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Activists honor past, imagine future at March on Milwaukee 50th finale | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Robyn Di Giacinto
May 22, 2018
Joe McClain (left) and Chanda Wheeler pose for a snapshot after an intergenerational discussion at the March on Milwaukee 50th final celebration last weekend. (Photo by Robyn Di Giacinto)
It was a Saturday afternoon at North Division High School. In the lunchroom, the tables that usually dot the linoleum floors had been pushed aside, partially hiding the hand-painted inspirational phrases lining the beige walls and concrete columns. In their place stood 14 tight circles of metal folding chairs filled with activists, young and old.
A very different kind of learning experience was about to begin.
The attendees were gathered to participate in an intergenerational dialogue and bus tour to mark the end of a nine-month celebration of the 50th anniversary of Milwaukee’s fair housing marches.
“They marched for 200 consecutive days [in 1967 and 1968]—and when I say ‘they,’ I mean the people who are sitting in this room,” event organizer Adam Carr said to the group.
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Soon after, participants settled into their conversation circles. At first, they were a bit tentative; but as time unfolded, their passion came through.
Ed Wingard, an organizer and poet affiliated with Urban Underground and Still Waters Collective, said that to have an impact, different generations of activists need to learn how to work together while also respecting each other’s differences.
Discussion participants talk about the past and future of activism in Milwaukee. From left: Mary Arms Childs, Aminat Saliu (facilitator), Neeka Lewis, Ed Wingard and Romke de Haan. (Photo by Robyn Di Giacinto)
“We can’t move forward without each other,” Wingard added.
To his right, Donna Lewis, an Alverno freshman and member of the newly restarted Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council, nodded in agreement.
“We’re forgetting the value of our elders,” Lewis said. “I click on my Facebook page and I see someone disrespecting an elder and it makes me angry.”
Mary Childs Arms, sporting a “Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council 1967” t-shirt, looked up through tortoise-patterned glasses and smiled at the young woman in a navy Black Lives Matter shirt.
“Is that me now? The elderly?” Arms chuckled.
“In that time, we had…to bow down a lot more to try to get a step forward,” Arms explained. “At least we saw that you don’t have to do that now.”
Before the hour was over, the group was bantering about the meaning of Childish Gambino’s new single “This is America” and bemoaning the absence of cursive instruction in today’s K-12 classrooms.
“That’s what happens when you grow up,” observed Betty Harris Martin, a former Youth Council member wearing an olive-green blouse and carrying a wooden cane. “When you come down the pipeline, what do you have to offer?”
Lewis paused thoughtfully before responding, “I think that’s what activism is. Not just holding in that knowledge, [but] using [it].”
Later, a yellow school bus gently swayed as activists loaded in for the bus tour to retrace the route of the open housing marches. A light breeze trickled in through the partly opened roof exit. The pops and crackles of opening chip bags and water bottles mixed with ‘80s chart toppers filtering through the speakers.
Projecting over the cacophony, Carr reminded participants, “I’ve asked [the younger folks] to sit with the marchers…so you can learn from them first-hand…what happened on this very route.”
As the bus motored along the streets activists walked in 1967, original marchers periodically stood up to share their stories. Pairs of activists also continued to develop the intergenerational relationships that had started earlier that morning.
“Do you feel like you guys were always enduring?” Ryeshia Farmer, 23, asked Lyneria Childs McGhee, the former Youth Council member who was sitting in front of her. “I imagine at some point you knew [that violent counter protestors] were waiting for you.”
McGhee later acknowledged, “It felt so good to have some kind of recognition after all this time.”
Soon the bus arrived at Kosciuszko Park, where 50 years ago marchers were met with a violent crowd of white rioters. McGhee noted that she had been hit with tear gas there.
Where there had once been a seething mob, now a small, smiling contingent of mostly white Milwaukeeans had gathered to surprise former marchers. They held signs hand-lettered with phrases such as “You are appreciated” and “Thank you, commandos!”
Toward the front of the bus, former Commando Fred Reed exclaimed, “This is a now-and- then moment.”
A chorus of “We Shall Overcome” began to swell up as the original Youth Council members and Commandos stared out the half-cracked bus windows.
“I thought it was amazing [to see something like this],” said Thomas Leonard, 21, the emcee of the official celebration ceremony to follow.
He noted that in the years following the open housing movement, many activists lost their jobs and garnered negative reputations because of their involvement. “[So] it’s great to finally say thank you.”
“Recognition and Re-ignition” was the theme of the celebration that followed the bus tour. Congresswoman Gwen Moore delivered the keynote address, sharing personal memories of the open housing marches and reflections on her mentor, Vel Phillips, a leader in the movement who passed away on April 17.
Other speakers included members of the NAACP Youth Council and Commandos, elected officials and other leaders of Milwaukee’s black community.

author: Robyn Di Giacinto


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 21, 2018

source: news-milwaukeenns

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Adam Carr


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On the Block: Feels like home | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sophie Bolich
May 22, 2018
Tecola Strong, 70, takes a daily walk down the block with her boyfriend. They sit near the bus stop and call out to their friends as they pass. Strong said the neighborhood is improving, with new local businesses such as Pete’s Fruit Market and apartment buildings on the way. Despite that, Strong said she feels vulnerable going out after dark.
“I wish they would stop all the killings and shootings,” she said. “I’m really concerned about that because I’m a senior citizen. When it gets dark, I’m in the house.”

author: Sophie Bolich


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County parks committee seeks to reverse decision to bar winter market from Domes | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 23, 2018
The Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market moved from the Mitchell Park Domes lobby to the greenhouse annex in January 2015. (Photo by Katie Hassemer)
The county’s Parks, Energy and Environment Committee is seeking to reverse a decision by the Parks Department to deny the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market, run by Fondy Food Center, a lease at the Mitchell Park Domes greenhouse annex next season.
At a recent meeting of the committee, Jim Tarantino, Parks Department director of recreation and business services, attempted to explain the department’s apparently sudden decision to deny the Winter Farmers Market the lease.
Although he noted that the market has been “tremendously successful,” Tarantino said, “It’s been an incredible stress on Domes staff, (who) are already spread pretty thin … It was really just a logistics issue for us at the annex.”
The market rents the annex on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. for 23 weeks from November to April. Tarantino reported that the rent of $13,800 paid by Fondy Food Center for the season does not cover the cost of staff time and other expenses each weekend, resulting in a loss of $5,300. With setup, teardown and cleanup, use of the space stretches from Friday evening into Sunday, he said, adding that the market’s shoppers crowd the parking lot and its presence precludes more lucrative wedding rentals that could bring in as much as $188,000 during those 23 weeks.
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However, asked how the decision to end the Domes’ relationship with the winter market was made, Parks Department interim director Guy Smith said, “It really comes down to” keeping the annex available for an exclusive catering contract that is part of an ongoing unrelated legal negotiation.
The catering company, Zilli Hospitality Group of Waukesha, sued the county because it lost money at the Coast restaurant and two event spaces in the county-owned O’Donnell Pavilion, where it had contracts. The park and garage were closed for a year following a June 2010 accident in which a concrete slab fell onto a group of people at the garage entrance, killing one and injuring two others.
Valeria Cerda (right), a Mitchell Park resident, kicks a ball around with one of her neighbors in front of the Domes greenhouse annex. (Photo by Rebecca Carballo)
Among the terms Zilli has proposed to settle the lawsuit is a 10-year lease at the Domes with two 5-year extensions. According to the proposal, the county would not have the right to refuse to extend if Zilli is in compliance with its agreements.
Tarantino said that a settlement with Zilli may require closing the Domes annex to install air conditioning. A commitment to lease to the Winter Farmers Market would complicate the negotiations with Zilli, which plans to rent out the annex for summer weddings and events.
Jennifer Casey, Fondy Food Center executive director, said she was surprised to hear the market described as a burden on the Domes staff  “because that has not been our experience. … We’ve not heard that from them. We haven’t seen evidence of five hours of staff time on Friday nights and can’t imagine what they would need to do.”
However, Casey also questioned whether the Zilli proposal is behind the Parks Department’s decision not to allow Fondy to rent the annex next season. She pointed out that the proposed settlement lists 22 winter markets among the non-catering events for which the county would earn rental income.
Casey said the market’s benefits to the community include more than $1 million for farmers and vendors each season. In addition, it provides access to high-quality fresh produce, meat, eggs, dairy products and prepared foods for all shoppers, including those on food stamps, and elderly and disabled neighbors in nearby subsidized housing.
She also asserted that Fondy Food Center is willing to work with the Parks Department so that both the winter market and Zilli can hold events in the Domes annex. She said the market can operate within the timeframe outlined in the lease and the vendors can handle the vast majority of setup, teardown and cleanup by 2 p.m. on Saturdays, as they do now.
A committee seeking a new home for the winter market has considered about 70 venues without finding any suitable site, Casey said.
Many who attended the Parks, Energy and Environment Committee meeting, including Theodore Lipscomb Sr., county board chairman, and Supervisors Marina Dimitrijevic and Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, argued that the public should not be displaced by private events.
“If you’re not going to be continuing with the farmers market and then Zilli’s has an exclusive catering contract, it seems as if the only way the public could enjoy that public asset would be through a private rental,” said Dimitrijevic. “That’s not what I envisioned when I authorized … the construction of that annex,” she said.
Ortiz-Velez, whose district includes Mitchell Park, said she understands that public events have to be weighed against potential revenue, but added, “When we’re talking about access to fresh produce in an area that is … a food desert and is being used by vulnerable people,” the residents should come first, she said.
Vendor Angela Moragne, owner of That Salsa Lady, said the reason the Domes wanted to end the lease with the market “is plain and simple: money. That’s county land. How do they have a right to it and the people don’t?”
Domes Task Force Chair William Lynch objected to Zilli’s proposed lease terms, pointing out that they lock the Domes into a 20-year agreement at a time when its future is in question.
The task force was established in 2016 after falling concrete in the Domes beginning in 2013 made it clear that the county needed a long-term plan to address the structures’ costly maintenance issues. It is charged with creating and implementing a specific plan within five years.
The committee voted unanimously in favor of an advisory resolution sponsored by Lipscomb and Dimitrijevic requesting that the county administration and parks department negotiate a new lease that will keep the winter market at the Domes annex and that will benefit the county, Fondy Food Center and Zilli Hospitality Group.

