The gap in the rate of black students and white students who graduate from Wisconsin schools has grown to the largest in the country, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Education.
The graduation rate for African American students held steady at 66.1 percent and failed to keep pace with gains seen by their Wisconsin counterparts and those in almost every other racial, ethnic, and special-needs category. The graduation rate for African-American students ranked 40th among the states.
The graduation rate for white students rose to 92.9 percent — putting it in a tie for third-highest in the nation. But it also widened the racial gap to more than 26.8 percentage points. The graduation rate for Latino students in Wisconsin rose from 74.3 percent to 78.1 percent. The rate for American Indian students rose from 76 percent to 81 percent.
The report offers a first glimpse at graduation rates reported by states for the 2013-’14 school year. According to the data, Wisconsin’s overall graduation rate rose by more than half a percentage point to 88.6%.
The Department of Education data shows 36 states saw increases in overall graduation rates when compared with the 2012-2013 school year, six saw decreases and eight were unchanged. According to the federal government, the nation has posted record graduation rates for the last two years, with the highest rate ever of 81 percent announced in March.
“While these gains are promising, we know that we have a long way to go in improving educational opportunities for every student — no matter their ZIP code — for the sake of our young people and our nation’s economic strength,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in a statement.
The National Center for Education Statistics is expected to release final graduation rate data in coming months.
U.S. President Barack Obama takes part in a discussion on criminal justice reform at the White House in Washington October 22, 2015. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama said that the Black Lives Matter movement is raising a “legitimate issue” about African-Americans being treated unfairly in certain communities.
Obama made his first public remarks about the group, which grew in aftermath of police shootings of unarmed black men, during a discussion of the importance of criminal justice reform.
Critics of Black Lives Matter allege the group promotes bias against other groups, including white Americans and police, and started the saying, “all lives matter.”
“I think the reason that the organizers used the phrase, ‘Black Lives Matter,’ was not because they were suggesting nobody else’s lives matter,” Obama said while speaking on a panel convened at the White House to address criminal justice issues.
“What they were suggesting was, there is a specific problem that is happening in the African-American community that is not happening in other communities. That is a legitimate issue that we’ve got to address.”
The Black Lives Matter movement grew on social media around the protests in Ferguson, Missouri after a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed black teen in August 2014.
“There is a specific concern as to whether African-Americans in certain jurisdictions are not being treated fairly or are subject to excessive force more frequently,” Obama said.
He cautioned that pointing out bias against the black Americans by police should use data rather than anecdotes and avoid painting the picture with “a broad brush.”
The Molecular & Environmental Toxicology Center, along with Project 1808,Inc has organized the Africa & The Environment Symposium 2015: Emerging and Contemporary Issues of the Environment Beyond Ebola which will take place Thursday, Oct. 29, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at WID.
The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa has been unprecedented in magnitude,and linked to changes in animal-human environmental interactions in the region. Critical to the Post-Ebola recovery and sustaining health is attention to the role the environment plays in Africa and its impacts on contemporary issues from a diverse perspective. This symposium will draw upon research and shared experiences of UW-Madison faculty, staff, and students. The objective will be that presentations and discussions will spark interdiscipinary collaborations on the issue of environment in Africa.
The event will feature lectures, a poster fair, and discussions designed to spark and facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations on the issue of environment in Africa. For more information, click here.
The 2015 Workshop Series: Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System will be held this fall at Fountain of Life Worship Center, 633 Badger Rd.
Nehemiah Center for Justice and Reconciliation is hosting an interactive, three-part workshop series this fall designed to educate the general public on mass incarceration and the criminal justice system in general. We have all heard the numbers. With over two million prisoners, the U.S. incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. The U.S. prison population has quintupled since 1980. Although African Americans comprise 12 percent of the U.S. population, they make up 40 percent of the prison population. Wisconsin is widely known for incarcerating more African Americans per capita than any other state. Still, you ask yourself: is this something I should worry about? These people did the crime, they are doing the time, what’s the problem? How is this affecting my community?
Join us for one or all of these interactive workshop sessions where we will address some of these questions.
◆ Monday, November 9:
The Prison System: Purpose & Programming
We will describe the Wisconsin prison system, it’s purpose, and what an inmate might experience.
◆ Monday, December 7:
Community Corrections: Life after Prison
We will explain the ins and outs of Wisconsin’s community corrections system, which encompasses probation, parole, and extended supervision.
