Chet Todd and I met several years ago when I did a series about racism in Racine, Wisconsin — the second-worst place in the country for Black people to live.
Over the years, we’ve become good friends. Sometimes we talk on the phone for over an hour about Racine; how the community struggles with systemic racism and how Racine is starting to recognize its role in correcting those wrongs. He knows the ugly side of this beautiful city.
A former heroin addict, Chet spent time — like many Black people here — in prison. He’s also got a Master’s Degree and counseled many men getting out of prison. This is his story.
Chats with Chet, Ep. 1: There’s no dust on my knees
Welcome to Chats with Chet. The grandson of a sharecropper, Chester Todd, 80, moved to Racine, Wisconsin in 1951 at the age of 9 years old from Mayfield, Kentucky. Racism was blatant back then. But the emotional trauma of being treated as “other” never left him. In fact, those lessons of survival — the dos…
Chats with Chet: Ep. 2 White privilege: what Chet wants you to know
This episode of Chats with Chet tackles “that white privilege thing,” as he calls it. When you grow up in a country that was not designed for your race, life is very different than what the rest of the country’s citizens experience. Listen in today to learn how a life of exclusion and discrimination led…