Here & Now

Kaepernick Divides Legislature on Black History

Frederica Freyberg:

A first look tonight at a tense debate in the State Legislature over Black History Month. Members of the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus were forced to exclude the name of a Wisconsin native they had hoped to honor because he was too controversial. Marisa Wojcik has the story.

David Crowley:

When I think about Black History Month, this is about honoring black leaders that the black community deemed as their leaders.

Marisa Wojcik:

February is Black History Month. And every year the State Legislature passes a resolution recognizing the month. Included in the resolution is a list of names of leaders in the black community.

Lena Taylor:

A resolution that was introduced by African-American legislators.

Marisa Wojcik:

But this year proved especially contentious.

Lena Taylor:

Because yesterday the Assembly Republicans removed the name of Colin Kaepernick.

Marisa Wojcik:

Kaepernick was born in Milwaukee but is best known for his short career as a quarterback in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers.

David Crowley:

We had an issue with him mainly because of his method of protesting.

Lena Taylor:

I had one person say to me, “Because it’s political.”

Marisa Wojcik:

In 2016, Kaepernick began protesting against police violence against the African-American community by staying seated and then taking a kneel during the playing of the national anthem.

Lena Taylor:

It’s not political. It’s standing up for injustice, even if it was first a seat and second a kneel.

Marisa Wojcik:

Whether you call it political or a protest, Kaepernick’s actions sparked a national debate with support and condemnation coming from all sides.

Donald Trump:

You cannot have people disrespecting our national anthem, our flag, our country. And that’s what they’re doing.

Marisa Wojcik:

And eventually led to Kaepernick being dropped from the NFL. But the Black Caucus could not accept their white colleagues deciding who they choose to honor.

David Crowley:

And it’s kind of traumatizing to see what was going on. I mean this was a textbook version of white privilege in our opinion.

Marisa Wojcik:

Representative David Crowley of Milwaukee’s 17th District is the newest leader of the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus and authored the original resolution with Kaepernick’s name.

David Crowley:

So after we had that vote, the Black Caucus had a chance to actually talk. And one of the things that we felt had had happened is that we got railroaded and that we did not want to give up. So we decided that we were going to change all of our votes to no to symbolize that we are going to stand together.

Marisa Wojcik:

Assembly Democrats changing their vote to no was symbolic. But the next day, after four hours of floor discussion, the Senate Democrats had a chance to make their no vote official.

Legislative clerk:

There are 19 ayes, 14 nos.

Marisa Wojcik:

The resolution without Kaepernick’s name eventually passed the Senate along party lines.

David Crowley:

After we got off the floor, it was emotionally draining for many of us.

Marisa Wojcik:

But it was the lack of communication from Republican colleagues that exasperated members of the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus the most.

Lena Taylor:

And I promise you not one time did someone on the outer ring send a name.

David Crowley:

But other than Scott Allen, no other Republican legislator in this building has talked to me and I would probably go as far and say they have not talked to anybody in the Black Caucus.

Marisa Wojcik:

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald were not available to comment on this story. But Speaker Vos indicated that there was not support for such a divisive figure. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke called Kaepernick “too controversial.”

David Crowley:

When we think about Malcom X, Ella Baker, Martin Luther King, they were controversial during their times as well. And when you’re making history, at that time that history is being made, it is controversial.

Frederica Freyberg:

That was Marisa Wojcik reporting. This afternoon, the NFL reached a settlement with Colin Kaepernick, an undisclosed one, in his complaint against the league. A complaint that claimed the NFL blacklisted him for kneeling as an act of protest during the national anthem at games.

Governor Tony Evers has his first piece of legislation to consider after Republican lawmakers passed a $500 million income tax cut this week. The bill would cover the cut at first by using a current cash balance in the state budget. Under the plan, the standard deduction for individual incomes up to $127,000 and family incomes up to $155,000 would be increased. For his part, Evers has his own $890 million tax cut plan, which would be partially paid for by a roughly $520 million increase in taxes on manufacturers. His plan would give a 10% tax credit to individuals earning below $80,000 and families earning below $125,000. Evers said he would not be taking immediate action on the Republican tax cut, but instead including his plan in his budget.