author: Andrea Waxman


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 22, 2018


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‘Dr. Carter’ recognized with honorary street sign at 24th and Burleigh | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jenny Whidden
May 23, 2018
Ald. Khalif J. Rainey (left) and Lester Carter are all smiles before the ceremony. (Photo by Jenny Whidden)
A crowd gathered at 24th and Burleigh Streets late last week to celebrate Lester Carter, a pharmacist hailed as a father figure in the Amani neighborhood on the North Side.
Known as “Dr. Carter,” the druggist was honored with a street naming ceremony outside of Carter Drug Store, which he opened 50 years ago. The sign reads “Honorary Dr. Lester Carter,” and it now hangs under the 24th Street sign directly outside the store.
Alderman Khalif J. Rainey, who coordinated the event, reflected on Carter’s impact on the community.
“Not only do you come to Dr. Carter’s drug store to get a prescription for whatever your ailment is, but he’s also a source of inspiration,” Rainey said. “When you leave this door, you’re going to feel better before you even take that pill or you apply that ointment.”
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Though Carter sold his store to Hayat Pharmacy in 2014, he still works there three times a week.
“I am overwhelmed. I never dreamed in my lifetime that I would ever be in this type of group, honoring just an old community druggist,” Carter said.
Charles Jones, a salesman at the drug store, was hired by Carter at 17 years old. Now 67 and still employed at the store, Jones said Carter truly deserves the honorary street sign.
A public works employee unveils the new sign outside Carter Drug Store. (Photo by Jenny Whidden)
“I am just broken up with joy about this,” Jones said. “Mr. Carter really does deserve this honor. He has basically taken care of this city and many others for 50 years. I feel like he’s raised us all.”
Carter went to Creighton University, where he graduated from the School of Pharmacy in 1958. In his remarks, he emphasized his philosophy of using education to uplift a community.
“When I speak to different pharmacy schools and medical schools around the country, I try to leave them with one thought in mind,” Carter said. “[Did] you ever stop to think that you might want to consider using all of this [education] to raise the quality of life and improve the quality of life of the people you are serving who need help?”
Carter said he has treated families through third and fourth generations. Nicole Thompson belongs to one of those families.
“My grandmother, my great aunt both like basically live and breathe Dr. Carter,” Thompson said. “If anything went wrong, we were at Dr. Carter’s.”
Thompson said community members respect Carter for more than solely his healthcare advice.
“If people don’t come here for medical healing, sometimes they just come here for internal healing, spiritual healing,” Thompson said. “If nothing else, people just respect him as an elder in his community. He definitely, as you can see, has won the love of so many. He’s just an overall great gentleman.”
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett told the gathering that it is important to recognize people in the community who make it a better place to live.
“He (Carter) was told that he wasn’t going to last six months in this neighborhood,” Barrett said. “Whoever told him that was correct because he didn’t last six months, he lasted nearly 50 years.”
Added Rainey, “When you talk about 53206, we hear a lot about the statistics. Those statistics often strip the humanity from a neighborhood.”
Carter is a “treasure” of the 53206 community who defies those statistics, Rainey said.
“What we’re doing right now is really setting some hallmarks, identifying what we’re about in this neighborhood: what we respect, what we cherish, what we value, and certainly that’s Dr. Carter.”

author: Jenny Whidden


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How to find free or low-cost summer activities for kids | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Madison Marx
May 23, 2018
Urban Ecology Center summer programs encourage youth to learn about science and nature while having fun. (Photo courtesy of the Urban Ecology Center)
“I’m bored!” This is a phrase that parents often hear from their children during the summer months. A variety of free and affordable summer camps and programs are available throughout the city to help solve the problem.
Here’s an overview:
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Boys & Girls Clubs offers a full-day summer program for children to participate in sports, games and outdoor fun with a dose of education-based activities to exercise their brains in preparation for school resuming in the fall. The program also offers several field trips to places such as Milwaukee Public Museum, Wisconsin Dells and the Milwaukee Zoo.
The Milwaukee Public Museum offers free general admission for all visitors on the first Thursday of every month. The Milwaukee Art Museum also offers free admission on the first Thursday of every month. Kids 12 and under are free every day.
Milwaukee Area Technical College will hold 12 four- or five-day career summer camps in June for high school students across its four campuses. Most of the courses are free and taught by MATC instructors. Visit http://www.matc.edu/summer/ for details. Call (414)-267-6136 or email explore@matc.edu for a registration form.
Summer Enrichment Camps offered through Milwaukee Public Schools are free of charge for MPS students and City of Milwaukee residents. Interactive camps allow students to explore new ideas, develop new abilities and learn in a safe, nurturing environment. Camps include topics such as music, design, coding, robotics, outdoor education and more.
Register your child for a summer camp offered at the Urban Ecology Center. Activities include exploring nature and building science skills. The organization offers summer programs at three locations: Menomonee Valley, 3700 W. Pierce St., Riverside Park, 1500 E. Park Place, and Washington Park, 1859 N. 40 St.
The YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee offers affordable summer camps and programs to youth at five locations around the city. The first summer session runs from June 18 to July 22 and the second summer session runs from July 23 to Aug. 26. Scholarships are available.
If you know of other free or affordable summer programs for children, please add a comment below.

author: Madison Marx


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County Board calls for returning Winter Farmers Market to Mitchell Park Domes | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
May 24, 2018
The Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market moved from the Mitchell Park Domes lobby to the greenhouse annex in January 2015. (Photo by Katie Hassemer)
On a vote of 14 to 2 the Milwaukee County Board called for the return of the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market to the Mitchell Park Domes for the 2018-19 season. The event was abruptly cancelled without explanation from the Abele Administration earlier this year.
“The Administration’s seemingly profit driven decision to cancel the public farmers market in favor or private events is shortsighted and lacks a broader public vision that benefits our diverse community. I challenge them to reverse course and negotiate a new workable lease for the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market,”  said Chairman Lipscomb.
Chairman Lipscomb requested an explanation from the Parks Department regarding the status of the winter farmers market after a published report revealed that organizers and vendors were not told why the Domes would not host the event for the 2018-19 season.
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At the May meeting of the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Culture, Abele Administration officials stated that the winter farmer’s market was cancelled because it costs the county about $230 per week to host the event, and that other events could bring in more money.
The winter farmers market provides a venue for about 50 vendors and draws an average of 1800 visitors to the Mitchell Park Domes every Saturday from November through April.
Organizers of the event told the Committee on Parks, Energy and Environment that they would prefer to remain at the Domes, as they have been unable to find suitable accommodations elsewhere.

author: Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors


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Crystal McClain works to improve life for at-risk youth in 53206 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Albert Perales, Dana Potts, JP McGuire
May 24, 2018
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of articles about the people and places of 53206.
In a room decorated with colorful drawings and inspirational posters such as “You deserve a round of applause,” and “Live Your Life,” four girls sit around a circular table drawing pictures of mountains with colored markers. An adult supervisor asks them what qualities they would need to climb the mountain and get to the other side.
These girls, who reside in a transitional living home run by Revive Youth & Family Services, undoubtedly will face challenges as they move on in life, but they will have been taught how to “get to the other side.” The main goal of the organization is to help young people learn how to take care of themselves, according to Revive founder Crystal McClain.
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Revive provides supportive housing, psychological counseling and educational support to youth at risk of incarceration, homelessness or victimization.
Revive runs two licensed group homes for males ages 12-18, and two transitional living facilities for girls. Revive Transitional Living Center I serves females from 12-18 who identify as LGBTQ. Revive Transitional Living Center IIserves girls 14-18.
Twenty-seven youth live in the facilities, and a total of 330 have benefitted from the program. Working with community housing resources, such as Landlake LLC and the Wisconsin Association of Child and Youth Care Professionals, McClain also helps find housing for the youth after graduation.
McClain said she was profoundly inspired by her aunt, Freddie Holton, who was known for opening her doors to children in need. Holton lived in the 53206 community until she passed away at 100 years old.
McClain was working on her master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2010 when she came up with the idea to open a group home. At the time, she also participated in a field practicum at Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center.
Her job at the center was to find homes for children. “I figured since I was placing kids in homes, why can’t I house these children myself,” McClain said.
“I felt as if by founding Revive, I was continuing my aunt’s legacy and fulfilling my professional desire,” McClain said. She started the organization in 2010 and acquired Holton’s former house, located on North 17th Street. It is now known as Revive Center 1.
In 2011, Revive purchased a home on North 22nd Street known as Revive Center 2. Transitional Living Center 1 and 2 were opened nearby in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
One of Revive’s priorities is to ensure that young people earn a high school diploma. “We also teach the kids how to grocery shop, cook meals and manage their money so that when they leave Revive they know the difference between a checking account and savings account, and have a minimum of $200 saved,” McClain said.
Revive’s faculty consists of 13 individuals with backgrounds in social services and child welfare.  McClain stressed the importance of preparing the youth to be productive and to give back to the community when they move out.
Xjavier Kinnebrew, 18, spent about two years in a Revive group home. He said the program changed how he behaved and interacted with others. “Before I came to this program I was doing stuff —  stuff I wasn’t supposed to be doing, but now I’m on the right track,” Kinnebrew said.
McClain noted that adult figures were very important to her growing up, and all children should have someone to look up to. “To know I am going to be that person for these kids is so rewarding.”

