Interview with Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela by Celeste and Gary Lawson This interview, which took place on October 10, 2020, was conducted with the Honorable Mandela Barnes, Lieutenant Governor for the state of Wisconsin. He is the first African American elected to serve in the office of Lieutenant Governor and the second African American to hold a statewide office in Wisconsin. He credits his successes to his mother (a public school educator) and father (a member of the United Auto Workers). His past political achievements include being elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly (at the age of 25), where he served as the Chair of the Black and Latino Caucus. When it comes to engaging current public issues, he is guided by ‘sustainability and equity’ in search of solutions that provide ‘opportunities and fairness’ regardless of where people reside in Wisconsin. The following are excerpts from the interview. Honorable Barnes Celeste: Hi, Lieutenant Governor Barnes. Lt. Gov. Barnes: How are you? Celeste: Good. Thank you for accepting the interview with us this morning. If Vice President Joe Biden is elected as our next President of the United States, what may we expect him to do as a means of increasing opportunities, and success, regarding academic achievement, and employment, in the changing economy?
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