>> RALLIES AND PROTESTS SPREAD
ACROSS WISCONSIN OVER THE DEATH
OF GEORGE FLOYD, WHO DIED UNDER
THE KNEE OF A MINNEAPOLIS POLICE
OFFICER NOW BEING CHARGED WITH
SECOND-DEGREE MURDER.
PROTESTERS TAKING TO THE STREETS
DAILY, CHANTING, HOLDING SIGNS
AND EVEN SHUTTING DOWN HIGHWAYS
TO SPREAD THEIR MESSAGE TO END
POLICE BREW BRUTALITY AGAINST
AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
LOOTING AND FIRES OCCURRED.
SOME DAYS THERE WAS NO VISIBLE
POLICE PRESENCE, WHILE ON OTHER
DAYS POLICE BROKE UP CROWDS WITH
TEAR GAS AND PEPPER SPRAY.
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS ACTIVATED
THE NATIONAL GUARD TO ASSIST
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ACROSS
THE STATE.
>> AS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, POLICE
REFORM IS AN IMMEDIATE ACTION
ITEM.
ADVOCACY GROUPS HAVE RELEASED
LISTS OF DEMANDS ON THAT FRONT.
MORE THAN 65 ORGANIZATIONS
COSIGNED SUCH A LIST PUBLISHED
BY THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
ROUNDTABLE IN MILWAUKEE.
IT INCLUDES CALLING FOR POLICE
TO STOP USING RUBBER BULLETS AND
TEAR GAS ON PROTESTERS, DOING
AWAY WITH CURFEWS, WITHDRAWING
THE NATIONAL GUARD AND SHIFTING
FUNDS AWAY FROM THE POLICE AND
PUTTING THAT MONEY TOWARD HEALTH
AND HOUSING INITIATIVES.
JOINING ME NOW IS ANGELA LANG,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BLOC.
SHE JOINS US FROM MILWAUKEE AND
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING SO.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
I THINK THIS CONVERSATION IS
IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU.
>> WHY HAS EVERY STATE IN THE
NATION AND WISCONSIN RISEN UP TO
PROTEST THE KILLING OF GEORGE
FLOYD?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, I GET THIS QUESTION A
LOT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN
MURDERS AT THE HANDS OF POLICE
FOR DECADES NOW.
YOU KNOW, EVEN THE RODNEY KING
BEATING.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S NEW
FOR US.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE WAY I
KIND OF FRAME IT AND THE WAY I
THINK ABOUT IT IS THAT IT'S LIKE
A SODA CAN THAT'S JUST BEEN
SHAKEN UP FOR YEARS AND DECADES
AND WITH NO REAL TANGIBLE
SOLUTIONS AND WAYS FOR REAL TRUE
POLICY REFORM.
TO ME IT'S LIKE THIS WAS ONLY A
MATTER OF TIME.
I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, I
WAS IN COLLEGE WITH TRAYVON
MARTIN WAS MURDERED AND
DR. HAMILTON IN 2014 IN
MILWAUKEE AND SYLVILE SMITH.
IT FEELS LIKE SOCIETY, WE'RE ALL
SAYING ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
WE KEEP SEEING THESE THINGS
HAPPEN.
THERE ARE THESE OUTCRIES.
A COUPLE MONTHS LATER IT GOES
BACK TO BUSINESS AS USUAL.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS
REALLY COMMUNITIES AND SOCIETY
AS A WHOLE SAYING ENOUGH IS
ENOUGH AND WE WANT REAL POLICY
AND LEGISLATIVE CHANGES.
>> BECAUSE WHAT DOES FLOYD'S
DEATH REPRESENT?
>> I THINK IT REPRESENTS MURDER
AT THE HANDS OF POLICE DUE TO A
STRUCTURAL SYSTEM THAT'S REALLY
ROOTED IN WHITE SUPREMACY.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT LAW
ENFORCEMENT, WE CAN REALLY LOOK
AT THE HISTORY OF SHERIFF'S
DEPARTMENTS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
'IN GENERAL THAT WERE ENACTED
DURING SLAVERY TO CATCH RUN-AWAY
SLAVES.
WHEN YOU'RE FOUNDED ON THAT
HISTORY AND THE SYSTEM EVOLVED,
IT STILL HAS ITS ROOTS IN WHITE
SUPREMACY.
WE'VE SEEN THESE KILLINGS AND
MURDERS BE AT THE HAND OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT THAT ARE PRESENT TO
PROTECT US.
IT REPRESENTS THE BLACK AND
BROWN BODIES THAT ARE BEING
CRIMINALIZED MERELY FOR
EXISTING.
YOU CAN'T WALK DOWN THE STREET.
YOU CAN'T LISTEN TO LOUD MUSIC.
YOU CAN'T SLEEP ON A PARK BENCH.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT WE
CAN'T DO AND WE'RE BEING
CRIMINALIZED JUST FOR MERELY
EXISTING.