author: Albert Perales, Dana Potts, JP McGuire


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 23, 2018


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“Heal the Hood” event to focus on ending violence, celebrate community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
May 25, 2018
(Photo by Hailey Richards)
Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs welcomes Milwaukee residents to attend the seventh annual Heal the Hood block party and resource fair on Saturday, and encourages all to join the conversation on how to end violence and crime in the community while learning about current issues.
Heal the Hood is a campaign that strives to promote self-sustainability and non-violence. Saturday’s block party and resource fair will be a gathering of like-minded neighbors coming together as a community to create something positive. It will take place from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 26 at N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. and W. Chambers, and will feature information from lead in the water, the STD/HIV crisis, housing and home health care, to youth programs that will keep kids busy over the summer. There will also be free food, local vendors, live entertainment and more. Do not miss out on the biggest block party yet!
This event is sponsored by the Office of Violence Prevention, Alderwoman Coggs, Running Rebels, and WestCare Wisconsin, Inc.
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For more information, contact founder of Heal the Hood, Ajamou Butler, at healthehoodmke@gmail.com.
The event is free and open to the public.
What: Heal the Hood block party
When: 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, May 26th
Where: N. MLK Dr. and Chambers

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 25, 2018


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Police tasing of Sterling Brown no surprise | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Antonio Ramirez
May 25, 2018
Antonio Ramirez, assistant professor of History & Political Science at Elgin Community College, writes about his own experience being tased by a Milwaukee police officer, and states that Milwaukee is an apartheid city where innocent people can become victims of the police.
How did Milwaukee Bucks player Sterling Brown feel walking on to the basketball court, I wonder, his face bruised from being needlessly roughed up and tased by Milwaukee police?
He probably felt humiliated, even though his only violation was to park across yellow lines in a mostly empty parking lot at 2 a.m.
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That’s how you feel when six men with guns and power surround you and hurt you. That’s how you feel when you know they did it because you were black, in a Mercedes, and showed a shred of dignity. And that’s how you feel when you know they’ll get away with it.
I should know. In 2004, Milwaukee police officers broke down the door of an apartment I was in, threw me to the ground, and tased me without warning or reason. Then, while lying face down with my hands cuffed behind my back, Milwaukee police officer Daniel Masarik tased me a second time.
Masarik was terrifying. He stomped around, screaming like a wild animal, “This is my city! Don’t you see that now?” Masarik told me I was lucky he didn’t shoot me. I believed him.
Handcuffed in the back of a squad car, I asked Masarik’s partner, “Why don’t you do something about him?” He didn’t have to ask what I meant. He mumbled something and hung his head.
Some things don’t change. Police treatment of Sterling Brown, 14 years after my run-in with MPD, was similar to my own. Watching the body-camera footage, the officer that first approached him almost immediately yells, “I’ll do what I want!” while Brown speaks quietly. Brown is cooperative but soon surrounded by six men. One officer then escalates the situation, yelling “Get your hands out of your pockets!” seemingly without cause, but the others go along willingly, wrestling Brown to the ground and tasing him for a parking infraction.
Like Sterling Brown, I committed no crime. At no point did I lift my hand or provoke any officer. Instead, police  —  sworn to protect people like Brown and myself  —  brutalized us. And I, like Brown, have no doubt I was targeted because of my skin color.
Based on Masarik’s report, I was charged with felony assault and spent four days in jail. Like Brown, all charges against me were quickly dropped.
The only difference is, Brown’s got video.
And I’ll let you in on a secret that black and brown folks already understand: if we videotaped every interaction between police and non-white people in Milwaukee, you would see a lot of the same bullying and thuggish behavior you see when Brown was confronted by officers. You would see a lot of people who, like me and Brown, are slammed to the ground and tased for no good reason. You would see people shot, even murdered.
But we know how this story will go. The Bucks, Mayor Barrett, and elected officials are wringing their hands. The police union and those loyal to police will say that officers like Masarik, and officers in Brown’s video, are “bad apples,” and that this incident was a mistake. Most officers, they will say, are good people.
Sterling Brown’s statement doesn’t talk of “bad apples.” It clearly denounces racist policing in Milwaukee and beyond. You would think, as a well-regarded athlete that everyone agrees is completely innocent, Milwaukee would listen to him.
I think Sterling Brown would agree with me when I say that, despite being a victim of police brutality, I don’t doubt that most police officers are good people. I’m sure most of the six armed men that surrounded Brown for parking over painted lines are caring fathers, devoted spouses and want to help people. I bet they have pets they love, and feel sad when their mothers get sick.
But the problem isn’t with the individual souls of Milwaukee police officers. The problem is that Milwaukee is an apartheid city. And in an apartheid city, it’s the police’s job to enforce the rules.
What are those rules? First, as we’ve been told again and again, most recently by Sterling Brown, black lives don’t matter. At least not as much as white lives. That’s why, in Milwaukee, a black or brown person has to be rich and famous for anyone to care whether they were mistreated, tased or murdered by police. In an apartheid city, if you’re black or brown and not rich or famous, then whatever police did to you was probably your fault.
Second, Milwaukee is an apartheid city because it’s is a place where you can look at any part of society— schools, wealth, incarceration, infant health, clean water — and every Milwaukee resident can know with absolute certainty where black and brown people stand in relation to whites.
But the biggest reason Milwaukee is an apartheid city is because most white folks — the governor, bigoted suburban Republicans, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, the mayor — know all of this to be true and do little to fix it.
When I was in jail in 2004, I almost failed out of the African-American history course I was taking at UW-Milwaukee because of the time I missed. Since then  —  inspired by that incident, that class, and growing up in and around apartheid Milwaukee  —  I became a history professor myself.
As a historian, I study race and politics. And I’ve learned that one of the tricky things about white supremacy, about apartheid systems like Milwaukee’s, is that they hide in plain sight. They depend on people fooling themselves and spinning fantastic stories to explain inequality and oppression. And, most importantly, they depend on people forgetting.
Most Milwaukeeans won’t remember that after my run-in with Masarik, some allies and I stood in front of the Milwaukee police chief’s office on the evening news and identified Daniel Masarik by his badge number. We warned he was an aggressive and violent officer who, we found, regularly abused his taser.
Most folks won’t remember that within months of publicly identifying him, Masarik and multiple other off-duty officers beat a biracial man bloody in the front yard of another officer’s Bay View home. They held a gun to his head, broke his fingers, jammed a pen in both his ears, and stomped on his head until people nearby could hear bones cracking.
By the time this tragedy took place, most had already forgotten that the ringleader of that beating— Milwaukee police officer Jon Bartlett — had murdered unarmed Larry “Jody” Jenkins in cold blood two years earlier, shooting him seven times. Most have now forgotten that Larry’s mother Debra Jenkins — a loving mother-turned indispensable Milwaukee activist— sued the police department in federal court and lost.
Most Milwaukeeans have forgotten that Bartlett was likely a member of a rogue gang of crooked cops that operated for years with impunity inside the Milwaukee Police Department. That gang probably included Masarik, too.
Most folks forget that Bartlett later called in a bomb threat at his local precinct and, perhaps inspired by white supremacist literature like the book The Turner Diaries found in his apartment, was arrested after purchasing semi-automatic weapons and a huge cache of ammunition.
Most won’t remember that Daniel Masarik himself is currently serving a 17-year sentence in federal prison for the Bay View beating.
We’ve forgotten all this because it’s painful to think that Milwaukee police officers like Bartlett and Masarik didn’t chase gang members and criminals; they were the gang members and criminals. Officers like these are the white supremacists, thugs and potential mass shooters that we fear. And they are armed, wear badges and get government paychecks.
It’s easier to follow the rules of apartheid. It’s easier think that the all the black and brown people murdered by Milwaukee area police — Samuel Rodriguez, Wilberto Prado, Derek Williams, Sylville Smith, Dontre Hamilton, Jay Anderson, Jr., and so many others — were somehow all at fault.
But the Sterling Brown video is so shocking because it’s clear that he’s not at fault. And they brutalized him anyway.
But I’m sure we’ll forget about this, too. It’s easier to forget.
It’s easier to forget than to demand structural changes like replacing the Fire & Police Commission (FPC) with a democratically-elected Civilian Review Board that includes representatives from the black and brown communities most affected by police misconduct in Milwaukee.
After Masarik tased and arrested me, I filed a complaint with the FPC. I didn’t find out until later that it had almost never found an officer at fault in its over 100-year history. The FPC is a mess and an open joke, a body that experts say has “failed to provide an effective means for people who have had an encounter with an MPD officer to …receive an independent, thorough and fair investigation.” Shockingly, a previous investigation of the commission “did not find a single person, inside or outside the FPC, who stated that the complaint process was effective or even acceptable.”
A democratically elected, racially and socioeconomically diverse Civilian Review Board with real oversight power could probably help Milwaukee’s police brutality problems. But giving power to the people isn’t easy.
It’s easier to just forget. That’s easier than acknowledging that we’re living in an apartheid city where innocent people — even the most well-known and wealthiest African-American residents like Sterling Brown — can become victims of police.

