“You don’t want protests turning into riots? Stop letting arrests turn into murder,” says a protestor with a megaphone, as unrest in downtown Madison begins to wrap up around 2am Tuesday morning. Protesters spent Monday evening and Tuesday morning marching in civil unrest in Madison, protesting the Kenosha Police Department officer’s shooting of a Black […]
Whose Streets?
Since the protests for racial justice began in Madison in late May, State Street has become a contested site of activism, art, and local businesses struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic. Whose street is it? Today on the show, Wednesday host Ali Muldrow discusses the future of State Street, the Black takeover of […]
Madison City Council Shoots Down Business Programs
Tuesday, during a nearly eight hour meeting, Madison’s city council put off two plans to help local businesses. One would aid downtown businesses that have faced vandalization and looting. The other program would support entrepreneurs of color. The relief plan allotted $250,000 for costs that Madison businesses say they’ve accrued from protests and riots following […]
Local business owners express concern over demonstrations
Overall violent crime rates downtown and along the State Street area are down from this time last year, according to Madison Police Captain Kelly Donahue. Speaking to an assembly of Downtown Business Leaders earlier today, Donahue attributed the drop to COVID-19. “There was no significant increase, obviously in some areas like burglary, we had a […]
New Campus Neighborhood Association seeks to start downtown
A new Neighborhood Association hopes to establish greater control over the areas surrounding the University campus. The Campus Neighborhood Association is composed of students and residents. The group is seeking formal recognition from the city to incorporate as a regulatory body over the greater campus area. Earlier today, WORT Producer Jonah Chester spoke with Association […]
New city mural program creates opportunities for unemployed artists
Up and down State Street, and throughout downtown, artists and creators have used plywood boards covering storefronts as canvases for their work. The boards were erected after widespread vandalism and theft struck downtown last Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, following protests against police brutality. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WORT […]