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Setting the tone for social justice | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Rozga
October 2, 2017
Statue of Mother Teresa on the Marquette University campus. (Photo by Margaret Rozga)
Margaret Rozga, poet, civil rights activist and professor emerita of English at UW-Waukesha, reflects on the role of public art in the battle for social justice.
I waited in the shade of the garden between the Joan of Arc Chapel and the statue of Mother Teresa on the Marquette campus. Grateful for the relief there from the day’s overbearing heat and for the Sunday quiet, I gathered my thoughts for a presentation to those I was to meet here, those on a civil rights and public art tour, one of the 2017 Doors Open Milwaukee events. I thought about how to frame my brief account of Milwaukee’s open housing marches across the James E. Groppi Unity Bridge in a way that acknowledged the person represented in the statue of this saint, rendered here as a stoop-shouldered elderly woman holding a small child.
Fair housing was an issue in Milwaukee in the 1960s because the African-American community in Milwaukee had almost tripled in size between 1950 and 1960, from 21,000 to 62,000 and then grew again by 50 percent by 1967. But the housing available to African- Americans did not correspondingly grow. In 1967, African-Americans were 12 percent of Milwaukee’s population, living on 5 percent of Milwaukee’s land with a population density four times greater than elsewhere in the city. The recalcitrant Common Council, following what today we might call “a self-deport strategy,” refused to acknowledge the critical housing needs of African-Americans residents, apparently hoping that would push them from the city.
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For this tour, at this site, at this time, I decided to fit those facts into the current debate about the role and the importance of public art. I also decided to talk about the multiple strategies for social justice represented by my presence there, close to the James E. Groppi Unity Bridge, and immediately in front of the statue of Mother Teresa.
Public art sets a tone for the community. Bronze statues, sometimes larger than life, are designed to speak to long-term community values. Unlike Charlottesville, Virginia, and other sites of Confederate monuments, Milwaukee has a remarkable number of statues and other public art that sets a compassionate, caring and social justice-minded tone. Yet this art —considered as isolated separate pieces — is perhaps too easy to overlook.
The Doors Open Milwaukee tour served the valuable function of threading together this public art in a common theme. The statue of Gandhi in MacArthur Square, also included on this tour, serves to remind us that non-violence can be powerful enough to overthrow a colonial power. The statue of Mother Teresa represents direct social service to the poor and outcast, a strategy important in meeting immediate needs.
Standing in front of that statue, I outlined another set of strategies: legislative, electoral and direct action, all of which were essential components in the struggle for fair housing. Alder Vel Phillips employed the legislative strategy as she introduced a fair housing bill in the Common Council. Father Groppi and the NAACP Youth Council implemented a direct action strategy in the marches that brought to the fore a festering issue so that it would be addressed. Numerous people, most of whose names we’ll never know, took an electoral route; they decided they did not want a representative who voted against fair housing, recruited new candidates and supported them so that when the fair housing bill passed on April 30, 1968, there were new members of that Common Council who had no history of voting against fair housing. I read a poem about these marches, and invited everyone to join in saying the repeated line: “People on the march.”
We need each other. We need each other’s approaches toward common goals. We need public art and poetry to set the tone. We need opportunities to appreciate the wide range of relevant public art Milwaukee has and encourage more of it. I am grateful to Doors Open Milwaukee for including this tour and to ZIP Milwaukee’s Dominic Inouye for proposing and leading this tour, and for their work to make Milwaukee both walkable and enjoyable.

author: Margaret Rozga


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 1, 2017

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: October 1, 2017

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

author: Adam Carr


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Community Warehouse opens Bronzeville retail space | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elliot Hughes
October 3, 2017
Community Warehouse CEO Nick Ringger addresses a crowd of about 50 people during the grand opening of the organization’s second retail location, at 324 W. North Ave. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
Nineteen-year-old Xavier Shaw first heard of Community Warehouse when he began visiting the offices of the Milwaukee Urban League for its employment program, which are conveniently located across the street from the nonprofit retailer’s new location at 324 W. North Ave.
Shaw watched workers put the finishing touches on the building from those offices. And now, after running afoul of the law last March (he was found guilty of carrying a concealed weapon — a misdemeanor), he’s gotten a full-time job.
He’s joined by about a dozen other background-challenged local residents as employees of the new North Side location of Community Warehouse — a nonprofit that sells discounted home improvement products in distressed areas. It’s the first time the organization has expanded its retail space since it opened its first store on the South Side in 2005.
“It’s helping the community; it’s reasonable prices,” said Shaw, one week on the job, during the store’s grand opening last Thursday. “It’s a good job.”
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Community Warehouse recently opened a new retail outlet on Milwaukee’s North Side. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
Opening a North Side location first became a talking point among Community Warehouse officials about 10 years ago, according to board chairman John Lesko, but the right combination of space and aneighborhood with residents who would benefit the most was difficult to find.
Last December, a thrift store put the 42,000-square-foot building up for sale. It is located near Milwaukee’s designated Community Development Block Grant Zone, an area that qualifies for federal funding to ensure affordable and decent housing. Community Warehouse purchased and remodeled the building, using mostly its own employees.
Kevin Bendickson, the vice president of operations, said North Side residents struggle to get to the South Side location. And because there is a focus on redevelopment in the Bronzeville area — including the nearby Pete’s Fruit Market and the upcoming Black Holocaust Museum — he said the North Avenue spot was the right fit.
After a soft opening last week, the organization held an opening ceremony Thursday, which more than 50 people attended. Included in the group was Ald. Milele Coggs, who said she was at first reluctant to welcome Community Warehouse to the neighborhood, which is known as an African-American arts, cultural and entertainment hub. But that changed after she toured the South Side location.
Coggs said that many Bronzeville residents attend a housing fair she and Ald. Russell Stamper organize every year, looking for ways to save on their home improvements.
“Once I saw the type of work they do at their South Side location, I knew it would be a good amenity for the residents who live over here and would only strengthen the district,” Coggs said. “Some of the housing stock over here is kind of old, so people have to do a lot of repairs.”
Above ground the store has nearly 10,000 square feet of retail space, where it sells standard home improvement and lawn goods, as well as various sundries, such as cereal, clothing, pre-owned DVDs, camping equipment and more. Below ground, the organization plans to house its employment and re-entry program for ex-offenders.
The Community Warehouse employees include ex-offenders and individuals who lack job experience. They learn how to build things such as cabinets, which are sold at the store, and various other tasks such as customer service.
Nick Ringger, Community Warehouse’s CEO, said the organization tries to get those employees a permanent job elsewhere after 18 months. He said that of the 60 people who have cycled through the program in the last two years, 80 percent are employed today and only one is incarcerated.
Shaw is serving a two-month sentence at the Milwaukee County House of Correction, where he is allowed to leave 40 hours a week to work. His wages are paid by the Urban League, but after six months he’ll have the opportunity to officially join the Community Warehouse staff.
Down the road, he said, he wants to go to school and study either civil engineering or business.
“I’m a house person,” Shaw said. “I like to work, come home, see my family. I’m the only boy (in the house). I lost my brother at 18. I’m 19 now. I don’t want to put mom in that predicament. I don’t want her crying about me. I’m not a bad kid. I was just hanging around the wrong people.”

created: October 3, 2017

author: Elliot Hughes


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 2, 2017

created: October 2, 2017


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On the Block: Making up for lost time | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
October 3, 2017
After returning from military service, Charles Revello got involved with a biker gang, became addicted to drugs and, ultimately, ended up homeless, losing his family in the process. Now, Revello is ready to turn over a new leaf.

