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.”

The post Engaging Milwaukee’s Black Voters, Block by BLOC appeared first on Wisconsin Votes (or not): High Stakes for the 2018 Midterms.

They reached out to those around them, remembering the eleven people killed in the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue Saturday in Pittsburgh.

“I wish we didn’t have to come,” said Alter in his opening remarks to the crowd.

On Saturday, at the Tree of Life Synagogue, a gunman opened fire during morning services.

“Who knows eleven? Tonight, we all know eleven,” said Alter.

His words drew murmurs of agreement from the crowd.

“God did not give us bullet proof vests,” said Alter.

The gathering was filled with prayers, singing, and uniting against what many speakers deemed the hate and horror of the world.

People of all faiths made up the crowd. Reverend David Simmons spoke on behalf of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee. Simmons asked about 100 members of clergy from many religions to stand up and be recognized, to prove that there are many standing with the Jewish people.

Too many times in history, the Jewish people have been alone. You are not alone tonight.

Reverend David Simmons

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and Representative Gwen Moore were also in attendance.

The El Malei Rachamim, or the memorial prayer, was said, with each victim’s name read out loud.

“Being a bystander is not an option,” said Hannah Rosenthal, CEO and President of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation.

“We are all intertwined in fighting.”

Saturday’s events left many within the Milwaukee Jewish Community heartsick and horrified. For many, like Sami Stein-Avner, Executive Director of Tikkun Ha-Ir, a pluralistic Jewish organization, the effects are personal.

“I’ve been following this since the moment it broke, and first of all I have to say how close to home this hits,” says Stein-Avner.

She remembers the mass shooting at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisc., in 2012, and how the Milwaukee Jewish community stood with those who were mourning. Stein-Avner says that is one of the most important things now.

Hearing from others outside the Jewish Community, that they do not stand for this hate,that they stand with us.

The Milwaukee Jewish Federation released a statement in which they said that “words are insufficient,” when responding to the attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue.

They go on to reassure the Jewish community of the ongoing efforts to keep Jews safe in Milwaukee.

“We have no reason to believe that our local community is at risk,” the statement said.

“However, from moments after the attack, we have been in close contact with law enforcement at all levels. We have increased patrols and police presence at synagogues and other Jewish institutions.”

At the Monday gathering, security was high, with police officers stationed outside and throughout the synagogue.  

It is simply unconscionable for Jews to be targeted during worship on a Sabbath morning, and unthinkable that it would happen in the United States of America in this day and age.

John Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League

The Tree of Life Synagogue shooting is not an isolated anti-Semitic event however. The Anti-Defamation League reported that in 2017 alone, anti-Semitic incidents in the United States rose nearly 60 percent.

Anti-Semitism and the Midterm Election

The rise in anti-Semitism and white supremacy since President Donald Trump took office is an issue that the larger Milwaukee Jewish population is very aware of.

 “There are a few things that Jews are particularly concerned about: The rise in hatefulness, discrimination, and bigotry. I think there is real alarm, and I think a lot of Jews are really concerned about efforts to sideline or harm certain parts of our community,” said Elana Kahn, Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council.

In early 2017, the Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center in Whitefish Bay, received three different bomb threats within six weeks.

Stein-Avner knew of many people who had children at the Jewish Community Center when the threats were made and notes how terrifying it was.

“There’s definitely been a heightened awareness of anti-Semitic activity, of how do you walk the line of being open to all opinions, but also holding fast to the tenets of Judaism. A lot of core Jewish values talk about welcoming a stranger, that talk about loving your neighbor, and trying to lead a life guided by those values, and also live in a country where the president is very much, say, the opposite of those things,” said Stein-Avner.

There’s that awareness, and it’s not until it strikes super personal, that it gets to fear.

Sami Stein-Avner

Noah Kuchin, the Social Impact Coordinator at Uri L’Tzedek, a Jewish Orthodox Social Justice Group based out of New York, finds it most disturbing that the rise in anti-Semitism often goes unchecked in the digital age.

“I, personally, am very troubled by it,” said Kuchin.

Rabbi Toba Schaller, who serves as Rabbi-Director of Lifelong Learning for Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun in River Hills, has known anti-Semitism from a very young age.

“I have a different experience than a lot of other rabbis,” said Schaller.

“I grew up in a small town in Texas where there really were not a lot of other Jews and diversity was not always a value of the people. And so, I think I grew up in a world where I was very aware that there was still anti-Semitism. I grew up in a place where there was an active KKK presence. So, I think I always knew that it was out there.”

Charlee Vrtjak a Jewish student at UWM who has spent time in Israel, has also experienced anti-Semitism firsthand.

“One of the worst things I think anyone has ever said to me was they wished me, and the rest of my people, died in the Holocaust,” said Vrtjak.

However, Vrtjak does not allow for those issues to stop her from identifying herself as Jewish.

In August of 2017, a “Unite the Right” protest in Charlottesville, Va., and its anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi rhetoric struck a chord in Vrtjak.

She took to Facebook, posting about how fearful she was of what her world had become.

“It is scary to know that there are many people like that in bulk. They were threatening people for what? A religion they do not even have to believe?” 

The fear that Vrtjak may have felt a year ago is not as strong today, although she still sees a heightened sense of awareness.

Schaller looks throughout the past and sees a common theme.

