About Rae Vogeler

Video Message The Roots of My Political Activism Rae Vogeler has worked as an activist for over 30 years on a variety of issues, including peace, social justice, and workers' rights. An accomplished writer, speaker and organizer, she has been involved in U.S. Out Now, the National Network to End the War Against Iraq (NNEWAI), and United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ). She attended all of the national organizing conferences on Iraq, which took place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Denver, Colorado, Palo Alto, California, and Washington, DC. She also attended the national assemblies of United for Peace and Justice, in Chicago, Illinois and St Louis, Missouri. Rae knows peace and justice leaders throughout the country. In September 2001 she helped to organize and co-found the Madison Area Peace Coalition, where she is on the Coordinating Committee and has performed work integral to the organization, such as speaking, writing, fundraising, emceeing, facilitating meetings, strategizing, organizing events, writing op-eds, press releases and more.

I’m Rae Vogeler. I’m a working mother, a community activist and a peace organizer. I live in Oregon, WI with my husband and two boys ages 9 and 14. We moved here from Milwaukee ten years ago. Milwaukee was where I was born and raised.

I graduated from college twenty-plus years ago with a degree in social work. The work didn’t match my expectations and I spent a number of years in a variety of jobs – as a truck driver, a factory worker, a nurse's aide and a waitress. I even did a short stint with a jack hammer. I later went back to school to get a degree in electrical engineering. I have been a freelance technical writer for years and have an interest in floral design.

I am 50 years old this year. I have spent most of those years organizing people to stand up for themselves, to find their own voice to speak their needs, to stand up to the rich and powerful.

Thirty Years of Activism

1970s: Worked with Laubach Literacy Center, an agency that taught illiterate people to read (many of whom graduated from Milwaukee's under-funded schools).

1970s and 80s: Did community organizing and volunteer work for the elderly with the Milwaukee Project Involve Senior Center and the Madison Smile Senior Center.

1970s through 2000s: Very active in women's rights and reproductive rights. Worked with the Women's Transit Authority, Rape Crisis Center, UWM Feminist Center, Women's Crisis Line, Women's Coalition of Milwaukee, NOW, NARAL, and the Reproductive Rights National Network.

1980s and 1990s: Did environmental organizing in Milwaukee, with the Milwaukee Greens, organized the 1990 Earth Day festival that drew 25,000 people. Also organized numerous environmental teach-ins, forums, and other educational activities.

1980s and 90s: Involved in the Mobilization for Survival, an anti-nuclear and peace group, which later became Peace Action. Was a steering committee member of Peace Action in the 1980s. Attended hearings in northern Wisconsin in opposition to putting a high level nuclear radioactive waste repository in WI.

1990s: Helped form the Madison group called "U.S. Out Now," opposing the devastating sanctions on Iraq, the "no fly zone" bombings of Iraq, and the U.S.-led war against Yugoslavia. Organized teach-ins, tribunals, speak outs, press conferences, tent encampments, and other public activities.

2000s: Co-founder of the Madison Area Peace Coalition, which was formed a couple weeks after the attack on the World Trade Center. Worked on peace, racial justice, and civil liberties issues since. Organized counter-military recruiting in the high schools with "Veterans for Peace" and high school students. Have been an active Coordinating Committee member of MAPC since its inception on September 25, 2001.

1970s to 2000s: Supported labor, people of color communities and students by walking picket lines of Justice for Janitors, the Tyson strikers, "Books Not Bombs," striking auto workers, and tenant rights activists. Supported anti-sweatshop organizing, including when students and community members took over Bascom Hall in Madison. Last year, did successful anti-Wal-Mart organizing in the village of Oregon, WI.