author: Antonio Ramirez


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Students celebrate African and Latino cultures through drum and dance | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Abby Ng
May 25, 2018
Boys in traditional African shirts and girls in colorful Mexican skirts roamed the halls of Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts. Just around the corner in the auditorium, their families from both the North and South sides of Milwaukee waited for the performance to begin.
Milwaukee Public Theatre’s Bembé Drum and Dance students from Roosevelt Middle School, 800 W. Walnut St., and Bruce Guadalupe Community School, 1028 S. 9th St., came together recently for a show called Journey the Atlantic. They were joined by Ton Ko Thi Children’s Dance Ensemble and Salsabrositas, a Latin youth dance group.
The goal of the performance was to bridge African and Latino cultures while showcasing how the kindergarten through eighth grade students have progressed.
“If you were born in Milwaukee, if you grew up in Milwaukee, you probably have seen a lot of segregation in our city. So it was extremely important for us to find a commonality between these two schools and these students, and one of those commonalities is drum and dance,” said Nicole Acosta, Bembé program coordinator.
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Bembé Drum and Dance’s North Side location at Roosevelt Middle School serves mainly African-American students, while its location at Bruce Guadalupe Community School on the South Side primarily teaches Latin-American students. Children on the North Sde are exposed to techniques from Latin America, and those on the South Side learn rhythms from Africa.
Acosta said there are approximately 60 students in the program from both schools, and about 100 people were in the audience at the show.
After hours of practice and hard work, sharing the stage was a way to honor both cultures and a chance for students to perform the beats and steps they had been learning all year.
“For them to come together and play with kids from other schools and other companies and other organizations, it’s pretty powerful,” said Bony Plog Benavides, Bembé percussion instructor.
“We live in a society that needs to see diversity and needs to see that arts are important,” added Carlos Adames, Bembé percussion instructor.
Amylie Perez, a Bembé dancer from Bruce Guadalupe Community School, said she loves being a part of the program. It makes her feel like a professional dancer, but she said that most importantly, she gets “to keep the tradition alive.”
In addition to educating youth about their own and other cultures, Bembé Drum and Dance provides children with opportunities to explore their dreams.
“At Milwaukee Public Theatre, part of our mission is that representation matters. What we’re doing with our students is not only showing them this curriculum, but we’re also saying ‘Hey, you can do this too. When you get older maybe this is a career path for you.’ … They could be teachers in the future,” Acosta said.
When the show was over, students celebrated on stage with their teachers, dancing side by side to the popular Spanish song, Mi Gente. Now they get to do it all over again. Their last performance of the year is on June 1.
Plog-Benavides said she felt pride, satisfaction and relief as the night ended. She said she is grateful to work with her students.
“We have very committed and engaged young people in this city who are really proud of who they are. They are really learning their cultures [and] traditions and passing them on.”

author: Abby Ng


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 24, 2018


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Milwaukee 1 of 10 communities across the country awarded funding to expand student-centered learning initiatives | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
May 26, 2018
The Together for Students initiative, created by three national, education-focused nonprofit organizations — the Coalition for Community Schools, Communities In Schools, and StriveTogether — today recognized Milwaukee for plans to bring key community members together to support the needs of local students. Milwaukee is one of 10 that will receive approximately $150,000 to support the activities and goals set forth in their collaborative plans.
Milwaukee was chosen because of their broad support for growing Community Schools as a strategy for equitable, student-centered learning.
“We are thankful for this recognition of the great work currently being led by so many within the Milwaukee Community Schools Partnership, and we are excited about this opportunity to continue to utilize the Community School model as a strategy for creating equitable schools that place students at the center.” Nicole Angresano, vice president, community impact at United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County.
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Selected from a pool of 86 applicants, each awarded community displayed strong school district and cross-sector partnerships, the ability to scale their plans, empowerment of family and student voice and a clear plan for identifying the best supports for students.
“Our partnership with United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha to serve our community schools will be strengthened even further by this grant,” said Keith Posley, interim superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools. “Improving school climate and culture is one of our key efforts and this grant will allow us to move this effort forward.”
United Way will work with local educational partners Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, Milwaukee Succeeds, and Milwaukee Public Schools to develop plans around engaging local communities to strategically link partnerships and resources to our Community Schools to promote educational equity.
“Milwaukee Succeeds is excited to partner with MPS, MTEA and the United Way, bringing our strengths together collaboratively with students at the center of our work. We know that our impact will be much better together.” – Danae Davis, executive director, Milwaukee Succeeds.
This planning process will produce a multi-year strategy to increase the footprint of Community Schools and support student-centered learning across the city.
“We believe in the power of public Community Schools and are excited about this opportunity to highlight the good work underway and to continue the fight for educational equity in Milwaukee.” -Amy Mizialko, vice president, Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA).
With support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Ford Foundation, the three organizations launched Together for Students to advance student-centered learning. Under their vision, the needs of every individual student are carefully considered and provided for, from health, food and shelter to high-quality mentoring and enrichment activities.
Together, The Coalition for Community Schools, Communities In Schools and StriveTogether are leading a movement that unites families, educators and local partners, with their combined networks totaling nearly 300 communities.


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MPS’ 2019 budget challenges reflect long-term structural issues | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Public Policy Forum
May 26, 2018
The Milwaukee Public Schools’ longstanding structural budget problems have intensified, according to a new analysis by the nonpartisan, independent Wisconsin Policy Forum. WPF’s annual MPS budget review adds that while last-minute budget adjustments may stave off painful cuts to schools in 2019, the fiscal pressures driving those cuts still must be addressed.
As initially proposed, the district’s 2019 budget would have made major cuts to instruction by eliminating 147 positions, including 80 teachers, to fill a projected $30 million “hole” next year. But new changes offered by the district’s interim superintendent this week appear to restore sufficient funding to offset the need for major classroom reductions.
“These budget adjustments may avert a budget crisis for one more year, but it is critical to recognize that MPS’ serious long-term structural challenges remain,” said WPF President Rob Henken. He added that given the last-minute nature of the administration’s proposed changes, Forum researchers have not been able to thoroughly analyze all of the long-term consequences.
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The district’s 2019 budget difficulties are rooted in two factors: declining revenues and rising personnel costs. While the district will receive $15.6 million more in state per-pupil aid next year, that increase is more than offset by a $20.5 million reduction in other state aids and allowable property tax growth. Overall, revenues in the proposed budget are down $10.9 million from 2018.
On the spending side, the district’s main cost pressures come from salaries and benefits, which originally were projected to rise by a total of $24 million, due largely to projected increases in health care costs and 2.13% cost-of-living raises.
The Forum has warned of an impending fiscal crisis for the district for years. While the district was able to take advantage of short-term savings in 2016 and 2017, the long-term trends of declining revenues and rising employee and retiree costs have not changed, the report notes.
“The difficulty associated with the 2019 budget is heightened by the fact that relatively painless cuts to school budgets already occurred this year, leaving little room for reductions in the coming year,” the report says. “Furthermore, a health care surplus and budget maneuvers that already helped ameliorate budget pressures prior to 2018 – and that even created opportunity for investment in new initiatives – have been exhausted.”
Whatever the outcome of the 2019 budget deliberations may be, the Forum notes two alarming conclusions based on the district’s current financial challenges:
The report concludes that MPS “cannot continue to lean on one-time devices to address short- term budget gaps. While several newly proposed strategies may minimize the pain for school budgets in 2019, the district needs to develop options to generate long-term savings by restructuring operations and facilities in ways that would least damage classrooms.”
The full report can be downloaded at www.publicpolicyforum.org.

