Here & Now

Kenosha Residents on the Anniversary of the Blake Shooting

Frederica Freyberg:

This week marked the one-year anniversary of the Jacob Blake shooting that rocked Kenosha and brought Wisconsin into the national spotlight. Blake was left partially paralyzed after being shot seven times by a Kenosha officer who was attempting to arrest him for an outstanding warrant. Prosecutors declined to bring charges against the officer and he is back on duty. Blake has filed an excessive force lawsuit against the police officer. With that as a backdrop, reporter Will Kenneally spoke with people in Kenosha about the past year and their hopes for future change.

Anthony Kennedy:

It’s was a very nice day. Not too far from, not too different than today. So I thought I’d get on my bike, ride downtown and just kind of enjoy this last day before a very busy week. Rode my bike north to Washington Road, started heading east to the lake and by the time I got to Sheridan Road all the sirens and police vehicles were moving here to the neighborhood. I’m Anthony Kennedy, alderman of the 10th district here in the city of Kenosha.

Alvin Owens:

I said let me just do a dedication on my birthday, August 23rd and then we heard the seven shots. My name is Alvin D. Owens. I’m a licensed master barber/educator and I’m the founder of Regiment Barber Collective. People often ask me how do I feel about that being from Kenosha. To be honest, to be brutally honest, it was as if, oh, this was the other shoe that was going to drop.

Nathan Upham:

Hey what’s up? Nathan Upham. I’m 24 years old, live in Kenosha, Wisconsin. I pretty much have blocked a lot of that stuff out just because it was really intense. But now seeing on my Instagram memories and my Facebook memories, I was out every single day for the protests. Kenosha has a unique opportunity to really set an example for what a city can be. Rise from the ashes like a phoenix kind of thing.

Alvin Owens:

I don’t know if I can call myself an activist. But we were activated, you know. Because when chaos ensues, there’s no organization and there’s no leadership. So I make sure that I’m here. As a resident, as a business owner, as a child who grew up here, I felt – and I’ve shared this with our elected officials – I felt that we were abandoned for a good two weeks. I won’t say if I’ve seen progress. What I’ll say is that I see blatant complacency for Kenosha. I mean, that’s here in Kenosha.

Anthony Kennedy:

In Kenosha, the minority vote is not strong. It’s not powerful. It’s not present but there are people working their asses off to try to change that and I think you’ve talked to some of those people already.

Alvin Owens:

I’m asking the white community of Kenosha to come to the barbershop, come to the Black churches, come to where we feel safe in our own spaces. Come and meet us.

Nathan Upham:

I think even the fact that we created the conversation, I mean, I feel like we’re beginning to be looked at as a more equal and respected force.

Anthony Kennedy:

That spark that took people out of their comfort zones and wanted to be confrontational and wanted to confront the systems that are in place. I hope that spark keeps burning. I hope that spark, you take that spark and move that into activism.

Frederica Freyberg:

“Here & Now” reporter Will Kenneally from Kenosha.