About 750 WISDOM members from all parts of Wisconsin, including 70 from the Fox Cities, made a big impact in Madison on Tuesday, March 26. (The only downside of Madison Action Day 2019 was that we had more people than expected, and we ran out of lunches. Luckily, there was still some breakfast food left over, and nobody went hungry!)
The morning was an inspirational and challenging program, led by African-American, Latina, Native and Caucasian WISDOM leaders from Racine, Eau Claire, Green Bay, Beloit, Appleton, Milwaukee, and points between.
These speakers offered reflections on how we can go about “building the Beloved Community,” including the challenges of radical inclusion, costly reconciliation and living for the seventh generation. Speakers called on WISDOM leaders to work to reform ourselves, our own organizations, and the state we live in.
After lunch, Madison Action Day became a blocks-long procession to the Capitol, led by the 14-foot high Jingle Dress Puppet, brought by Native people of northwestern Wisconsin, who prays for unity and healing.
A rally on the Capitol steps called for racial equity, and we pledged to continue to lift our voices until every Wisconsinite knows justice. WISDOM leaders then visited the offices of nearly every member of the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly.
Many thanks to those who traveled great distances, who spoke, who worked on logistics and who took many different leadership roles.
Madison Action Day was an amazing display of unity, of shared purpose and of the power of organized people
Read the WPR story about MAD2019 here.