author: Public Policy Forum


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Nearly 1,000 volunteers participate in massive Harambee cleanup | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mark Lisowski
May 26, 2018
Volunteers scoop debris, including an abandoned collection of wine corks, into trash bags behind a building. (Photo by Mark Lisowski)
As a group of volunteers bent and scooped up trash from a yard adjacent to Locust Street in the Harambee neighborhood, a car pulled over to ask what was going on. When the driver learned about the massive cleanup project, he parked his car and began picking up trash.
Nearly 1,000 volunteers helped clean 160 city blocks in the Harambee neighborhood on a recent Saturday. The three-hour cleanup, organized by Bader Philanthropies, Safe & Sound, WestCare Wisconsin and other community stakeholders, spanned Interstate 43 east to Holton Street and Capitol Drive south to North Avenue. Volunteers reported to Clinton Rose Park and four other zones to receive t-shirts, snacks, water and cleaning supplies.
“It’s been great today; the residents are happy,” said Adrian Spencer, drug free communities manager at Safe & Sound. Spencer helped spearhead the cleanup in Harambee and hosted a registration booth at Clinton Rose Park, one of five booths spread across the neighborhood
“We went knocking on doors, sat in a lot of meetings,” she said. Spencer and other community organizers had been planning the event since October. About 15 organizations pitched in to plan and support the neighborhood cleanup, which originally was scheduled for April 21, during Earth Week, but was cancelled due to snow.
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While the weather was chilly and overcast, the forecasted rain held back and volunteers bundled up to pick up trash across the city streets. “I would have been out here in a kayak picking up trash if it rained,” exclaimed Spencer.
Two community members grab trash with pickers supplied by Home Depot and Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful. (Photo by Mark Lisowski)
“I would have brought the sun out,” said Fidel Verdin, co-executive director of True Skool and a volunteer at the cleanup. Verdin was enthused with the commitment of volunteers to cleaning the city streets.
“This guy just jumped out of his car [and] picked up a shovel,” Verdin said. “It’s about bringing people together,” he added. He noted that it is important for youth to volunteer with their families in their community.
Bader Philanthropies initiated the idea of the cleanup to give back to the community, which recently became the organization’s home. Bader was the primary fiscal sponsor of the cleanup, and shouldered expenses that included most of the tools. Johnson Bank contributed $500 for water.
“We wanted to say ‘we’re a neighbor,’” said Frank Cumberbatch, vice president of engagement at Bader Philanthropies. The organization originally planned to host a volunteer event at a local food pantry, but Cumberbatch and other organizers wanted to go big and decided to host a community cleanup.
“We wanted to go large scale to grab people’s attention,” he said. The aim was to organize the largest volunteer community cleanup in Milwaukee, with a goal of 1,500 volunteers. While most volunteers participated on the cleanup day, four schools — Martin Luther King Elementary, Carmen South High School, Hope Christian High School and Riverside High School — sent groups of student volunteers to clean the day before the event.
“We started slow, but our hearts were in the right place,” said Cumberbatch, adding that he hopes the community cleanup expands to all Milwaukee neighborhoods in the future.
Residents walked through the neighborhood, picking up trash wherever they spotted it.
“I was impressed with how much we cleaned up. I took before and after photos,” said Brenda Koehler, a volunteer who regularly participates in neighborhood cleanups. “[We got] better equipment for this cleanup. The bags were more sturdy,” she added.
“Harambee means ‘pull together,’” said Elizabeth Coggs, regional vice president of WestCare Wisconsin. She added that the Harambee neighborhood cleanup was largely a grassroots effort.
All volunteers received cleaning supplies, including brooms and rakes, which they were allowed to keep after the event. “We want to give people tools to use,” said Coggs.
“I only had 10 shovels left at the end,” said Spencer. She supplied volunteers with 70 shovels and 240 pickers at her booth alone.
The neighborhood cleanup concluded with a celebration, held at Clinton Rose Park from noon to 4 p.m. Volunteers grilled food including hamburgers and corn on the cob, and affiliates of True Skool provided music.
In all, about 15 organizations, 11 churches, four schools and nearly 1,000 community members participated in the cleanup. Although that fell short of the goal of 1,500 volunteers, the Harambee cleanup — the first of its size and scope in Milwaukee — was considered a success.
“Our aim is to promote safe, happy and healthy neighborhoods,” said Spencer. She and other organizers said they plan to host future cleanups in Harambee.

author: Mark Lisowski


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 26, 2018


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Memorial Day honors those who paid the ultimate sacrifice | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Madison Marx
May 28, 2018
(Photo by Sue Vliet)
Memorial Day provides a moment to remember and honor those who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. The holiday originated as a day to honor those who died in the Civil War. General John Logan, commander of the Great Army of the Republic, selected May 30 as Decoration Day. He chose the date because no battles took place on that day.
After World War I, the holiday began honoring Americans who had died fighting in any war, not just the Civil War. It became a federal holiday in 1971, to be celebrated the last Monday in May.
Milwaukee’s 153 annual Memorial Day parade will be May 28, 2018 at 2 p.m. The parade starts at N. 4th Street and W. Wisconsin Avenue, and ends at the War Memorial Center. This year’s parade honors the Zablocki VA Medical Center and its employees. More information about the parade can be found here.
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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 27, 2018


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_DSC9639 (1) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 27, 2018


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Chingcha Vang’s “Hmong Experience Project” brings culture to the classroom | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Talis Shelbourne
May 29, 2018
Peevxm Vang shows a poster about his grandfather’s journey from the Hmong Army to America. (Photo by Talis Shelbourne)
Der Yang’s grandmother, mother and aunt swam across the Mekong River to Thailand from Laos to escape the violence in their native country.
The dangerous journey made by many Laotian Hmong refugees often resulted in injury or death.
“My [second] cousin lost one of his legs when he stepped on a mine,” she said.
Yang, an 18-year-old senior at the Hmong American Peace Academy, presented this story in the form of a song as part of Chingcha Vang’s elective “Southeast Asian History” class.
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All graduating seniors at HAPA have the opportunity to take the class, which concludes with Vang’s two-week “Hmong Experience Project.”
Vang is a second-year corps member of Teach for America, which stresses cultural awareness as part of instructional success. He teaches 10th and 12th graders at HAPA, where 98 percent of the students are Hmong-American.
His Hmong Experience Project involves students interviewing a Hmong family or community member, developing a creative presentation, unveiling their work to the class and writing a paper.
Chingcha Vang says it’s important for his students to be proud of their heritage. (Photo by Talis Shelbourne).
But in Milwaukee, where the majority of Asian-Americans are Hmong, the project is worth more than a grade.
Students can present in whatever creative form they want; this has included songs, plays, puppet shows, posters, raps, poetry and short stories. More importantly, students nurture their relationships with older family members.
For example, Vang said one of his students who completed the project saw a different side of his grandmother.
“He saw that she has so much passion for her culture and that motivated him to connect with her a lot more and now he spends more time with her.”
Vang said he was inspired to create the project by his experience growing up in Wausau, Wisconsin as a Hmong student with parents who were Laotian refugees.
“In the schools I went to, [I was] always feeling different and trying to fit in — trying to become white,” he said. “And then in college, I was trying to figure out why I [wanted] to assimilate and become white. Once I was able to find my identity and find my cultural roots, I became happier.”
Vang said embracing his identity encouraged him to participate in spoken word events, where he was able to creatively express his Hmong heritage. Now he wants his students to have that same opportunity.
“I want students to start thinking critically about their Hmong identity earlier than I did,” Vang said.
Vang pointed out how language barriers often contribute to the generational divide between Hmong-American children and their parents and grandparents; most of his students cannot speak, read or write Hmong.
However, the project allows students to bridge this gap and reap benefits that last long after graduation.
“Most of the time, the parents and grandparents do not speak any English and these amazing personal stories go unheard. [The project] is a great opportunity for students to connect to their culture,” he said.
When Jordan Yang interviewed his grandmother, he said that he learned new pieces of his family history.
“I didn’t know my grandmother had two other siblings because they died in Vietnam,” he said, adding that his grandmother and other relatives fled through the jungle.
Iazong “Izzy” Lee, an 18-year-old senior in Vang’s class, also had family members who made daring escapes.
During her presentation, Lee wrote a diary entry describing how her grandmother swam across the Mekong River with a baby — Lee’s mother — on her back.
“They had to travel at night so the guards couldn’t see them,” Lee said. “My grandpa lost his brother while running through the Mekong River because he stepped on a mine.”
Lee said the project was important to her because it helped her learn new details about her family and her heritage.
“I like [the class] because no one really knows about Southeast Asia,” she said.
Maggie Nestor, Vang’s instructional coach at Teach for America, said that it’s important for students to feel represented in the classroom.
“I think a big problem with urban education is that kids of color have white teachers; it doesn’t feel authentic and it doesn’t feel real,” she said. “I think [Vang] has a really close pulse on what his kids’ day-to-day life is like and what his kids value.”
Vang’s presence in the classroom, and the fact that he says, ‘I love you,’ to his students after every class, create a strong teacher-student bond.
“I am in a unique position teaching a bunch of young kids who look, sound and feel the same way I do. I want them to know I care about them and that I see them as people and not just test-takers. I want them to own their identity,” he said.

