LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Stereotypes about FoodShare
Dear Editor,
My name is Derrick D. McCann, and I am a community advocate, artist, and lifelong voice for urban music and social justice in Madison, Wisconsin. I am writing because of false and harmful comments made earlier this year by Shay Newman, a white radio host on 93.1 Jamz, who publicly claimed that “people on EBT don’t have access to whole foods and apples.”
That statement is not only untrue, it also reinforces dangerous stereotypes about low-income families, Black residents, and others who rely on FoodShare (EBT). Many people who receive FoodShare benefits in Wisconsin do buy fresh produce and healthy food for their families. These comments, especially when broadcast to the public, mislead listeners and promote stigma against people who already face discrimination.
What’s worse is that a Black business owner who was present failed to correct him, allowing those false statements to stand unchallenged. When someone with influence uses their platform to speak carelessly about poverty, and others who should know better stay silent, the harm echoes throughout the community.
This issue matters deeply right now. With the ongoing government shutdown, millions of Americans — including thousands in Wisconsin — are at risk of losing their FoodShare benefits. Families are already struggling to afford groceries and utilities. To make it sound as if people “don’t need” their benefits or “don’t eat healthy” is both irresponsible and cruel.
People of all colors rely on FoodShare, and they deserve dignity, not judgment. FoodShare helps working parents, seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Wisconsin families need their benefits to buy food — whether it’s apples, vegetables, or anything else that nourishes them.
Derrick D. McCann
Madison, Wisconsin
I’m asking Capital Hues to:
- Publish a community response or follow-up storyto correct this misinformation;
- Address the racial and class biasreflected in those comments;
- Amplify voices of FoodShare recipients who can share the real facts about food access in Wisconsin.
As someone who has worked for years to represent urban culture and marginalized voices in Madison — one of the worst cities in America for Black people to live — I believe media accountability is essential to progress. Our platforms should empower, not divide, the people we serve.
Thank you for taking this issue seriously. I hope Capital Hues will stand on the side of truth, fairness, and the dignity of every Wisconsin resident who depends on FoodShare.
Foodshare recipient
Derrick D. McCann
Madison, Wisconsin
Email:dmccannwisconsin@gmail.com
We Don’t Need To Make It Harder to Vote
Dear Editor,
Recent proposals to require that voters produce documents proving that they are citizens are unnecessary and burdensome. In the current system voters must swear to their citizenship under penalty of perjury. That system has worked well to allow citizens to vote and prevent non-citizens from improperly voting.
According to a review of data from January 1, 2012 to spring, 2022 by Wisconsin Watch, and information from the Wisconsin Election Commission, there were just four cases of non-citizen voting out of 31 million votes cast during that period.
But now a judge in Waukesha has ruled that the Wisconsin Election Commission must cross-reference the state’s voter registration list of over five million against Department of Transportation records, which include a person’s citizenship status when they applied for a driver’s license or identification card as long as eight years ago. The state Department of Justice has appealed the decision.
There are also moves on the federal level to require voters to prove that they are citizens. At the direction of the President, the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) started the process to add documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) to the federal voter registration form, by producing one of the following:
- US Passport
- State-issued Real ID-compliant driver's license indicating that the applicant is a citizen
- An official military identification card that indicates the applicant is a US citizen
- Valid Federal or State government-issued photo identification if such identification indicates that the applicant is a US citizen or if such identification is otherwise accompanied by proof of US citizenship
Only half of American citizens have a passport, and 69 million American citizens don’t have a birth certificate with their current legal name on it. There are many eligible voters who would find it hard to produce documentary proof of citizenship:
- Military voters
- Families impacted by natural disasters who may have lost necessary documentation
- Americans who have changed their name, including most married women
We do not need to impose additional voting registration hurdles on over five million voters to address the false illusion that many non-citizens are voting.
Sue Jennik
President, League of Women Voters of Dane County