On the night Tony Robinson was killed in early March, a large crowd of people quickly amassed on Willy Street to protest well into the night. Robinson’s east side extended family where he grew up and later died was out in force as was Young Black and Gifted and other concerned community members. Some people were distraught. Some were extremely sad. Others were very angry. The crowd hurled furious chants at the lines of motionless police officers sent to the area to maintain the peace. One of the more popular chants was “F**k the police!”
Lester Moore, an African American police officer who serves the Darbo/Worthington neighborhood, was there that cold night enduring the constant chants and insults. Moore has spent most of his career working in Madison’s most troubled neighborhoods doing the hard work of community building and developing community trust. That night, he talked with some of the near east siders that he knew well and listened to their concerns. But he also listened to the chants. There was no missing them. Like he had done in his lifetime of police work, he let it roll right off him.
“There was a lot of anger, but I was OK with that because people have to vent and people have to grieve,” Moore says. “That was a long night for me. But when I look at the things that YGB[Young Gifted and Black] are doing, for me, it’s reminiscent of the civil rights movement. It’s non-violent civil disobedience. We’ve got it good here in Madison. When you look at Baltimore and when you look at Ferguson … we’ve got it good here. I don’t feel upset when people are out there doing what they are doing. I’m OK with that.
“[YGB leader] Eric Upchurch … I’ve had good conversations with him. He’s a good guy. Even [YGB leader] Brandi [Grayson]. I know Brandi from way back in the day,” Moore adds. “There are some things that Brandi says that I definitely agree with. You can’t ignore that Race to Equity report. The things that they are talking about we need to have a serious conversation about.”
Police officer is the rare occupation where you can be doing your job passionately and perfectly and you will still get blamed, scapegoated, denigrated, and abused for something that some other police officer did – oftentimes thousands of miles away.
At the same time, there’s no denying that young black men have been disproportionately been the victims of police violence in America. Tamir Rice. Eric Garner. Walter Scott. Michael Brown. And, yes, Tony Robinson. They are just a few African-Americans that have been killed by police officers this past year.
“Every time there is an incident like in South Carolina where a person [Walter Scott] gets shot in the back running away from a police officer, that is just devastating to any trust that might have built up,” says Wayne Strong, a longtime African American neighborhood police officer and detective in Madison who is now the Criminal Justice Program Chair at Globe University. “Every time something like that happens, it hurts. It’s a major setback.”
There’s no doubt that the shooting of Tony Robinson was a significant setback in Madison for police/community relations. Or, maybe it just brought the frustration and resentment to the forefront in a city where police arrest African-Americans at more than 10 times the rate at which they arrest whites.
LIVING IN TWO WORLDS
Officer Moore, who grew up around poverty in Houston, Texas, clearly lives in two worlds as a person of color and as a police officer. He can’t help but see both sides. “When I see things that may be police brutality, I want to know more. I want to know what happened. I want to see the video,” Moore says. “Because there are things that we do that sometimes the public doesn’t understand why we do what we do. As a person of color, I want to see what happens because things happen to us that are unjust. I need to see because it affects me in two different ways.”
Moore has been the neighborhood officer at Darbo/Worthington since November of 2013 where he has worked hard to really become a part of that community.
“It was important for me to build those relationships so when the hard stuff comes it makes it a lot easier to deal with,” Moore says.
“Because of the obvious things that have been going on throughout the nation between communities of color and police, I’ve been trying to redevelop that trust with the African American community,” he adds. “That’s to say if we ever had it. Looking at the history of people of color and the police … that’s been a rocky relationship, so how do we make that better? How do we make people feel valued and respected and well-served within the community?”
Moore has his rough days on the job in Darbo where he gets pushback. “I had to figure out a way to deal with that emotionally and mentally and I’ve come up with a mantra that I say to myself: It’s not my job to judge a person’s worth in society. I only have to make a decision about their actions,” he says.
Moore does feel like he has to take the time to give a person a positive word if he can. “This is a very unique job. We meet people at a point of crisis and at the worst times in their lives,” he says. “We should be giving people something positive. Even if it is small. What a person is today may not be what they are tomorrow.”
Moore retells a recent story where he had to arrest an older person who was drunk at the East Transfer Point. “When I walked up, he squared off on me. I quickly got him into handcuffs but he was like, ‘I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!’” Moore remembers. “I took a long hard look at him and I said, “Mr. So and So, you remind me of my pops. You look a lot like my pops.’ And we started talking and that changed the whole dynamic. We got to the jail and I said to him, “I really need you to take good care of yourself.’ And I gave him a hug. I said, “I just want you to know I love you, man.’ He said, ‘I love you, too.’”