author: Talis Shelbourne


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 29, 2018


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Faith-based Cross Trainers Academy builds trust with students, families | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Agnes Connolly, Justin Palmer, John Steppe
May 29, 2018
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of articles about the people and places of 53206.
When Tenesha Jefferson first started working at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission’s Cross Trainers Academy, she asked her four children not to call her “mama” inside the school.
“I told my kids ‘you have to call me Ms. Jefferson here,’” Jefferson said. “You can’t call me mama.”
Ironically, the educational assistant now has 230 students calling her “mama.”
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“I’m a mother, so I mother on my students, and I call them my babies,” Jefferson said. “And now I consider myself having 230-plus kids.”
Cross Trainers Academy, located on 1530 W. Center St., uses that family environment to help students become productive members of society.
The academy, which serves students from pre-kindergarten through high school, is a private school that is part of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Schools in Wisconsin’s Private Choice School Program receive state funding for each eligible student based on family size and income.
Roughly 90 percent of the school’s families fall at, or below, the federal poverty line, and about 30 percent are or have been homeless. This means that tomorrow’s math problem isn’t the biggest problem in their lives.
“You can’t learn when you’re hungry,” said third-grade teacher Alyssa Hoekstra. “Or you can’t do math when you haven’t slept all night because you don’t have a bed … [Students think], ‘Why should I learn math if I’ve got all this stuff that I need to deal with.’”
The academy scored 57.1 out of 100 on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s 2016-17 School Report Card, classifying it as “meets few expectations.” Based on recent standardized tests, 9.5 percent of the students are proficient or advanced in English and language arts, and 2.4 percent of the students are proficient or advanced in math. The state averages for both categories are about 40 percent. The public school a block north, Hopkins Lloyd Community School, earned a 52.1 on the report, which falls in the “fails to meet expectations” category.
“While we were encouraged in some aspects, we realize we still have much work to do to in many areas,” Cross Trainers School Administrator Jacquelyn Verhulst said about the test scores. She added that the school has been “working diligently to promote attendance among our families, realizing that strong attendance is a key factor in predicting academic success.”
Verhulst added that many students have experienced trauma, and it takes time to build relationships with them. To help do that, Cheryl Bledsoe, an assistant principal, makes herself available to students at all times, by giving her cell phone number to students and families.
“It’s important we include the families involved because if you pull a child out from something that is broken and we fix it and work with them and we send them back to that broken environment, then we’re just reprogramming and deprogramming students,” Bledsoe said. “I try to include the family circle.”
While many teachers would settle for connecting with the parents, Bledsoe gets to know multiple family members.
“It works for the parents because it makes them feel they are involved,” Bledsoe said. “They trust me enough that I will reach out to the proper people.”
And according to Hoekstra, who joined the academy last year, that family atmosphere results in an energetic staff.
“People are constantly giving it 110 percent, which makes a difference when you are trying to impact kids,” Hoekstra said. “There are so many kids who have seen adults give up on them. … When they have teachers that are giving 110 percent all the time, it makes a difference in their lives.”
This doesn’t happen overnight.
“A lot of kids don’t trust people right away for good reason,” Hoekstra said. “And so when I came in, it was more like, ‘Who are you?’”
Those students reluctant to trust her at first now send her letters to keep in touch since they don’t get to see her every day.
“I actually have really wonderful relationships with those kids,” Hoekstra said. “When you have trust with the students, they say, ‘OK, I’m willing to try this, and I’m willing to take risks, I’m willing to fail, to try to make something of myself academically, socially and emotionally.”


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MPS Board adopts 2018-19 budget | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
May 29, 2018
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors approved a $1.2 billion budget for the 2018-19 school year.

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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On the Block: On the job trail | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
May 29, 2018
Wayne Smith, 52, collects cans to pay bus fare and look for work. Smith, born in Texas and raised in Milwaukee, said he plans to keep to himself and stay busy working this summer.

author: Edgar Mendez


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41561071624_fbbb6f3e9e_o | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 29, 2018


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Council approves creation of special deputy health commissioner position | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Tony Zielinski
May 30, 2018
Today the Common Council approved a charter ordinance creating a special deputy health commissioner authorized to carry out key duties on behalf of the commissioner of the Milwaukee Health Department.
Alderman Tony Zielinski, the lead sponsor of the legislation creating the special deputy health commissioner position, said the move “fills a huge gap” that has existed in city government for years.
“The bottom line is certain public health-related duties imposed on the commissioner of health by state law in his or her capacity as the department’s local health officer could not be carried out by another staffer in the commissioner’s absence,” Alderman Zielinski said. “The Health Department’s recent problems under former MHD Commissioner Bevan Baker could have been minimized by having a special deputy and the charter ordinance we approved today authorizes the commissioner to designate a special deputy (qualified to lead a level III local health department) who may perform all of the duties imposed on the commissioner by law.”
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“Given the magnitude of our ongoing, city-wide lead problems – whether in water, paint or soil – it just makes sense to have a highly qualified special deputy commissioner appointed to help better serve the Health Department and the citizens of Milwaukee,” the alderman said.
A special deputy health commissioner designation must be submitted in writing and copies filed in the City Clerk’s Office setting forth the specific acts the special deputy is authorized to perform in the name of the commissioner. According to the legislation such authority may be revoked and amended in the same manner.

author: Ald. Tony Zielinski


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How to find a reputable moving company | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lisa Schiller, Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin
May 30, 2018
(Photo by Edgar Mendez)
It’s prime moving season and demand for movers is very high. The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau shares tips on hiring a reputable mover.
Get at least three written in-home estimates. No legitimate mover will give you a firm price online or over the phone. Remember that the lowest estimate may be an unrealistic low-ball offer that can cost you in the end.
Make sure the mover has insurance. The insurance should cover your goods while in transit. However, you may want to consider getting full value protection, which may add to the cost upfront but could save you headaches after the move. Be sure you understand what the insurance covers, whether items will be repaired, replaced or if you will be offered a cash settlement that you can use to repair or replace the item on your own.
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Check the mover’s complaint history. Check bbb.org for free BBB Business Reviews, which include any complaints and vetted customer reviews. Also check that an interstate mover is registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Make sure you know if you’re working with a moving broker or the actual mover. If you are working with a broker, ask them to confirm who will be conducting your move and check that company out in advance to verify they also have a positive customer service track record as well as all required licensing.
Get a written contract. Carefully read the terms and conditions of the contract, as well as the limits of liability and any disclaimers. Make sure pick-up and delivery dates or delivery “windows” are spelled out. Understand how the rate is being calculated. For example, time spent on the move versus volume of items being moved.
Check references. Take time to call several former customers of the company to personally hear of their experience.
Move your priceless items yourself. Insurance can’t replace items with sentimental or high market value, so whether you have autographed memorabilia or your grandmother’s delicate vase, it’s best to make plans to carry those items with you to insure they make it to your new home in perfect condition.
Use BBB’s Request a Quote to find trustworthy movers. BBB Accredited Businesses are pre-screened and reputable.


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Jane’s Walk MKE leads art tour through Clarke Square | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Abby Ng
May 30, 2018
About 15 participants strolled along Cesar Chavez Drive and National Avenue while stopping along the way to admire colorful murals during the first tour of Clarke Square hosted by Jane’s Walk MKE The tour showcased art by community members and local organizations such as Artists Working in Education and TRUE Skool. The event was held in partnership with the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, ZIP MKE and Milwaukee Turners.
“This allows people to experience an urban environment first hand and from a more personal and intimate level than just driving through,” said Ian Bautista, walk leader and executive director of CSNI.
The installation of art in Clarke Square is part of the neighborhood’s Quality of Life plan, which includes neighborhood beautification, economic development, and improving health and wellness.
“This is an opportunity to say there’s beauty, there’s creativity and there’s talent here that we shouldn’t ignore,” Bautista said.
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Mad Hot Ballroom teaches dance, life lessons to Milwaukee-area students | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sophie Bolich
May 30, 2018
More than 1,000 students took to the dance floor at the BMO Harris Bradley Center for the spring Mad Hot Ballroom dance competition, showing off their best moves in salsa, tango and swing styles.
Teams of young dancers clustered into their assigned areas on the concrete dance floor before each performance. They appeared to be full of nervous energy as they waited, fidgeting with their sparkly bowties, fluffing their tutus, and exchanging grins with their partners. Once the music started, the dancers burst into well-practiced routines, looking happy and at ease.
Alyssa Pon-Franklin, a volunteer at the event, said the program provides a unique opportunity.
“It’s great to be able to see the students excited and see them get rewarded for all the hard work that they put in during the year,” she said. “It gives them the opportunity to get recognized and have something to work towards. It isn’t something they would get otherwise.”
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The program started in New York City and is the subject of the 2005 documentary, “Mad Hot Ballroom.” Milwaukee’s Danceworks picked up the program in 2006. Mad Hot Ballroom is meant to bolster the arts education in urban schools’ curriculums. In addition to dance, the program teaches teamwork, goal-setting, respect and the importance of exercise.
Danceworks instructors and classroom teachers compete in a tango “Dancing with the Stars” segment between performances. (Photo by Sophie Bolich)
“The goals of the program are of course to learn dance, but more importantly it’s learning how to work together,” said Amy Brinkman, education director at Danceworks and one of the founding members of Mad Hot Ballroom. “It’s cooperation, respect for yourself and others and getting physical activity.”
The competition culminated an 11-week program in which classrooms at 50 schools partnered with a Danceworks instructor.
Brinkman said the kids are usually tentative about the program in the beginning.
“The kids aren’t all interested in dancing,” she said. “If you ask them who wants to play basketball, they’ll probably all raise their hands. But if you ask who wants to ballroom dance, not as many do. They might not be interested, they might not be on board, but about halfway through we usually have them all hooked.”
A panel of judges chose winners for each dance style based on attitude and energy. MacDowell Montessori School won first place for salsa, Gilbert Stuart Elementary for tango and Byron Kilbourn Elementary for swing. There was also an overall award, which went to Riley Elementary. All of the winning schools were Milwaukee Public Schools; some Milwaukee private schools also participated in the program.
This was the 12th and possibly final year of the competition at the Bradley Center, as the building is set to be demolished later this year. According to Danceworks President and CEO Deborah Farris, the Bradley Center allowed Mad Hot Ballroom to use the facilities free of charge since the Milwaukee program began.
Paul Jansen, Bradley Center vice president, told the audience that he was happy to open the facilities for Mad Hot Ballroom.
“It’s such a great program,” he said. It’s incredible to watch the confidence develop in these kids in just weeks.”
Many participants were saddened that there would be no more competitions at the Bradley Center, but the mood brightened when Marty Brooks, CEO of the Wisconsin Center District, told thousands of students and spectators that he would happily open the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena for future Mad Hot Ballroom competitions.
Ferris had parting words for the students.
“We are all given a whole heart full of creativity,” she said. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you it’s about money, because it’s not. It’s about using your creativity to be the person you were meant to be.”


