MADISON, WI (May 22, 2014) — Alex Gee, the pastor of Fountain of Life Covenant Church, announced Wednesday that several community foundations and anonymous donors had contributed $100,000 to the Justified Anger coalition that was formed to eliminate racial injustice in the city.
According to an article in the the Capital Times, which was one of the contributors, the funds will enable the coalition to hire a small staff to monitor the data the coalition gathers, manage the Justified Anger website, as well as provide administrative support and manage projects.
The coalition was formed as part of widespread positive response to a 3,000-word opinion piece by Gee that the newspaper published on its front page in December and which castigated the city for its racial disparity.
The coalition plans to develop a proposal for the city that will include recommendations on how to eliminate the disparity over the next several years. Gee said the funding will enable the coalition to present a report in the fall rather than a year from now.
Gee has lamented that African American members of the community have “not been at the table” when decisions affecting the city of Madison are made, but this action by the foundations represents a significant change. “What’s so beautiful about (these foundations) is they heard what the African American community was saying. It wasn’t even a matter of them saying, ‘You’re right, come to the table.’ They said, ‘Set the table, where do you want to shop?’ then they let us set the table.”
He added, “You can’t change the past, but this is how you change the future.”
To read a recent Covenant Companion interview with Gee, click here.