When the going gets rough, people need someone to blame, and the blame has fallen on Jews for a lot of history.

Rabbi Toba Schaller

Kahn sees the heightened awareness of anti-Semitism as a result of those in leadership positions doing nothing.

“I think there is a greater sense of insecurity because we’ve seen a permissiveness to white supremacy coming straight from the President, and we’ve seen it in a rise of incidents with a sort of boldness about hate that is really shocking,” said Kahn.

Stein-Avner echoes Kahn’s remarks.

“What’s crazy is, anti-Semitism never really goes away but that it tends to rear it’s head when somebody at the top is not afraid of bigoted remarks,” said Stein-Avner.

“It’s not something that belongs in this country.”

Kahn receives reports daily of anti-Semitic rhetoric in the Milwaukee area.

“There’s been absolutely a rise,” said Kahn.

“There are things happening all the time. Generally, the Jewish community in Milwaukee, this is a good place. But there has definitely been a rise in incidents and this year looks to be no calmer.”

Despite it all, Kahn believes firmly that when it comes to voting in the Jewish community, she has found that the process is a high priority for people and they will always turn out to vote.

“I can’t think of anyone who isn’t planning to vote.”

A “Vote like your rights depend on it” sticker adorns the office door of Kahn, in the Jewish Museum Milwaukee.

A few floors beneath Kahn’s office, visitors have scribbled and scrawled their responses to a prompt on a whiteboard regarding the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. The prompt is a part of a larger exhibit at the museum. 

An important theme among Jews is presented through that sticker and whiteboard: they care about the United States democracy, and they care about the November midterm elections.

“I took my kids to vote with me as soon as I could, at least for the big elections,” said Kahn.

“I would bring my kids in and show them the ballot and, usually, when they were little, we would go out for bagels after, just so they know that it’s a great privilege to live in a country where we get to be part of determining what our society is,” she said.  

“And voting is an essential part of being a citizen.”

According to the Steinhardt Social Research Institute’s American Jewish Population Project, there are approximately 34,700 Jews living in Wisconsin. In the Milwaukee area alone, there are 25,300 Jews, and Kahn stands as a representative for many of them through her role at the Jewish Community Relations Council.

“We build and reflect consensus in the broader Jewish community. Our purpose is to build strategic relations to protect and defend Jews individually and collectively,” she said.

Part of Kahn’s job includes convening the Jewish community to determine which issues are important to them, and, how to best represent the Milwaukee Jewish population’s thoughts and position on those issues.

I think Jewish voters in Milwaukee, in many ways, reflect other voters in America.I think we are, as Americans, now divided along these artificially clear partisan lines.

Elana Kahn

And just like many other Americans, the issues that are important to Jews vary.

Other Issues of Importance to Milwaukee Jews

Jaylyn Fahey, a Jewish student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), sees important issues that are pulling her to the polls in November centered around animal, child, and sexual abuse, as well as a shift of those in power.

“It scares me that more people like Trump and Kavanaugh will keep getting elected into office,” said Fahey.

Stein-Avner’s issues of importance stem from those that are important to her organization, Tikkun Ha-Ir. The organization is devoted to building a more just Milwaukee through service and advocacy. These issues include hunger, homelessness, housing issues, safety net programs, and the Farm Bill.

The Farm Bill is of particular interest to Stein-Avner and Tikkun Ha-Ir due to the organization’s focus on food justice and safety in Milwaukee. Tikkun Ha-Ir works alongside local farmers markets, food pantries, and with the Milwaukee Women’s Correctional Center to take discarded food and turn it into “eater friendly” food, according to Stein-Avner.

Vrtjak is passionate about all issues pertaining to social justice.

 “I’m also mortified of sexual assault, but that’s because I’m a woman and the world we are living in feels like it’s very anti-women sometimes,” said Vrtjak.

Kahn hears about issues that are important to the Milwaukee Jewish community on a larger scale.

Immigration rights, a strong safety net, voting rights, criminal justice reform, education, the Supreme Court, Israel, and the rise in white supremacy are of concern for the larger Jewish population in Milwaukee, according to Kahn.

Kahn also sees the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a point of interest for many Jews because of how government officials are addressing the issue.

The separation of church and state is a recurring issue that Kahn hears about every year from community members.

“I think that the blurring of lines between faith and government is disconcerting for many Jews because we know if there is going to be any slide into having government sponsored religion, it’s not going to be good for the minorities, or the populations that aren’t a part of that majority group,” she said.

“Sometimes it looks like people are worried about Christmas trees. I don’t think it is Christmas trees that people are worried about. I think its prayer in school and being penalized for practicing religion. And I still, every single year, get calls from people who say that they weren’t allowed to take off work, or their kid wasn’t in school on this Jewish holiday and is, essentially, being penalized.”

The Mellman Group found through a poll, done on behalf of the Jewish Electorate Institute that 75 percent of American Jews overwhelmingly disapprove of President Trump.

Bend the Arc, a progressive Jewish organization, wrote a letter to President Trump following the attack in Pittsburgh, demanding a change.

“For the past three years your words and your policies have emboldened a growing white nationalist movement. You yourself called the murderer evil, but yesterday’s violence is the direct culmination of your influence,” said the letter.

The organization made it clear to President Trump that he was not welcome in Pittsburgh until there was a change.

