Here & Now

Youth Activist Group 'Impact Demand' Calls for Change

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Frederica Freyberg:

The youth led movement, Impact Demand, formed out of the Madison protests over the killing of George Floyd. Organizers say demonstrations will not stop because they have the energy to continue fighting for change. Organizer Ayomi Obuseh joins us now with more. And thank you so much for being here.

Ayomi Obuseh:

Thank you.

Frederica Freyberg:

So tell us, why is the youth voice important?

Ayomi Obuseh:

The youth is the future. I think the youth voice is essential and movements like this because we can continue the fight, have the motivation to really make sure that people are held accountable and that it is impactful in every essence of the word.

Frederica Freyberg:

You say that you are not asking for change, but that you are demanding it. And among your demands are community control of policing, all but banning ‘no knock’ warrants and removing and punishing police officers who shoot unarmed citizens. I know that the city of Madison is considering some of these demands and others. How is progress going on your demands?

Ayomi Obuseh:

So I feel like around this time people are really starting to listen and people are starting to understand that the anger that we feel and the hurt that we felt during this movement has been here for years. And the stuff that’s being recorded hasn’t always been recorded. But the harassment from the police, the deaths from the police have been here for years. So I feel like now is the time to demand these actions because now there is recognition of the actions.

Frederica Freyberg:

So what is that like for you and others in your movement to, as you say, finally be heard?

Ayomi Obuseh:

There’s a good thing and a bad thing. With this movement, it has been empowering for the black community, is empowering for youth in general. But there have been retaliations from white terrorist groups. Stepping forward as a youth organizer, we have been followed. We have been stalked. It is very scary. Another organizer that helped to watch from Milwaukee to Madison, and their 50 Miles March. Their tires were slashed and their wheels were loosened and they started to cry because this is very real. People are coming after us. But I feel like this means that we’re applying pressure in the right areas and that means change is coming and it’s going to be effective.

Frederica Freyberg:

Not withstanding those threats and the fear that you have, you maintain and other organizers maintain that you will continue on through that.

Ayomi Obuseh:

Absolutely. I don’t think that threats or attempts of violence is going to stop or scare this movement. Like we say, I’m not the face. I am not a leader of this movement. It has many different faces. Impact Demand tries to encourage everyone to realize that they are the leaders in this movement. We are the leaders that we were waiting for and we just encourage and empower everyone to continue on because it is here. People are listening. And change is coming.

Frederica Freyberg:

As for violence, as you well know, last month, one of these protests did turn violent. Do you have concerns at all that that kind of thing sets the movement back?

Ayomi Obuseh:

I feel like what happens is people talk about the effects of violence without talking about the cause of it. You have to understand that people have been tired and exhausted for many, many years and we’ve been peaceful protesting for years and nothing has been done. Even in Madison, we had the ad hoc committee and although they had over 100 suggestions of what they could do to improve the police force. None of them were really taken into consideration. And this was after the death of an unarmed 19-year-old Tony Robinson. So the frustration is is real. At the same time, I don’t think it will continue because there needed to be that release of pain. But now we’re moving in a more positive direction into policy and reform.

Frederica Freyberg:

So what then, in your mind, is the best way to kind of bring this policy and reform home? What is the best way to have your demands met?

Ayomi Obuseh:

The best way is to hold people that represent you accountable. So right now, we talk to candidates. We talk to different people that work in policy, and we try to hold them accountable because if they represent the community, they should know the– what the community is asking for. They should get to know who we are and what we want and why it is so imperative that we change the way we see justice. Because right now we have an injustice court system, injustice society. And what’s scary is Madison, in many different places in Wisconsin are seen as so liberal. And that reality has led us to continue oppressing people because we believe we’re so progressive. It hides the fact of many racial injustice in every different departments, not just the police force, but in housing and in Medicare. So I think it’s imperative that we hold people accountable and then begin to write legislation to move forward.

Frederica Freyberg:

Have you had successful dialog, along with your mission to hold people accountable, have you had dialog with the very people that you’re looking to change things?

Ayomi Obuseh:

I think right now and as you saw with the talk with the mayor. First, her video came out to the police force and then she had to apologize to the black community because she knew what she was doing was wrong. I think what happens now is people need to acknowledge the wrongdoings or the wrong thought process and not move in guilt, but move in empathy, because once you can recognize that what you did was harmful and move forward, that is how we make changes, how we make a difference.

Frederica Freyberg:

Ayomi Obuseh, Impact Demand. Thanks very much for joining us on this.

Ayomi Obuseh:

Thank you so much.