FREDERICA FREYBERG:
A GROUP DEDICATED TO ACTIVISM AROUND ISSUES OF BLACK ARREST AND INCARCERATION RATES HAD STRONG REACTION TO THE D.A.’S DECISION NOT TO CHARGE THE MADISON POLICE OFFICER. YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK LEADERS SAY IT DID NOT COME AS A SURPRISE BECAUSE OF THE CULTURE OF RACIAL DISPARITY IN DANE COUNTY. I SPOKE WITH BRANDI GRAYSON AND ASKED HER WHERE HER ACTIVISM WILL LEAD.

BRANDI GRAYSON:
NOW OUR CAMPAIGN AND OUR FOCUS IS ON U.N. PETITION. WE ARE PETITIONING THE U.N. TO COME IN. TO INVESTIGATE OUR STATE AND DO A DUAL INVESTIGATION OF THE RACIAL DISPARITIES THAT WE FACE IN DANE COUNTY WHICH IS THE WORSE IN THE NATION. AND ALSO TO DO An INVESTIGATION ON TONY’S DEATH, INCLUDING OUR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE PROCEDURES AND POLICIES THAT LEADS TO HIGH DISPARITY RATES. WE ALSO ARE CAMPAIGNING FOR COMMUNITY CONTROL OVER POLICING, MEANING THAT WE WANT COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO SET THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING BEING ABLE TO HIRE AND FIRE AND DO OUR OWN INVESTIGATIONS AND DETERMINE WHAT POLICING OR COMMUNITY POLICING LOOKS LIKE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
DO YOU FEEL AS THOUGH YOU HAVE BEEN HEARD IN THIS CITY, WHEREAS YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN HEARD TO THE SAME EXTENT IN OTHERS?

BRANDI GRAYSON:
I DON’T THINK THERE’S REALLY A COMPARISON. I THINK THAT WHAT WE SEE HAPPENING ACROSS THE NATION IS AN UP RISING IN OUR BLACK COMMUNITIES AND IT’S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE. WHETHER IT IS — WHETHER WE ARE AWARE OF IT DEPENDS ON WHETHER MEDIA SHOWS UP. SO WE KNOW THAT IN BALTIMORE FOR EXAMPLE THAT THEY WERE PROTESTING FOR SIX DAYS BEFORE MEDIA SHOWED UP. WE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT- THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. BUT WHEN THERE WAS AN URBAN REBELLION, THEN THE MEDIA CAME IN AND THEN WE SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THEN WE BECAME AWARE OF FREDDIE GRAY. THEN WE KNEW FREDDIE GRAY’S NAME. SO WHAT WE’RE SEEING HAPPENING HERE, I’M NOT SPECIAL. NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I THINK THAT IN MADISON WE THINK THAT WE’RE DIFFERENT AND THAT WE’RE UNIQUE IN THE SENSE THAT WE’RE LIBERAL AND PROGRESSIVE. BUT WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS COVERT RACISM THAT AFFECTS AND LEADS TO HIGH DISPARITY RATES. SO NO, I DON’T THINK WHAT WE’RE SEEING HERE IS DIFFERENT OR I WOULD BE LISTENED TO ANY DIFFERENT IF I WAS IN A DIFFERENT CITY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
I KNOW THE D.A. OZANNE TALKED ABOUT HIS OWN SELF, BEING BY BI-RACIAL AND THAT DIDN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOU?

BRANDI GRAYSON:
NO. WE UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU BECOME PART OF THE SYSTEM, WHEN YOU WORK FOR THE SYSTEM, WHEN YOU ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SYSTEM, THEN YOU ARE THEN OBLIGATED TO MOVE ACCORDING TO THEIR RULES AND LAWS. SO HE WAS OBLIGATED TO FOLLOW THE LAW. THE LAW WHICH SAYS IT’S OKAY TO KILL US WITH IMPUNITY. WE UNDERSTAND THAT JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS LEGAL DOESN’T MAKE IT MORAL. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IF SOMETHING’S LEGAL, DOESN’T MAKE IT ETHICAL. WE KNOW THAT THE JIM CROW LAWS WERE LEGAL. WE KNOW THAT SLAVERY WAS LEGAL. WE KNOW THAT IT USED TO BE OKAY FOR WOMEN NOT TO VOTE. IT USED TO BE OKAY FOR WOMEN NOT TO WORK. SO WHAT WE ARE FACING HERE IN AMERICA IS AN ETHICAL ISSUE AND A MORAL ISSUE. AND THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE GOING TO SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT AND DEMAND THAT WE MOVE MORE ETHICAL AND MORALLY. THAT WE MOVE TOWARDS THE PATH FOR EQUITY. THAT REALLY IS WHAT WE’RE FIGHTING FOR.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
I HEARD YOUR RESPONSE TO SOMEONE ASKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOUR KINDS OF ACTIONS WOULD BE PEACEFUL, WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?

BRANDI GRAYSON:
I MEAN THERE’S NO — WE HAVEN’T BEEN ANYTHING BUT THAT. THE QUESTION THAT CONTINUES TO BE POSED IS REALLY AN INTELLECTUALLY DISHONEST QUESTION. IT’S ONE THAT’S ROOTED IN THE DISTRACTION. YOU WANT TO DISTRACT US FOR WHY WE’RE IN THE STREETS AND WHY WE CONTINUE TO SHOW UP IN THE STREETS IN CREATING THIS FEAR AROUND US. LOOK AT THESE BLACK, AGGRESSIVE, RUDE, VIOLENT PEOPLE. WE HAVE DONE NOTHING. AND THE QUESTION SHOULD BE, WHY ARE WE CONTINUALLY ALLOWING AND ACCEPTING STATE VIOLENCE? WHY DO WE CONTINUTE TO ALLOW THE STATE TO COME DOWN ON US AND TO CAUSE US TO BE DISENFRANCHISED, MARGINALIZED AND POWERLESS. THAT’S THE REAL QUESTION.