More Protests In Madison In Response To The Shooting Of Tony Robinson, Snow Shoe Baseball, Eaux Claires Festival, Study On Black Girls, EPA Rules And Wisconsin

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Wisconsin native Justin Vernon, who gained fame playing in the band Bon Iver, is launching a music festival in Eau Cliare this summer. Festival organizers hope to bring together acts from all genres of music, as well as filmmakers, actors, and visual artists. We get the story behind the festival from one of the performers who will be a part of the show. We also explore why girls of color face harsher punishments in school, learn about the game of snow shoe baseball and talk to a reporter covering the protests and rallies scheduled Wednesday in response to the shooting of Tony Robinson. Finally, we cover the Walker Administration’s argument against EPA restrictions.

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  • Study Shows African-American Girls Disproportionately Punished In School

    A new study found that African-American girls are six times more likely to be suspended than white girls and are subject to harsher and more frequent discipline than their white peers.

    Kimberle Williams Crenshaw, law professor at Columbia University and UCLA, authored the study, “Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced and Underprotected.” She said the results might come as a surprise to many

    The study also found the racial disparity in school suspensions between black and white girls is greater than the disparity between black boys and white boys. However, more black boys overall are suspended than any other group, and boys generally are suspended more.

    Williams Crenshaw said there’s a tendency in American culture not to really think about racial disparity when thinking and talking about women and girls.

    “We do live in a society that’s shaped by race, but it’s also shaped by gender,” she said. “And a lot of times the things that happen to women and girls just aren’t seen as significant or as critical as they should be.”

    Williams Crenshaw said the study developed out of a dialogue with African-American girls. She said she often heard from girls that said they were being punished for acting in ways that were inconsistent with female stereotypes, such as being quiet, compliant and generally agreeable.

    The report also underscored the consequences of discipline disparity and the various ways that girls of color are channeled onto pathways that lead to underachievement and criminalization. Moreover, Williams Crenshaw said black girls receive more severe sentences when they enter the juvenile justice system than do members of any other group of girls, and they are also the fastest growing population in the system.

    “It is well-established in the research literature and by educational advocates that there is a link between the use of punitive disciplinary measures and subsequent patterns of criminal supervision and incarceration. Commonly understood as the ‘school-to-prison pipeline,’” the report states. “This framework highlights the ways that punitive school policies lead to low achievement, system involvement, and other negative outcomes.”

  • Eaux Claires Music Festival Aims To Show Off Chippewa Valley To The World

    A new music festival showcasing local and national bands is coming to Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley this summer, and so far, it’s shaping up to be unlike anything the region has ever seen.

    Announced earlier this year, the first-ever Eaux Claires musical festival will take place in Eau Claire in July. It’s the creation of Grammy-winning, Eau Claire-based musician Justin Vernon, best known for his work with the band Bon Iver.

    The festival has been described as a big thank-you to the region and people that helped Vernon achieve success.

    “(Vernon) credits the Chippewa Valley with supporting him, and being a source of his creativity,” said author and musician Michael Perry, another celebrated figure in the region. Perry is serving as the narrator of the festival, a position not often seen at a musical festival.

    “My hope is that I can convey what this festival is about, but what this place is about,” Perry said about his role as narrator. “It’s fun to introduce the nation to the Chippewa Valley.”

    Perry said festival organizers are working hard to establish a sense of place. That starts with its location near the banks of the Chippewa River, the defining geological feature of the region, and the economic engine that initially put Eau Claire on the map.

    But, Perry said the festival promises more than just some bands and a good view.

    “There’s a very active intent here, and that is to have this thing be more than just music, but an experience,” Perry said. “That comes right down even to the design. There’s an artistic experience in just walking through the place, and that is reflected by this wide range of music.”

    One look at the lineup backs up Perry’s comment about the wide range of music. Over the course of two days, festival-goers can expect to hear country, hip-hop, funk, blues, gospel, rock, and even “noise,” courtesy of the Japanese noise band Melt-Banana.

    In addition to the nationally and internationally-recognized acts, many local bands and artists will be featured, including Phox, Field Report and Vernon’s own Bon Iver.

    The festival will also highlight local food and drink vendors.

    While unique, Perry’s the first to admit that Eaux Claires is not the only game in town. Each year, the region hosts numerous festivals like Country Jam, Rock Fest and Country Fest. Perry said he’s grateful to the people involved with these shows for creating an appetite for music in the region, and laying the template for how to run a festival.

    “We always try to tip our caps to those folks, too,” he said. “They’ve gone ahead and they’ve already made this an area that’s known for music festivals. We’re just adding one that’s got a little different flavor.”

    Perry said he’s excited to show off what the Chippewa Valley has to offer, and to prove that the arts are not something that can be limited to certain cities or regions.

    “There’s this idea sometimes that art belongs in certain places, whether it’s the east coast or the west coast, or big cities,” he said. “Folks are sometimes surprised to think that you might have a thriving art or music scene, and I always say, ‘Man, that stuff belongs everywhere.’ I’m proud that we’re going to have a festival of this nature and this diversity right in our backyard.”

    Eaux Claires takes place July 17 and July 18. More information and complete lineup can be found on the festival’s website.

  • More Protests And Rallies In Madison In Response To The Shooting Of Tony Robinson

    More student walkouts and rallies are planned for Wednesday in response to the police shooting of an unarmed biracial man in Madison. A reporter covering the rallies shares what’s happening on the ground.

  • Eaux Claires: A Homegrown Music Festival

    Eau Claire’s own Justin Vernon has toured the world behind critically-acclaimed albums and picked up a Grammy along the way. Now he’s bringing his experiences back home by launching his own music festival. We talk to author and festival narrator, Michael Perry about Eaux Claires – happening this summer and featuring a diverse mix of artists including The National, Indigo Girls, Spoon, and a much-anticipated return of Vernon’s own band, Bon Iver.

  • Study Looks At The Disproportional Punishment Of Black Girls In School

    African-American girls are six times more likely to be suspended than white girls and are subject to harsher and more frequent discipline than their white peers. A new study examines why black girls face more disproportionate punishments than white girls. The author of the study explains what the data show and what can be changed to create a more equal school environment for black girls.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Amanda Magnus Producer
  • Chris Malina Producer
  • Karl Christenson Producer
  • Kimberle Williams Crenshaw Guest
  • Michael Perry Guest
  • Mary Spicuzza Guest

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