Poetic Tongues/Fabu
Make Black History
Wisconsinites had a Black presidential candidate in 1904, so David Crowley running for Governor in 2026 is not an unusual candidate for this state and Crowley should win when you examine African American achievers in Wisconsin history. Crowley is the seventh executive of Milwaukee County. More importantly, Crowley is the first African American to serve as Milwaukee County's top official and the youngest person elected to the office, having taken office in May 2020 at age 33. While Black history disputes another African American’s assertion that she was the first presidential candidate as she thought. It is true that Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress. Certainly, President Barack Obama was the first Black person to win.
George Edwin Taylor is the first African American selected by a political party to be its candidate for the presidency of the United States. Imagine the difficult reality for a Black man living in 1902, yet he courageously became the first Black man to run for President of the United States. He grew up in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He was a true Midwesterner. Although he was born in Arkansas, the son of a free mother and enslaved father, he lived most of his life here. He settled in Wisconsin, after his parents died, where politically active foster parents raised and educated him.
Taylor attended University in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin and went on to work as a journalist, labor movement organizer, and editor of several publications like the Wisconsin Labor Advocate. His career introduced him to politics and he was, at various times both a Republican and a Democrat, always looking for reform in a system that did not include and respect everyone. Other African Americans joined together with him to form the National Negro Liberty Party, which later became the National Liberty Party. Their goal was to reform political systems to benefit everyone, including African Americans.
His 1904 Presidential Campaign emphasized education; advocated for universal suffrage, Federal anti-lynching laws and federal pensions for former slaves; government ownership and control of all public carriers to ensure equal accommodations of all citizens and home rule for the District of Columbia. Taylor ran against Theodore Roosevelt because it was his party’s opinion that the President had abandoned equality for African American people. Taylor did receive votes; however, it took until 2009 for another Black man with integrity to win as president.
I admire Governor Tony Evers and appreciate his tenure as Governor of Wisconsin. He supports David Crowley for Governor. Once upon a time, no one could envision a Black president, but Obama said “Yes We Can.” Wisconsin can envision a Black governor and support his better plan of "Building a Wisconsin that Works for All of Us.” In fact, our state desperately needs this Black man, another Wisconsin achiever, who will do better for everyone in our state. All of Us.