I would like to personally welcome you to the GOGA website.  Whether you are a member or a casual observer, we welcome you.  We are thrilled with the opportunities and progress that we have made in the last couple of months.  You may ask yourself, what is GOGA?  Get Out, Get Ahead! is an opportunity for minorities within the Monona Grove School District to have a voice in current and future plans.  We also plan for GOGA to be the inspirational and developmental tool for the minority students to get a better idea on continuing education after high school.

I believe we are in a very opportune position, not only as minorities within the district but for the district as a whole.  As the district continues to grow, there are issues that must be addressed and resolved in order to make the Monona Grove School District one of the best districts in the state of Wisconsin.  We must continue to make the district accessible to everyone and not just the majority. 

As we enter into Black History Month, I am reminded that a lot of ordinary people, not just blacks, fought for equality not because they were looking to gain something out of it but because it was the right thing to do.  Dr. Martin Luther King called for change even though he knew change would not be easy and there were a lot of sacrifices that would have to be made.  What if blacks never had a voice?  There would be no traffic lights, no open heart surgery, no blood transfusions, no gas masks or elevators.  There would also be no street sweepers, subways, pencil sharpeners, corn or cotton harvesters.  I say all this to say that we must embrace each others history so that we can grow stronger as a whole.

 GOGA is looking to make a difference in our minority students’ lives.  We have envisioned college campus tours and workshops to promote higher education to our students.  We have taken a tour of the UW Madison campus and we are looking forward to the upcoming tour of Marquette University.  We are also fighting to make our teaching staff as diverse as our student body.  I believe if given the same opportunities and goals that our minority students can be just as successful.   We need to know that success is possible and if we show them that they will believe.           

If you are not currently involved with GOGA we would love to have you join us.  You do not have to be a minority to join, just a believer in our GOGA mission.  

Sincerely,

Lionel L. Norton

GOGA Advisory Board President