by Sherry Reames | Mar 17, 2025 | Action Opportunities, Advocacy, Events, MOSES activities, Newsletter, WISDOM
Gearing Up for a Big Madison Action Day (Thursday, April 10)
by Sherry Reames
Although Madison Action Day is still a few weeks away, it’s definitely not too early to start
preparing. The essential first step this year may be to shift our focus from discouraging national
news to the relatively hopeful outlook for our issues here in Wisconsin. We have a better partisan balance in our State Legislature than we’ve seen in many years, a large number of new legislators to meet, and a budget proposal from Governor Evers that includes some of WISDOM’s highest priorities, most obviously the closure of the antiquated prison at Green Bay without building a new prison to replace it. So we will have lots to discuss with our legislators and are hoping for an extra-large and enthusiastic turnout.
If you don’t know what to expert, here’s a quick overview of the day’s schedule.
- 9 am– Check-in at Madison Masonic Center, 301 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Madison
- WISDOM program– Brief videos introducing all the WISDOM affiliates, presentation of priority issues by inspiring leaders from around the state, music (including songs by Madison’s own Raging Grannies), and a call to action
- Informal lunch and discussion of plans for the afternoon
- March to the Capitol (for those who can; rides available for those who can’t)
- Small-group visits to legislative offices, probably starting at 1 or 1:30 pm
- Gather at Grace Episcopal Church (across the street from the Capitol) to relax and discuss what we learned
Please spread the word about this event! Let your congregations, neighbors, and friends know that Madison Action Day is a great opportunity for learning, inspiration, meaningful activism, and even some fun, and invite them to join us. Here’s the registration link:
bit.ly/madisonactionday2025 .
Please register as soon as possible, and remind others to do likewise. It’s not crucial to pay immediately, but the WISDOM organizing committee needs everybody’s names and details well ahead of time. Here’s why: besides placing advance orders for everybody’s T-shirts and lunches, the organizing committee has the big job of matching attendees with legislators, trying to make sure that every single senator and assembly rep will have a visit, either from their own constituents or (if necessary) by volunteers from MOSES and other large affiliates.
Please consider participating in the following training opportunities, which are designed to increase the effectiveness of our lobbying efforts this year:
- WISDOM State budget trainings (including one in Madison on Saturday afternoon, March 15, from 1 to 3 pm, location TBA) will include both expert tips on messaging and story-telling and the opportunity to practice these skills.
New this year! An orientation session for Action Day attendees a week before the event (Thursday evening, April 3, probably on zoom from 6 to 7 pm) will help teams of legislative visitors get organized in advance (deciding who will facilitate, who will speak on each issue, etc.), as well as providing more messaging tips and practice.
by MOSES Racial Equity | Mar 18, 2019 | Racial Equity, WISDOM
WISDOM RACIAL EQUITY STATEMENT
Adopted February 21, 2019
OUR ASPIRATIONS
Racial equity is a core value of WISDOM and its affiliates and is practiced in everything we do.
- Diverse voices, viewpoints, opinions, thoughts, and ideas are actively encouraged and embraced throughout our organization.
- A culture of deep and authentic relationships throughout WISDOM and its affiliates fosters a sense of restored community and mutual caring.
- Our commitment to racial equity promotes a just, fair, respectful, inclusive, and thriving community for everyone in our organization and in the institutions we seek to improve.
WISDOM and its affiliates, and participants individually, are open and responsive to constructively-given feedback about racist attitudes or behaviors we may display, however unintentional.
- Mistakes are courageously and forthrightly identified. We will graciously “call each other in” and describe and discuss mistakes with clarity as part of a continuous education process.
- Patience, genuine caring, and compassionate listening are practiced in our mutual effort to understand oppression, both overt and systemic.
WISDOM and its affiliates are characterized by an intentional identity as an antiracist institution.
- Our antiracist identity permeates our organizational culture, values, norms, and behaviors.
- Diverse racial, cultural, and economic groups enjoy full participation and shared power in all aspects of our mission, structure, constituency, policies, and practices.
- People of color lead in the work we do and are always at the tables where decisions that affect us get made.
WISDOM embraces and champions policies that provide for both individual dignity and dismantling structural racism in the wider community by building clear lines of accountability to organizations of color and racially oppressed communities that are directly impacted by our work.
- Our work for racial liberation values embracing diversity/difference as a gift, the unique worth of every person, treating everyone with dignity, inclusivity, social justice, public good, and cultural competence (awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills). By living these values, we are better human beings.
