Devin Anderson, lead organizer for the African American Roundtable, stands before a group of supporters at a press conference Monday September 23, 2019 in Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett outlined how he’d like to see millions of dollars of city taxpayer money be spent during his budget address today. But Barrett isn’t the only person with ideas. The African American Roundtable and 45 community partners surveyed more than 1000 community members to find out what their priorities are for the 2020 budget. Just over three months ago, the Roundtable — a coalition led by and serving the African American community in Milwaukee — launched a campaign called Liberate MKE. The purpose of the campaign is to encourage elected city leaders to create a budget that reflects the community’s priorities. The Roundtable members knocked on doors, went to events like Juneteenth and back to school fairs, and conducted an online survey — hearing from over 1100 people across the city. Devin Anderson is lead organizer for the African American Roundtable. “We found three things that residents really wanted more money invested into,” he says. “First, community-based violence prevention efforts that do not involve law enforcement.” The Liberate MKE campaign […]
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