author: Jabril Faraj


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Bader Philanthropies expands capacity to deepen its roots in the communities it serves | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bader Philanthropies, Inc
October 4, 2017
After 25 years and $265 million invested in addressing major social needs throughout Milwaukee, the state of Wisconsin, and the world, Bader Philanthropies, Inc. has built additional capacity within the organization to further expand its efforts in community engagement and impact investing by creating two leadership roles to spearhead these initiatives for the organization.
This evolution is the next step for the organization as it prepares to move its headquarters into the Harambee neighborhood in summer of 2018. With this move, the Bader Philanthropies Board of Directors confirmed the importance of creating a dedicated strategic role at the executive-level to spearhead the foundation’s local engagement efforts.
Bader Philanthropies has promoted Frank Cumberbatch from project manager to the newly created role of vice president for engagement and Maria Lopez Vento’s role has been expanded from her previous role of vice president for programs and partnerships to vice president for grants and impact investments.
The two leadership roles further allow the organization to directly focus on embedded philanthropy and relationship building within the community, and provides organizational oversight in making program related investments as a long-term strategy for the foundation in addition to its grant-making with its community partners. According to the National Center for Family Philanthropy, embedded philanthropy emphasizes intimate, active engagement in community change specific to a local community. Embedded philanthropists make a long-term commitment to living and working in a community or neighborhood. There, they take on the myriad of interconnected issues affecting that community, making grants, building close relationships with community actors, and often providing direct services and technical assistance.
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“Bader Philanthropies continues to evolve as a global foundation with an enduring commitment to Milwaukee. But, the time has come to bolster our capacity to engage our Harambee neighbors and local community partners in a cohesive way,” said Daniel J. Bader, Foundation president and CEO.
Cumberbatch will focus on the organization’s desire to enhance its capabilities around engagement. In his new position, he will be the architect and steward of the foundation’s engagement strategy, involving stakeholders from the grassroots to local civic and philanthropic leaders. In addition, he will continue to manage the construction of the new global headquarters which is scheduled to open in the summer of 2018. Tamara Jefferson of the staff will help support Frank’s efforts as Community Engagement Coordinator. Cumberbatch brings more than 30 years of experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
“Since joining the Bader Philanthropies team nearly 18 months ago, Frank’s thoughtful and strategic approach in building relationships throughout our community has deepened our roots and created new opportunities to transform our community which makes him perfectly suited for this role,” Bader said.
In her expanded role as Vice President for Grants and Impact Investments, Maria Lopez Vento will oversee program related investments, such as low interest loans and equity investments as a long-term strategy for the foundation, in addition to the foundation’s grant-making.
Bader Philanthropies has been awarding PRIs since 1995 and is one of only a few organizations in the state providing them. According to research from the Foundation Center’s GrantSpace, of the thousands of grant-making foundations in the United States, only a few hundred make PRIs. In addition, only about a third of PRI funders maintain formal PRI programs or make PRIs on an annual basis. Over the last 16 years, Bader Philanthropies has awarded 35 loans, loan guarantees, equity investments and other credit enhancements to deserving southeastern Wisconsin organizations valued at more than $16 million.
PRIs are impact investments made by foundations to support charitable activities that involve the potential return of capital within an established time frame. Unlike grants, PRIs produce financial returns for foundations in the form of principal plus interest, gains realized on investments, etc., which can then be recycled for other charitable purposes. For the recipient, the primary benefit of this loan is access to capital at lower rates than may otherwise be available.
This recent evolution of the organization is one of many steps the organization has taken in the past. The organization was originally founded in 1992 as the Helen Bader Foundation (HBF) and has been a legacy of Helen Bader’s compassionate spirit, and created partnerships to lift individuals and their communities in Milwaukee and beyond. In 2015, the organization changed its name to Bader Philanthropies, Inc. to reflect additional funding that allows the organization to continue funding charitable projects in perpetuity and continue the work begun by the HBF. This change resulted from a new philanthropic commitment from Isabel and Alfred Bader that helped maintain the organization’s existing staff and grant programs, and enabled its annual level of giving to increase.
Although the name changed, Bader Philanthropies has continued to address issues begun by the Helen Bader Foundation, including Alzheimer’s & Aging, Arts, Workforce Development, Community Partnerships for Youth, and Jewish Education. However, as Bader Philanthropies, the organization encompasses two distinct philanthropic funds to reflect the values and interests of their respective namesakes: the Helen Daniels Bader Fund (HDBF) and the Isabel and Alfred Bader Fund (IABF). These funds also allowed the organization to focus on strategies to address issues on a broader scale, both here in Milwaukee and beyond, to support a better, more equitable world.

created: October 4, 2017

author: Bader Philanthropies, Inc


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Historic King Drive neighbors voice ideas, concerns about development at city open house | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
October 4, 2017
People who live or work in the neighborhood indicate where they spend the most time and what development they’d like to see there. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
A recent city planning open house allowed Historic King Drive residents, workers and business owners to engage in conversations with developers about how a potential extension of the Milwaukee Streetcar route could bring economic growth to their neighborhood.
Still undergoing construction of the initial 2.5-mile route downtown, the streetcar line could – depending on funding – eventually extend north along King Drive to Bronzeville and south to Walker’s Point.
The City of Milwaukee hosted the meeting at Schlitz Park, 1555 N. Rivercenter Drive, to listen to how citizens envision the future of their neighborhood and to inform a strategic plan that maximizes economic impact and meets neighbors’ needs. A similar gathering took place in Walker’s Point the day before.
As dozens of people buzzed about the conference room talking with friends, neighbors and coworkers — as well as the city planners and developers — some voiced hope and excitement, while others expressed concern about city plans.
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Elaine Schweitzer, a Brewers Hill resident of two years who works in Schlitz Park, said she is pleased with the city’s dedication to developing the neighborhood and with the possible extension of the streetcar route along Martin Luther King Drive.
“MLK, to me, is sort of symbolic of pulling different facets of the neighborhood together,” Schweitzer said. “It seems like it’s sort of this odd, unnatural boundary between what the city’s willing to invest in and what it has sort of left to happen on its own.”
Attendees place stickers on a board to show what development projects they’d like to see in their neighborhood. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
Antoine Carter, Groundwork Milwaukee program director who oversees two projects on King Drive, looked shocked as he viewed a map of the planned streetcar extension along King Drive. “It only goes to North Avenue?” Carter asked.
He said he doesn’t think it makes sense for the streetcar line to end at such a major intersection when neighborhoods north of North Avenue could also benefit.
Carter pointed out the racial segregation that exists across these streets and among these neighborhoods and noted that the street could unite and strengthen the city, if it is treated the same as other parts of Milwaukee by local leadership.
“It’s kind of representative of how people are in this city anyway,” Carter said. “It indicates no forward thinking. … The plan should be for all of MLK Drive to thrive.”
Like Carter, others who studied the map of the projected streetcar route expressed concern and raised questions. City Long Range Planning Manager Sam Leichtling acknowledged common perceptions about the streetcar — that it will serve only a certain demographic and travel only to downtown shopping areas.
Leichtling and other city planners and developers listened to the concerns but did not address them directly. They encouraged attendees to think broadly about their hopes for the neighborhood. Even if the extended streetcar does not pan out, Leichtling said, local feedback still can inform planning and investment going forward.
Community members were encouraged to share their ideas at several interactive stations. At one, they posted their “great idea” for the neighborhood. At another, they placed a sticker on a map to mark where they live or work and wrote what sort of development they’d like to see there.
Gerald Bester, a business owner opening an office on King Drive, told Leichtling that he would like entertainment options such as a theater and different restaurants to take an employee or client out for lunch.
“I’ve been studying the area for a couple years now, and I got stuck on it because there’s so much potential in that corridor, but it’s underutilized,” Bester said. “One of the purposes of picking this particular location is future growth and the opportunity to get involved in strategic planning.”
Several realtors, developers and business owners at the open house voiced similar desires for economic growth.
Genyne Edwards of P3 Development Group, one of the companies contracting with the city on the Historic King Drive/Bronzeville project, said recent changes such as the Bublr Bikes parking station in Schlitz Park and Pete’s Fruit Market on the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and North Avenue have excited neighbors, but they’d like to see more restaurants, retail options, green space and other means of transportation around the area.
Meetings such as this are part of a larger strategic planning study funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and made possible by the Historic King Drive BID and Harbor District Inc. The city is working with transit development planning firms on the yearlong effort. The goal is to enable neighborhoods to benefit economically from a potential transit development project, but also respect and preserve their historic identities.
The group plans to hold other public meetings before the end of the year, but no dates have been set.

author: Elizabeth Baker


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 3, 2017


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How to volunteer in October | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Martha Cannon, Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
October 4, 2017
Volunteers are needed to work at the Repairers of the Breach Clothing Bank. (Photo courtesy of Repairers of the Breach)
Regardless of your skills and interests, there are opportunities for you to help out in your community. Volunteer Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee features a calendar full of events for volunteers, both one-time and ongoing. Here are a few of the opportunities in October.
Clothing Bank Coordinator
Organize and oversee weekly Clothing Bank, which includes sorting, separating, washing, folding and hanging clothes; also assist individuals shop and find clothing; weekdays and Saturdays for Repairers of the Breach.
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Contact Ralpheal Gordon at centermanager@repairers.org or 414-342-9323.
Children’s Vision Screener
Screen preschool children’s vision in Milwaukee area preschools, day care centers and private elementary schools, weekday mornings. Prevent Blindness Wisconsin provides training and certification on Oct. 24, 10 a.m.-noon.
Contact Sarah Campbell sarah@pbwi.org at 414-765-0505 ext. 5.
Publicity Help
Use your PR skills and publicize concerts and events as well as raise the level of awareness of City of Festivals Men’s Chorus to the community.
Contact Timothy R. Ruf at cofmenschorus@gmail.com  or 414-418-4668.
Receptionist/Office Assistant
Answer telephones, screen calls and schedule appointments Tuesdays or Wednesdays at Holton Street Clinic; must have computer experience.
Contact Jim Stewart at jims@holtonstreetclinic.org or 414-264-8800.
Tutor and Read with a Refugee Child
Help refugee children grades 1-12 with homework and reading as they learn to be more fluent in English for SEA Literacy. Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Contact Dan Jackson (DJ) at volunteer@sealmke.org
Fall WeedOuts
Help the Park People Of Milwaukee County cut down invasive trees and shrubs in various Milwaukee County parks. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-noon between Sept. 30 and Nov. 18.
Contact Dawn St. George at dawn@parkpeoplemke.org or 414-273-7275.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 4, 2017