Moore’s job requires him to be creative and to use outside-the-box type of thinking. “My strong suit is communication … because I talk a lot,” Moore smiles. “There’s always time to talk.”
Some people in law enforcement would view that as weakness. Moore views it as a strength. “I talk about everyday things with people,” he says. “I call it working in the community versus being in the community. I like to be in the community.
“Having me riding around in the neighborhood [and] walking in the neighborhood should be a regular thing that they see as non-threatening. It’s just ‘Oh, that’s our neighbor – Lester Moore.’ He works out here, but he’s also a part of the community and is somebody we know, we love, and we can trust to do the job to the best of his ability,’” Moore adds.
But no matter how hard he tries, there will always be people that see him as the bad guy.
“Whenever I have a kid that says, ‘I don’t like the police. I’m not gonna talk to you.’ …. That’s a challenge to me. I just smile big and say, ‘You might not like me today … but in about two months you’re gonna love me.’ I’m going to keep coming and keep coming,” Moore says.
STRONG IN THE COMMUNITY
Strong has spent a lifetime working on Madison’s south side, sometimes in very dangerous situations like in the early ‘90s when he was an undercover copy trying to get crack cocaine and other drugs off the streets and out of the hands of young people. In ’94, he started to work in the south side neighborhood as their Baird-Fisher neighborhood officer. “That was, by far, my most rewarding experience as a police officer … working with the community and being a liaison between the police and community,” Strong remembers.
Even as an African American, south side community members didn’t always readily accept Strong. “They wanted to know how much I really cared about the community I was working in,” Strong remembers. “So breaking that barrier – what I call that blue barrier – and people seeing me through that uniform was important. That I was there to serve and protect but also be an advocate for those in the community working with different neighborhood groups and associations and civilian groups around South Madison.” Globe University–Madison East criminal justice program chair Wayne Strong
Strong’s perspective comes from decades and decades of police work but also from coaching and mentoring youth that come through this South Side Raiders football and cheerleading program. The Raiders pride themselves on being much more than football and the coaches are often surrogate fathers for troubled youth who need some positivity in their lives. Strong has been working in troubled communities in Madison for a long time now — for so long that some of his work was done before many in the current Black Lives Matter movement was born.
“I support Black Lives Matter. We need that kind of dialog. We have to have that kind of dialog … but I would also encourage people not to paint the broad brush that all cops are bad,” Strong says. “There has to be a give and take and there needs to be a very difficult and tough conversation that takes place so we can get to a place where we can move forward and better serve all of our people.
“In life, everybody brings a different perception and a different history to the discussion. It’s critical for everybody to listen to other people’s points of views,” he adds. “It’s a chance for dialog. Once we get past our immediate differences, then we begin to find out the many things we have in common. What is our end goal?”
Strong wants to see accountability and scrutiny and improvements. Everywhere.
“I look at Black Lives Matter and I say that’s a great movement … but what concerns me is the fact that if you are a black person in this country you are far, far, far more likely to be killed by another black person than anybody else. We have to look at that, too,” Strong says. “When we say ‘Black Lives Matter,’ we have to make sure that we are not only holding police accountable – and we should because cops in America kill far more people than they should – but we’ve also have to look at all of the violence in our own cities in terms of the black-on-black crime rate. It doesn’t mean that we are excusing, mitigating, or minimizing in any way, fashion, shape or form the fact that we are dying at the hands of police … which we are. But we’re also dying at the hands of each other – far more frequently than we’re dying at the hands of the police.
“Whether you die at the hands of a police officer or another black person, you are a statistic. You are a dead person,” Strong adds. “We want to save lives and prevent tragedies from happening. They way to do that is to keep the dialogue open and to keep collaborating. Because if we say that we’re not going to talk to them because they’re cops or we’re not going to talk to them because they are protestors, we’ve really lost. We can’t afford to do that right now.”
IT’S ALL A MATTER OF TRUST
Strong does not hold back his disdain for bad cops. “We need to weed them out. We don’t want them as police officers in any city in our country,” he says. “Let’s tighten up the hiring process. Let’s do better background checks. Let’s do better screening. Let’s do aptitude tests and let’s find out what people’s attitudes are towards people who are different than they are. Let’s figure out a way to get the best people out on the street who do the best job in protecting all of our people going forward.”