“President Trump, you are not welcome in Pittsburgh until you commit yourself to compassionate, democratic polices that recognize the dignity of all of us.”

Kuchin agrees that there is a need for change.

“I think on a national level, in our national government, things really need to change in order for us to progress as a society,” said Kuchin.

Kuchin, believes immigration has not been handled correctly by the current administration. Uri L’Tzedek is focused on the issues of fostering and adoption, homelessness, and serving vulnerable populations.

Kuchin also notes a divide that has occurred since the 2016 election in the Orthodox Jewish community.

“We’ve seen, at least in our Orthodox community, that there’s been a little bit of a fragmentation actually of people in the Jewish community who have really strong ties to Israel, and that also means that they are aligning more with Conservative and Far-Right values,” said Kuchin.

“And we’ve also seen the trend with those people who have kind of gone the other way and taken a little bit more of a, we like to say, social justice look at things, and maybe realized that what is going on, even though it might be in the name of Israel, is not the best way to go about things.”

Within Wisconsin, the races for governor and U.S. Senate are of interest to the Jewish population, as well as candidates like Dan Kohl, who is running for Wisconsin’s Sixth Congressional district and who is a member of the Jewish community and nephew to longtime Democratic Senator Herb Kohl.

The Jewish community has consistently had a solid voter turnout for elections, something that Kahn believes stems from voting being seen as a Jewish value. According to the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, it is estimated that almost 85 percent of American Jews voted in the 2016 election.

The American Jewish Population Project found through 2015 data that around 47.1 percent of Milwaukee Jews identify as Democrat, 17.5 percent identify as Republican, and 35.4 percent identify as Other.

Kahn believes that voting is an American Jewish value.

Kuchin, of Uri L’Tzedek, also sees voting as highly important within the Jewish community, and his organization is pushing hard to get Jewish voters to head to the polls.

“We’re more than going to vote, we’re getting people to go out there, we’re educating people on why it’s important from a Jewish lens, and from an Orthodox Jewish lens,” said Kuchin.

 “Yes, we will be there in full force in November.”

Back on the local level, Stein-Avner has encountered much of the same.

“We’ve heard from various places in the Jewish community that there is a lot of enthusiasm around voting and making sure that all people in Milwaukee have their voice heard through voting,” said Stein-Avner.

Stein-Avner, who is registered to work as a poll worker come November 6, acknowledges that voter engagement has been a big piece of Tikkun Ha-Ir’s mission.

“For voting, we spearheaded an initiative in conjunction with the Jewish Community Relations Council and another organization called the National Council of Jewish Women’s, their Milwaukee chapter, and in partnership with ‘Souls to the Polls,’ which is a local organization spearheaded by Pastor Gregory Lewis, and a network of 80-100 local churches,” said Stein-Avner.

“They’re working to increase voter turnout in their communities, which happen to be low-income, mostly African-American communities, that had the lowest voter turnout in the state in the 2016 election.”

Resilience and Religion

Jewish people in Milwaukee are still focused on November’s midterm elections, despite the attack on Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue this past weekend.

Kuchin sees the issues and actions of the Jewish people, despite different denominations, as a way of uniting in strength.

“I think what is important for us to remember is there might be a denominational prefix before [us] but we’re not that different,” he said.

“We’re here because we believe in the teachings of the Torah. We share a lot. When we actually work together, what we care about is a lot of the same things.”

November’s election comes at the end of the Jewish high holiday season, notes Kahn.

“We have this process we call Teshuva, which is getting forgiveness for the ways that we’ve gone wrong, and getting a fresh start,” she said.

“And, so I think that sort of picture of the world, if we can go through a process of owning our mistakes, and atoning for them, that we do deserve the freedom to move forward and make better choices, I think that’s an issue that resonates with American Jews.”

Kuchin and Stein-Avner stand strong in the belief of Tikkun Olam, the idea of repairing the world through acts of kindness.

As Rabbi Alter said, “And so, we allow ourselves to hope.”

The post Passion for Justice, Safety Energizes Milwaukee Jewish Vote After Pittsburgh Massacre appeared first on Wisconsin Votes (or not): High Stakes for the 2018 Midterms.

The post Days Away from the Vote, What Students Are Saying appeared first on Wisconsin Votes (or not): High Stakes for the 2018 Midterms.

“Hey hey! Ho ho! Scott Walker has got to go!” 

Across the street, a quieter crowd of Walker supporters displays their signs to passing cars.

These groups from opposite sides of the political spectrum were on the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee campus to show support for their preferred candidate as incumbent Governor Walker and his challenger, State Superintendent of Schools Tony Evers, prepared to debate before a limited audience, with tickets distributed through the campaigns and the event sponsors.

The group chanting against Walker primarily consisted of people associated with the Fight for $15 movement and the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization (MASH). Their issues related to wage growth and access to healthcare.

The Walker supporters, on the other hand, cited support for the Foxconn deal and the governor’s $5000 tax credit for students who remain in Wisconsin. Some voters mentioned abortion as another major motivation.

The most recent Marquette Law School Poll found that as of October 10, 24 percent of registered voters picked jobs and the economy as their top issue. Twenty-two percent chose K-12 education and 19 percent cited health care coverage.

