Sheskey, a white officer, shot Blake, a 29-year-old black man, while responding to a domestic incident on August 23, 2020. Blake survived the shooting, but was paralyzed from the waist down.
“The city of Kenosha has failed with the city of Kenosha,” said Gregory Bennett Jr., founder of the activist organization Peace in the Streets Kenosha Inc. “Kenosha does not love citizens like citizens love Kenosha.”
The next day the shooting, the state government established a task force on racial disparities. But in the months that followed, little was done to resolve the community’s distrust of the police.
Some in the community say this is not enough.
Activists call for Sheskey’s termination
Sheskey and the other officers involved in the Blake shooting were put on administrative leave after the shooting.
Some activists said they wished there were some kind of accusation, especially since Blake was shot in front of his children.
“They could at least have attacked him (Sheskey) with excessive force or something,” said Bennett-Bey. “They accused him of nothing.”
Others said they want the police department to fire Sheskey.
“I talked to the family about the possibility of filing a complaint so that that police officer could be investigated,” said activist Vaun Mayes.
During his press conference on Tuesday, Graveley, the district attorney, pointed to the fact that Blake had a knife – and said that Sheskey used the correct amount of force in the situation.
CNN contacted the city of Kenosha and its police department seeking comment from Mayor John Antaramian and Police Chief Daniel Miskinis.
A city spokesman provided CNN with a joint statement from the city and the police department issued on January 5, saying that all officers are still on administrative leave.
“Before the August 23 incident, we were on a path here where we gathered citizens and engaged in honest discussions about the future of our community. I guarantee that the mission will continue,” said Antaramian in the video
Miskinis said the use of force by the police deserves scrutiny.
“Across the country, the need to work more on relations between the police and the community was identified,” he said. “Here in Kenosha, we are committed to doing better and establishing better relationships and increasing trust.”
Although local authorities have delivered messages of peace and unity, activists said their actions before the district attorney’s decision spoke louder than words.
Task force described as ‘dog and pony’ show
Even before Blake’s assassination, Governor Evers, a Democrat, was trying to move the legislature to discuss and act on criminal justice reform.
“We know that it is by listening and learning from each other that Wisconsin can move forward together,” says Vos’ statement.
Bennet told CNN that meetings mean nothing to him.
“We can have a meeting, but it’s nothing if nothing comes out of the meeting,” he said.
Bennett-Bey said he goes to many meetings and hearings – but said he thinks the community needs to be more involved in the legislative process.
“You will either hear us when we are marching on the streets, or you will hear us at these meetings,” she said.
Blake’s family plans to move to DC
Blake’s father, Jacob Blake Sr., said the family did not expect charges when the National Guard was called.
“Now our battle must go to Congress, it must go to the Senate,” Blake’s father, Jacob Blake Sr., said during a news conference.
“We will protest directly in the offices. We will see Nancy (Pelosi) first … then we will see the Senate until we are seen, until we are heard.”
Bishop Tavis Grant, the national field director for Rainbow PUSH, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization founded by Rev. Jesse Jackson, told CNN that he and the Blake family plan to be “proactive and not reactive”.
“Those who want to take up arms have failed to understand civil rights, not about taking lives, but about saving lives,” said Grant.
At home, activists said they are still looking for changes for the community.
“Everyone who walked, everyone who lobbied, everyone put pressure on people to vote and everyone who put pressure on people to do something felt it was in vain,” said Bennett.
“Everyone who really had a voice and felt they were being heard was spit out. If you want us to feel heard, you need to put the pen down on paper and start writing and changing these laws that protect citizens.”
CNN’s Kelsie Smith, Omar Jimenez, Kay Jones, Nicole Chavez and Madeline Holcombe contributed to this report.