In our new weekly feature 12 Rounds, leaders will answer 12 questions — some light, some heavy — from our Publisher and CEO Henry Sanders to help the community understand them, what they do, and why. Today: Nehemiah Center for Urban Development Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Reentry Services, and Focused Interruption Coalition Director Anthony Cooper.
Anthony Cooper has resided in the Madison area for over 25 years. Anthony has worked for Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development since February 2013 as Director of Reentry Service and most recently as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Reentry Services. Cooper creates and maintains relationships with employers, provides job development, oversees Nehemiah housing programs, and is involved with the Department of Corrections and Madison Police Department to help develop community relations. He provides court advocacy in Madison and surrounding counties. He has also assisted the City of Madison Mayor and the Dane County Executive to enhance local reentry efforts. With the Focused Interruption Coalition, Cooper leads a team to provide rapid response services in the wake of incidents of gun violence and other community crises.
What advice would you give someone who is a person of color not from Wisconsin who is thinking about moving to Madison? This is an interesting question because it depends on why they moving to Madison. Is it because of school, work or family transition? There are pros and cons for each.
If coming for college, Madison has great universities and technical colleges and can provide you with great networks to help accelerate your career, but you may have to deal with some of the racial disparities of attending a PWI.
If you are coming for work, Madison has great jobs and an amazing healthcare system, but you may have to deal with being one of the few people of color in the workplace and the disadvantages that may come along with the lack of diversity.
If your family is transitioning to Madison, the school districts provide great education, but there are a lot of challenges people of color face in the Madison school district.
Many people of color thrive in Madison because the community is small and you can easily connect with other people from the global majority based on common interest, church, community, Greek letter organizations, community advocacy, etc. It’s possible to work outside the box in our community. I’m really looking forward to The Center for Black Excellence that will give people of color a base to connect and develop.
Name three songs that accurately reflect how you’re feeling.
- Take Me to Ally – Gregory Porter
- Change – J.Cole
- Count Your Blessing – Sunday Service Choir
If you could go back in time to any point of life to tell yourself something, what age would you go back to and what would you tell yourself? At age 16, I would encourage myself to never stop going after your dreams and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
What did you learn about yourself in 2020? Man, this is a loaded question. But, what I’m willing to share is that I’ve continued to learn that even though life has its twists and turns, going forward asking for balance and never giving up continues to stand true with my family, work and other aspirations.
At this point of your life do you feel you have found your purpose? If so, how did you figure out your purpose? Yes, I feel like I’ve found my purpose. My purpose is to be a devoted husband, father, son, advocate, mentor and entrepreneur. I figured out my purpose by finding what bring me joy, fulfillment and encouragement. Also, these are things that come natural to me. I’ve learned so much about myself at this point in life and started to even embrace hobbies, like trying to play bingo for real money or even photography.
There is a lot of division around the issues of race in politics. What can we do to lessen those divisions? Bringing collective voices to the table, who are about action, with a detailed plan and willing to work together to solve the challenges in our community. And that means EVERYONE, all races, all criminal backgrounds, all social economic ranges, law enforcement, etc. who desperately want a better community.
What were your highest high and lowest low in the past year? Highest High – Seeing my sons face to face after almost a year, one after being deployed and the other heading off to deployment in the military. Also, another high was definitely receiving my pardon after 20 years!
Lowest Low – The weight of witnessing my brothers and sisters continuously killed and brutalized by law enforcement. There are too many to name over the years, but in 2020 Ahmaud Arbery, Briana Taylor, Jacob Blake and George Floyd are the ones who gained the most public attention. Also, the increased violence in our community.
Rick Ross or Jay Z? Jay Z
Name the last movie you watched that really made you think, and why it did so. The Black Messiah – My great uncle, Michael D. McCarty, was a Black Panther and was featured in the closing credits of the movie. I think about his role as a Black Panther and our many conversations about life then and now and how little has changed.
What are three things you do to stay healthy?
Walking
Meditating/Self-reflection
Reading and listening to motivational talks
This year you received a pardon from Governor Evers. How did the pardon change you? The pardon didn’t necessarily change me, but it made me feel like a 20-year weight was lifted. The weight of worrying about if my background would affect employment, federal grants and housing opportunities. Most importantly, this pardon can show others that It’s Possible to change your life around and do things differently.
Greens or chitlins? Greens (without meat)