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UBLAC leads Black Women’s Empowerment March | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
UBLAC
October 4, 2017
Uplifting Black Liberation and Community (UBLAC), along with Black women, Black men and allies gathered in Victory over Violence Park in Milwaukee’s Harambee neighborhood to march for Black women’s empowerment and racial unity yesterday morning. The movement coordinated in solidarity with the national March for Racial Justice and the Black Women’s March hosted by Black Women’s BluePrint , which both occurred in Washington, D.C. Other sister cities nationwide also participated and held Black women marches in solidarity.
Speakers at the event included elected officials Congresswoman Gwen Moore, State Senator Lena Taylor, and Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs—who assisted in city permit submissions and logistics for the march. Other speakers included community members, community members 13 year-old Zion Rogers, Marie Kelly, Elizabeth Campbell, spoken word artist Tiffany Miller who discussed themes ranging from homelessness and addiction, to trans-women and the battle for survival. Other elected officials in supportive attendance were State Senator Lena C. Taylor, State Senator LaTonya Johnson, Alderwomen Chantia Lewis and Tomika Vukovic, County Representatives Sequanna Taylor and Marcelia Nicholson, and Judge Valerie Hill.
National marches occurred on the 30th of September in remembrance of the Elaine, Arkansas Massacre during the Red Summer of 1919 . White mobs and soldiers entered black communities, killing over 200 while birthing a new century of racial injustices within the justice system.
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The Black Women’s Empowerment March traveled north Martin Luther King Drive and West Concordia Avenue ending at Crossing Jordan Ministries for a call to action, fellowship, and refreshments.
UBLAC core member Lisa Jones, in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , stated that: “If you uplift the black women, we are the backbone of the family. We’re the nurturers, the caregivers. We work hard, often two or three jobs.” “This is about black love and unity, and a sisterhood to uplift the community…” Jones ended with, “This is just the beginning”.
Uplifting Black Liberation and Community (UBLAC)
UBLAC is a grassroots organization that was founded in Milwaukee after Sylville Smith was murdered by a former Milwaukee police officer. UBLAC, Uplifting Black Liberation and Community is a coalition led by Black Women, Queer, and Trans people working towards Black liberation with people of African heritage in Milwaukee to give the tools necessary to empower local communities for change.

author: UBLAC


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UCC, Latino Arts, Pabst Theater Group and American Red Cross to host benefit concert | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
United Community Center
October 4, 2017
The United Community Center (UCC) and Latino Arts in partnership with the Pabst Theater Group, American Red Cross and many other community partners will host, “Los Sonidos Unidos,” a benefit concert for Puerto Rico and Mexico on Sunday, October 15 at Turner Hall Ballroom.
The concert will feature the Latino Arts Strings Program musicians, members of De La Buena, Bahia, Bombazo with Pandanza Dancers, Cache as well as other local bands. Restaurant vendors including Cubanitas, Café el Sol, Antigua Latin Café, WWBIC Coffee with a Conscience will also join, sharing their rich culinary talents. The evening will showcase the strength and unity of Milwaukee and its solidarity with friends and family in Puerto Rico and Mexico. The goal is to bring hope to those affected by the devastating earthquake in Mexico and Hurricane Maria in the US Virgin Islands.
A minimum $20 donation per person will be requested at the door (cash or check to “Red Cross” is preferred). Also available at the concert will be a “Text to Give” phone number. Guests who are unable to attend the event can donate online at, http://www.redcross.org/unitedcommunitycenter-pub. The American Red Cross will be the beneficiary of the concert.
WHAT: Los Sonidos Unidos – Milwaukee Benefit Concert for Puerto Rico and Mexico
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WHEN: Sunday, October 15, 2017
TIME: 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Turner Hall Ballroom, 1040 N 4th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53203
Community Partners include The American Red Cross, Carroll University, Catholic Financial Life, County Executive Chris Abele, Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee, Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, Kapco Metal Stamping, La Casa de Esperanza, St. Anthony’s School, The Office of Mayor Tom Barrett, The Pabst Theater Group, UWM’s Roberto Hernandez Center, and United Way of Greater Milwaukee.
To learn more about the United Community Center, visit: www.unitedcc.org/.

author: United Community Center


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Art Walk along Hank Aaron trail focuses on Open Housing marches of 1967-68 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lydia Slattery
October 5, 2017
Brightly colored paintings with doves, blue skies and silhouettes of people decorate an ugly, gray chain link fence enclosing an industrial lot. The murals, which feature messages of hope from Chief Joseph, a prominent leader of a Nez Perce tribe, and Mexican hero Benito Juárez contrast with the barbed wire on the fence.
The recent Public Art Walk on the Hank Aaron State Trail gave visitors a chance to learn about the murals and other artwork along the Menomonee River Loop section of the trail, which runs parallel to West Canal Street from North 13th Street to North 25th Street. The event was organized by Menomonee Valley Partners for Valley Week and 200 Nights of Freedom, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the marches. About 20 people participated.
The vibrant murals were painted by students from 10 different schools near the Menomonee River Valley in 2007, the 40th anniversary of the Milwaukee Open Housing Marches. They created the Civil Rights River Loop Murals along a portion of the Hank Aaron State Trail to commemorate the marches.
The students came up with the designs themselves, said Melissa Cook, who manages the Hank Aaron trail for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, but they were inspired by a mural created by artist Katrina Motley and students at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD). Motley’s “March On” murals, created in 2006, depict black silhouettes marching against orange and yellow sunsets.
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The River Loop is not the most scenic portion of the trail, with bridges and warehouses dominating the Menomonee River Valley, so the art provides a way to engage people, said Cook.
“It’s important we relay that history; you can relay it in a more interesting and engaging fashion through art,” she added.
The trail goes directly underneath the 16th Street Viaduct, also known as the James E. Groppi Unity Bridge. The Menomonee River Valley was known as the Mason-Dixon Line of Milwaukee, separating the predominantly black North Side from the mostly white South Side, Cook explained. The Rev. James E. Groppi, a white Catholic priest, marched with thousands of people, mostly African-Americans, for 200 nights in a row in 1967-1968 demanding open housing and racial equality. A sign directly underneath the bridge explains its history.
“Sometimes it’s best not to forget about our past even with things we’re not proud of,” Cook said, referring to the white counter-protesters’ reaction to the marchers. “It’s the high point and low point in our history all in the same event,” Cook said.
Then-Milwaukee Mayor Henry Maier imposed a voluntary curfew during the marches and called up the National Guard at one point.
“I’m old enough to remember the events discussed,” said Karen Watson, an attendee who grew up in the Milwaukee suburbs. Watson said she remembers the National Guard and a 9 p.m. curfew during the marches.
Watson said she appreciates the city’s efforts to develop the Menomonee River Valley and to remember the marches.
“I appreciated the art work and I enjoyed learning more about my city,” Watson said.
In addition to the murals, the group saw Katie Martin’s “A Place to Sit,” the gateway sculpture to the River Loop. The three high-back chairs are engraved with the names of Milwaukee Native American nations, including the Oneida Nation, the Sokaogon Chippewa and the Forest County Potawatomi.
Martin was inspired by the writings of local historian John Gurda, who described European settlers playing a game of musical chairs that left Native Americans with nowhere to sit, Cook explained.
“Art on this part of the trail should follow at least the history, culture or environment of the Menomonee River Valley,” said Cook. “We want the art to tell our stories.”

created: October 5, 2017

author: Lydia Slattery


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23625816658_7156e313bc_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 4, 2017


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Safe & Sound receives $625,000 grant to continue 27th Street West Drug Free Coalition in 53208 zip code | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Safe & Sound
October 5, 2017
Last week, Richard Baum, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), announced 719 Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program grants totaling $89 million, the largest-ever number of DFC grantees in a single year since the program’s founding. The grants will provide local community coalitions funding to prevent youth substance use, including prescription drugs, marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol. Safe & Sound, Inc. will receive $125,000 per year for five years to continue operating the 27th Street West Drug Free Coalition, which has been in existence since 2010.
“We’re losing more than 60,000 people per year to drug overdose, but if we can stop young people from starting to use drugs in the first place, we can save lives,” said Richard Baum, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy. “Our local DFC coalitions are a key part of this effort because they are bringing together parents groups, schools, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, businesses, and others to prevent drug use and improve the health of the community.”
“Substance abuse is a pervasive issue in our society, and has a profound impact on young people.” said Katie Sanders, Executive Director of Safe & Sound. “Prevention is the most effective strategy to reduce drug use and its many consequences, and with these funds, the 27th Street West Drug Free Coalition will continue programming to reduce both the supply and the demand of drugs and alcohol in the 53208 zip code.” Some of the coalition’s activities to date have included corner store improvement campaigns, artistic board-ups, vacant lot renovations, peace walks and parties, youth councils and retailer trainings, among others.
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Background on the Drug-Free Communities Support Program
The Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program, created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, is the Nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use. Directed by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the DFC Program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use.
Recognizing that local problems need local solutions, DFC-funded coalitions engage multiple sectors of the community and employ a variety of environmental strategies to address local drug problems. Coalitions are comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, healthcare and business professionals, law enforcement, and media. By involving the community in a solution-oriented approach, DFC also helps those youth at risk for substance use recognize that the majority of our Nation’s youth choose not to use drugs.
The mission of the 27th Street West Drug Free Coalition is to create an alcohol and drug-free community in the 53208 zip code. Coalition partners include Neighborhood House of Milwaukee, Our Next Generation, Near West Side Partners, Harley-Davidson, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Washington Park Partners, Westside Academy, Milwaukee Police Department, District Attorney’s Office, Community Advocates and many more.

