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 MY WIFE,
AND ME AND MY WIFE MET AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.
WE WENT TO SCHOOL AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF 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 IN
TEARS.
HE WASI WAS DEVASTATED BOY WHAT DEVASTATED BY WHAT I SAW.
I WATCHED MY WIFE BREAK DOWN IN
TEARS.
AND SO WHAT WE SAW WAS
DEVASTATING, IT WAS
HEARTBREAKING.
AND TO KNOW THAT WE LIVE IN 2020
AND THAT THESE KINDS OF THINGS
CONTINUE TO HAPPEN TO PEOPLE WHO
LOOK LIKE ME 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 YOUR MIND IS WHAT
HAPPENED IN MINNEAPOLIS THE
SYMPTOM OF 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 DO THIS
WORK AT ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS
ACROSS THE SPECTRUM.
>> AND SO WOULD YOU DESCRIBE
THAT AS 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 IN THE CEO, CFO AND COO
SEATS.
LOOK AT THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT
RUN THE CORPORATIONS IN 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 OF
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, AS 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 IN 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 TO
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 HEMS
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 BEEN TALKING TO 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 IN
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.
WHAT 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 ME AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE
INFLUENCE TO HELP CHANGE THESE
CRITICAL ISSUES THAT IMPACT OUR
COUNTRY.
>> WE LEAVE IT THERE.
MICHAEL JOHNSON, THANK