CHICAGO — Milwaukee continued to appear on the national stage during the Democratic National Convention with an appearance from Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and two other Milwaukeeans on the convention’s third night Wednesday.
Mayor Johnson took to the podium as part of joint remarks about infrastructure upgrades with Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval.
“In Wisconsin, keeping promises is important. So is making amends for your mistakes,” Johnson said to begin his three minutes on the United Center stage.
By mistakes, he was referring to urban renewal projects, including the construction of Interstates 94 and 43 six decades ago. Those projects destroyed homes and businesses, and displaced people in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
Mayor Johnson credited President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for helping revitalize Bronzeville — starting with more green space, bike paths and walkable streets: “The music is coming back, the culture is coming back, and thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the opportunities are coming back,” he said.
His moments on stage concluded as he introduced two Milwaukeeans advocating for lead pipe removal.
Deanna Branch became an advocate after her two-year-old son, Aidan was hospitalized for lead exposure. She praised federal funding to help propel removal projects.
“As president, Kamala Harris will make sure everyone can drink clean water and be, in Aiden’s words, ‘lead-free superheroes,” said Branch.
Another advocate, Rashawn Spivey said federal aid has been a win-win situation for citywide removal efforts and his business, Hero Pluming.
“When she [Harris] visited Milwaukee two years ago, I got to show her our work up close,” said Spivey. “Because of her leadership, I’ve grown my business and helped kids like Aiden have safer, healthier lives.”
Mayor Johnson’s goal is to replace all of the city’s lead pipes in 20 years — a timeline he’s said was moved up from 60 years thanks to funding such as $83 million in aid allocated from the Environmental Protection Agency for the state earlier this year.