author: Safe & Sound


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Black elected leaders canvass Amani to learn neighborhood concerns | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alexandria Bursiek
October 6, 2017
Marckus Heard (left), 22, answers questions about his neighborhood from State Sen. LaTonya Johnson. (Photo by Alexandria Bursiek)
Markus Heard, 22, was inside watching a Badgers game on TV when State Sen. LaTonya Johnson approached his home. Heard was willing to forego the game — at least for a while — as he stood outside telling Johnson his concerns about safety in the neighborhood while his niece and nephew played in the front yard.
“I’m really focused on the children … they shouldn’t be innocent bystanders to life. I don’t like seeing kids get hurt,” Heard said.
Johnson was part of a group of elected black Milwaukee leaders, including Congresswoman Gwen Moore and State Rep. David Crowley, who canvassed the Amani neighborhood on Sept. 30 to hear about residents’ concerns. The group also held a news conference in front of Gwen T. Jackson Early Childhood and Elementary School, 2121 W. Hadley St.
Moore explained that Amani is among the neighborhoods with the lowest voter turnout in Milwaukee; she said that canvassing in all neighborhoods and listening to the issues on people’s minds is part of a representative’s job.
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“Typically elected officials don’t spend a lot of time canvassing neighborhoods where there is low voter turnout,” said Moore. “But that is exactly what people complain about: that they are only engaged by people who want to see themselves elected at election time; that they are only engaged when people want to study them.”
Crowley said the canvass was organized in response to a drop in voter turnout during the presidential election, especially in neighborhoods of color. The goal was to better understand the community’s needs and illustrate that residents are not alone.
Tjuan Balfour (left), 23, shakes hands with Rep. David Bowen. (Photo by Alexandria Bursiek)
Johnson added that elected leaders are unable to go into the community as much as they would like, but said it is important to regularly hear from their constituents.
“This is an opportunity for us to help educate our constituents as well as have them educate us,” said Johnson. “We want to hear what their issues are, what their concerns are, what we can do to make their community better.”
In the Amani neighborhood crime is the biggest concern. According to Johnson, residents want a safer environment and more after school programs for youth; beyond that residents did not provide a lot of feedback.
“What I found is that in some of my more advantaged districts you get more complaints and issues than in the districts that are harder hit,” said Johnson.
“It doesn’t matter where you live you are represented by somebody,” she said. “You have tons of people out here who don’t understand what you do and that’s an issue. There shouldn’t be people in mine or anyone else’s district who can’t see the value of what you do to represent them.”
Representatives of Planned Parenthood and the Hunger Task Force passed out information to residents during the canvass. Hunger Task Force Executive Director Sherrie Tussler provided information about lead poisoning, noting that underfed children absorb lead five times faster than those who have enough to eat. She added that residents in neighborhoods with older homes are more likely to be exposed to lead.
“We are trying to communicate to people that they can engage in some basic self help strategies to take care of themselves,” said Tussler. She recommended that residents in older homes install water filters to reduce lead in drinking water.
Johnson explained that canvassing can demonstrate to people that they are not forgotten.
“Sometimes when you are living in hard hit areas of poverty, of childhood trauma and other adversities you sometimes think that you’re in this fight by yourself,” she said. “When we were elected to office we were elected to serve.”

created: October 6, 2017

author: Alexandria Bursiek


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 5, 2017


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Ex Fabula asks “What Could Go Wrong?” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ex Fabula
October 6, 2017
Milwaukee nonprofit Ex Fabula has amassed quite a bit of experience putting on StorySlams over the last 9 years; even so, they aren’t ready to relax, as each event has the potential for new surprises. Fittingly, the theme for the first Slam of Season 9 is “What Could Go Wrong?”
Ex Fabula’s mission is to strengthen community bonds through the art of storytelling, and at monthly StorySlams, they invite attendees to put their name in the hat if they’d like to share a true, personal story onstage. Stories should be related to the evening’s theme and told in five minutes or less, without props or notes. Themes are selected with audience input; in fact the theme of “What Could Go Wrong” received the most votes from community members this summer, so the program on Tuesday October 17 is sure to be a night of commiseration and community building. To add to the community spirit, Ex Fabula will host pre-event discussions as part of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s On the Table initiative.
Of course, starting the season with that theme begs the question: what  go wrong at Ex Fabula events?  According to Executive Director Megan McGee, there are occasional issues behind the scenes. “We host events all over Milwaukee in order to make our events accessible and help people to explore the city, but sometimes moving from place to place is a logistical nightmare. One night, we arrived at a venue to find that none of the sound equipment was set up, so we had to scramble. We only got everything working a few minutes before the show was supposed to start. When we returned to the venue a year later, we scheduled extra volunteers to deal with the sound – but when we arrived, everything was set! The volunteers didn’t complain though. They just sat and drank beer together since their job was done!”
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Perhaps the more amazing thing is that more doesn’t go wrong, given that Ex Fabula doesn’t vet the stories ahead of time for monthly events, so no one knows what a teller might say onstage. “I can think of 2 occasions in our history where a storyteller didn’t make any sense. Fortunately, we have 9 stories per monthly Slam, so a single 5-minute ramble won’t ruin the evening,” says McGee. “We have fantastic volunteers serving on the ‘Slam Lords’ Committee and working the events, and they’re constantly coming up with ways to make the shows run more smoothly.”
The full schedule of “regular season” StorySlams:
Tuesday, October 17 @ Hot Water Wherehouse                      Theme: What Could Go Wrong?
Thursday, November 9 @ 3041 North                                      Theme: Work
Tuesday, December 12 @ Milwaukee Public Museum             Theme: Tradition
Thursday, January 18 Spectacular @ Turner Hall Ballroom     Theme: Break Free
Wednesday, February 7 @ Lakefront Brewery                         Theme: First Time
Wednesday, March 7 @ Sugar Maple                                       Theme: Karma
Thursday, March 22 @ Garfield’s 502                                       Theme: TMI
Tuesday, April 10 @ Times Cinema                                           Theme: Last Straw
Friday May 18 ALL STARS @ Turner Hall Ballroom                  Theme: Connection
Doors open at 6:30 pm and stories start at 7:30 pm. All seating is general admission, and shows do sell out, so advance ticket purchase is recommended. “That’s another thing that can go wrong: we sometimes have tickets available at the door, but not always – and we feel awful turning people away,” said McGee. Advance tickets, venue accessibility details, storytelling tips and more are available at www.exfabula.org.

author: Ex Fabula


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 6, 2017


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Housing social enterprise raises $170,000 to support homeownership programs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
ACTS Housing
October 7, 2017
(Photo courtesy of ACTS Housing)
Barbara Hudson rented a home for four generations before the home went into foreclosure. Earlier this year, after receiving ACTS Housing homebuyer counseling and real estate services, she purchased the home.
She was spurred to action after finding an ACTS orientation flyer sticking in her door. Orientation is the first step in getting started with the ACTS program; it’s where prospects learn about the homebuyer counseling, real estate services, home rehab counseling and mortgage lending offered at ACTS.
Homeownership has given Barbara much more than just a title or deed.
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According to Barbara, it has provided a ‘home place’ for her family where they gather for Sunday dinners and teaches her grandchildren life-long skills.
“I still have a lot to do,” she said of her continuous home rehab. “But we all work together to get it done.”
Her grandchildren chip in to help cut grass, rake leaves and do other housework to maintain the house. “That’s how they pay for those home-cooked meals at Granny’s,” she said.
Last Thursday, Barbara was the featured speaker at ACTS Housing’s second annual Longest Neighborhood Table event. The night was a celebration of the success of homeowners like Barbara. Thanks to the generosity of all the attendees, the event raised more than $170,000. Proceeds from the event support homeownership in Milwaukee’s neighborhoods.
More than 280 ACTS supporters, community partners and families participated in a silent auction, devoured appetizers from neighborhood restaurants: Si’s Kitchen, The Juice Kitchen, El Rey, and Daddy’s Soul Food & Grille, visited various activity stations and ate a family-style dinner at a table more than 320 feet long.
The night emulated the hospitality of ACTS homeowners after they purchase their homes.
Event co-chairs Deanna Singh and Christine Culver told stories of homeownership and expressed gratitude for the work of ACTS Housing’s families.
Singh got involved with ACTS after attending a neighborhood bus tour and meeting with Executive Director Michael Gosman. She said the work she saw spoke for itself.
“…When people ask me, ‘what agency is doing good work in the housing space?’ I can confidently answer ACTS, and I hope in the years to come you will as well,” Singh said in her remarks.

created: October 7, 2017

author: ACTS Housing


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9.28.17 Energy Assistance Press Release | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 7, 2017
9.28.17 Energy Assistance Press Release