That will really cut down on the mistrust. And that, Strong says, is huge. “That mistrust between the black community and law enforcement is historical. That goes waaaaay back. There’s room for improvement. There’s a lot of work that we can do in building those bridges between the police and the community. That, to me, is the important work. That’s my life goal: to increase that. Increase the peace.”
The Madison Police Department – and police departments across the nation, for that matter – could go a long way towards solidifying that trust by examining how, when, where, and why they pursue and arrest different racial groups. I point out to Strong something that I’m sure he’s probably aware of: Study after study shows that white people use drugs at a rate higher than black people do but get arrested and go to prison at a tiny percentage.
“I agree. We need to have enforcement strategies that are just not targeted to one group,” Strong says. “If you are caught on campus doing drugs, you should be punished for that. You shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it because you are a white middle or upper class student. There needs to be consequences, I think. You need to have enforcement policies that are fair across the board.”
One could argue that fairness always ends with rich white kids’ attorneys. As Ray Charles once pointed out, just like you can buy grades of silk, you can buy grades of justice. For minorities, harsh sentencing policies often turn minor crimes into lifetime sentences. The same minor crimes that become a slap on the wrist for the wealthy white kids who have fantastic attorneys. Strong agrees that work needs to be done on the disparate impact of the drug war on people of color.
“I think we need to look at what impact we are having on furthering the disparities that exist within the criminal justice system,” he says. “You look at who’s in prison for drugs, and it’s more black and brown people. We have work to do as a society. A lot of work to do.”
It’s not just the justice system that is out of the control of dedicated neighborhood officers, individual police officers did not set these economic policies that limit opportunities for people of color nor do they segregate the community along racial lines. Almost 75 percent of African American youth (compared to 5.5 percent of white youth) live in poverty in Madison.
“What I see the most every day is poverty and we really need to put some money into solving issues of poverty and homelessness,” Moore says. “I don’t think people realize how poor some people are in this city. There are a lot of homeless families and a lot of homeless kids in the school district. Having everybody feel like they’ve got something.”
“If you can’t work inside the established economy, you have to get it some other way,” Moore adds. “You’re looking at people with no safety nets in life … literally living day to day. I would take money out of incarceration and put it into things up front like social programs and drug treatment. I would support a lot of programs that are already working but don’t get a lot of pub like Mentoring Positives [Darbo program run by Will Green that works with youth].
The curtain needs to be pulled back so the rest of Madison can see what is going on in these communities. “A lot of people are oblivious to what’s happening in parts of Madison. I think we need to do a better job of exposing that … putting it out there so that people understand that there are kids out here who are really suffering. There are kids out there who have food issues, home issues, school issues … and they are all related,” Moore says.
“We need to have a knowledge of what some of these kids are going through that lead them to get in trouble so we can work to prevent it up front,” Strong says. “Sixty percent of the kids in JRC [Juvenile Receiving Center] right now are African American children. It’s a cradle-to-prison pipeline that we need to stop. As a society, we really have to be a safety net for our children … because they are our future. This is the future of our city. If we continue to neglect it now, it will be troublesome later.”
In trying to solve this problem, Moore, like many of people of color in Madison, is not afraid to put Madison itself on blast.
“When the racial disparity numbers came out in Madison, it was no surprise to any person of color. It’s very liberal on the surface and very conservative underneath,” he says. “I’ve had a lot of experiences here based upon my race and color. I’ve had more experiences here than I’ve had in North Carolina, Virginia, and even Texas. It’s different. It’s covert rather than overt. It hurts more that way … because you say you’re this but you’re that. You’re thinking it’s good; but then you find out, ‘Woooooah. This isn’t cool.’
“I have always had talks with my kids about how to navigate the system and about being stopped by the police. And I’m a police officer!,” Moore adds. “I get nervous when I’m driving my personal car and I have the police behind me because of my experiences in the past with police. I know what that feeling feels like. It’s a horrible feeling and I don’t want anybody to feel that way. I think that’s the motivation on why I do things the way I do.”
But true to his nature, Moore doesn’t dwell on the negatives when asked about the prospects of his city.
“I’m optimistic. I’ve got officers coming up to me and talking to me about what they want to do,” he says. “They are just really positive about going out and having these connections and building these relationships with people. Officer Lester Moore (4th from left) meets with Darbo community members at the Salvation Army.