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“Celebrando” event to focus on preventive care for Latinos in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
May 31, 2018
Tammy Olivas, director of Hispanics for School Choice, speaks to a group of girls during the 2017 Celebrando Nuestras Familias MKE event. (Photo courtesy of American Cancer Society)
An event highlighting the need for individuals and families to take preventive health measures and schedule precautionary screenings will be held Saturday, June 2, at South Division High School, 1515 W. Lapham Blvd.
“Celebrando Nuestras Familias MKE,” Spanish for “Celebrating Our Families Milwaukee,” will offer attendees the chance to get vision or cholesterol screenings, learn the signs and symptoms of diabetes and other diseases, receive information on health insurance and get advice on how to navigate health systems, according to Jesus Barbosa, health systems manager/primary care systems for the American Cancer Society (ACS), which hosts the annual event.
In its 12th year, the fair was formerly called, “Dia De La Mujer Latina.” It will also feature entertainment and workshops on making healthier lifestyle choices, and will provide access to a variety of additional medical services, he added.
“We want to continue to get the message to the Latino community about how they can make adjustments and become more preventive in terms of health through diet and exercise,” Barbosa said.
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The event is also important because it opens the door for attendees to receive crucial follow-up services, explained co-chair Tammy Olivas, director of Hispanics for School Choice.
“Many in the community are in need of more comprehensive services such as breast exams and they can get connected to those there,” Olivas said, adding that representatives from several organizations will be on hand to help schedule follow-up screenings.
For example, women over age 40 will be encouraged to schedule a mammogram, said Amberlea Childs, program manager of the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Conversations with Komen program. That day, the organization will host a conversation for women to discuss breast cancer and to get breast cancer screenings, she said. The target population at the event will be women who don’t have insurance or who don’t have enough insurance to obtain mammograms, Childs added.
A boy dances for the crowd during the 2017 Celebrando Nuestras Familias MKE event at South Division High School. (Photo courtesy of American Cancer Society)
“We’ll be looking to speak to women at the event, and ask them if they know that free screenings do exist and if they’ve had or need one,” she said.
Those who are eligible can register to receive a free mammogram during a follow-up event, which the foundation will co-host with the Milwaukee Health Department on July 31, she added.
Having access to and learning about available health care services in a community setting is especially important considering the current political climate, explained Childs.
“It’s unfortunate that politics is starting to intervene but individuals are more fearful of going out and receiving help while the need is increasing,” she said.
Milwaukee’s Latino population was estimated to be more than 108,000 in 2014, comprising 18 percent of the city’s population, according to data from a Greater Milwaukee Foundation study conducted by the UW-Milwaukee Center for Economic Development.
Language and citizenship status present additional barriers to access preventive care, explained Barbosa. Twenty percent of Latinos in Milwaukee were not U.S. citizens in 2014 and 22 percent of Hispanic households in the city spoke limited English, according to the study.
The celebrando event lets residents know that regardless of citizenship status, there is help available, whether the need is an answer to a question about insurance, information about prescriptions, transportation to appointments or a cancer screening,” Barbosa added.
The sooner an individual begins to receive care, the better the outcome, he explained. “By getting tested early for colon or breast cancer or other ailments, treatments can be more effective and they’re more affordable if you can prevent it or treat it sooner.”
The health fair, which is being sponsored by Kohls, Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, United Healthcare and many other organizations, is also a way to recognize those who are struggling with cancer or who’ve already died from the disease, Olivas said. Cancer is the leading cause of death for Latinos and accounts for 22 percent of all deaths among Latinos in the U.S., according to ACS data.
“The event is a celebration of life and of living a healthier lifestyle while also offering a way to remember the ones that have passed through their battles with cancer,” she said.
“It’s a beautiful event because it touches people at a lot of different points.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 30, 2018


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Victory Garden Initiative completes 10th annual garden-building event | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jenny Whidden
June 1, 2018
Left to right, DNR employees Jake Zimmerman, Laura Dietrich, Curt Nickels, Amy Garbe and Nick Lent pose for a selfie while volunteering for Victory Garden Initiative’s 10th annual BLITZ. (Photo by Jenny Whidden)
Employees of Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources were ready to leave their offices and get down in the dirt.
Once a year, a handful of DNR employees volunteer for the Victory Garden Initiative during the nonprofit’s “Great Milwaukee Victory Garden BLITZ.”
The BLITZ is a two-week garden-building event, and this was the event’s 10th year. Volunteers constructed the nonprofit’s 4,000th garden between May 12 and 26, and participants will be celebrating at a post-BLITZ potluck party on June 2.
Prior to the event, Milwaukee residents registered and paid for VGI to construct raised garden beds, made with wood from Bliffert Lumber and Hardware, on their property. Each new gardener received a VGI gardening guide, two recipe books and several packets of seeds.
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Last week, volunteers from various DNR departments left behind their air-conditioned offices to help transport soil to previously built garden beds. Blue Ribbon Organics provided the organic soil.
This year was Laura Dietrich’s second time volunteering for VGI.
“I liked it because I felt like I was giving back to the community,” said Dietrich, a waste water specialist at DNR. “Helping those in the community, providing, essentially, nutrients for them to take care of themselves — the whole concept of Victory Garden is what draws me to them.”
One of the raised garden beds in Clarke Square stands half full as volunteers work on filling it. (Photo by Jenny Whidden)
Dietrich has her own garden at home. She said she has always enjoyed growing food. Taking care of a plant from its beginnings as a seedling instills a sense of pride, she said.
“You’re taking care of these plants, and then they’re providing nutrients essentially for you,” Dietrich said. “You’re taking care of something, and in turn it’s taking care of you.”
Avid gardener Cathy Peltz owns a home in Clarke Square. She rents the property to a family who asked her to teach them how to garden. Peltz ordered a garden from VGI to get the family started.
“I’ve been a supporter of (VGI) for a long time,” Peltz said. “I love the idea of people knowing how to grow their own food. It’s healthier, it saves money, it’s sustainable.”
Peltz said it is hard for those who are working to pay rent to spend hundreds of dollars on a quality garden bed.
“That’s why it’s so important that Victory Garden Initiative is doing this,” she said.
Jeff Leswing, described on the VGI website as a “BLITZ logistics wizard” and the “beloved ‘Dirtman,’” has been with VGI for nearly nine years. He said the BLITZ was not always as organized as it is now.
Five years ago, VGI did not have a true home base, Leswing said. Soil was delivered to five different places. Various pre-BLITZ tasks, such as cutting and drilling wood, took place in several different locations.
Leswing, a board member at Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, introduced the nonprofit to VGI. Habitat’s lot in Riverwest now serves as a central hub for the BLITZ.
“Now we cut our wood, drill our wood, stack our soil, make our signs, paint our signs, all here in a secure compound,” Leswing said. “As a nonprofit we have about three and a half employees. It’s other nonprofits that help make it work.”
Leswing said he cannot help but be proud when he looks back on VGI’s progress.
“It seems like in a small little city, at some point you’d reach saturation, but it’s not happening. More people are just ordering gardens, and their neighbors are seeing what’s going on,” Leswing said. “They’re sharing food together, creating a community together.”
Saturday’s BLITZ party will take place at the VGI Urban Farm, 249 E. Concordia St. in Harambee. Open to all, the potluck will run from 3-7 p.m.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct a misspelling in Laura Dietrich’s last name. We apologize for the error.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 1, 2018


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Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers offers free bicycles on South Side | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Donna Sarkar
June 2, 2018
Rakel Ruida, 11, smiles as her new bike receives a tune-up from a Bike Day volunteer. (Photo by Donna Sarkar)
Yazmin Ramos, a South Side resident, smiles proudly at her two daughters, ages 5 and 10, as they clutch the handlebars of their matching new bicycles. Wearing a black shiny helmet, Alejandro Gespaida, 10, cruises down a path in Kosciuszko Park on his new bike. Rakel Ruida, 11, watches as her new bike receives a tune-up.
Rakel, Alejandro and the Ramos sisters were among more than 600 children and adults who received bicycles, helmets and bike locks at the Sixteenth Street Health Centers Bike Day, on a recent Saturday at Kosciuszko Park on West Lincoln Avenue and 9th Street.
“The Sixteenth Street Bike Day brings together residents from the South Side community. It’s a huge community builder and an amazing opportunity for kids to receive free bikes and stay active,” said India McCanse, a volunteer at the event, which also offered bike tune-ups, bike parades for children and adults, Zumba and salsa dancing and kids’ games.
Alejandro Gespaida, 10, poses with his new bike and helmet. (Photo by Donna Sarkar)
Participants also could take advantage of free safe car-seat instruction, bike safety education and demonstrations from WIC nutritionists.
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Others participating in Sixteenth Street Bike Day included Wheel and Sprocket, Dream Bikes, Ben’s Cycle, Bublr Bikes, Bicycle Benefits, Boys & Girls Clubs, Urban Ecology Center, Bike Federation of Wisconsin, Penfield Children’s Center, El Rey Market, Pete’s Fruit Market and the Milwaukee Police Department.
Celina Ramos, Ramos’ 10-year-old daughter, said, “I’m really happy with my new bike. My old one was falling apart but I can’t wait to ride this one around this summer.”
Gabriella Mariano, a volunteer from the Boys and Girls Clubs, said, “I think this event is a great opportunity for kids to receive bikes. It’s great for the adults, too, as they get to interact with others from their community.” She noted that volunteers also were encouraging healthy food and physical activity.
Adelita Russo, a volunteer helping with the healthy snacks food stand, said she was pleased to see community residents out and about. Russo helped out last year when the event was held across the street from the health center. “I’m glad the location switched to Kosciuszko Park because there’s more space here to accommodate everyone.”
Russo noted that she was glad to see that the event attracted residents from multiple communities. “Last year, we had a predominantly Latin American subsection of the community present,” she noted.
According to Tatiana Maida, manager of the healthy choices program at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, “This event started because we were all trying to think of a way to encourage safer bike-riding practices on the South Side.” In addition to free bikes, attendees received free bike locks and helmets.
Maida added that if adults and children are getting outside and being more physically active, it will improve safety in the neighborhood.
Ramos said she didn’t originally want to come to the event because she was busy volunteering at The Basilica of St. Josaphat and had to work that evening. “I’m really glad my girls brought me. I can’t afford new bikes for both of them so it’s nice that this event can provide them.”