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 7, 2017


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New children’s book highlights positive images of girls of color | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 9, 2017
Author Deanna Singh (left) and illustrator Rozalia Hernandez-Singh share an anecdote about creating their book. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
When Deanna Singh launched her first book, “I am a Boy of Color,” last December, people asked her again and again when she would follow up with “I am a Girl of Color.”
At the time, she wasn’t even thinking about her next book, but she met artist Rozalia Hernandez-Singh at her book launch party and a seed was planted.
“Rozalia gave me her card and … I loved the image (of her children) that she had drawn on the back,” said Singh, who is not related to Hernandez-Singh.
As Singh studied the image and then researched Hernandez-Singh’s work, she realized she had found the ideal artist for “I am a Girl of Color.” Like the first book, this volume presents affirming words and images of black and brown children, this time focusing on girls, and increases the number of books in which those children can find themselves. The official release of “I am a Girl of Color” will take place at a book launch party on Oct. 24.
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Dedicated “to all of the girls who do not wait for permission to claim their power,” the book uses the same cadence as Singh’s first book. It begins with a series of statements patterned this way: ‘When I look into the mirror I see BOLDNESS. I do not let my fears hold me back from my dreams.” Spanning two-pages, this statement is accompanied by a vibrant image of a Native American girl riding a horse.
The sentence is repeated using different highlighted words that evoke positive, powerful attributes — UNIQUENESS, BRILLIANCE, ARTISTRY. Each page presents an image of a different girl of color, representing a wide range of ethnicities and appearances. This section ends with “What do you see when you look at me? Please, see ME.”
The second part of the book contains a series of “I am” statements. “I am Courageous. I am Vivacious. I am Powerful.” Each is accompanied by an image of a girl of color expressing that trait.
Singh noted that it is important for children and adults to internalize these affirmations,  and “sometimes we don’t give enough voice to that and we don’t teach that.” The words of the book are “like an inner dialog that we would hope our children would have about themselves,” she added.
The book concludes with a page where a girl can draw a picture of herself.
Singh’s sons, ages 9 and 5, are African-American, Indian Sikh and Caucasian. Hernandez-Singh, the daughter of Milwaukee muralist Reynaldo Hernandez, is a Latina woman married to a man from India. They have an 11-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter.
“We bonded over having children (who) are even more multiracial than we are,” Singh said. Singh and Hernandez-Singh share a frustration with the lack of children’s books that portray their children’s multiracial, ethnic and cultural identities as well as a desire to share their understanding of the world their children inhabit and will occupy in the future, they said.
Although adults often think that children don’t notice racial differences unless adults point them out, both agreed that that is not true. When Singh-Hernandez’ daughter, Nilima, entered 4-year-old-kindergarten, she reported that there was only one other brown child, a biracial boy, in her class. At the end of the year when the classmates drew pictures of themselves, Singh-Hernandez showed her daughter that two fair-skinned Hispanic classmates had portrayed themselves with brown faces too. “It was important to her. It is powerful,” Singh-Hernandez said.
“Actually it’s been incredibly powerful to see how much all people, and particularly people who are not people of color, have connected to the book (“I am a Boy of Color”), Singh said.
Following last year’s presidential election, Singh said, many people told her that their young children were asking them questions about race that they were not prepared to answer. They said that they found her book when they looked for resources to help them have these conversations.
Singh believes that the core of this national crisis is fear of “the other,” and noted that if people don’t give their children opportunities to see those who are different from themselves as human “we are helping to encourage an environment where that fear continues … to fester.”
Singh, who is president of the Dohmen Company Foundation, said that although she has done advocacy work for “a really long time,” until now she “never fully appreciated or understood how art could change the narrative and get people to a place of comfort.”
“Who’s going to look at a children’s book and say ‘I’m afraid of it?’ You’re not.” Rather, people approach it with openness and curiosity and recognize themselves and others there.  “You’re going to be open to the beauty of the images,” Singh said.
Singh may or may not write another book but she is committed to encouraging authors and artists, particularly people of color, to create more books about children of color. She added that parents who have white children should show their children the diversity in the world.
Singh will celebrate the release of her new book by honoring a woman of color who embodies each of the qualities highlighted in the book. Honorees are: Jasmine Johnson (Vivacious); Genyne Edwards and Dominique Samari (Possibility); Amy Lindner (Courageous); Patricia Singh (Ancestry); Rozalia Hernandez-Singh (Artistry); Cecelia Gore (Graceful); Tina Chang (Boldness); Irissol Arce (Inspiring); Zeynab Ali (Powerful); Gerry Howze (Joyful); and Monique Liston (Uniqueness).
The public is invited to the launch party on Tuesday, Oct. 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Snifter’s Tapas & Spirits, 606 S. 5th St. Admission is free but registration is required.

created: October 9, 2017

author: Andrea Waxman


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 8, 2017

created: October 8, 2017


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Central city residents concerned about proposed fire station closures | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
October 10, 2017
Firefighters from Station 31, 2400 S. 8th St., respond to a call recently. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Firefighters from Milwaukee Fire Department (MFD) Station 28, located at 424 N. 30th St. on the West Side, were the first on scene when her mother suffered a medical emergency four years ago, recalled Mary Hughes, 51. The same was true six years earlier when her father needed emergency help.
“Neither of them ended up making it, but they [firefighters] got there as fast as they could and tried their hardest to save them,” Hughes said.
Station 28 is one of six Milwaukee fire stations scheduled to close under Mayor Tom Barrett’s budget proposal for 2018. The others are Station 3, 100 W. Virginia St.; Station 5, 1313 W. Reservoir Ave.; Station 6, 1693 N. Franklin Place; Station 25, 300 S. 84th St.; and Station 31, 2400 S. 8th St. on the near South Side. The MFD recommended those stations after carefully analyzing data to examine the impact the closures would have on response times, according to MFD Chief Mark Rohlfing.
Rohlfing said that no firefighters will be laid off due to the closures, but that staffing levels will be cut down through attrition and current open positions will not be filled. Stations 28 is located in the Merrill Park neighborhood and 31 is located in Lincoln Village. Both are located in low-income areas of Milwaukee, while the remaining sites proposed to be closed are in more affluent areas of the city.
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“Fire companies in the inner city in the poor economic areas are our busiest companies,” Rohlfing said.
Moises Reyes, 21, said firefighters from Station 31 were the first on scene when his father suffered a medical emergency a few years ago. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The proposed budget would also cut police officer positions and result in a 3.7 percent property tax increase. Barrett has repeatedly called on state lawmakers to ease restriction on the city to allow it to create other taxing mechanisms besides property taxes. In a report released over the summer, the Public Policy Forum strongly recommended state legislators make changes to the state’s revenue-generating system, which has handcuffed the city by limiting its options.
Moises Reyes, 21, who lives near Station 31, said he’s worried that closing it would have a destabilizing effect on the neighborhood and eventually lead to increased crime.
“I think  alot of people, when they see firefighters and the firehouse respect that area and drive better and you don’t see or hear about as much crimes around here as you do in other neighborhoods,” Reyes said.
Reyes, who noted that firefighters from the station were the first to arrive when his father was seriously hurt while working in his yard, is also worried about increased response times.
According to the MFD, fire engine response times will average between four minutes and 10 seconds and six minutes and 20 seconds in the neighborhoods where stations 28 and 31 are located, although response times on some blocks near Station 31 would still average less than four minutes and 10 seconds. Information on current response times was not immediately available. However, according to Rohlfing, the closures will result in increased response times of between 5 to 25 seconds on average throughout the city.
“We looked at all the data and where the engine houses are located and came up with the best options we could to cover the city. You’re dealt a hand and you have to do the best you can with it,” Rohlfing said.
While Rohlfing said he’s not sure whether the presence of fire stations affects crime, he knows that they are considered neighborhood anchors and that closing a station is a big loss for any area, especially a low-income neighborhood.
According to data provided by MFD, Station 28 responded to 3,289 dispatched calls for service in 2016 while Station 31 responded to 3,013. In comparison, Station 25, which is also slated to close, responded to 716 calls in 2016. Station 13, 2901 N. 30th,  which will not close, responded to 5,708 calls. So far this year, Station 31 has responded to 2,586 calls and Station 28, 2,343, including a two-alarm fire overnight Monday on 33rd and W. State Street that displaced 20 residents.
Forty-four percent of individuals living in the 53204 ZIP code, where station 31 is located, are below the poverty level, according to data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. In 53208, where Station 28 is located, the rate is 34 percent.
Hughes, who still lives in the house where her parents’ passed and grew up in the neighborhood, said with so much going on there, she’s shocked that Station 28 could be closed by next year.
“I wish they wouldn’t close any of them, but this one [Station 28] is so busy and so important to this neighborhood that I have a hard time believing that it might close,” Hughes said.

created: October 10, 2017

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 9, 2017


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On The Block: A happy marriage | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 10, 2017
Lillie Hughes met her husband John when she was 16 years old and he was 15. He was playing in a band and working, and she thought he was older. They married the following year, had children and he became a pastor. Now they are approaching their 50th wedding anniversary.