“There’s a great possibility for us to turn a corner. People are working hard. There’s a lot of good that’s beginning to happen,” he adds. “People are tired. They want to see something different and they want to see something better and I think they are open to letting those happen … even in the face of everything that’s going on right now – every officer-involved shooting of an unarmed person, every officer killed in the line of duty. People are still willing to have conversations. People are still willing to talk to people wearing the uniform and talk to people who don’t look like them. I think Madison has good stuff going on, we just have to keep pushing it forward and believe in it.
“We’ve got to continue to work and develop these relationships across both sides. If we don’t, it’s gonna be ugly,” He continues. “I think there’s hope. Especially here in Darbo. I’m seeing fathers get involved in the neighborhood. I’m seeing kids getting active in politics and social work and in the community. That’s something we haven’t seen since SNCC [Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee] and back in the day.”
Strong says less segregation, more community engagement, more resources to fight poverty. “We need to be out there talking to people about how we as a city can address issues related to poverty, joblessness, education. We have to make sure that we have strategies in place,” Strong says. “I’m optimistic in the future that things will get better, but that’s going to take work on everybody’s part. Everybody in this community needs to be invested in it; not just a few.”
The ambitious experiment to have a Spanish-language radio station in Madison first started in April of 2000. More than 15 years later, La Movida 1480 AM is stronger than ever.
“I remember those very early days,” says Luis Montoto, the owner and program manager of La Movida 1480 AM radio. “It was just La Movida weekends. That first weekend we had [Centro Guadalupe’s] Romilia [Schlueter] and Lilliam [Post]. Actually, they were our very first guests on the very first La Movida Show.”
Two years later, on Oct. 14, 2002, La Movida started broadcasting 24/7 and have never looked back. They are still Madison’s only Spanish radio station and are extremely popular with Madison’s 50,000-plus Latinos. Owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting on Madison’s west side, the station airs local Spanish language music and talk programming along with national news breaks from CNN en Español Radio. La Movida is a balance of Spanish news, weather, sports, talk, and Top-40 music.
The Latino husband-and-wife duo of Luis and Lupita Montoto, who have innumerable connections to Dane County’s Latino community, are what keep La Movida thriving.
Luis does not need a script because he is a natural-born talker. “Before I met Lupita, I worked in radio in Texas. So, I was always comfortable talking,” he tells Madison365. “Even before that, I was a musician. I first got on the microphone when I was with one of these garage bands and they needed somebody to be the emcee and talk on the mic at these events we went to. We were just kids. Everybody in the band was afraid to do it. I was like, ‘Hand it over. I got this!’ From there, it just grew and grew.”
Lupita, who is also co-founder of La Movida Radio and one of its favorite radio personalities, always comes off as shy, but that is probably because, more often than not, she’s next to her gregarious and outgoing husband, Luis.
“I never had radio experience until La Movida but I learned very quickly,” says Lupita Monoto, born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico. Lupita Montoto has become a great interviewer because she knows the community so well — not just the Latino community, but the whole community. It’s easy for her to make personal connections with guests and listeners.
“Many people in the Latino community find themselves in difficult situations when they are here. For a little bit of time we try and take them back to their country with the music and with the culture and help them forget their problems they might have here,” Luis Montoto says. “And we in the Latino community do have a lot problems that we are facing.”
Sometimes they temporarily take listeners away from their life problems. More often than not, they are working to help them solve those problems, too. La Movida is music and entertainment and jokes and fun, but it is also a vital community resource.
“I think it’s important for us to be educational and to bring important resources and information to the Latino community, but we also like to have fun,” Lupita Montoto says. “Both are important. Through all of these years operating 24/7, we have done just about everything. It’s important that we keep contact with the people and keep them engaged. They are what make our station a success.”
Lupita and Luis Montoto in the La Movida studios on Madison’s west side
La Movida regularly hosts many important Madison people and agencies that give listeners access to information they would never otherwise have. “Information is power … and our goal is to empower our community by providing information that they want and need,” Luis Montoto says. “I like to describe our station as a bridge. We’re a two-way street. The Latino community benefits from the information on health, education, and life. They also benefit from information on our local Latino businesses and what they have to offer and promotions that the local Latino community can take advantage of. The business community takes advantage of the buying power that the Latino community has.”
Through the radio station, the Montotos have been exposed to so many great people and personalities in the Dane County area and have gotten to know many agencies, businesses, and organizations from throughout the Madison community.