Foxconn and Education

Samantha Stohlman, 21, and Stephan Gieschen, 23, came to the debate from Concordia University Wisconsin, where they are members of the College Republicans, to show their support for Walker.

“Obviously we’re ten days away from the election, so it’s a very important time and the debate is prominently here in Milwaukee,” said Gieschen. “Being at Concordia, we don’t have a ton of big events such as this.” 

Both brought up their pro-life views as a big factor. Stohlman also mentioned Walker’s tuition freeze on UW-System schools and the Foxconn deal.  

“Foxconn has been great for the state, bringing in jobs,” said Stohlman. “Jobs are super important right now. We want to keep more students in Wisconsin supporting Wisconsin jobs and Wisconsin workers.” 

Other students came from Marquette and UW-Milwaukee. Phillip Anderson, 19, already cast his vote for Walker in Madison.

The Marquette Law poll found that 48 percent of registered voters thought the state was paying too much for the Foxconn deal, versus 38 percent who think it will provide at least as much value as the state is investing.

During the debate, Evers criticized Walker’s economic policy, classifying it as consisting of “Hail Mary Passes” benefiting single areas of the state, as opposed to what Evers descibed as a “72-county economic development plan.”

“It can’t just be tax breaks to foreign corporations,” said Evers. “It can’t just be tax breaks for wealthy individuals.” 

Walker, in response touted the low unemployment numbers across the state, as well as partnerships with companies like QuadGraphics to connect them to people who need jobs.

On education, the candidates traded barbs over the budget, with Walker quoting Evers’ own description of Walker’s recent school budget as “kid-friendly.”

“All of our students need to have hope,” said Walker. “They need to have hope that what they’re going to do is going to lead to something, they can see their future out there.” 

Evers, in turn, criticized Walker over his cuts to education to both K-12 and higher education.

“The state needs to make a commitment to the most important economic development instrument we have in the state,” said Evers.  

On the Economy

Verdell Canser, 19, became involved with Fight for $15 through his brother, a manager at a McDonald’s. 

“My brother wasn’t able to make it so I told him I’d do it for him,” said Canser. “Being here and actually experiencing the Fight for $15 and how it works, it’s actually a good fit for everyone and I think people should come out and do things like this.”

Canser credits the movement for inspiring him to be more politically engaged, and said he wasn’t exposed to politics and voting when he was younger.

Precious Crawley, 26, also works at McDonald’s to support her three children. She became involved in the movement through a McDonald’s strike .

“I feel like I can’t climb that ladder of success because it stops in the middle. There’s no more bars for me. I feel like there’s no hope,” said Crawley. “I feel like I’m being questioned as a parent, like I’m not as good of a provider as I can be.”

Providing for her children and finding affordable healthcare are personal issues for Crawley. Crawley said she cannot afford the co-pay for surgery to treat a liver issue earning $7.50 an hour.

Crawley also cited Walker’s actions on unions and education as reasons for her support for Evers.

“If you’re a man who is cutting our unions and cutting our wages, taking money from our schools, then you don’t need to be in office telling me what I can and cannot have,” said Crawley. 

In a question to Evers, TMJ4 anchor and moderator Shannon Sims cited a United Way study that found four in 10 Wisconsin families cannot afford basic needs such as housing, food, and healthcare.

Pressed on the issue of minimum wage, Evers said that with a careful plan, he thinks an Evers administration could achieve a $15 an hour minimum wage by the end of his first term.

“Poverty is multifaceted, and any governor has to be able to connect the dots. Some of it is about corrections policy and justice policy,” said Evers. “Some of it is around healthcare, making sure that we have affordable, adequate, accessible healthcare. Some of it is around issues of transportation, getting point A to point B. All of these things need to be a part of the situation.” 

On Healthcare

Mike Dickson, 57, described himself as a worker who was “cruising along” until he got sick and was raced to the hospital. It was kidney cancer.  

Dickson was thankful that the Affordable Care Act was in place, ensuring he had coverage, but is worried about Governor Walker and state Attorney General Brad Schimel’s participation in a lawsuit to overturn the ACA.  

“Scott Walker has the best healthcare. And who provides that to all the legislatures and governors? We do,” said Dickson. “I just don’t that being a politician is a reason to be covered and being an everyday worker is not. What’s the difference? Human beings should all be covered.” 

Regarding the Affordable Care Act, 50 percent of registered voters in the Marquette Law Poll would like to see the Affordable Care Act remain in place, versus 44 percent who think it should be repealed, largely along partisan lines.

Support for “Medicare-for-all” fell along similar lines, with 49 percent in favor and 41 percent opposed. Despite the partisan divide, 78 percent still said that the requirement for coverage of pre-existing conditions was important to them. Evers was quick to highlight this issue when the topic came up.  

“Healthcare is on the ballot November 6, it’s an important issue,” said Evers. “This is an issue that isn’t a democrat or republican issue, I think it’s a Wisconsin value issue.”  

Walker responded by maintaining his commitment to protecting pre-existing conditions regardless of the status of the ACA.  

There has been much attention around the tight race, with Walker just one point above Evers in the most recent Marquette poll, and what it says about the nation’s response to President Donald Trump as a whole.  

Crawley, for her part, is optimistic based on her experience canvassing.

“A lot of the doors we knocked on, people said they don’t get involved in this and that they don’t even know who is in charge,” she said. “All they know is whoever is in there is hurting us and making bad situations worse. We need someone who is going to make it better.”

