“Do you rap or do you tweet? ‘Cause I can’t tell — get in the booth.” — Latto
That verse sticks with me, especially right now.
Because it feels like some folks — like Alder Bill Tishler and Paul Fanlund — are doing a whole lot of typing, talking, and critiquing, but when it’s time to actually show up and do the work to solve the City of Madison’s housing crisis, they’re nowhere near the booth.
Let me be real: Paul Fanlund’s latest op-ed isn’t unexpected, but it is exhausting. And it’s giving— misleading. He tries to paint a picture of a Mayor and Council who don’t listen, who are acting recklessly, and who are dismissing the concerns of “real” residents — while uplifting the perspective of Bill Tishler, an alder from one of the most resourced and privileged parts of the city.
Meanwhile, I represent District 17 — a district that’s been underinvested in for decades. A district where many families are barely holding on. Where rent can be too high, wages too low, and access to opportunity is still out of reach for too many. I mean, look at how long it’s taken to finally start building the Imagination Center at Reindahl Park.
You want to talk about listening? I hear regularly from people who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. That’s why many of us put in the work for housing solutions — because we’re listening. Because we live this. Because we care.
Paul and Bill seem bothered that the majority of the Council doesn’t solely center them — and that really seems to be the root of their issue. They don’t want real change. They want control. They want comfort. They want to stay the loudest voice in the room while pretending to be the quietest.
And when people like me — Black women, alders, advocates, policy changers — step up and shift that balance? Suddenly, we’re not collaborating, going too fast, or pushing an agenda.
Let’s be clear. What we’re pushing is a solution to a long-ignored crisis. And folks like Fanlund — who’ve already benefited from a housing system that allowed them to build wealth and comfort — are now pulling the ladder up behind them and calling it concern.
Paul says we’re not listening. But what he really means is we’re not solely listening to him. I listen to my community, not conspiracies. I listen to families who are being priced out. To young people who’ve never known what it means to live somewhere stable. To seniors who’ve worked their whole lives and are still barely making rent.
Community groups are listening too. Did Paul and Bill miss that 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, AARP, Downtown Madison Inc., Madison is For People, Realtors Association of South-Central Wisconsin, Urban League of Greater Madison, and Strong Towns supported the proposals to create more housing choice and homeownership opportunities? Do Paul and Bill believe these groups also aren’t listening and are simply part of a “pro-build playbook” as Paul mentioned in his most recent op-ed? Or do Paul and Bill simply “…don’t care” about their collective voices because they don’t fit into the narrative they’d like folks to run with?
“I’m encouraging people to support these proposals because we need more affordable options. Homeownership is a critical source of intergenerational wealth. It provides financial security, access to better education, and stability for families. Parents who own a home can help their children buy their first home by leveraging their equity.”
– Dr. Ruben Anthony, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Madison
And then there’s Bill Tishler.
Bill wanted me — a Black woman serving a working-class, under-resourced district — to do labor for him, a white man leading one of the most well-off areas in the city. When I declined and pointed him toward the proper and PAID staff, he got passive-aggressive.
Let me say this clearly: I did not run for office to do the work Bill could very well do himself. That’s not equity. That’s exploitation. And I’m not for it.
I’ve lived that role before — being the one to make room, to take on more, to keep it all together while others benefited and did the bare minimum. Like Lauryn Hill said:
“I spent too many years livin’ too uncomfortably
Making room for people who didn’t like the labor
But wanted the spoils — greedy, selfish behavior
Now let me give it to you balanced and with clarity
I don’t need to turn myself into a parody
I don’t, I don’t do the s*** you do for popularity.”
I’m not here for popularity. I’m here for the people who aren’t benefiting from Madison’s overwhelming growth.
Let’s not forget: the same people Paul is siding (ahem, centering) with already had their shot. They were able to buy homes when prices were reasonable. They got to build equity, stability, and wealth. What we’re asking now is to give more people that same chance. That’s not radical — it’s overdue.
As James Baldwin said:
“It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.”
This is what it looks like in real time. People who’ve had the power for decades pretending like they’re being silenced — while doing everything they can to stop the rest of us from creating solutions.
And to Bill — since your name keeps coming up — let me offer something real: If you truly want to be an ally to Black women in leadership, then stop asking us to carry your workload. Stop asking us to perform helpfulness on your behalf. And stop acting like access to our time is your right.
Instead, start with this:
Harvard Business School’s Racial Equity Fellow, Stephanie Creary, developed a framework for authentic allyship called LEAP:
L – Looking, Listening, Learning, and Locating Oneself
E – Engaging in Discussions
A – Asking Probing Questions
P – Providing Support
The most powerful allies don’t just sit in meetings or send performative texts. They reflect. They share power. They use their privilege to lift others up without trying to control the narrative.
That’s what we need — not another opinion piece full of hot takes and “concern” that really seems more about maintaining the status quo.
So again I ask: Do you rap, or do you tweet? Because me and a whole lot of other folks — especially Black women leaders — are in the booth. We’re in neighborhoods. We’re at many tables and building our own in the process. We’re doing the work.
Pull up or step aside.
Sabrina, Earline’s first grandbaby.