“We all work together in the Madison community to keep people informed whether it with Centro Hispano, Catholic Multicultural Center, LASUP. We all collaborate to benefit the Latino community. We can work with anybody and everybody,” says Lupita Montoto. “It’s all about partnerships. It’s a privilege for the Latino community to have so many resources here that you won’t find in other communities in other cities and states.”
La Movida has its share of traditional radio listeners, but they also are streamed online and have an app so you can listen on your phone. An important part of La Movida’s mission is not only touching people through the airwaves, but through the many events they host. “We love events because it gets a chance for us to see and meet all of the people who are listening to us every day,” says Lupita Montoto. “We love the personal contact and interaction with people.”
“What gives me a lot of satisfaction, personally, is to see somebody in person and the camaraderie that you build,” Luis Montoto adds. “‘Hey, Montoto. ¿Cómo estás? Nice to see you.’ There are so many people out there that we are able to touch and sometimes we lose track of how many people we reach.”
La Movida volunteers their time at Radiothons in the city to raise funds for worthy causes and are regulars at the Dane County Fair and the Jefferson County Fair. They help host a “Family Day” at Little Amerricka in Marshall, Wis., and the Viva Mexico celebration at the Alliant Energy Center. They also host the annual Hispanic Heritage Luncheon which is now in its 5th year and growing.
Every year, more and more gringos show up at the events that La Movida hosts because there is no ignoring that the Latino populations here – like everywhere else in the U.S. – continues to explode.
“Our numbers have grown by leaps and bounds. And I think the Latino community has evolved,” says Luis Montoto. “I think we at La Movida have played our part and helped to bring the Latino community around in keeping them informed and engaged. I think the Latino population here is very well informed – much more than [in] many major urban cities.”
As they inform, La Movida is careful not to do it in a partisan way. Politics, Luis Montoto admits, can be a double-edged sword. “We don’t get involved too much one way or another,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean that we don’t work hard to give people all of the resources and information they need to make good choices.”
On their show, La Movida does talk about immigration, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA), or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). They talk about the presidential primaries. “We do talk about all that. That’s out there. We can’t hide that from the Latino community. That’s on Univision. That’s on Telemundo. It’s part of what we have to do as well,” Luis Montoto says.
“We get the information out to the people that they need to know. Just like the police, we are here to serve and to protect the Latino community,” he adds. “That’s the community that provides for us. And that’s our job.”
Mayor Paul Soglin was a recent guest on La Movida Radio.
The Montotos also own Voz Latina, a Spanish-language newspaper that compliments the radio station in keeping the Latino community informed. A few years ago, there was talk about the Montotos starting a Latino TV station here in Madison. They’ve backed away from that a little bit for now. “We do want to create a YouTube channel because we do have the equipment and we do have the capabilities to do things locally,” Luis Montoto says. “We were thinking about a full-fledged TV station but we kinda stepped back from that for now.”
Two years ago, La Movida expanded their radio station into Rockford, Ill. Northern Illinois is now home to WNTA-La Movida 1330AM. “I would even dare to say that Rockford has a larger Latino community than Madison,” Luis Montoto says.
“In Rockford, the Latino population is very largely Mexican. Here in Madison, it is more diverse,” adds Lupita Montoto.
That expansion has made the Montotos eager to get into other markets, too.
“La Movida is no longer a regular old radio station; we are La Movida Network now,” Luis Montoto says. “La Movida can expand to any other city that it wants to. That’s what we want to do. We’ve talked to station owners in Nebraska and Iowa and upper Wisconsin and Ohio and Indiana about expanding La Movida.
“I could see us in Appleton, Green Bay, Eau Claire,” he adds.
What about Sheboygan — hometown of Madison365 editor Dave Dahmer?
“Si!” smiles Luis Montoto. “I think I see some potential there, too! I’m going to look into that.”
He promised that he would live a Christian life, attend church, and be devoted to his family.
He agreed to glorify God.
For Kennedy, a Washington state assistant high school football coach, this agreement with God also included a call for him to lead a prayer to God on the 50-yard-line after every one of his team’s games. Even if his employer, the Constitution, and the court told him he could not.
Kennedy is the most recent case in a long string of high profile cases, in which an employee of a public school has led public prayers with students in defiance of court holdings, constitutional clauses, and school directives.
I am willing to acknowledge, for the sake of argument, that the school officials who have led public prayers so far, have done so for benevolent and pure reason.