The post Gubernatorial Debate on UWM Campus Exposes Wisconsin Divide appeared first on Wisconsin Votes (or not): High Stakes for the 2018 Midterms.

At Milwaukee’s march, Destiny DeVooght spoke in front of the crowd of activists and young people. A senior at Union Grove High School, she had found out the day before the rally that she was invited to speak there. After staying up all night to write her speech, DeVooght drove with a group of friends about an hour to Milwaukee for the rally outside the courthouse.

“Every time I think about it, I get so blushy and happy,” she said.

In her small community, DeVooght was already active in politics. She started a student organization against sexual assault and harassment at her high school, organized a walkout at her school to protest  gun violence, and landed an internship with an anti-violence organization.

Now DeVooght is on the brink of voting in her first election. In Wisconsin, 18- to 25-year-olds make up about 20 percent of the voting population, but this group has one of the lowest voter turnouts. In 2012, only 38 percent of people 18 to 29 came out to vote in the presidential election.

But the 2018 midterm could be different.

Now, according to a Harvard Institute of Politics poll, 51 percent of young people polled indicated they would “definitely” be voting in November.

For many in Generation Z, or the generation born in the late 1990s to the early 2000s, this midterm election will be their first trip to the polls. While the Millennial youth vote has been closely analyzed, Generation Z hasn’t been studied much. The oldest members of this generation are only 22.

The tides of young people coming out to their local polling places could mark a change for the political atmosphere of the United States, and some of that energy can be traced to the March for Our Lives.

Since the march, young people have remained politically active, even as the media spotlight has shifted elsewhere. Young people are still organizing protests, knocking on doors and encouraging their peers to vote. 

For DeVooght, her summer was spent at places like Bradford Beach, registering about 1,000 young people to vote and doing what she calls “grunt work” jobs.

And after spending so much time convincing others to go to the polls, its finally DeVooght’s turn.

“I feel like I’ve been contributing but I’m really excited to officially contribute,” she said. “I’ve been telling them, if you don’t vote you aren’t doing your civic duty, and you aren’t using your privilege to your advantage.”

After the political fever spread through high schools across the United States last spring, some have moved past their time in the spotlight. For others, the work has just started.

Since coming to college at UW-Milwaukee, DeVooght says she has found opportunities because of March for Our Lives. She is now working with the Women’s March organization to bring a team to the UW-Milwaukee campus, which will mirror teams across the country working to get more women involved in politics.

“Our voices collectively matter enough to create the change that will impact our lives in the future,” DeVooght said.

The post Finally, Her Turn to Vote appeared first on Wisconsin Votes (or not): High Stakes for the 2018 Midterms.

Lauren Keene talks with left-leaning voters in Wisconsin’s First Congressional District about choosing a successor to Ryan, who’s stepping down as Republican House Speaker.

Photos: Lauren Keene

The post Blue Voters in Paul Ryan’s Hometown Get Fired Up For Midterm Elections appeared first on Wisconsin Votes (or not): High Stakes for the 2018 Midterms.

This time, organizations across Wisconsin and Milwaukee are pushing young people to get informed and get involved so that their voices are heard.

‘If Anyone Is Going to Do Anything About It, It’s Gotta Be Us.’

Students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and members of the Milwaukee community say depressed turnout may have something to do with the actual process of voting and the lack of knowledge about how to vote.

One UWM student determined to spread the word is Chris Kresser, chapter chair of UWM College Democrats.

Kresser started at UWM with a major in Graphic Design, but switched to Political Science after seeing things happening in politics that he didn’t like. The election of Donald Trump pushed him to get into politics to do something more.

A die-hard Bernie Sanders supporter, evident by the large sticker of a smiling Bernie adjacent to an evil Trump sticker on his laptop, Kresser says that he got involved in politics because of the values he learned from Sanders.

UWM College Democrats meet every other week to do three things: review statewide events, bring in speakers and review internship opportunities. With the midterms coming up, the group is enthusiastic about informing people about the election.

At one of the meetings, exactly three weeks before the election, seven group members sit with piles of Milwaukee residents’ names and phone numbers. The room is silent except for the dull dial tone on several different phones. The phone bank, says Kresser, will help inform people that the midterm election is next month.

Each member wields a script they read to those who pick up, starting with a greeting followed by, “I am a volunteer for the Tammy Baldwin campaign in the Milwaukee area, how are you doing tonight?”

Some people hang up, some say it’s a wrong number and a rare few stay on the line long enough to hear about what they can do to help Baldwin’s campaign.

After an hour of calling, the group gets four people who put their names down as interested in volunteering.

The goal of these phone banks is to get the word out about the election and get callers to join them in future phone banks and canvassing across Milwaukee.

Kresser says that these are the types of events that not only young people, but everyone needs to take part in.

“It’s not like people our age don’t want to get involved in politics, it’s just that they need to be shown the opportunity that it’s there,” said Kresser.

Kresser also said that the importance of voting is falling on young people if they want to see a change in the country.

“The baby boomers are all getting older and eventually they will pass. But we have another 80 years left and we’re going to inherit a lot of the problems from past generations. So if anyone is going to do anything about it, it’s gotta be us.”

