• Home
  • Archive
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • March 28, 2023

The Madison Times

The Paper That's More Than Black and White

  • News
    • Local News
    • National News
    • International News
    • Sports News
    • Education News
  • Columns
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Life Lessons with Alex Gee
  • Events
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Lifestyle
  • Classifieds
  • Community
    • Middle Spread
  • Milwaukee
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES

We Need Leaders Like Russ Feingold

October 6, 2016

Politicians Who Will Act and Listen on Our Behalf Long After Election Day

by Representative LaTonya Johnson

latonya-johnsonIn August when a high-profile police shooting and ensuing protests rocked the Sherman Park neighborhood, lots of people had lots of things to say. Politicians, pundits, community and faith leaders stood up to voice their opinions, and debate over how best to solve problems that have afflicted Sherman Park for decades.

I agreed with some of what they had to say; I disagreed with much more. But I was happy to see what I viewed as a productive, national conversation about how to address issues of poverty, racism, and lack of trust between the community and law enforcement.

This discussion faded from national attention mere days after the protests ended, as they so often do. But long after the chatter died away, Russ Feingold continues to talk about ways to mend our community and make lasting progress.

At a community barbeque he held in Sherman Park two weeks ago, Russ spoke about the importance of investing in young people through education, supporting job training programs and local job growth, and tackling long standing barriers put in place by systemic racism.

I watched as he walked around the crowd — a mix of community members, volunteers, activists, and families — sitting down with each individual person as they ate their burger, and listening to what they had to say.

Russ is the kind of leader Sherman Park and Milwaukee needs. Unlike many leaders who will come here for a photo op during election season, Russ has spent years getting to know the people of mine and the surrounding neighborhoods. He’s listened to what we think and how we feel about institutional problems of poverty, injustice, and racism that can sometimes feel insurmountable. And he’s engaged in discussions with community and faith leaders, activists, and local elected officials on how to approach these problems.

It’s easy to feel like our voices aren’t being heard, nor our complaints adequately addressed. But sitting in Sherman Park that Saturday, Russ listened to the individual and communal concerns of Milwaukeeans, and reaffirmed his commitment to addressing these concerns and the barriers that exacerbate them.

He showed his face long after the national spotlight had left Sherman Park, and he’ll make it a priority to solve the problems that led to the August unrest. We need leaders who won’t just show up in a crisis, or appear on cable television to pontificate. We need leaders who will listen to us, and take our thoughts, concerns, and hopes for the future into account. We need leaders who recognize that Sherman Park is just as important as any other community in Wisconsin. We need leaders like Russ Feingold, who — long after Election Day — will make sure our voices are heard and will stand with us to heal our community.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Popular Interests In This Article: LaTonya Johnson

Read More - Related Articles

  • Johnson Blasted for Not Paying State Income Taxes
  • Democrats Blast Republicans on Lack of Response to Baby Formula Crisis
  • Legislative Black Caucus Members Discuss Why We Benefit When We All Vote
  • Joe Biden Will Build on Obamacare — Trump Will Repeal It
  • U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Visits Sherman Phoenix





Connect With Us

Become Our Fan On Facebook
Find Us On Facebook


Follow Us On Twitter
Follow Us On Twitter

Editorials

Karma Chavez
Amanda Zhang
Julianne Malveaux
Benjamin Chavis
George Curry

Journalists

Jacklin Bolduan
Brianna Rae
Aarushi Agni
Rob Franklin
Claire Miller

Topics

Brown Girl Green $
Young Gifted & Black
Universally Speaking
Ask Progress
Civil Rights

Topics

Police Shooting
Police Brutality
Black Lives Matter
NAACP
Racism

Politicians

Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
Gwen Moore
Paul Soglin
Scott Walker

Contact Us

The Madison Times
313 West Beltline Hwy
Suite 132
Madison, WI 53713
608-270-9470

Copyright © 2023 Courier Communications. All Rights Reserved.
We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.