
% THEM TO THAT LEVEL OF SUCCESS.
% SO I WELCOME BLACK LEADERSHIP TO
% COME IN AND ENCOURAGE BLACKS IN
% OUR COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT THE
% ISSUES AND LOOK AT THE
% CANDIDATES AND WHERE THEY
% ACTUALLY STAND.
% >> WHILE BLOC IS NOT AFFILIATED
% WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY,
% ANGELA LANGE SAYS THE GROUP DOES
% ENDORSE CANDIDATES AND FOR THIS
% YEAR'S ELECTIONS, THOSE HAVE
% BEEN DEMOCRATS.
% HOW VITAL IS THE BLACK VOTE FOR
% DEMOCRATS IN STATEWIDE RACES?
% >> THERE'S NO WAY TO WIN A
% STATEWIDE RACE WITHOUT THE BLACK
% VOTE, SPECIFICALLY MILWAUKEE,
% BUT THEN ALSO RACINE AND
% KENOSHA.
% IF YOU DON'T COURT OUR VOTE, YOU
% DON'T ENGAGE US OR WE JUST DON'T
% FEEL EXCITED ENOUGH, THEN THAT
% WILL RISK PEOPLE STAYING HOME.
% >> KYLE JOHNSON IS BLOC'S
% POLITICAL DIRECTOR.
% HE EXPECTS THE ENTIRE STATE WILL
% BE WATCHING SOUTHEASTERN
% WISCONSIN ON ELECTION NIGHT.
% >> WE KNOW BLACK FOLKS ARE GOING
% TO PLAY A SUPER IMPORTANT PART.
% WE KNOW WEAR GOING TO BE THE
% DECIDING FACTOR AND THAT MEANS
% WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO
% MEET THAT MOMENT AND MAKE SURE
% WE'RE GETTING OUR COMMUNITIES
% OUT HERE TO VOTE.
% >> FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M
% STEVEN POTTER IN KENOSHA.