WE CAN'T RUN AWAY.
WE CAN'T WEAR A HOODIE.
THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS
WE CAN CRIENLIZED CRIMINALIZEED.
THIS IS ABOUT THE STEREOTYPES
AND THREATS THAT PEOPLE THINK
AND IMPOSE ON US.
>> HOW EXHAUSTING IS IT FOR YOU
AND OTHERS TO FIGHT THE SAME
FIGHT OVER AND OVER AGAIN?
>> IT'S INCREDIBLY EXHAUSTING.
IT'S DRAINING.
IT'S TRAUMATIZING.
IT'S TRIGGERING.
IT'S EMOTIONAL.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT SEEMS LIKE
IT'S AN ONGOING ISSUE.
I'VE BEEN ORGANIZING FOR ABOUT
12 YEARS NOW, AND PRETTY MUCH
SINCE DAY ONE, I HAVEN'T ALWAYS
ORGANIZED AROUND THESE ISSUES,
BUT THESE ISSUES ALWAYS CROPPED
UP AND REALLY INTERSECTED IN THE
ORGANIZING THAT I WAS DOING.
AND IT SEEMS THAT THINGS AREN'T
CHANGING.
AND SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED IN OUR
COUNTRY AND IN THIS CITY AND IN
THIS STATE JUST IN THE LAST WEEK
AND A HALF.
AND BEING HONEST, I CRIED A LOT
THIS LAST WEEK AND A HALF.
LAST WEEKEND I NEEDED TO TURN MY
PHONE OFF AND TAKE A MENTAL
HEALTH BREAK.
I WOKE UP FRIDAY AT 2 2:00 OR 3:00
IN THE MORNING SEEING DONALD
TRUMP'S TWEET.
IT'S FRIGHTENING FOR COMMUNITIES
OF COLOR TO HAVE TO CONSTANTLY
BE IN THE STREETS, EITHER TAKING
A KNEE AND PEACEFULLY PROTESTING
OR ESCALATING, IT SEEMS THAT
WE'RE NOT BEING HEARD AND WE
HAVE TO REALLY BEG FOR OUR OWN
DIGNITY AND FOR OUR LIVES TO BE
JUST AS VALUED AS OUR ALLIES AND
AS WHITE FOLKS AND IT'S
INCREDIBLY EXHAUSTING TO
CONSTANTLY HAVE CONVERSATIONS
AND TO CONSTANTLY BE IN THIS
FIGHT TO REALLY JUST AM AMPLIFY OUR
OWN DIGNITY THAT PEOPLE FOR
WHATEVER REASON DON'T NATURALLY
SEE.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS ORGANIZERS
AND ADVOCATES HAVE SIGNED ON TO
IS AN OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF
RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH
CRISIS.
WHAT WOULD FOLLOW FROM THAT KIND
OF DECLARATION?
>> YES.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
THAT'S THE FIRST STEP, IS TO BE
LABEL HOW RACISM HAS IMPACTED
US, WHETHER IT'S IN TERMS OF
TRAUMA OR BEING MURDERED AT THE
HANDS OF POLICE AND EVERYTHING
IN BETWEEN.
IT IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
WHEN BLACK GIRLS ARE GOING
MISSING OR ARE BEING TRAFFICKED,
THAT IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
WHEN INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS
ARE GOING MISSING, THAT'S A
PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
WE SHOULD BE TREATING RACISM
LIKE THAT AS SUCH.
WHEN WE SEE TRANSWOMEN
SPECIFICALLY BEING MURDERED AND
HATE CRIMES ON THEIR LIVES, ALL
OF THAT, THOSE ARE HATE CRIMES
AND THAT SHOULD BE TREATED AS A
PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE AND WE NEED
POLICIES TO PROTECT ALL OF THE
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND
THE WHITE SUPREMACY THAT IS
ENTRENCHED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND OUR POLICIES.
HOW WE'RE ABLE TO EXPRESS
OURSELVES UNDERSTANDING OUR
LIMITATIONS.
WE'RE NOT REALLY OFFERED THE
ABILITY TO THRIVE AND DREAM THE
WAY OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE.
I THINK IT REALLY GOES TO REALLY
EVALUATING HOW MONEY IS
ALLOCATED, ON A STATEWIDE OR
LOCAL LEVEL.
IN MILWAUKEE, NEARLY 50% OF THE
CITY BUDGET GOES TO THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, WHILE THE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT, WHICH HOUSES THE
OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION,
IS ONLY FUNDED AT ABOUT 2% TO
3%.
THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE, LOPSIDED
BUDGET AND IT DOESN'T PREVENT
CRIME AND PROTECT OUR
COMMUNITIES.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT
HOW WE'RE INVESTING.
IDEALLY TO DIVEST FROM THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
WE SPEND MORE ON THE DEPARTMENT
OF CORRECTIONS AND JUSTICE THAN
WE DO ON OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM.
