Photo via The People's Revolution
Taleavia Cole is a community organizer who works with The Peoples Revolution (TPR), a grassroots organization demanding justice for victims of police violence in the Greater Milwaukee area. Formed during the historic George Floyd uprisings last summer, TPR’s nine demands are the following: refunding the community, demilitarizing law enforcement agencies, community oversight, police accountability, mental health of officers, ethical treatment of civilians, body camera use and accountability measures, de-escalation mandate and training for all police, and undergraduate requirements for police. Cole’s brother, Alvin Cole, was fatally shot by a police officer on the evening of February 2, 2020, outside Mayfair Mall. The officer, Joseph Mensah, was cleared of any wrongdoing by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm.
To start, I’d love to hear about how you got involved with The Peoples Revolution.
It started with George Floyd’s killing. I was out pretty much leading my own marches for The Three and then I would see certain people pop up at my events and we just connected from there. Once they heard about the story of The Three, they definitely wanted to stand with us and help us get justice.
For those that don’t know or aren’t familiar with the story, would you feel comfortable sharing what you mean by The Three?
The Three is a name I came up with for Alvin Cole, Jay Anderson Jr and Antonio Gonzales. It wasn’t until five or six months later when we found out who killed my brother, and when we found out who killed him we found out he also killed two other people before Alvin. Once we knew that, it was time to take to the streets. Like—two other people—what? So, we reached out to the families and let them know that this guy killed again, and we brought them together and led that first march at 76th and Burleigh to Wauwatosa. I’ll definitely always remember that.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
The Three were killed by Wauwatosa Officer Joseph Mensah; he’s been on the force for less than six years and killed three people in five years. He still kept his job; Wauwatosa tried to hide his identity, which is common. Like, as if they thought nobody would find out or nobody would stand up. Nah.
That’s not right. Plain and simple.
And they just got younger and younger. Antonio was in his late 20s, Jay was 25, and Alvin was 17. This whole pattern was just messed up. Of course, we blame the system for that.
Absolutely true. How do we know what TPR is up to each day?
That’s something you’ve got to be on social media for. Nothing’s changed; we’re still out there nonviolently getting results done. We’re going to places that need to be talked about, standing up for whatever and whoever. I’m out there for my brother.
For sure. Whatever’s going on around town, TPR has shown up every time, which is great. Had you been involved in activism before working with TPR?
Yes I was— for a long time, actually. Of course, I stepped up once it struck home, but it’s definitely been something I’ve done for a long time. I’ve been in different states with many people. I’ve been all over the place.
What are some of the biggest things you’ve learned in your last year and a half of organizing?
Where there’s injustice, there must be a fight. We see a lot of injustice go on in our city and around the world and there must be a fight for each one. It’s not going to change on its own. People have to stand up, show up and speak up. I’m all for whoever does that.
Definitely. Thank you for sharing that. What are some of the best ways that folks can support the fight for justice right now?
Continue to show up. Reach out to the other families too and see what their needs are. You never know what’s going on behind closed doors. Whether you’re just showing love or letting them know you’re thinking about them, show them that way. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done on our end. We’ve got to challenge our hearts and our minds, but with the support it can definitely help us keep going and push forward. That’s pretty much how you get involved from there, whether it’s making a march happen or getting a bill passed. Wherever you think you fit in, go for it.
For sure, that’s how it all starts. What are some of your goals for the next couple months?
My goal is to become more educated on things like the law. If I know more, I can use the law against those who do wrong by it - particularly the system. Whatever I want to do, I’ll make it happen; getting national resources and bringing them back to my city, getting some funds here - that’s what I’m on.
For more information about getting involved with The Peoples Revolution, please visit www.tpr-mke.com.
