Good Morning Friends and Neighbors
I hope that this note finds you well and safe on this cloudy Wednesday, June 24th.  
I had mentioned before that, I  (like so many of you) am living within this strange duality each day. Because of Covid-19, along with centuries old systemic racism and oppression, each day, I navigate between profound feelings of sadness and joy; pain and determination; fear and inspiration.
I woke to images and reports of fallen statues.  Just as the morning after the window smashing and vandalism on State Street- what now seems like ages ago - I feel torn between my mixed emotions.  I was told years ago, that it was cathartic to write when our minds, hearts and souls are troubled.  Please indulge me as I try to sort these things out on virtual paper.
In the tearing down of the Forward and Hans Christian Heg statues, I had to reflect on 1979 when I first came to Madison; at 20 years of age, I remember learning the backstory of each statue - I am a self-proclaimed history geek.  As a Black man, I have always been cognizant that history-or at least how it was taught in schools when I was growing up, was always written and offered through the lenses of white people.  As a Black person, you are extremely well exposed to the history of white America and Americans but not so much about people of color or women.
 As I look at the Wisconsin State Capitol, that beautiful, white building on the highest hill in town, I am always reminded of the genocide, insidious lies, and attempted conquests of the lands once held by the Ho-Chunk and other Indigenous peoples who called this home millennia before the invasion.  When I walk up Bascom Hill-at the very top, I am greeted by good ol' Abe Lincoln that somehow has fooled history in his true beliefs about Black people, yet his portrait used to hang alongside Dr. King and JFK in many Black households when I was growing up.  
Everywhere that I look, the street signs, the names on buildings, paintings and photos in the halls of government ; our university; our schools; and our statues- everywhere -I am constantly reminded that the histories of people of color-appeared not to matter unless you were a sports icon or celebrity sanctioned by white people.
In fairness-the UW-Madison has named a residence hall after a beloved Black chef-Carson Gulley.
Back to last night.  What I observed was the fruition of all the pain and suffering  that so many people are experiencing. While I do not condone the destruction of these particular statues, as a Black man, I understand  that  for over four centuries of living in a racist oppressive society, we have reached a tipping point unlike any other time in history.  Before I assign any blame, I have shared my personal repeated frustrations and guilt that my generation and people older than me, had not eliminated all the social woes and injustices that are bringing so many beautiful, passionate, diverse youth and young people to the streets to demand action.  What is lacking at this crucial time is leadership from elected officials.  
The unrest of the last few months has demonstrated that Black and Brown (and some white) people have had enough of living in an indifferent, racist, oppressive world.  It is apparent to me that most of our current elected officials have neither the skills or understanding to respond to the justifiable anger from marginalized and vulnerable people living in Madison and Wisconsin. 
 While I observe more white people diving deeper than ever before to self-reflect on their privileges and complacency in supporting or combating systemic racism, I am not seeing those in power doing the same.  I believe that if you have no "lived" experiences as someone who has been marginalized and disenfranchised you might never understand the acts of last night and the other expressions of anger that is real, just and appropriate.  
When will we value the lives of people more that statues or symbols?  If we as a community are solely fixated on the toppling of these statues and cannot seek to understand why it happened, then I fear that our paths forward to a new, safe, just equitable futures will be in jeopardy and delayed.  That is why I believe that we do not need more misinformed, career politicians- but rather new, diverse and informed voices at every level of government bringing us all together,