THAT GOES TO SHOW WHAT OUR
VALUES ARE.
BUDGETS ARE MORAL DOCUMENTS AND
WE NEED TO ALLOCATE DOLLARS TO
ACTUALLY DIVESTING FROM THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT AND PUTTING IT
INTO RESOURCES SUCH AS MENTAL
HEALTH, MAKING SURE EVERYONE HAS
ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTH CARE,
TO QUALITY EDUCATION, TO YOUTH
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SUMMER.
TRANSPORTATION, SO PEOPLE CAN
GET TO LIVING WAGE JOBS.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE FACTORS
ABOUT A SAFE COMMUNITY AND WE
HAVE TO ACTUALLY HAVE A DECREASE
IN CRIME INSTEAD OF SPENDING SO
MUCH MONEY ON LAW ENFORCEMENT
THAT IS ONLY ESCALATING THE
CRIME.
>> IN THE WAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD'S
DEATH, HAS VIOLENCE IN THE
STREETS DURING PROTESTS COOPTED
THE MESSAGE AND TAKEN ATTENTION
AWAY FROM THE DISCUSSIONS OF
RACISM AND DEATHS OF BLACK
PEOPLE AND THESE INEQUITIES OF
WHICH YOU SPEAK?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THE
VIOLENCE OR THE LOOTING IS BEING
FRAMED IN A DIFFICULT WAY.
NO ONE WAKES UP AND IS SO ANGRY
AND TRAUMATIZED, NO ONE WANTS TO
WAKE UP AND BE THAT ANGRY AND
BURN SOMETHING DOWN.
I THINK IT'S NOT REALLY OUR JOB
TO TELL PEOPLE HOW THEY SHOULD
DEAL WITH THEIR TRAUMA WHEN
WE'RE SEEING PUBLIC EDUCATIONS.
PEOPLE ARE SAYING THESE ARE
MODERN LAY LYNCHINGS.
WE SEE THE BACKLASH.
FOR PEOPLE TO KIND OF, FOR LACK
OF A BETTER TERM, TONE POLICE
HOW PEOPLE ARE EXPRESSING THEIR
FRUSTRATION, IT'S TAKING AWAY
FROM THE PAIN AND THE HURT.
IT'S NOT IDEAL.
NO ONE WANTS TO BE BURNING
THINGS DOWN IN ORDER TO BE
HEARD.
BUT I THINK THERE ARE SOME TIMES
WHERE PEOPLE FEEL THAT IS THE
ONLY WAY.
YOU PROTEST PEACEFULLY, YOU'RE
FOT BEING HEARD.
SO I THINK IT'S NATURAL AND IT'S
UNDERSTANDABLE THAT PEOPLE FEEL
THE NEED TO LASH OUT IN THIS WAY
AND WE REALLY NEED TO IN THAT
PARTICULAR CONVERSATION
CENTERING PEOPLE'S LIVES OVER
THE VALUE OF PROPERTY AT THE END
OF THE DAY.
PROPERTY CAN BE REPLACED.
PEOPLE'S LIVES CANNOT.
>> MIDWEEK, AS YOU KNOW,
CRIMINAL CHARGES WERE UPGRADED
AGAINST THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE
OFFICER WHO KNELT ON THE NECK OF
GEORGE FLOYD AND THE OTHER
OFFICERS ARE NOW BEING CHARGED.
WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A STEP
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ENCOURAGING.
WE'LL SEE HOW THE SYSTEM PLAYS
OUT.
IF I'M HONEST, I'M NEVER TOO
RELIANT AND TOO CONFIDENT ON THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AS HOW
THINGS PLAY OUT.
YOU SEE HOW DISPROPORTIONATELY
IMPACTS OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'VE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN
OFFICERS BEING ACQUITTED.
JUST BECAUSE CHARGES MAY BE
BROUGHT, WE REALLY WANT TO SEE
THE CHARGES BE ABLE TO STICK AND
PEOPLE ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO BE
HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
AND I THINK ALSO I GET THIS
QUESTION, TOO, IS JUST BECAUSE
CHARGES ARE BROUGHT, DO I THINK
THAT THE PROTESTS ARE GOING TO
DIE DOWN?
AND I THINK WE'RE LIVING ON THIS
PRECIPICE RIGHT NOW THAT IT IS
SO MUCH BIGGER THAN GEORGE
FLOYD.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE REALLY
STARTING TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS
IS A SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM AND THIS
WAS THE CATALYST AND SPARK FOR
THAT CHANGE.
BUT THE LAYERS AND HISTORICAL
CONTEXT BROUGHT US TO THIS
POINT.
EVEN IF EVERYTHING PLAYS OUT THE
WAY WE WANT TO IT, WE NEED TO
MAKE CONCRETE REFORMS IN THE
FUTURE TO MAKE SURE THIS CAN
NEVER BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN
AGAIN.
>> ANGELA