On a bright fall morning in the basement of the AFSCME building on West St. Paul Avenue, a dozen people sat around long, brown tables topped with flyers and pamphlets, waiting to hear who would be crowned ‘Canvasser of the Week.’
These are the faces of BLOC, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, an organization dedicated to uplifting underprivileged neighborhoods in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin. It is a project of the Center for Popular Democracy Action, a national network of grassroots community groups.
“BLOC is a new organization,” said Program Director Arkesia Jackson. “Our whole mission is to really engage the people in our community, not only during election season, but 365 days a year.”
Group members clapped and cheered as Milwaukee native Kiran White stood up from his chair to collect a silver gift card, the prize for ‘Canvasser of the Week.’ He had consistently come to work showing initiative and determination to educate the Milwaukee community, lately about the upcoming races between Governor Scott Walker and State Superintendent Tony Evers, and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and Wisconsin Senator Leah Vukmir.
“This is a full-time job,” executive director Angela Lang laughed. “Right now, there’s five full time staff including myself, and then we have about 30 or so paid canvassers.”
After snacks and announcements they practiced ambassador role play, an exercise in which one person acts as the canvasser and another as the citizen. They knocked on fake doors and acted out potential conversations. Then it was time for turf and team assignments. The canvassers, ready to head out into Milwaukee’s crisp fall air, dressed in jackets, hats and scarves. They crowded around their bosses waiting for materials including iPads, information sheets and hand warmers.
Kiran White and his two team members piled into Kiron’s beat-up light blue car and took off toward their first turf assignment, a housing complex near the corner of North 22nd and Colfax. They pulled up in front of a row of uniform tan houses with black metal doors, a few made festive with Halloween decorations.
First door. Knock knock. No Answer.
“I get a little frustrated because I’m like, man, if they aren’t trying to get the message we’re trying to push, we ain’t going to go nowhere as a society,” White said. “A lot of people are stuck in their ways and it’s hard to break them out of that.”
In the next neighborhood, an older woman dressed in jeans and a t-shirt opened the door. She said her name was Gertrude Spivey. White read through his script, and asked how she would like to see her neighborhood improve.
“Just make it look nice,” Spivey said quietly.
The next house was across the street, where a lawn care truck was parked outside. A landscaper dressed in green from head to toe greeted White and listened to his introduction.
“Hi, my name is Kiran White and I’m with BLOC, Black Leaders Organizing for Community,” White began. “Do you know about the upcoming election?”
The man nodded. He intends to vote.
The first time BLOC did a paid canvassing program, funded by $600,000 in donations, was in March for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race between Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Rebecca Dallet and Sauk County Circuit Judge Michael Screnrock. In the span of about one month, BLOC canvassers knocked on over 35,000 doors in the Milwaukee community.
“We took a risk and layered in some low-performing wards, and in those low-performing wards we were able to increase turnout by up to 3 percent in the spring primary,” Lang said.
Ironically, White cannot vote because he is on probation for a felony. Wisconsin is one of 19 states in the U.S. where felons can only vote after they complete their sentence: prison time, parole and probation.
“They don’t want black people to vote,” Lang said. “When black people come together and vote, we win.”