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Community members embrace new Mitchell Street library branch | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Leah Harris
October 11, 2017
The Mitchell Street Library Branch is located in the former Hills Department Store building. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Abraham Pacheco spent the afternoon at the new Mitchell Street Branch Library because his little sister loves to read.
“She’s a bookworm,” he said. “So I brought her to the new library to get some more books.”
On Saturday afternoon, Pacheco, a student at Milwaukee Area Technical College, and his sister visited the new Mitchell Street Branch Library for the grand opening. Pacheco said that he wants to take his sister and his two other younger siblings whenever he has time because it’s important for them to get into reading while they’re still young.
Public officials, library staff and community leaders cut the ribbon to officially open the library. (Photo by Adam Carr)
About 300 people visited the library, at 906 W. Mitchell St., on Oct. 7 to celebrate the grand opening. They included Mayor Tom Barrett, Ald. Jose Perez and other community leaders. Throughout the day, a constant flow of people toured the facility to use computers, check out books and participate in opening day activities.
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“Most of the time I use the library at school (MATC) for textbooks but today I wanted to look for some poetry books,” Pacheco said. “My sister reads just about anything.”
The League of Women Voters registered people to vote and local musicians led children in drumming sessions. Artists Working in Education, a nonprofit that brings art to children, taught papel picado, a traditional Mexican folk art, in the new community room.
At 23,000-square-feet, the Mitchell Street Branch is the largest public library in the city. Located in the old Hills Department Store building on Historic Mitchell Street, it features modern updates such as a “maker space” for teens to learn video and audio skills and a “social stairway” made of wide steps with comfortable, built-in seating.
Milwaukee Public Library Director Paula Kiely said that the library gathered input from community members when planning the facility. “We talked to adults, teenagers and children to decide how they wanted to use their library.”
A family enjoys laptops provided by the library. (Photo by Leah Harris)
Sam McGovern-Rowen, project manager for library construction, said students pitched the idea of the maker space. “Teenagers from South Division said it would be great to record sound.”
“It’s beautiful,” said community member Greg Jahnke. “It’s nice to see an old building renovated.”
Jahnke, who lives a short drive from both the Mitchell Street Branch and the Central Library downtown, said he plans to visit the Mitchell Street Branch more often to see how the library affects the community. “I think it’ll be a snowball effect that would hopefully make other businesses and places want to improve.”
Kiley added, “We’re excited to be a part of the renaissance that’s happening on Mitchell Street. This is the first time we put a library in a historic building. It’s the first library spread across three levels.”
The library features study rooms on the third floor and a kitchen on the lower level. Above the library are 6o apartments now available for rent.
The building bustled with crowds of people on Saturday afternoon and Pacheco said he hopes it continues to thrive. “It’s better and brighter,” Pacheco said. “It’s alive.”

created: October 11, 2017

author: Leah Harris


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 10, 2017


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Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development & Innovation is accepting nominations through Oct 20th | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
LISC Milwaukee
October 12, 2017
The Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (known as the MANDIs) recognize individuals, organizations and projects that enrich Milwaukee neighborhoods.  Nominations for 19th annual MANDIs will be accepted through October 20, 2017, at www.mandiawards.org.
Organized by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and sponsored by US Bank, the awards pay tribute to the people and organizations working tirelessly to make Milwaukee a great place to live, learn, work and grow. Individuals, organizations and projects in the city of Milwaukee are eligible to apply.
Nominations will be accepted in a variety of categories to recognize individuals, projects and organizations.
The new J.P. Morgan Chase Economic Development Award, will recognize outstanding projects that drive economic growth at the neighborhood level.
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Additional categories include:
All of the finalists will be eligible for the Wells Fargo People’s Choice Award. The Wells Fargo People’s Choice Award is an interactive category that allows the public to vote online for their favorite finalists.
MANDI is hosted by LISC Milwaukee (Local Initiative Support Corporation). Winners are selected by an independent committee, and  announced at a gala on Thursday, March 15, 2018. MANDI winners receive public recognition and $1,000.
Visit www.lisc.org/milwaukee for detailed category descriptions and complete nomination instructions.  Entries must be submitted by October 20th, 2017.

created: October 12, 2017

author: LISC Milwaukee


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Proposed city legislation would place restrictions on roadside memorials | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
October 12, 2017
Behind the garden honoring Emani Robinson near 39th and Center streets, students at Milwaukee College Prep play in the school parking lot. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
In a small lot next to a convenience store on the corner of 39th and Center streets lies a bed of tiny bushes, purple and yellow flowers and four lanterns, all surrounding a photo of Emani Robinson, a 16-year-old boy shot and killed on that corner this summer.
The little garden sprouts life in a place that holds the memory of cruelty, violence and death for so many in the neighborhood. Since Robinson’s murder, family, friends and neighbors have gathered near the corner to honor and remember him.
For a while, a photo and decorations hung on the stoplight as a tribute to Robinson, but Quick Food Market manager Greg Powell said the “morbid, melancholy” reminder of the death caused fear and discomfort among customers.
Camille Mays, founder and coordinator of Peace Garden Project MKE, said she worked with Robinson’s family to move the memorial from the roadside to what was then a vacant lot next to the store and plant a garden. The Peace Garden Project MKE is dedicated to “changing the landscape of our communities by adding art, landscaping, and replacing makeshift memorials throughout our city,” according to its Facebook page.
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Unlike memorials with teddy bears and paper decorations, which essentially become litter, the garden is a permanent and beautiful fixture in the community, Powell said. “We definitely got a little bit of our traffic back, and customers are more comfortable.”
The move from the public sidewalk to a designated area where a crowd can gather solved a problem that a proposed policy change aims to prevent.
A memorial on a utility pole near 32nd and Burleigh streets. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
At a City Public Works Committee meeting last month, Ald. Cavalier Johnson put forth a policy that would limit roadside memorials to stand no longer than 10 consecutive days and would allow people to visit only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Currently these memorials can remain for 30 days.
Roadside memorials are shrines along streets and sidewalks honoring someone who has died with photos, balloons, teddy bears, flowers and other decorations. They are common in central city neighborhoods, and many of the lost loved ones are victims of gun violence or car accidents. These memorials often serve as gathering spaces for people to mourn the loss.
Johnson’s proposal was in response to complaints from citizens in his district who pleaded with him to remove a memorial on their street.
“Some of these memorials turn into, essentially, unpermitted block parties,” Johnson said.
Where people gathered at the memorial, they left behind muddy lawns, garbage, empty beer bottles and blunt wrappers. They parked their cars on neighbors’ private lots, hung out near the memorial late into the night and even grilled out in the street, Johnson said.
“The first young lady I spoke to had an infant child,” he said. “It’s hard enough to get some sleep at night because the baby keeps her awake, but now the baby can’t even sleep because folks are there at all hours of the morning.”
Johnson added, “We respect, of course, people’s wishes to go and mourn the people who have been lost, but we also have to respect the people in the neighborhoods.” He said the updated policy would give people a chance to reclaim their neighborhood after the incident.
Local activist Dennis Walton, outreach coordinator of the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative, said he understands both sides of the issue, but he thinks Johnson’s proposed legislation would fail to address the root problem.
“Telling someone that they can’t grieve after 8 o’clock at night is not going to solve the real problem,” Walton said. “Band-Aid policies like this aren’t going to do anything; it’s just going to cause more division among people.”
He said that especially with a complex issue such as gun violence, local elected officials should mediate between the parties and develop empathetic, proactive strategies to meet their needs.
Johnson’s proposed policy update also mandates that the city’s Office of Violence Prevention approach the family of the deceased when a street memorial is erected and inform them of the time limit.
Mays said she thinks the updated policy would be a compromise that takes into account both sides of the issue.
“This becomes really sensitive for certain families, and it can be part of their grieving process,” Mays said. “But you have to set a boundary in respect of the neighbors.”
Mays and other volunteers landscape projects such as the Robinson garden to make neighborhoods look nicer and honor someone who has died.
“The gardens are more of a representation of what we really mean with those (roadside) memorials. They should call her (Mays) over every time they take another memorial down,” Powell said. “The garden brings happier feelings to the area in these trying days.”
Johnson represents the 2nd District — bordered mainly by Mill Road on the north, Appleton Avenue on the west, Capitol Drive on the south and 60th Street on the east. When he first proposed the policy change, some aldermen opposed it because it would force removal of peaceful, long-standing memorials.
The proposal was amended to allow individual aldermen to override the policy and allow a memorial to stand longer. Aldermen Mark Borkowski, Robert Bauman, Nik Kovac, Jim Bohl and Bob Donovan then recommended adoption of the ordinance. However, the city attorney’s office determined that the most appropriate approach would be to change the existing Department of Public Works policy rather than enact the proposal into law.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 11, 2017


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County Board begins testing innovative public engagement platform | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
October 13, 2017
The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors announced its launch of Polco today, an innovative civic engagement platform where residents can directly influence the County’s decision-making process.
“Supervisors want to hear from the public. This tool allows us to seek out citizen views on timely issues and collect responses in a way that is useful to us as policymakers,” said County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb, Sr.
Polco is a platform designed to increase civic engagement, improve government transparency, and inform governments of constituent input which, in turn, will help better guide public policy.
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Using Polco’s civic analytics website and apps, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors will post questions directly to residents and receive insightful, reliable data to drive local policy decisions. By increasing civic engagement through web-based polling, there is an opportunity to meet Milwaukee County residents where they are and collectively move policy forward.
“When all constituents feel a part of the decision process, communities inherently become more resilient to future challenges,” said Nick Mastronardi, Founder and CEO of Polco.
Polco is committed to a strict privacy policy where they only share aggregated de-identified results. Participant detailed data and votes are never shared.
Polco provides the tools for municipalities to collect residents’ views concerning proposed legislation, meeting agenda items, and broader issues.
Residents can become active users by visiting https://polco.us/milwaukeecounty and creating an account. Polco’s platform is available via web, mobile, email, and any place Polco e-ballots are found online. This service is free to all residents of Milwaukee County.