And I am even willing to acknowledge that some of the individuals who support and follow these school officials, genuinely, if not subjectively, believe that Christianity is under attack as a result of the various directives for public prayer to stop.
However, there is an undeniably active and vociferous contingent that does not have such noble intentions.
A contingent that seeks to politicize Christianity and prayer. A contingent that seeks to mischaracterize any attempt to limit public school prayer as a liberal power grab designed to infringe on their freedom of religion and speech.
This should concern us all. It should concern us because allowing Christians to lead public prayers in school essentially legislates discrimination. Would public prayer advocates support a Muslim teacher who wanted to lead Salat with students?
Of course not.
Public prayer advocates also overstate the prohibitions on public prayer, and create a conflict where there is none.
The Supreme Court has ruled that it is unconstitutional for a school administrator to lead a public prayer with students. There is no prohibition against students praying together.
What’s more, nothing stops Christians from quietly praying and spending time getting closer to the Creator.
In fact, I think Jesus says something about how he prefers quiet prayer over showy public prayers in his Sermon on the Mount.
Rank your Top 5 MCs. The Gza (Wu Tang Clan, as much for his business acumen and intellectual curiosity as his music). Nas (Illmatic…c’mon son), MCLyte (the woman who stepped up the game), Kedrick Lamar (pure poetry), J Cole (always keeps it real). If I could have one more I’d say Immortal Technique or Q-Tip (Tribe Called Quest)
Which motivates you more: doubters or supporters? Actually I don’t respond as much to external motivation. My community, the conditions we struggle with, continuing injustice motivates me to attempt to do something.
Do you prefer being called Black or African American? It’s about context. In multinational contexts I express solidarity by being a part of a “Black” community but I also value the political power of naming ourselves linked to African American and reinforcing our ancestral ties to the continent.
What three leaders in Madison under 50 have impressed you the most? Kaleem Caire, Brandi Grayson, Matthew Braunginn. All have deep connections to the community and are determined to make it a better place for ALL residents.
What’s the biggest stumbling block in Madison to turning the corner on our racial disparities? First and foremost, recognizing the problem actually exists. I think the Race to Equity report came as a surprise to the majority community but Black people already knew the situation. The second issue is that this is a “process” community, and even if nothing gets accomplished people will accept that as okay because the “process was honored!” In other words, we tend to talk things to death.
What are your top three priorities at this point in your life? Ensuring that our children receive a quality education. That is my one and only priority.
You recently spoke at the Faith Based Q speaking series. The title of your speech was “The Least of These.”Why that title? It is clear to me that the economy of the Christian faith is the inverse of that of market economies. My faith tells me that the last shall be first and that we must become as little children to enter God’s kingdom. That is the ultimate power of the least of these. They hold the keys to the kingdom!
What role can the hip hop culture help in education? Since hip hop is a part of youth culture, it can do lots to help students learn. My research suggests that culture is an integral part of learning. Most of our prior knowledge resides in a cultural context. So, if hip hop is an important part of youth culture, it can be a tremendous leverage point for teaching young people.
Being from Philadelphia, are you a Packers fan or Eagles fan? Definitely an Eagles fan…Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick. Few NFL franchises have had the courage to select Black field generals (quarterbacks) year after years!
Besides the K12 school system, what are the biggest barriers for people of color here in Madison? Workforce development. We have a very robust economy that is almost recession proof but have had trouble sustaining a vibrant Black business culture. We finally got a Black funeral business which is virtually unheard of in most communities with more than 20,000 Black residents.
You sit on the Board of the Urban League of Greater Madison. Why are historical organizations like the Urban League and NAACP relevant today? These organizations have a track record of addressing inequity and injustice. And, unfortunately there is a need to continue to do so. Most of the major legal decisions have been championed by the NAACP either as the primary litigant or in powerful amicus briefs. The Urban League has been in the forefront of job creation and job training. In Madison both organizations are responsible for collecting important data to document the inequity.
What 3 movies best describe the black experience? Another hard one… Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and Selma. (And just because I’d watch it over and over… Love Jones.)
Yesterday, Maurice Cheeks was selected as one of the thirteen leaders from across the country to join the NewDEAL, a national network that is committed to highlighting innovative ideas from state and local elected leaders who are pro-growth progressives.
Governor Jack Markell of Delaware and U.S. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, Honorary Chairs of the NewDEAL, recognized City Councilor Cheeks’ work to expand economic opportunity in his community through a collaborative approach to increase neighborhood food security.