RACIAL EQUITY ACTION STEPS AND MEASUREMENTS
WISDOM and its affiliates will take the following first steps toward fulfillment of these principles and will do an annual racial equity check-in to keep us all accountable. The WISDOM Racial Equity Core Team will provide tools for this to the affiliates (e.g., a WISDOM assessment tool to be used each October) and serve as resources to the affiliates as needed.
Provide Education on Implicit Bias: We will provide an Implicit Bias workshop in every affiliate and encourage all members to participate. This training is provided through Gamaliel and is in conjunction with Gamaliel affiliates across the country.
Baseline Analysis of Organizational Racism: We will develop a baseline analysis of racism within our organization that will serve to increase commitment of members to dismantle racism both within WISDOM and its affiliates and within the community.
Education and Dialogue: We will develop a shared understanding within WISDOM and its affiliates of the meaning and historical reality of systemic racism through education and dialogue.
Long Term and Short Term Racial Equity Goals: We will be strategic and intentional in setting both long term and short term racial equity goals and in monitoring our progress toward them by their impact, not simply our intention. (We should be able to see the progress)
Raise up and Support Under-Represented Leaders: We will prioritize historically and systemically excluded or marginalized people by recognizing, raising up and supporting leaders from under represented populations and intentionally creating pathways for them to be included in decision-making and leadership.
by mosesmadison | Nov 9, 2015 | Events
Tuesday, November 10, 5-9pm – Central Library
- Reform Now is a 45 minute collection of documentaries showcasing work Wisconsin residents are doing to challenge solitary confinement and incarceration practices. The film begins at 5:30pm, and filmmaker Tim Coursen will lead a discussion after the screening.
- WISDOM will present their 11×15/Restoring Our Communities Wisconsin campaign to decrease Wisconsin’s prison population to 11,000 by the end of 2015. WISDOM is an interfaith grassroots network. Presentation starts at 7:30pm.
- A resource fair will be available on a drop-in basis from 5-9pm for visitors to meet members of community groups who are addressing racial inequalities and working for social justice. Groups present include WISDOM, MOSES, Madison Groundwork, Urban League of Greater Madison, Justified Anger, YWCA, and Madison Urban Ministry.
Experience Solitary Confinement
Wednesday, November 11, 7-9pm – Central Library
Former inmate Talib Akbar, Reverend Jerry Hancock, Reverend Kate Edwards, and Jean Feraca, formerly of Wisconsin Public Radio, will share their experiences with solitary confinement and their involvement with prison reform.
- A lifesize, walk-in model of a solitary confinement cell, based on drawings made by Mr. Akbar, and a soundtrack of a real unit will be at the library during the event and also available for anyone to experience at the library from November 7 through November 12.
by mosesmadison | May 18, 2015 | Advocacy
On Tuesday, May 19th, the Joint Committee on Finance may consider a budget amendment to pass the Second Chance Act, moving most 17-years-olds out of adult corrections and into the juvenile system. Please take 30 seconds to call your State Senator and Assembly Representative with this message: “Please support the Second Chance proposal to return 17-year-olds to the juvenile system, which will be considered in the budget discussions. 
Don’t let another year go by without making this needed reform, which will be good for kids, for families, and for our communities.” Per David Liners: “We might be close to winning this one!”
On Thursday, May 21st, the County Board will vote on Resolution 556. MOSES Jail Task Force has had a huge win in getting nearly all of our most important policy recommendations incorporated.
Resolution 556 commits to implementing significant improvements to the Dane County criminal justice system to eliminate racial disparities, dramatically reduce solitary and incarceration for people with mental illness, and increase community alternatives. Additionally, the resolution strongly states the County Board’s support for reducing the number of jail beds, and explicitly opposes the construction of a new standalone jail. A copy of Resolution 556 is attached to this email.
WE NEED YOU TO CONTACT YOUR COUNTY BOARD SUPERVISOR THIS WEEK TO TELL THEM TO PASS 556!
MOSES Jail Task Force members have put several months and countless hours into this important resolution; it’s now YOUR TURN to ensure that the whole County Board feels the power of MOSES in support of Resolution 556!
Attached is a brief statement of support you can use.
Letter to send to your legislators about Res. 556
Resolution 556 with edits
by mosesmadison | Mar 5, 2015 | Events
During the week of March 9th, stop by The Stream in the Theatre Arts building at Edgewood College in Madison WI to experience life in a solitary confinement cell. This experience is contemplative in nature and campus-wide participation is encouraged. The Solitary Cell can be reserved for an individual over a 30 or 60 minute time period. Please contact Tony Garcia, tgarcia@edgewood.edu, for group/classroom visits.
