The Playground Legends is a grassroots Milwaukee-based PAC dedicated to overturning the extremist government of Scott Walker and his lapdog legislators. We have been working in various African American wards in northern Milwaukee because they are under represented, because we care about these neighborhoods and the people in them, and because they are in the district of Republican State Senator Alberta Darling, who has been a staunch licker of all body parts Walker. Our strategy is simple: 1) register people to vote, 2) inform people about the issues that have direct impact on urban neighborhoods, and 3) follow up.
The work confronting us is daunting. The task just got Herculean after the passage of the Republican sponsored Voter I.D Bill, turning Wisconsin from one of the most "voter friendly" states to one of the most restrictive.
There are many reasons for disenfranchisement. Some of the most debilitating are the ones internalized. When the social fabric of a community is so torn, it is a fair question to ask how one politician will be any better than another. Why vote? What does it matter? These are reasonable questions from ignored communities.
These neighborhoods are riddled with crime and violence. The industrial sector has moved jobs out of the country with impunity and systemic encouragement. Education is being gutted so that corporations can maintain their free rides. Public transportation, which allows mobility to get to jobs outside of the community, has eroded over time and will soon be more severely gutted. Many people don't have cars, and therefore don't have driver's licenses. They move around a lot. They make do, often with very little.
Internalized disenfranchisement, like all forms of repression, can be subtle and difficult to overcome. Externalized disenfranchisement, like many forms of suppression, is not so subtle. It is shameful, yes, and certainly questionable in terms of our Constitution, but it is extremely effective in keeping people away from the polls.
What, you might ask, is the big deal about requiring a photo I.D (one that requires a birth certificate to acquire, btw)?
According to a study cited by OneWisconsinNow,
Wisconsin's population is substantially less likely [than Indiana] to have a state-issued identification. The study showed the following numbers about those without state-issued photo identification and who would need to obtain one under the Wisconsin Voter ID bill:
• Over 177,000 elderly Wisconsinites
• 17 percent of white men and women
• 55 percent of African American men and 49 percent of African American women
• 46 percent of Hispanic men and 59 percent of Hispanic women
• 78 percent of African American men age 18-24 and 66 percent of African American women age 18-24
But tragically, the hardships imposed with this fraudulent bill against fraud do not matter to the well-healed Republicans holding majority power in the state. It will be signed into law next week.
The first video in our lineup is pretty amazing. In 30 seconds, Senator Jauch (D) excoriates the implacable Republicans. Elsewhere he states, “Jim Crow, move over, Wisconsin Republicans have taken your place. I’m not saying you’re racists. Intolerant, unsympathetic, restrictive; those are a few words. This bill perpetuates injustice and deprives people of their rights.”
The second video is our highly respected elder statesman, Senator Risser (D) getting cut off from speaking. This happens early in the video. It is a brazenly uncollegial, not that such incivility would hamper this current bunch of Republicans.
The third video is Senator Risser articulating his dismay at the procedural bullying by the Republicans. This is after the bill has passed the Senate.
The fourth video is truly remarkable. The Republicans leave their own press conference. Senator Fitzgerald decides that he doesn't like the people in the room. After the republicans leave, there is some soapboxing by activists, who are subsequently escorted from the room.
The last video is a passionate and articulate plea by Senator Lena Taylor (D) before the bill was passed. This seven minute speech is well worth watching. I think that you will find it both eloquent and moving.
All citizens across this great nation should be angry about this trend. We have a right to be cynical, to be depressed, to be incensed; but we don't have a right to be passive. We. Must. Fight!
The Playground Legends are rapidly ramping up efforts through the creation of partnerships and collaborations with various political groups, from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin to Organizing for America to more grassroots guerilla organizations. Our volunteer base is growing through our use of social media and word of mouth. Yesterday we were on a local radio show explaining our intentions to the African American community of listeners, tomorrow we will give a brief presentation at the African American Labor and Community Summit in Milwaukee, and Monday evening we will be keynotes at a Milwaukee County Democratic Party event at State Fair Park. Our work expands, but finally it comes back to the neighborhoods. Can we make a difference in these hard-pressed communities?
We'll certainly be trying! We'll be out knocking on doors, registering voters, trolling the neighborhoods with the Voter Van, and planning events in the local parks... food, conversations, empowerment: these are the ingredients of our politics of purposeful play.
If you wish to help us with a donation, please visit our website. Thank you, and get your anger on. Find an activist group in your community. Help build the group. Help build the community.