“NewDEAL Leaders in communities across the country have proven that winning policy solutions can be both pro-growth and progressive. We are proud to highlight leaders from across the country with innovative ideas to make government more efficient and effective,” said Senator Warner, Honorary Co-Chair of the NewDEAL.
“We believe that in order to address the challenges of the 21st century, we need to look for fresh ideas at the state and local level where leaders like Maurice Cheeks are developing and testing innovative solutions to help move our country forward,” said Governor Markell, Honorary Co-Chair of the NewDEAL.
Cheeks, who was also named one of the 28 most influential African Americans in Wisconsin by Madison365, is the director of the Wisconsin Innovation Network (WIN), focusing on the high tech and high-growth sectors in Wisconsin. Cheeks is also the President Pro Tempore of the Madison Common Council.
“I am proud to be recognized by the NewDEAL for my work to expand economic opportunity for my constituents while prioritizing investment in food deserts,” said Alder Cheeks. “I’m looking forward to sharing ideas with my fellow NewDEAL Leaders and hearing about what’s working best in their communities that can help us grow progress here in Madison, Wisconsin.”
Cheeks joins Racine Mayor John Dickert, Senator Julie Lassa, and Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling as one of the 4 NewDEAL Leaders from Wisconsin.
If you live outside Milwaukee, you might not see Wisconsin’s racial gap. But enter the city limits and it’s pretty hard to miss.
A couple of terrible statistics jump right off the page. We lead the nation in the incarceration rate of black men, we were rated as the worst state in the nation to raise a black child and we have tremendous racial disparities in all facets of life. It is simply unacceptable. This week, the Legislature took up a bill that could make that disparity even worse.
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a public hearing this week on Senate Bill 248, which would eliminate the 12-hour hold on law enforcement strip searches of detainees who are suspected of having committed nonviolent crimes. That 12-hour hold is often long enough for individuals whose alleged crime is not fitting of a strip search to have been released, thus avoiding the horrible humiliation of a strip search.
As the mother of a black child who is about to get his driver’s license, I already fear how he may be treated for driving while black. But if this bill becomes law, I will also have to fear that a simple traffic stop could result in a degrading strip search like that which many of my constituents have already been subjected to.
As the only person of color on the committee, I reminded my white colleagues to view this legislation through a culturally diverse lens. As the saying goes, you don’t know what you don’t know. If you’ve never been racially profiled, it’s really difficult to put yourself in the shoes of people who have. But as lawmakers, each of them have the same vote I do on this bill. That’s why I asked them to keep a few key things in mind when contemplating the strip search bill.
First, as I stated previously, we lead the nation in incarceration rate of black men. Additionally, many of the Republicans on the committee are the same individuals who repealed my law that required data collection on certain traffic stops. While we know the incarceration rate, the goal of the bill was to prove what those of us in the black community know to historically be true; that we have a greater racial disparity of traffic stops than our white neighbors.
But our racial disparities aren’t limited to driving without a seat belt. Remember several months ago when legislators from all over the state supported a brand new $500 million arena for the Milwaukee Bucks? Where were those same voices after Milwaukee Bucks player, John Henson, was racially profiled while attempting to shop for a watch at Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers in Whitefish Bay? I believe it is hypocritical to tell these NBA players we want their income tax revenue and we will support them when they are on the court but not when they are on the streets.
During the hearing, I implored my colleagues not to expand Wisconsin’s strip search law, especially in light of Milwaukee’s challenges on the issue. Remember, Milwaukee is home to the 2013 roadside strip search of a man who happened to be a passenger of a car that was pulled over. Because the police found one bullet and some marijuana on the driver, they used that as justification to strip search another man on the side of the road. According to Devin Ragland’s account, he was made to drop his pants. The officer conducting the search felt his testicles through his basketball shorts. Other officers who later arrived on the scene pulled Ragland’s shorts and underwear away, exposing his genitals. In the end, Ragland was arrested for being a minor in possession of cigarettes. Now I’m no advocate for our babies smoking, but I submit to you that’s no reason for a strip search, especially on the side of the road in front of the public. The incident and subsequent investigation led to four officers accused of illegal strip searches.
But that case is just the tip of the iceberg. As of last year, Milwaukee was battling over 50 different lawsuits of illegal strip and cavity searches. We have a real racial gap in Milwaukee. Rather than taking up bills that dehumanize people, I challenged my colleagues to work on the real issues that are plaguing our community.