created: October 13, 2017

author: Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors


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County leaders have limited options to address 2018 budget shortfall | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Public Policy Forum
October 13, 2017
The Public Policy Forum’s annual analysis of the Milwaukee County Executive’s recommended budget finds that the 2018 proposal largely averts service cuts, which is no easy task given the $30.9 million budget deficit facing the County in the coming year. The trade-off, however, is more than $19 million of new or enhanced fees, including a proposed $30 increase in the vehicle registration fee (VRF) that contradicts the results of an advisory referendum last April.
“This appears to reflect – for the second consecutive year – a determination that significant service and staff reductions and new outsourcing initiatives no longer are palatable after years of reliance on such strategies, and that revenue enhancements represent the ‘least bad’ of the County’s difficult deficit reduction options,” says the report.
The proposed increase in the VRF – from $30 to $60 – would generate an additional $14.6 million in 2018, which would be used mainly to preserve existing levels of transit service. In addition, the VRF revenue frees up property tax resources from the transit budget that can be spread among other County functions to similarly avoid service cuts. The budget also recommends $4.7 million in other new or enhanced fees, including new parking fees at County parks, transit fare increases for regular users, increased Milwaukee County Zoo admissions charges, and increased fees for phone calls made by Jail and House of Correction inmates.
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“Whether it is reasonable to reject the VRF referendum results – and to generally ask users of County services to shoulder a greater proportion of service costs – will continue to be the key
questions debated by policymakers in this year’s budget deliberations,” says the report. “As they do so, they will need to acknowledge that responsible alternatives are scarce. Because the County lacks authority under State law to raise property taxes by more than $5.5 million – and because its use of the sales tax is capped at the existing 0.5% — the only major deficit reduction option on the revenue side is the VRF and other fees.”
The budget brief points out that there are alternative options on the expenditure side, though those inevitably would need to include service reductions in discretionary areas like parks, culture, and transit.
“While we have suggested for years that a balanced approach involving both expenditure reductions and revenue enhancements is the most appropriate solution to the County’s severe structural challenges, it is fair to ask whether that balance has shifted too far to the revenue side in the recommended budget,” says the report. “The issue is not that $19 million in new revenue is not needed…(it) instead is whether the fee increases should be accompanied by expenditure reductions – which admittedly would involve real cuts in service – as a means of taking an even bigger bite out of the structural deficit and/or allowing the proposed fee increases to be phased in more gradually.”
The report adds that it would have been beneficial for the April advisory referendum on the VRF to delineate the County’s limited options to eliminate the 2018 budget gap, “as that would have made it a more valid barometer of public sentiment.”
While the proposed VRF and other fee increases are likely to be the most contentious items in the recommended budget, the report also analyzes several additional key elements. For example, it points out that despite major investments in a new international airport terminal and much-needed bus replacements, the recommended capital budget only addresses a fraction of the County’s overwhelming infrastructure needs. And, on the operating side, while new investments are proposed to address opioid challenges and for programs serving delinquent youth, the homeless, and persons suffering from mental illness, a perennial hole in the Sheriff’s budget is not fully addressed.
The report concludes by noting the recent progress the County has made in reducing its decades- long structural imbalance by lowering debt service payments, trimming health care costs, and cutting staff. Nevertheless, stagnant revenue streams, escalating retirement obligations, and a huge infrastructure backlog pose formidable obstacles. The budget brief emphasizes that decisions on the
appropriate mix of expenditure reductions and revenue enhancements in the 2018 budget must be made with the County’s long-term financial challenges in mind.
“Without question, the worst possible outcome would be an avoidance of difficult choices by delaying additional needed capital projects, depleting reserves, or ignoring legally-bound obligations to retirees,” warns the report. “Kicking the can down the road is not a solution and only would erode the recent financial achievements that have resulted from responsible action by both branches of County government.”
The County budget brief can be downloaded at www.publicpolicyforum.org. The Forum’s 2018 City of Milwaukee budget brief will be released in the near future.
Milwaukee-based Public Policy Forum, established in 1913 as a local government watchdog, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness of government and the development of southeastern Wisconsin through objective research of public policy issues.

author: Public Policy Forum


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North Side community members plead with public to drive safely | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elliot Hughes
October 13, 2017
Local activist Andre Lee Ellis called a press conference Wednesday to make a public plea for people to drive safely in Milwaukee. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
As if it were coordinated to emphasize the point, just as State Rep. David Bowen told 40 community members and a half-dozen journalists, “We want people to actually respect traffic laws because it’s important for the safety of everyone,” a green SUV came speeding past a stop sign and through the intersection of 12th Street and Concordia Avenue behind him.
As four police officers among the crowd sped off in an unmarked car and a pair of motorcycles, Bowen continued:
“We are not respecting traffic laws,” he said. “We have to stop at stop signs.”
Bowen, other elected officials and community residents gathered at the intersection Wednesday in response to the death of Joseph N. Blunt, 16, who was thrown from the hood of a moving vehicle at the same intersection the day before, to make a plea to the public to drive with care and hold each other accountable.
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Community members created a small memorial for Joseph N. Blunt, 16, who died at the intersection of 12th and Concordia streets after a reckless driving incident Tuesday. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
“I’m asking you to just put a stop sign in your mind,” said Andre Lee Ellis, a local activist who organized the gathering. “When you see a stop sign at the corner, stop so that you and others can live.” Ellis and others wore t-shirts with red stop signs saying “#stopANDlive.”
A 21-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident, which occurred at about 10:20 a.m. Tuesday along the 3300 block of 12th Street, according to the Milwaukee Police Department. Blunt was thrown from the hood after the car braked. He later died of his injuries at a hospital.
Police did not say why Blunt was on top of the vehicle, but speakers at Wednesday’s event characterized it as two people fooling around.
Blunt’s death is yet another instance of reckless driving, which community members and city officials have said is plaguing not just the Borchert Field neighborhood, but the entire city. The Northwest Side Community Development Corp. organized a “Rally for Safe Streets” at North 31st Street and West Capitol Drive on Monday.
As of Oct. 2, 47 people died from traffic crashes in the city of Milwaukee this year, including 15 pedestrians, according to police. Traffic crashes killed 57 people in Milwaukee in 2016 and 64 the year before that.
At the gathering Wednesday and in various committee meetings in City Hall over the last several months, frustrated community members have described frequent instances of cars running red lights, speeding and driving in an overall aggressive manner.
“It’s almost gotten to the point that when you’re at the corner now and the light turns green for you, you have to wait a few seconds just to make sure that it’s clear from the traffic that is supposed to be stopping and waiting for you,” Ellis said.
Other speakers at Wednesday’s gathering included State Rep. David Crowley, State Sen. Lena Taylor and Running Rebels Executive Director Victor Barnett. Although many of them called on the city and police to step up efforts to reduce reckless driving, the focus of their message fell mainly on community members to just slow down and encourage others to do the same.
“Situations such as this are occurring way too often,” said Crowley. “We can’t continue to allow reckless driving to take over our streets. We can’t continue not to hold each other accountable.”

author: Elliot Hughes


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 12, 2017

author: Adam Carr


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NNS panel discussion on black activism to be streamed live | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 13, 2017

author: Dwayne Burtin


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activism | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 12, 2017


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2018 budget is a watershed for the City of Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Public Policy Forum
October 16, 2017
The Public Policy Forum’s annual review of the Mayor’s proposed 2018 budget for the City of Milwaukee calls it a “watershed” budget that indicates structural challenges have come to a head. As a result, annual cuts in public safety staffing, as well as property tax increases that exceed the rate of inflation, may become the norm.
“The City’s structural imbalance – caused by the conflict between stagnant revenue streams and fierce personnel-related expenditure pressures – is relatively old news,” says the 2018 City of Milwaukee budget brief. “This budget, however, marks the first since 2010 in which the Milwaukee Police Department is not shielded from deficit reduction strategies that have been commonplace for most other City departments.”
In the absence of this special treatment, 33 positions would be cut from the Milwaukee Police Department. An additional 75 positions would be cut from the Milwaukee Fire Department, and the two departments would see their combined expenditures reduced by nearly $19 million.
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“The Mayor’s refusal to shield public safety represents a change in thinking – one that he contends only should be reversed if State lawmakers provide the City with the ability to implement a local sales tax,” says the report.
According to the report, the proposed cuts in public safety reflect the severity of the City’s financial challenges for 2018. The primary culprit is a spike in the employer pension contribution, which increases from $61 million to $83 million. Also, the City must reduce its withdrawal from the Tax Stabilization Fund by more than $8 million, as its ability to replenish the Fund has not kept pace with recent draws.
On the revenue side, intergovernmental revenues are flat, growing by only $1.8 million (0.7%) from the 2017 amount. To offset that lack of growth and respond to the increased pension payment, the budget proposes a $9.7 million (3.7%) increase in the property tax levy – the largest percentage increase since 2010. If that levy amount is adopted, then the property tax – for the first time – would replace intergovernmental revenue as the City’s largest single revenue source.
“The proposed budget’s unmistakable message is that with intergovernmental revenues largely flat and nowhere else to turn on the revenue side, all City services must be subject to reduction and the property tax levy must continue to grow,” says the report.
The report also analyzes other elements of the proposed budget besides the “three P’s” – public safety, pensions, and property taxes. Those include an unexpected $6.7 million reduction in health care spending, which provides cushion to partially offset the growth in pension costs; and a decision to reduce levy-supported borrowing by $12.7 million, which may impact the City’s ability to appropriately meet its capital needs.
The budget was introduced by the Mayor on September 26 and is now in the hands of the Milwaukee Common Council, which will adopt a final budget in November. The report notes that while the Mayor has deemed that public safety should not be off limits when it comes to personnel and expenditure reductions, the Common Council may disagree.
“Making up the millions in savings that result from the proposed reduction of 108 public safety positions would not be easy, and likely would necessitate much deeper cuts in public health, libraries, and neighborhood services, or an even bigger property tax increase than that proposed by the Mayor,” says the report. “Nevertheless, that is where legitimate policy deliberation can and should occur. Less legitimate would be consideration of one-time options, such as depletion of reserves.”
The report concludes by echoing a theme contained in On the Money?, the Forum’s comprehensive analysis of the City’s revenue structure that was published last July.
“Overall, the difficulties posed by the 2018 budget are emblematic of a financial structure that needs to be fixed. While the nature of the fix is debatable, the underlying causes are apparent and should no longer be ignored.”
The City of Milwaukee budget brief can be downloaded at www.publicpolicyforum.org. The Forum’s 2017 Milwaukee County budget brief was released on Friday and also is available on the website.
Milwaukee-based Public Policy Forum, established in 1913 as a local government watchdog, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness of government and the development of southeastern Wisconsin through objective research of public policy issues.

