Joint Statement to Community on Tony Robinson's Death

Statement from Members of City Council, County & MMSD Boards

To the residents of our community:

The death of Tony Robinson is a horrible tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tony Robinson’s family and friends. We are sorry that we have lost the life of an African American teenager in our community. Black lives matter. Our history, both nationally and locally, with respect to our African American community is unacceptable. Many of the incidents, shootings, and deaths that we see reported on the news find their root cause in the intolerable disparity present in our community. That disparity and its attendant injustice may have arisen from our history, but we allow it to continue.

This past weekend in Selma, President Barack Obama said "[Our national creed is] the idea held by generations of citizens who believed that America is a constant work in progress; who believed that loving this country requires more than singing its praises or avoiding uncomfortable truths. It requires the occasional disruption, the willingness to speak out for what is right, to shake up the status quo. That's America." We thank those community leaders and citizens who enacted those words before they were spoken. It is time we all joined them.

We must do better. We are here to ask each of our constituents to accept along with us the challenge of ending the shameful racial disparities in our community. Every one of us must be a part of the solution. Black lives have to matter to each and every one of us. We must be the City and County where a Black youth, a Latino youth, an Asian youth, a Native American youth, a White youth, where any young man or woman feels that this is a community they belong to, a community full of opportunities. A community where their dreams can happen, not end.

Jointly signed by the following City of Madison Alders, Dane County Supervisors, and Madison Municipal School District Board:
 
Sup. Carousel Bayrd, Ald. Shiva Bidar‐Sielaff, Sup. Jerome Bollig, Ald. Maurice Cheeks, Ald. Joe Clausius, Ald. Mark Clear, Ald. Lauren Cnare, Sup. Sharon Corrigan, Ald. Lucas Dailey, Sup. Patrick Downing, Sup. Jenni Dye, Ald. Denise DeMarb, Sup. Chuck Erickson, Sup. George Gillis, Sup. John Hendrick, Board Member Ed Hughes, Sup. Tim Kiefer, Ald. Steve King, Sup. Mary Kolar, Sup. Dorothy Krause, Board Member Dean Loumos, Sup. Patrick Miles, Ald. Larry Palm, Sup. Leland Pan, Sup. Jeff Pertl, Ald. Matt Phair, Ald. Scott Resnick, Sup. Kyle Richmond, Sup. Michele Ritt, Ald. Marsha Rummel, Sup. Paul Rusk, Sup. Andrew Schauer, Ald. Chris Schmidt, Sup. Robin Schmidt, Board Member Arlene Silveira, Ald. John Strasser,  Ald. Lisa Subeck, Ald. Mike Verveer, Sup. Heidi Wegleitner, Ald. Anita Weier, Sup. Abigail Wuest, Ald. Ledell Zellers, Sup. Nick Zweifel