Shaundel Washington-Spivey is a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse alumni and community leader who is currently running for mayor of La Crosse.
Washington-Spivey graduated from UWL in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and then later a master’s degree in student affairs administration making him a two-time alumnus of UWL. He also studied at Western Technical College and Viterbo University.
“I really got involved in the UWL community, and that helped me cultivate really good relationships and learn a lot… in terms of learning more about myself, learning more about the institution, but then also learning more about the community as well,” said Washington-Spivey.
While at UWL, Washington-Spivey was involved in Black Student Unity, other multicultural student organizations, Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, the Student Association and the Academic Success Institute (ASI). He was also the first-year representative for his residence hall.
During his term as a Student Association Senator, Washington-Spivey advocated for the importance of diversity seats (Senator seats representing multicultural organizations) in the Senate when there were attempts to limit or take away these positions.
The most memorable moment at UWL, he shared, was a multicultural retreat that he went to.
“I remember this one year when we made the decision to open it up and so it was all the multicultural student organizations, Residence Life, Student Association and Campus Activities Board,” said Washington-Spivey. “And that was such a beautiful moment because that year was also the year that we all came together to say, ‘let’s work together and make this community, as in UWL, a better place’.”
Washington-Spivey also highlighted some transformative classes and professors he took at UWL. He mentioned Constitutional Law classes by Dr Alan Nigel, Black Feminist Thought by Christina Pace, African American Authors by Joe Young and more.
Other individuals who had a big impact on his college life were the director of ASI at the time, his BSU advisor, his political science instructor and OMSS members
Washington-Spivey recounted a time when he told the former director of OMSS that he was going to be the mayor one day as a college student, despite not being certain about what his future was going to look like.
“Did I really see myself in that position at the time when I said it? Maybe… but now that I’m here and I’m able to reflect… You did say you were going to be mayor one day, you did say you want to hold positions of influence and be able to make positive change in a community and you’ve been able to do that,” said Washington-Spivey.
Washington-Spivey had initially considered running for mayor four years ago but ultimately did not pursue this goal due to personal reasons, opting to reevaluate and solidify his position in La Crosse instead.
“I think sometimes, as community organizers or leaders, as humans, we feel guilty about needing to take that step back and reevaluate,” said Washington-Spivey. “A large part of it was truly recognizing [that] I am a leader. I’ve dedicated 17 years of my life to this community in a variety of ways.”
When asked what he wanted to achieve by running for this mayoral position, Washington-Spivey highlighted three main goals championed by his platform.
He said, community engagement – regarding local and new businesses, students and more – government transparency and housing in La Crosse.
Homelessness has been and continues to be a big problem in La Crosse with approximately 150 to 160 people or 0.32% of the population being unsheltered on any given night. With a population of about 50,400+, these numbers make it one of the highest in Wisconsin compared to other cities.
Washington-Spivey said that it was important to work with unsheltered populations by providing access to resources with dignity and respect.
“When I say dignity… it’s treating people with respect and treating people with care, not just feeling like we need to throw folks away, but really, truly ensuring that they feel valued when we’re having these conversations,” said Washington-Spivey.
Washington-Spivey also touched on doubts regarding his political experience.
He said that although he has not served in the city council, he has served on county committees, worked at a variety of academic institutions, served on boards, served the community and co-founded a non-profit that he is currently the executive director of. Washington-Spivey additionally cited his extensive academic background in political science.
“Sometimes when you start stepping into roles that are big… you might feel, as either a college student or individual, that they are unreachable,” said Washington-Spivey. “But the reality is, when you think about your skill set and you think about the work that you’ve put in to get to where you are today, you too deserve that role.”
Washington-Spivey said that support in his mayoral race has come from a variety of people in the community– different age groups, nationalities and identities.
“I have a community that is behind me that truly says ‘Shaundel, we want you as our next mayor’…people that are very encouraging of me getting into this position,” said Washington-Spivey.
Washington-Spivey said that although winning the primaries felt good, it was also an indicator that there’s more work to be done. He added that he was trying to do everything that he could to ensure that people saw him as the best fit for mayor, including cultivating relationships with college students, showing up to various events and talking to different organizations in an effort to bring the community together.
Washington-Spivey stressed the importance of voting especially for college students.
He said, “College students need to be reminded of the power that they have in this community… While you’re here, you’re part of this community and you should expertise your power and right to vote and also get involved in the community.
For more information about Shaundel Washington-Spivey, you can visit his website here. He will also be hosting a meet and greet for college students on March 12th.