created: October 16, 2017


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Bringing peace is hard work | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Carmen Pitre
October 16, 2017
Carmen Pitre, president and CEO of Sojourner, reflects on how to spread peace during a time of so much violence and suffering. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
I have been reflecting more and more on this question: “How can we live with an open heart in the midst of so much suffering?” The last few weeks have been a heavy and difficult time for our country. The recent events in Las Vegas remind us all of the fragility of life. Locally, Wisconsin is still suffering from violence, and our own communities in Milwaukee are hurting. End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin recently released its 2016 Domestic Violence Homicide Report, which contains more names – that is, it records more lives lost – than any previous Wisconsin Domestic Violence Homicide Report.
This report documents that domestic violence deaths occurred at a record pace in 2016 in our state: one death every five days. Basic human rights, like human dignity and peace, are still being denied to many. The frustration, struggle and fear in our neighborhoods continue to be palpable, and the need for a safe and peaceful community is still great.
Working to bring peace, and live with an open heart, is hard work. Community and connection are so very important during times of heartbreak and fear. We, collectively, need to continue to look for new ways to create hope for ourselves, and for our family, friends, neighbors and anyone in our community who feels hopeless. I know that I can only continue this hard work if I am in partnership with each of you. I want you all to know that you make a difference in our community. Know that the listening ear, comfort and time you give to each other remain important and bring hope into the lives of many. We are stronger when we stand together. We can make a difference when we care for each other.
We can spread peace by setting an example: practice self-care and advocate for each other’s wellness, confide and lean on each other during hard times, reflect, ask for help in times of need and share your voice. The most important messages we can give to survivors are, “You are not alone,” “It is not your fault,” and “I am here to help.” On some level, we are all aching to know that we are not alone and that we make a difference in the world. You can be a refugee to someone who is struggling by simply believing survivors when they come forward, understanding the resources that are available in our community, and being willing to help. At Sojourner we believe that everyone deserves safety, and that a life free from violence is a basic human right. We believe that, together, we can create hope and provide light in dark times for people who are hurting. We know that, together, we can transform Milwaukee.
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Join us in delivering these critically important messages to survivors in our community. Let’s create safe spaces where light, love and compassion, for others and ourselves, can exist.

author: Carmen Pitre


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 15, 2017

created: October 15, 2017


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DVAM image | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 15, 2017


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Former MSDF inmates tell stories of mistreatment, mismanagement | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
October 16, 2017
Former inmates of the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility described deplorable conditions at the temporary holding facility in downtown Milwaukee during a recent event hosted by Ex-Prisoners Organizing (EXPO).
According to the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF) website, the purpose of the facility is “to protect the public through the detention of adult offenders in a safe and secure institution.” It goes on to say that MSDF is “committed to the successful reintegration of offenders to the community, focusing on accountability, programming, and a high level of collaboration with community partners.”
But stories of former inmates paint a much grimmer picture. According to six individuals who spent time there, the facility lacks any natural sunlight, proper ventilation or medical care for prisoners. They described a place plagued by overcrowding where inmates are kept in cells as many as 23 hours a day and subjected to excessive heat. William Harrell, a minister who spent time at MSDF in the early 2000s, attributed some of the 17 deaths that have occurred at the facility — where he estimated temperatures could reach 100 degrees — to heat exhaustion.
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The event, facilitated by Mass Story Lab — a community storytelling project whose mission is to make stories of people directly impacted by mass incarceration “an instrument of justice” — was part of a campaign, launched in June, to close the state-run, high-rise detention center.
Rob Schreiber (right) speaks about his experience with MSDF as Sharyl McFarland (middle) and William Harrell (left) look on. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
The #CLOSEmsdf Campaign is supported by MICAH, UBLAC, NAACP Milwaukee Branch, 9to5 Wisconsin and Voces de la Frontera, among others. Mass Story Lab is involved in the effort to close Rikers Island, the infamous New York City detention center, and has held dialogues in nine cities, nationwide.
Charles Hampton, whose son is at MSDF, said people who need medication don’t receive it and inmates receive half portions at meal time.
“I came out and nobody knew who I was because I had lost 60 pounds in six weeks,” said Rob Schreiber. Schreiber described an environment where activities meant for personal improvement — even reading books — were frowned upon or not allowed.
He added, “There is no rehabilitation in the Department of Corrections in the State of Wisconsin. Everything is based on fear.”
“It had me real depressed — it had me suicidal,” Shirley Moffett said of MSDF. Moffett shared a cell with three other women during a three-month stay at the detention center.
EXPO Assistant State Director Mark Rice, who spent six months at MSDF after being arrested for disorderly conduct while “having a mental health crisis,” said he saw “atrocities” there, including one man who committed suicide and others who mutilated themselves.
According to those who spoke, Rice’s experience is indicative of how people end up at the facility. The charges against Rice were dropped two days after he was arrested but his parole officer decided to move forward with the process to revoke his parole anyway, a practice known as “crimeless revocation.”
Rice said this practice, which includes imprisoning people for violation of supervision rules and other small infractions, flies in the face of people’s right to due process.
“Incarcerating people at MSDF defies our notions of freedom and justice,” said Rice. “MSDF is beyond reform; it’s time to shut it down.”
Tom Moore, head of the Close MSDF Research Committee, which is exploring alternatives to detention, said treatment programs don’t have to confine people, but can be based in the community. Other attendees suggested resources used to operate the facility be reinvested to provide better mental health and substance abuse treatment, access to high-quality education and help securing living-wage employment.
EXPO Assistant State Director Mark Rice addresses the crowd. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
But conversations at the event did not stop with MSDF. Many attendees took issue with the criminal justice system as a whole, noting a racial component to enforcement, particularly in Wisconsin, where black men are more than 12 times as likely as whites to be incarcerated.
“When you have 2.7 million people in prison (nationwide) and 70 million people with a criminal record, I would say that that is a huge human rights atrocity that we have not fully reckoned with,” said Piper Anderson, creator and lead facilitator of Mass Story Lab. “Our country needs to do some serious work to reckon with the impact of incarceration.”
Hampton, who periodically visits Racine Correctional Institution to meet with inmates, said there are “several” fathers and sons incarcerated together at that institution. According to Melissa Ludin, president of EXPO, children of women who have been incarcerated have an 80 percent chance of ending up in jail. The population of incarcerated women has increased 700 percent since 1980, mostly due to non-violent drug offenses, she added.
“It’s a waste of time, a waste of money and there’s nothing productive that comes out of it,” attendee Fran Korthof said of the prison system. “We need to be helping people form lives, rather than punish, and punish and punish some more.”
Rice said he hopes the event will help to humanize the incarceration issue, adding, “We’re all human beings.”
Sharyl McFarland, whose 17-year-old son spent three weeks at MSDF before being sent to the House of Correction, said those affected by incarceration cannot be silent.
“We need to talk about what’s going on,” she said. “We cannot help our community if people are keeping everything bottled inside because they feel ashamed, they feel nobody will help them, they feel nobody will listen. I’m listening, there’s other people listening and we really need … to hold people accountable for what they are doing.”
“We need to start inside ourselves,” said attendee Barbara Richards, adding that it’s important to understand society has failed those who end up incarcerated.
Richards said people need to start with small actions, help each other when possible and not approach situations out of fear. “Fear dominates and, to get past that is a very big step.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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FREE Flu Shots at Neighborhood House this Thursday, Oct. 19th | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Neighborhood House of Milwaukee
October 17, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Neighborhood House)
Thursday, October 19th | 11am-1pm
Neighborhood House (2819 W. Richardson Pl.)
Flu season is just around the corner, have you had your flu shot yet? Stop by Neighborhood House this Thursday, October 19, from 11am-1pm for our flu awareness kickoff! We will be distributing a limited number of FREE flu shots on a first-come, first-served basis. All ages are welcome.
Plus, Mayor Tom Barrett and Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker will roll up their sleeves to get their seasonal flu vaccinations and share a message that your best shot at preventing the flu is to get the flu shot.
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created: October 17, 2017

author: Neighborhood House of Milwaukee


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 17, 2017