>> 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
ENGAGED, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT TO
FEEL THAT 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
NEGLECTED BLACK COMMUNITIES.
>> I THINK WHY RESIDENTS HAVE
FELT IGNORED BECAUSE 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
LAUNCHED AFTER THE 2016
ELECTION.
IN SOME WAYS, PEOPLE WERE VERY
FRUSTRATED BY THE LACK OF
ENGAGEMENT.
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
REALLY KNOCKING ON DOORS,
MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT,
AND ASKING THE QUESTION, WHAT
DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR THE BLACK
COMMUNITY TO THRIVE?
>> 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.