This comes from Marion Sirefman: "Here's an opportunity to donate to the group BLOC , Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, which has been active in their Milwaukee area for some years now, aiming to increase the percentage of blacks voting. Their participation is crucial to Democratic wins in the Milwaukee area and in statewide Wisconsin elections. My long-time friend Nick Rabkin in Chicago, started fundraising for BLOC in 2020, and is now rededicating himself to the effort. "
Almost two years ago, I wrote an email to some friends, perhaps you were among them, encouraging them to support a remarkable Milwaukee organization – BLOC, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities. That initial effort grew, as friends contributed to support BLOC’s work and passed the word on to their friends, who passed the word to theirs. Somewhere along the line, you joined the effort, though you may not have heard from me directly. Eventually, we raised $80,000. Though the Black population of Wisconsin is relatively small, the state is so equally divided politically that the Black vote has an outsized impact. BLOC helped elect a liberal State Supreme Court justice shortly after the pandemic began and then contributed to Biden’s slender margin in Wisconsin.
1. Wisconsin really is a swing state, and it’s absolutely critical. To hold and grow their Senate majority, Democrats must unseat Sen. Ron Johnson, who is as deep-MAGA as they come. They must also re-elect Gov. Tony Evers and prevent a Republican super-majority in the state legislature, where gerrymandering has given the GOP 62% of the seats with just 46% of the raw vote. Evers’ vetoes have stalled its efforts to take over the election apparatus entirely – so far. These are ambitious objectives for a midterm election, and the Black vote will be a pivotal element of a winning coalition. Wisconsin is the front line of the national fight for democracy. Wherever you may live, Wisconsin matters. A lot. Contribute here to support BLOC. (And listen to this remarkable podcast episode of Words to Win By for more perspective about Wisconsin.)
2. Racism is the beating heart of Republican strategy in Wisconsin. The state is nearly 80% white. Republicans have honed Its long history of systemic racism to a razor edge with dog whistle language claiming white Wisconsin has paid too high a price to provide for public good, especially in low-income communities where Republicans have also focused voter suppression efforts. (Republicans don’t hesitate to provide for private good, though – like a $3 billion subsidy for a Foxconn plant that was never built in a town that is 90% white.) For decades, as Democrats failed to confront racist fear mongering, political cynicism has grown, depressing the vote in the Black community and flipping rural white voters. Now, Kyle Rittenhouse, has become the poster child for white supremist terror nationwide. Wherever you may live, Wisconsin matters. Contribute here to support BLOC.
3. Two developments make it possible to tip Wisconsin consistently Blue. First, BLOC has spent the past three years developing a civic culture capable of defining issues from a Black perspective and pressing the Democratic Party to rise from the defensive crouch it assumed around race for decades. BLOC’s fundamental purpose is to give Black Wisconsin powerful reasons to engage politically and vote. It expands the Black electorate in a state that is evenly split. It leads an alliance of other community organizations of color, and it goes where it is most needed – from the nation’s most incarcerated zip code in Milwaukee to new initiatives in Kenosha and Racine. Wherever you may live, BLOC matters. (This 2020 New Yorker article on Milwaukee was my introduction to BLOC. It is still a great introduction.) Contribute here to support BLOC.
Second, since 2018, a robust party leadership has rebuilt the WisDems’ organizational infrastructure, engaged a new army of volunteers across every corner of the state, developed a disciplined and successful response to Republican racial fear mongering, overcome the challenges of Covid and voter suppression, and built a multi-racial coalition that takes no votes for granted. WisDems chair Ben Wikler has a strong relationship with BLOC’s Angela Lang and understands that his success depends, in part, on BLOC’s. Biden’s victory in Wisconsin prompted the DNC to substantially increase resources for WisDems, and its success is now influencing states nationwide. Wherever you may live, Wisconsin matters.
Our inboxes will be swamped by campaigns all over the country this election year. This is different. Supporting BLOC is not about supporting a particular candidate or campaign. It is about building Black political infrastructure in a state where a relatively small Black population can help determine the fate of the whole country. Here’s how you can help:
1. Make a contribution to BLOC. If you can repeat it monthly.
2. Make a list of friends and family, and invite them to help out too. Use the link in this email so we can track our progress, and ask them to pass the invitation along to their friends and family.
