Born out of Madison native Rita Adair’s desire to tell her own stories, Madison Voices has created a safe space where people can talk about racial disparities, grief and life changing events.

Madison Voices is the first forum of its kind in the city to allow people to share their stories with the public. Adair said the idea came to her after she attended and enjoyed numerous spoken word and storytelling events while living in Chicago.

“In a moment, you can change someone’s life and/or offer a voice to the unspoken,” Adair said.

Madison Voices, which meets on the first Wednesday of every month at Madison’s bar downtown, kicked off its first meeting Oct. 12. Young Gifted and Black founder Brandi Grayson, who spoke at the first meeting, said a platform like Madison Voices can bring out new “dimensions” of people in the community.

Grayson said community leaders like her are often misunderstood because of their portrayal in the media. After being labeled “oppressive” and “violent” for participating in a protest and advocating for YGB, Grayson set out to tell her story and address misconceptions about her.

“[Madison Voices] is a place where you can get a different understanding of the complexity of what makes us who we are,” Grayson said.

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Adair said Madison has a wide gap when it comes to understanding racial disparities. She said people do not spend enough time listening and getting to know one another, which can lead to differences between them. Through a platform like Madison Voices, people have the opportunity to find something about another person that resonates within themselves and use it to make a connection.

The stories are often about topics beyond racial disparities and can be difficult or painful to talk about. Grayson said she spoke about her experience with suicide, growing up with a single mother and meeting her father for the first time. Adair said others have spoken about everything from abandonment, coming out and acceptance, to first kisses.

“By hearing someone’s personal story, you are taken away from the issues and given the gift of knowing someone differently,” Adair said. “Then maybe the next time they speak, you can hear them differently.”

Grayson said she would like to see more forums like Madison Voices, especially at University of Wisconsin’s campus. She said the platform has helped bring people from diverse backgrounds together and bring the “humanity of people to the surface.”

People often try to manipulate how someone tells their story, which does not have as much of an impact, Grayson said. UW especially should have a space that lets students tell an unfiltered story, which would make for a more “organic” experience.

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Adair said she does not like to create a theme to any of the events but rather give people the space to talk about their personal stories. Many have asked her for advice on how to tell their stories because it can be difficult to open up in a public environment. But she said she will always encourage others to make their voices heard as it will make the gap between individuals smaller.

“I think we should continue to tell stories and I think we need to be mindful about creating the spaces,” Adair said. “By separating ourselves, we continue to support the gap in understanding and knowledge.”

Adair said she encourages students to attend and participate at Madison Voices. She said people need to tell their stories together instead of in several different places.

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