According to the Wisconsin Election Commission, of the over 3 million people registered to vote in Wisconsin, only about 223,000 are between the ages of 18 and 24. This number is small, considering young voters, who are part of the millennialgeneration, are estimated to be over 83 million strong, according to the United States Census Bureau.

In the 2014 midterm election, about 10 million young Americans, or 21.5 percent, voted, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.  In the same election, these voters ages 18 to 29 voted more Democratic than Republican, with 54 percent voting Democratic and 43 percent voting Republican.

What may be surprising is that the 2014 turnout of 21.5 percent of American youth is typical for midterm elections, despite the belief that young people aren’t voting.

The question is, why aren’t more young people voting?

Kresser says it may be because of strict voting laws, which make it harder and more intimidating for young people to vote.

A University of Wisconsin-Madison study by Political Science professor Kenneth Mayer showed that strict voter ID laws in Wisconsin affected voter turnout in Milwaukee and Dane counties in the 2016 presidential election.

In the two counties, over 16,000 people deterred from voting and over 9,000 were prevented from voting because of the ID law.

“Voting laws need to be a lot more open. Make polling places more known. The biggest thing is information and knowing all the different ways someone can vote,” said Kresser.

UWM sophomore Emma Fath says that young people may not be showing up at the polls because they don’t think their voice matters.

“A lot of people that I know feel like they aren’t being heard, so then they feel like if they’re voices aren’t being heard, then why go out and try and vote?” she said.

Fath says her high school teachers as well as her parents impacted her decision to be involved in politics. Fath’s mother received a “wake up call” after the 2016 election and it prompted her to push Emma to get involved.

Fath says she’s hopeful of a strong voter turnout for young people this election.

“I think a lot of people are realizing where we’re heading and a lot of people who didn’t vote in the past election are actually getting more active,” she says.

Unlike Kresser and Fath, UWM sophomore Samantha Heinitz doesn’t share an interest in politics.

Without her parents pressuring her to vote, Heinitz said she would have skipped the primary election in August.

“I wouldn’t have voted if my dad hadn’t dragged me out of bed to go do it. I follow politics as closely as I can but most of it is obnoxious and nowadays so I try not to get too involved,” said Heinitz.

But this doesn’t mean that Heinitz thinks the election is unimportant. She says that although it’s a frustrating process and is hard to follow most times, as she has gotten older she has seen how important it is to stay educated on government politics.

Getting Milwaukee Involved

Organizations across the Milwaukee area are also reaching out to make people aware of the election.

Black Leader Organizing for Communities, or BLOC, works to get Milwaukee communities that are often neglected involved by working with local politicians to allow the black people of Milwaukee to have their voices heard and allow them to thrive.

Canvassers who work with BLOC are also young voters, some starting at eighteen and going into their twenties, while some of the others go into their forties.

BLOC executive director Angela Lang says that she sees an increase in voter turnout in both young people and young people of color for the upcoming election.

“We’re starting to see more of an enthusiasm and people are starting to understand the power that they have. I am very confident that we will see an increase in young people and people of color, specifically youth of color,” said Lang.

To encourage voting and to make it easier for people to get to the polls, early voting sites have opened around Milwaukee, with one on the UWM campus. At the Zelazo Center across from the Student Union, early voting began on October 15 and runs until November 4 for Milwaukee residents.

The post Milwaukee Youth Hope to Change Reputation for Low Turnout appeared first on Wisconsin Votes (or not): High Stakes for the 2018 Midterms.

Jennings said he was going to vote as he always does, because the issues affecting him are just too significant not to.

“I support voting and I’m voting because I care about social events that are happening right now,” he said. “I’m a black man on a limited income, so I really have to pay attention to what’s going on.”

Milwaukee is 37% white, the 7^th Aldermanic District on the north side of the city is 93% non-white; the people, like Cedric Jennings, who are affected most by segregation care about and will vote on a specific set of issues in November.

Where Jennings was sitting, near the Sherman Park neighborhood, is 86% black and the median household income is $18,333 per year. The U.S. poverty line for a family of four is $25,100.

Just a few blocks away from the stoop which Jennings sits on, is the house where LaResha Love grew up. Love, 19, is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She says she has a new perspective living in the city of Menomonie, Wisconsin which is 91% white, according to the U.S. Census. After 18 years of living in the 53206 ZIP code, Menomonie and UW-Stout can be uncomfortable for her. 

“In my dorm there is a white male who is super passionate about the NRA and has a confederate flag on his wall,” Love said.

She told the student that the confederate flag represents racism and slavery.

“Support whatever you want to, but you don’t think this is not wrong in any way?” she said. “I’m uncomfortable to walk on my floor.”

Love says that she would be more comfortable living in 53206, a neighborhood with some of the highest crime rates in Milwaukee, than her dormitory at UW-Stout.

Some see the segregation in areas like 53206 as a reason for the overwhelming majority of black people who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, compared to the whites who voted for Trump.

Only 8 percent of African Americans voted for Trump in 2016, according to Pew Research. 

“He (Trump) doesn’t come out and say white people or black people but it’s there,” Jennings said.

Contributor: Michael Jung

The post One Porch, One Neighborhood in 53206 appeared first on Wisconsin Votes (or not): High Stakes for the 2018 Midterms.