author: Donna Sarkar


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Arts @ Large to celebrate beginning of historic building renovation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jenny Whidden
June 4, 2018
Conceptual design of the new building after construction created by The Kubala Washatko Architects, Inc., Catalyst Construction and 360 Degrees. (Image courtesy of Arts @ Large)
After “bursting at the seams” for two years, Arts @ Large will celebrate the start of its renovation project at a construction kick-off event Tuesday.
The celebration will take place two weeks after the nonprofit closed the financing package of the building, which Arts @ Large purchased in May 2016. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Alderman Jose Perez are expected to speak at the 9 a.m. event in front of the building, 1100 S. 5th St.
“We’ve evolved from a K-12 organization to a lifelong learning organization,” Arts @ Large Co-Founder Teri Sullivan said. “We see people of all ages from our community using this center as their home, making it their home and their creative space.”
The past two years have been filled with securing funding and partners, including The Kubala Washatko Architects, Inc. and Catalyst Construction.
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The $6 million financing deal includes federal and state historic tax credits and new markets tax credits, which together contribute $3.3 million. The nonprofit raised $1.2 million and hopes to raise the remaining $1.4 million to pay off its loans before the planned grand opening in July 2019.
The historic tax credits require Arts @ Large to work with the National Parks Service to preserve the historic features of the building, according to Brianna Seipel, the director of communications and development.
Arts @ Large co-founders Teri Sullivan and Kimberly Abler walk through the ground floor of the nonprofit’s new building. (Photo courtesy of Arts @ Large)
“Particularly with the exterior of our building, it has to look like how it would’ve in the 1890s, which is really cool,” Seipel said. “It’s also limited us in terms of what kind of signage we can do, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Seipel said the tax credit requirements will end in about six years. Arts @ Large is looking to install a garden on the roof at that time.
Arts @ Large was co-founded by Sullivan and Kimberly Abler in 2001 as a Milwaukee Public School program. In 2005, it became a nonprofit. Looking back on the past 17 years, Sullivan said it does not surprise her that the organization is taking this step.
“You really have to be a risk-taker when you’re an entrepreneur, and that’s kind of what this nonprofit is,” she said. “It is and has become its own driving force in the community, well beyond the founders.”
The building was constructed in 1890 by Patrick Cudahy. Throughout the years, it has served a number of different operations, including a meat market.
Most significant to Sullivan and her team, however, is the building’s previous role as “The Polish House,” a recreation and art center that opened in 1938.
“The site became a gathering space for children of all nationalities including Polish, German, Greek, Norwegians and Mexicans, and was in use almost every night for arts, theater, music and community events,” according to an Arts @ Large’s media release.
“We feel as if this has come full circle. (The Polish House) would have music events, they would have art-making and crafts,” Sullivan said. “We were reading about it and we thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is exactly what we’re going to do.’”
Hugh Swofford, a former member of Historic Milwaukee’s board of directors, is researching the history of the building for Arts @ Large. He said he began looking into the building out of simple curiosity at first.
Swofford now has a one-year contract to research the building as well as to help create text panels that will be displayed on the first floor. The panels will relate the building’s history from 1836, before it was built, to the present.
“You’re looking to see how it turns out, what happens to the people you’re looking up, what happens to the building you’re looking up,” Swofford said. “It’s like a story to me.”
Swofford said he uses city directories, newspapers, tax rolls and more to gather information.
“It’s been very interesting, and we’ve uncovered a lot of interesting things about the building and its occupants,” he said.
Looking forward, Sullivan said the three-story building will have a cafe and coffee house, a student art gallery and a community art-making studio on the ground floor.
The building will also include four studio spaces for emerging nonprofits or small businesses. One of these spaces will house Reflo Sustainable Water Solutions, a nonprofit that worked with Arts @ Large to obtain free rent for one year.
Sullivan said the application process for the remaining three spaces will launch in about a month. She said she hopes to work with the three organizations to secure funding for a year of free rent for each of them.
The second floor will also feature a professional development training center, another art studio and an art library, from which residents will be able to check out fine art for their homes, free of cost.
Sullivan said she got the idea from a library in her hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin.
“(My husband and I) used to go to the library in La Crosse, and check out art, and have it for three months in our apartments and homes,” Sullivan said. “It was so amazing. That idea came full circle to us.”
The building’s third floor will house the Arts @ Large office spaces as well as a small overnight suite for visiting guest artists. When not in use, the suite will be an instruction studio for private music or theater lessons.
“We’re just so excited in terms of what this is going to do for the organization and for the staff, because we’ve just been bursting at the seams for almost two years now,” Seipel said. “Having that opportunity to have different floors and have all these different things happening at once in the building is going to be really, really wonderful.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 3, 2018

author: Adam Carr


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Rally protests forced separation of families | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Rozga
June 4, 2018
Demonstrators protest the separation of parents from their children at U.S. border (Photo by Barbara Miner)
Margaret Rozga, poet, civil rights activist and professor emerita of English at UW-Waukesha, decries the Trump administration policy of separating parents and children crossing the Mexican border into the U.S.
“Sixty-six children per day are being taken from their families.” The numbers stunned me. I thought I must have misheard, so I double-checked with ACLU of Wisconsin youth organizer Jarrett English. He had included them in his remarks at the June 1 protest of the Trump administration policy to separate children from their parents who cross the Mexican border into the U.S. English confirmed the numbers. The Department of Homeland Security itself reports that in less than two weeks in May, 658 children were separated from their parents.
I participated in that protest at the Milwaukee Immigration and Customs Enforcement office because when Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced this policy, I felt anew the panic and cold sweat I felt years ago when I would lose sight of one of my young children even briefly. To deliberately inflict such trauma on even one parent and one child is horrifying enough. But the fact of the numbers has heightened my sense of urgency. This policy must stop. It must be stopped. But how?
Reaffirming the truth is one way. Given the immediate opposition to this policy, the Trump administration has tried to deny that they are its initiators. The president himself has called for doing away with this “law” that he claimed was enacted on Obama’s watch.
But Jonathan Blitzer’s article in the May 30 issue of the New Yorker reports that Trump advisors had been discussing this policy as early as March 2017. The early discussions led to a rejection of the idea of separating parents and children as being too extreme, but with each recurring discussion, the idea became more palatable to those in the White House.
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By April 6, 2018, the Trump White House found it palatable enough to have Sessions and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announce it formally as policy. The rationale they gave was that separating families would discourage others from travelling to the United States illegally.
Nielsen attempted to normalize this cruel practice in her Senate testimony. Speaking with a legalese calm that as a parent and grandparent I found chilling, Nielsen said, “What we’ll be doing is prosecuting parents who have broken the law, just as we do every day in the United States of America. The child, under law, goes to HHS (the Department of Health and Human Services) for care and custody.” Her words attempt to place a nurturing cover, “care,” over a traumatizing reality. It’s language abuse in the service of child and family abuse.
Thomas Homan, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, found it harder to disguise his lack of feeling. He called the family separations “sad,” but said he had a job to do. In a May 31 interview on the PBS NewsHour, he asked, “If they really are escaping fear and persecution, looking for relief in this country, why not come to a port of entry” where they could file for asylum. With his doubting tone, Homan implied that families’ experiences of persecution were not real, as if some frivolous reason could drive families with small children hundreds of miles from home to seek an uncertain future.
Speakers at the Milwaukee protest challenged another falsehood found in Homan’s rhetorical question, “Why not come to a port of entry?” In fact, families are presenting themselves at the border asking for asylum. They, too, are being arrested, charged with a crime and separated from their children.
In contrast to the false claims of the administration, we need to listen to people with relevant expertise to help us steer a compassionate course. The American Academy of Pediatrics has been at the forefront in speaking against the “sweeping cruelty” of this policy that inflicts “toxic stress” on children. AAP President Colleen Kraft notes that “highly stressful experiences, like family separation, can cause irreparable harm, disrupting a child’s brain architecture and affecting his or her short- and long-term health.”
I am grateful to the Jarrett English and all who organized this protest so that concerned citizens could express publicly our dismay. I am also grateful to the ACLU for filing suit to stop implementation of this policy. In the words of Joanne Lange, one of the Milwaukee protestors, “We have to keep screaming and suing until they listen.”

author: Margaret Rozga