CHICAGO, IL (March 27, 2014) — When Alex Gee, pastor of Fountain of Life Covenant Church, wrote a 3,000-word opinion piece that ran as a cover story in the Capital Times newspaper on the daily impact of extensive racism in Madison, Wisconsin, he did not foresee how it would activate civic leaders and others to pursue a solution.

Since the column “Justified Anger” appeared last December 18, the outpouring of support has led him to start a Facebook group of the same name, host to a town hall meeting attended by more than 600 people, and help form a coalition to seek solutions.

Gee spoke with Ed Gilbreath, Department of Communications executive director, for an article appearing in the April issue of the Covenant Companion. In “Hitting a Nerve,” he tells about the events that led to the Cap Times article, his surprise at the level of support it generated, and next steps.

One of the factors that led Gee to write this original article was his experience of being racially profiled by police. It is a practice more widespread than many people may realize. In addition to the interview with Gee, the Companion also has posted video interviews with Covenant leaders who share their experiences of being profiled.