All Minds Matter led its first march Friday night when several dozen protesters gathered and marched to the Capitol to protest for equal education and bridging Madison’s educational disparities.
New to campus, All Minds Matter was created by UW-Madison freshmen to raise awareness and community support for addressing Madison’s education gap.
The group organized a rally outside the Madison Municipal School District’s Ruth Bachhuber Doyle Administration Building that culminated in a march toward the Capitol, where members spoke at a larger May Day demonstration.
Clad in shirts that said #allMINDSmatter and armed with signs asking for “education for all,” members of the young All Minds Matter organization invited community leaders to speak from the steps of the administration building during the rally.
“We need you to speak up to inspire our younger generation [and] to help give them hope,” said Michael Johnson, the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club in Dane County. “You’re here to be a voice for those who aren’t being heard.”
While Johnson addressed the value of community activism, other speakers like Kaleem Caire from One City Early Learning and Karen Coller from Centro Hispano, spoke about bridging gaps in education for impoverished and immigrant families.
After listening to speakers, protesters followed All Minds Matter members toward the Capitol building, crossing onto State Street with signs in hand.
All Minds Matter had informed the police before its rally, member Tyriek Mack said. The police followed the rally and opened State Street, blocking traffic and guiding the group up the street.
“We didn’t want any bad confrontations,” Mack said. “They’re a partner.”
The May Day demonstration, organized by the Immigrant Workers Union for immigration reform and workers’ rights, opened the podium for members of the All Minds Matter march to speak once they arrived.
“We are All Minds Matter, [and] our goal is to create public engagement around the achievement disparities around education in Madison, Wisconsin,” Mack said to the crowd. “Without quality education, you can’t have a quality life … it seems that, in our society, only a small few are actually receiving a quality education.”
The Wisconsin Council on Children and Families’ Race to Equity report found that only 50 percent of black students graduate on time in Dane County, while 85 percent of white students graduated on time. That same report called it one of the largest education gaps in the nation.
“We all came together when we heard about the … achievement disparities that exist here, and we felt that the campus wasn’t really aware of these things,” Mack said. “So we started as a way to create some kind of community engagement … We figured that, if people didn’t come out to support this cause, change would never really happen.”
