Huffington Post: “Over the summer, Embrace, a domestic violence organization in northwestern Wisconsin, decided to hang Black Lives Matter signs at its four locations. In September, [Embrace Director Katie] Bement said, she began receiving emails from local law enforcement who were disturbed by the signs, interpreting them as anti-police. Around the same time, mass protests had erupted in Wisconsin over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. After some private back-and-forths, Embrace issued a formal statement online to explain its support for Black Lives Matter”
“Eight days after Embrace’s statement was posted online, Barron County voted to strip the organization of $25,000 in funding for 2021. The county’s director of health and human services resigned from Embrace’s board of directors. Since then, a majority of the 17 law enforcement agencies that work with Embrace have indicated that they will no longer partner with the domestic violence organization, including all law enforcement in Washburn County. That means women who call the police for help, for instance, may not be referred to Embrace for help with safety planning, counseling and support.”