Thinking this morning about the opportunities I’ve had to speak with people around the country over the last decade and how moved and encouraged I am by the character & flavor of ppl in cities and states who believe in justice and equality.
In 2012 a year before I be ame @NAACP_LDF Director-Counsel I was asked to give the MLK Day speech at the WI statehouse. Inmet the most amazing activists and people in Madison that day. My speech was fire, if I may say so. But I had no idea (then) Gov Scott Walker would attend.
He was facing a strong (although ultimately unsuccessful) grassroots recall effort. My speech (again, fire) was deemed by the press to be targeted at Walker (it wasn’t) b/c the crowd was so into it. madison.com/wsj/news/local…
Every video I’ve seen of the speech the camera is focused solely on the Gov’s reactions to my litany of how Dr King might respond to voter i.d. laws, Citizens’ United, mass incarceration. My speech was even quickly turned by someone into a recall video.
But it wasn’t a political speech and I will never forget the energy and spirit of those folks in Wisconsin who packed the statehouse to the rafters to celebrate Dr. King in 2012.
It’s often after speaking that I have the chance for quiet fellowship. The parents of #TerenceCrutcher are brave & resilient but still deeply in pain abt the loss of their son at the hands of a Tulsa police ofcr. I cherish this time w/them in 2017 after their foundation dinner. 