It started on September 6, when Walker commented on a tweet Barnes had written back in January. Referring to President Donald Trump’s criticism of Kaepernick, Barnes tweeted, “Take a knee.”

Walker questioned whether his Democratic challenger for governor, Tony Evers, shared the same views as his running mate Barnes.

Why did Walker choose to comment on such a polarizing issue with the midterm elections right around the corner? Will the controversy impact his campaign, especially since he’s changed his statements on the national anthem protests?

Walker’s Shifting Opinion

In September 2017, Walker was asked about Kaepernick taking a knee.  Walker said, “I’ll let others explain what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. I just know in my household, my kids were always taught, as I was always taught, you stand and put your hand over your heart.”  The governor made it clear that those were his personal beliefs.  Although he never directly addressed the players, he said, “part of those rights is the right to protest, so others can do that but they should have to explain why they’re doing that.”

Around the same time, President Donald Trump began his outspoken criticism of the NFL.

Trump first spoke about the issue at a political rally.  On Sept. 23, 2017, he took to Twitter to say players who don’t stand up for the national anthem should be fired.

It wasn’t long before Walker’s opinion on the national anthem protests began inching closer to President Trump’s.

In October 2017, Walker wrote a letter to the NFL and the players’ union.  He wrote, “Speaking up for what you believe in is a profoundly American idea, but disrespecting our flag, and the men and women who have fought to protect and defend our country, is not American in the slightest.”

Walker demanded that the NFL stop players from protesting and move on from what he called a “divisive political sideshow.”  He ended with a request: “Stand for the American flag and the national anthem out of respect for those who risk their lives for our freedoms.”

Walker added on to his comments laterthat month in an interview with “Fox& Friends.”  Walker said if players want to protest that they shoulddo it at a different time on a different platform.  

Two days after, Walker began an online petition to pressurethe NFL and stop players from protesting during the national anthem.

Since then, the NFL tried to implement a national anthem policy that would have allowed players who wished to protest to remain in the locker room.  Each team could decide whether protesting players should be punished.  However, the following fall, the NFL and the players’ union decided not to pass this policy.

Walker vs. Barnes

Walker followed up his initial response to Mandela Barnes’ tweet to confirm his opposition to national anthem protests.

Responding to Walker, Evers said that, while he choses to stand for the anthem, he also supports the players’ right to peaceful protest.  “Scott Walker wants to distract and divide us — anything to avoid talking about his record,” Evers said.

The feud escalated when Barnes criticized Walker’s lack of service in the military, and followed that tweet up with a picture of himself wearing a Kaepernick jersey.

Next, Walker’s Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch jumped in, claiming her sources had seen Barnes kneel for the national anthem.

Barnes quickly responded that Kleefisch’s claims were false.

Heading Into the Midterm Elections

As the election approaches, a Marquette Law School survey reveals that the race between Walker and Evers is neck and neck.  The survey has Walker ahead of Evers by just one point among likely voters.

Political Atlas shows that the state of Wisconsin is leaning Democratic ahead of the midterms.

Governor Walker’s alignment with President Trump could play into the result of the midterm election as well.  According to the Marquette Law School survey, Trump’s overall approval rating is at 46 percent, with 51 percent disapproving.  When asked whether Trump has changed the Republican party, 25 percent say he has changed it for the better, while 47 percent say he has changed it for the worse. The other 25 percent say he hasn’t it changed it much either way.

In an interview with Fox & Friends, Walker said, “This is a true wake up call… if you listen in our state… particularly for the Democrats running for Governor, their rhetoric is increasingly not just liberal, but filled with anger and hatred towards me, the President and towards Republicans in general.”

Regardless, Walker’s fight for a third term in office will be more difficult than expected.  Continuing to speak on the national anthem protests and other controversial topics may not be helping.

Milwaukee resident David Sidhu first heard about the national anthem protests when Kaepernick discussed the idea of kneeling with Army Special Forces veteran Nate Boyer.  Sidhu said that learning about Kaepernick and Boyer’s discussion helped him understand why Kaepernick decided to kneel.

Sidhu said that he sides with Kaepernick’s movement and is proud that someone from the city of Milwaukee is making such a big impact in the country three years later.

Sidhu didn’t understand the need for the President to voice his opinion on the national anthem protests.  He believes that Trump came off as uneducated when discussing other topics like the Black Lives Matter movement.  He said the same applies to Trump’s remarks on the national anthem protests.

“It always felt like a gut reaction and what [Trump’s] first thought about the national anthem was,” Sidhu said. “I felt it was antagonistic that he wasn’t open to discussion. Kaepernick has made such an impact not only in America but worldwide and to have a President who doesn’t want to involve himself and talk about the issue with [Kaepernick] made me feel uncomfortable.”

He says Walker changed his opinion on the controversy over time because that’s what the voters wanted to hear.  “Whether [Walker] really believed that he needed to support Kaepernick or not was irrelevant. I think that’s the political climate and how [Walker] feels like he needs to react,” said Sidhu.

Like Sidhu, Milwaukee resident Alexander Kostal believes that Trump has changed the principles of the Republican Party.  

“It’s become evident that anyone who doesn’t agree with Trump runs the risk of not getting the support of the Republican voters or incurring his wrath,” Kostal said.

