>> CAVALIER JOHNSON, THANKS SO
MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ONE OF MILWAUKEE'S LEADING
ORGANIZERS DID NOT ENDORSE
CAVALIER JOHNSON IN HIS RUN FOR
MAYOR.
WHY NOT?
WE ASKED ANGELA LANG, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF BLACK LEADERS
ORGANIZING FOR COMMUNITY.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> WHY DIDN'T BLOC ENDORSE IN
THE MAYOR'S RACE?
>> YEAH.
THIS WAS NOT A DECISION THAT WE
MADE LIGHTLY, BUT GIVEN A LOT OF
THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HEARD
ON DOORS, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOW
BOTH CANDIDATES TALKED ABOUT
POLICING WAS A CHALLENGE FOR US
AND IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WE
COULD GET OVER.
AND SO IN THE PRIMARY WE
RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING OUT
OF THE PRIMARY, BUT WE'RE VERY
CLEAR THAT WE WANTED TO LEAVE
THE DOOR OPEN TO ENGAGE IN A
DISCUSSION OF HOW WE FEEL SAFETY
SHOULD BE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE DIDN'T
HEAR ANYTHING FROM EITHER
CAMPAIGN.
SO WE HAD TO MOVE FORWARD.
THERE'S NOT MUCH WE COULD DO.
WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD NOW THAT
MAYOR JOHNSON IS ELECTED.
THROUGH HIS HISTORIC WIN, WE
LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE JUST
AS MUCH AS HE DID.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING
WITH HIM AND I BELIEVE MONDAY
MORNING WE WILL BE SENDING AN
EMAIL TO THE OFFICE TO REQUEST A
MEETING SO WE CAN START TO WORK
TOGETHER TO MAKE A MILWAUKEE
WHERE EVERYONE CAN THRIVE.
>> ONE YOUR REACTION TO THE
FIRST ELECTED BLACK MAYOR IN
YOUR CITY?
>> YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE
HAVE SAID IT'S ABOUT TIME.
AND I SHARE THAT SENTIMENT.
IT'S LONG OVERDUE AND VERY
CURIOUS AND VERY ANXIOUS AND
EXCITED TO SEE HOW MAYOR JOHNSON
WORKS WITH PEOPLE LIKE THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY
BOARD AND OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE,
DAVID CROWLEY, WHO ARE ALSO
YOUNG BLACK FOLKS AS WELL.
LUCKY TO SEE ALL THEIR
LEADERSHIP AND EXCITED TO SEE
HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER TO BRING
THEIR DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND
EXPERIENCES TO ALL OF MILWAUKEE.
SO I'M EXCITED AND I THINK THAT
KIND OF SHATTERS THE CEILING A
LITTLE BIT.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE
TO HAVE REPRESENTATION.
>> A LOT OF THE CAMPAIGN FOCUSED
ON VIOLENT CRIME IN MILWAUKEE.
WHEN YOU MEET WITH THE MAYOR,
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL HIM
ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE
AROUND THAT?
>> THE FIRST THING THAT WE ARE
HEARING FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND
OUR TEAM AND THOSE THAT HAVE
BEEN DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY
POLICING AND CRIME AND VIOLENCE
IS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SEE
INVESTMENTS INTO THEIR
COMMUNITIES.
THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE MORE AND
MORE RESOURCES TAKEN FROM THEIR
COMMUNITIES, GIVEN TO LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE ACCESS TO
SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND
RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION, A
LIVING WAGE JOB.
I BELIEVE IF WE'RE INVESTING IN
THOSE AREAS AND INVESTING INTO
THRIVING COMMUNITIES AND
BEAUTIFUL PARKS AND GREENSPACE
AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THEN THAT
IS WHAT WILL MAKE OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS SAFE AND MAKING
SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES
TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
>> DO YOU EXPECT THAT YOU WILL
BE ABLE TO HAVE A CORD ON THOSE
ISSUES WITH THE MAYOR?
>> I HOPE SO.
YOU KNOW, WE HOPE THAT WE ALL
UNDERSTAND THAT CRIME IS A
CHALLENGE IN OUR CITY, BUT WE
HAVE OPPORTUNITIES.
IT'S A NEW DAY.
THERE'S NEW REPRESENTATION.
AND THERE'S NOW AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR US TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY,
TO ACTUALLY DREAM.
AND SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO
DREAMING WITH MAYOR JOHNSON WITH
HIS HISTORIC WIN OF HOW WE CAN
MAKE SURE EVERYONE KIND OF
UNDERSTANDS AND FEELS
REPRESENTED NOW, TOO.
>> NOW, MAYOR JOHNSON WANTS TO
RECONNECT WITH THE LEGISLATIVE
LEADERSHIP.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT
PRIORITY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT
IS SUPER IMPORTANT.
WE UNDERSTAND HOW THE
LEGISLATURE TREATS MILWAUKEE.
SO MANY TIMES THERE'S A LOT OF
ANTIMILWAUKEE SENTIMENT THAT
COMES OUT OF THE CAPITOL.
<!8192SO I WISH HIM WELL ON THAT
ENDEAVOR.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO
HAPPEN.
IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I'M GLAD HE'S MAKING IT ONE OF
HIS TOP PRIORITIES.
>> PEOPLE ARE TALKING A LOT
ABOUT IT BEING A NEW DAY IN
MILWAUKEE, INCLUDING YOURSELF.
WHAT WOULD A NEW DAY LOOK LIKE
FOR YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION?
>> A NEW DAY FOR US FEELS THAT
OUR COMMUNITY IS BEING LISTENED
TO, THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE
BEING INVESTED IN AND NOT
OVER-POLICED, THAT WE ARE
MEETING PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE
THROUGH CHALLENGES THROUGH A
PLACE OF LOVE AND COMMUNITY
RESTORATION INSTEAD OF THROWING
FOLKS INTO THE PRISON SYSTEM AND
PROVIDING THAT LIGHT AT THE END
OF THE TUNNEL FOR COMMUNITY
MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT
BEHIND.
>> WHAT IS IT LIKE RIGHT NOW IN
MILWAUKEE?
>> IT'S CHALLENGING.
I'VE OFTEN SAID THAT MILWAUKEE
IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE THAT
INSPIRES ME AND BREAKS MY HEART.
AND YOU SEE WHERE THERE'S A LACK
OF INVESTMENT IN SOME OF OUR
COMMUNITIES.
BUT YOU SEE THE RESILIENCE AND
THE BEAUTY OF THE PEOPLE HERE.
AND SO WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE
TO FIGHT FOR OUR COMANTS.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE DESERVE
TO BE IN A THRIVING, HEALTHY AND
SAFE COMMUNITY.
>> SO LASTLY, WHAT'S YOUR
REACTION TO KETANGI BROWN
JACKSON AS SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE?
>> AN EMOTIONAL REACTION.
VERY, VERY EXCITED.
ALSO ANOTHER FIRST LONG OVERDUE.
I ACTUALLY JUST RELEASED AN
OP-ED THIS MORNING REFLECTING ON
IT WITH THE WISCONSIN EXAMINER
AND SPECIFICALLY HOW SHE WAS
TREATED AS A BLACK WOMAN AND TO
WATCH THAT HEARING AND SEE HOW
SHE WAS TREATED WAS TERRIBLE.
BUT TO FINALLY KNOW WE'VE MADE
HISTORY IS VERY EXCITING AND
LOTS OF GOOD FEELINGS AND
EMOTIONS AROUND HER OFFICIAL
CONFIRMATION NOW.
>> ALL RIGHT.
ANGELA LANG, THANKS VERY MUCH