Kostal said many people in Wisconsin have already made up their minds about Scott Walker and that his comments on the national anthem protests are a minor deal.  “We’re such a heavily divided political state that I don’t think something like this would draw or takeaway from the support base that Scott Walker has,” he said.

Milwaukee resident and sports radio producer at 105.7 FM “The Fan,” Jeff Orlowski, was not aware of the Twitter battle between Scott Walker and Mandela Barnes, or any of Walker’s comments regarding the national anthem protests.  Once he understood what Walker had said over time, Orlowski said, “I agree with his initial statement.  If you want to kneel, then kneel, it’s you’re first amendment right to do so.  [The players] are going to have to face some consequences, though.”

“NFL owners should be able to tell [the players] not to protest if they don’t want their players doing so,” Orlowski said. “[The players] don’t own the team, they still have a boss.  If [an owner] doesn’t want a player to kneel, then he’s got every right to cut him, it is what it is.”

Ryan Horvat is new to Milwaukee.  He moved here three years ago from Iowa.

“I can’t believe this is still that big of a topic. A lot of professional athletes are trying to do good, but we focus on the bad stuff,” Horvat said.  “If you didn’t pay attention to [the players protesting], it probably would’ve went away.  Making a big fuss about [the national anthem protests] gives off a bad impression”

The post Walker’s Stand on National Anthem Protests – Does It Matter? appeared first on Wisconsin Votes (or not): High Stakes for the 2018 Midterms.

When students arrived to The Future is Voting Tour, they weren’t greeted by the usual beer-soaked bar counters or merch tables with posters, records, and t-shirts. Instead, fellow students and members of community organizations welcomed them with clipboards and pens in hand, inviting them to register to vote. This is the landscape when performers partner with HeadCount, a non-partisan voter registration organization.

Reaching Voters on College Campuses

The Future is Voting Tour includes six stops, all at universities in swing states, including the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee campus. The event was initially scheduled to be a performance for a student-only crowd, featuring Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Christopher Porterfield of Field Report and solo artist Linqua Franqa. The afternoon before the event, the show was opened to the public and took place in the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts.

A lot of times student voices aren’t heard because they don’t show up.

Danny Hoeft

“We’ve always wanted to go to college campuses and mix the idea of a town hall meeting with musical performances,” said Andy Bernstein, founder of HeadCount. The organization chose cities in swing states, including: Austin, Texas, San Marcos, Texas, Athens, Georgia, Indianaola, Indiana, Urbana, Illinois. Milwaukee was the third stop.

HeadCount is a nationwide organization with local street teams that volunteer to attend events on the organization’s behalf. HeadCount founder Andy Bernstein was in Milwaukee to lead The Future is Voting.

“We make sure that our organization is completely non-partisan and work very hard to make sure that our messaging is completely non-partisan and that we’re welcoming,” he said.

I thought my vote didn’t matter and I didn’t care – it’s one of my biggest regrets.

Jim James

For Jim James, being engaged in the political process and voting is a personal matter. “It’s important for people to realize that the first time you can vote – that is a sacred thing and you shouldn’t throw that away. I wish somebody would have told me that,” said James. “I thought my vote didn’t matter and I didn’t care – it’s one of my biggest regrets.”

Linqua Franqa is the stage name of Mariah Parker, who has the distinction of being both a musician and an elected official. In her dayjob, she is the District 2 Commissioner elected in Athens, Georgia. Parker made waves when she was sworn in to her post and chose to place her hand on The Autobiography of Malcolm X, instead of a customary Bible.

Student Organizations at the Tour

Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT) was another group onsite at The Future is Voting event. LIT was founded in Jan., 2018 as a youth organization based in Milwaukee. LIT teaches young people how to become community leaders and to register voters. “We believe the future is young, black, brown and lit,” said Sydney Lee, a member of the group and a junior at UWM.

The Political Science National Honor Society’s Milwaukee chapter, Epsilon XI, co-sponsored the event. “I think voting is really important, especially for students,” said Danny Hoeft, UWM’s student president of Epsilon XI. “No matter what side you’re on you have a stake in what’s going on and a lot of times student voices aren’t heard because they don’t show up,” he said.

The Origin of HeadCount

HeadCount was started in 2004 by founder and Executive Director Andy Bernstein, “I was working as a reporter at the time, and I was very upset about the things I was reading in the news and I thought, ‘What can I do?’” he said. “I figured if I could get people to vote, who go to the same concerts I go to, maybe that’s something I could accomplish.”

“I thought of the idea to set up voter registration booths at concerts, wrote out a whole long plan and sent it to a friend in Disco Biscuits. He said, ‘I’m in,’ and that’s how we got it started,” he said.

We register voters at more than 100 concerts a week all over the country.

Andy Bernstein

According to its website, HeadCount has registered more than 500,000 voters and has more than 20,000 volunteers. “Right now we register voters at more than 100 concerts a week all over the country,” said Bernstein. “We try to go to concerts that are popular among young people and non-registered voters and get them signed up to vote.”

“It’s like a chain reaction,” said Jim James. “You have people walk out of here and they remind someone to vote and then they remind someone else to vote and they say, ‘I’ve got a mini-van and I can drive people to the polls.’”

“All these seem like they’re small things – but they’re not.”

The post ‘The Future is Voting’ Tour Registers Young Voters appeared first on Wisconsin Votes (or not): High Stakes for the 2018 Midterms.