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‘Driver’s licenses for all:’ Why some advocates call for expanding access in Wisconsin | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jonah Chester / Wisconsin Watch
March 18, 2023
This story was originally published by Wisconsin Watch and WPR[1] .
“Antonio’s” daily commute to work could end with his family being torn apart.
Antonio, not his real name, is among Wisconsin’s estimated 70,000 residents who lack permanent legal status. None of them is eligible for a driver’s license, meaning they face legal risks — even possible detention and deportation — whenever they take the wheel. That stirs anxiety extending to family, like Antonio’s daughter.
“Once she sees the police, she freezes,” says Antonio, who has lived in the country since 2008 and asked to remain anonymous for fear of legal repercussions. “She’s starting to worry, because she knows my situation. And she’s like, ‘Oh, Dad, you have to drive carefully, because we don’t want the police to stop you.’ ”
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It hasn’t always been this way in Wisconsin, which once provided a licensing pathway for residents who enter the country illegally. The state closed that path 16 years ago, leaving people like Antonio with few safe options for navigating a state with shrinking or non-existent public transit systems. A 30-minute car ride from Green Bay is the only viable way Antonio can commute to his job with a cabinet shop, he says.
“I don’t even see any bus stations by my work, so I don’t think it’s a choice to go to my work by bus,” he says.
Immigrant advocacy groups have long pushed to repeal Wisconsin’s ban on driver’s licenses for people who lack legal status, saying doing so is not only humane, but would expand the state’s tight labor force and boost public safety — an argument research in other states supports.
In his latest state budget proposal, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is calling for doing just that. Removing the ban would pave the way for licensing as many as 32,000 residents in three years, Madison-based Kids Forward, a liberal-leaning advocacy group, estimated in 2018.
“In America’s Dairyland, immigrants are an essential part of our communities,” Evers said during his budget address in February. “Let’s make sure everyone can access driver’s licenses regardless of their citizenship status, so that workers can get from point A to point B, and we can make our roads safer, too.”
But the Republican-controlled Legislature has stripped that provision from two previous budgets it has sent for Evers’ signature, and it is likely to again do so. Republicans argue the state’s spending plan shouldn’t include non-fiscal proposals that merit debate through standalone legislation.
“The driver’s license idea is just one idea among many ideas,” Sen. Howard Marklein, a Spring Green Republican who co-leads the Joint Finance Committee, said in a statement. “However, it is also a non-fiscal policy item. We will not be including most, if not all, non-fiscal policy in the state budget.”
Standalone legislation in past years has failed to draw a hearing in Republican-controlled committees.
Still, as more states open licensing pathways for immigrant drivers who currently don’t qualify, advocates for Wisconsin immigrants — and farmers who employ some of them — hope to see a breakthrough.
“It’s a long battle,” says Primitivo Torres, deputy operations director of the advocacy group Voces de la Frontera, a key voice in Wisconsin’s “driver’s licenses for all” movement. “But it’s a battle that we’re willing to take on because of the need for our communities.”
The roots of Wisconsin’s current licensing law lie in federal immigration system changes adopted after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Following a recommendation from the federal 9/11 Commission, Congress in 2005 passed the RealID Act, which requires a RealID-compliant license to access certain facilities and resources — everything from boarding a flight to entering federal properties, such as federal courthouses.
That prompted legislatures to change state licensing policies to comply with the federal regulations.
Wisconsin’s RealID law cleared the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2006 and took effect the next year, allowing only people who entered the country legally to obtain driver’s licenses. Then-Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat, reluctantly signed the law, which many legislative Democrats opposed.
Despite questions about whether the federal government would provide enough funding for the changes, Doyle called the law necessary to “crack down on driver’s license fraud,” the Associated Press reported at the time. He also worried failing to comply with the federal law would have repercussions for every Wisconsinite with a driver’s license.
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have since permitted drivers to obtain driver’s identification that doesn’t comply with the RealID Act. While those IDs can’t be used to board an airplane or enter certain federal facilities, drivers can use them during a traffic stop, or when applying for auto insurance.
Minnesota’s Legislature was the latest to approve “driver’s licenses for all” legislation, which Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed this month.
Colorado requires such licenses to specify they are invalid for voting, to limit the chances someone will use them to vote illegally — an idea Wisconsin Democrats have proposed in the past.
Wisconsin already issues a driver’s card that doesn’t comply with RealID. It includes a “not for federal purposes” disclaimer. But it still requires proof of legal residency. Evers’ proposal is sparse on details — it’s just one sentence in the 723-page spending plan.
Wisconsin’s legislative Republicans have previously argued loosening Wisconsin licensing requirements would incentivize illegal immigration.
“There’s a tendency to sometimes accept the fact that we have people here breaking the law,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in 2009. Vos’ office did not return a request for a comment on Evers’ latest proposal.
Advocates argue driver’s cards will increase safety by requiring more drivers to take a licensing exam — and by granting them identification to apply for auto insurance.
Connecticut saw 9% fewer hit-and-run accidents in the years after broadening driver’s license access, according to a report by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. California reported a similar hit-and-run plunge.
Similar changes in Utah and New Mexico spurred 80% and 60% drops respectively in uninsured drivers in those states, the report said.
The Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association was among the few groups to publicly support the original ban on licenses for residents lacking permanent legal status. Now, it has no formal position but is “always open to discussions on how to make our roads safer in Wisconsin,” Sandra Schueller, the group’s business manager, said in an email.
Some Wisconsin police leaders have criticized the ban. Alfonso Morales did so when he was the Milwaukee police chief. Now he is police chief in Fitchburg, Wisconsin.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes also opposes the prohibition.
“We think it’s best when we can identify people,” Barnes said in February. “When we can identify people who may be victimized, or people who want to file a report, or people who want to experience the same rights and privileges that we all experience.”
Dave and Joyce Anderson co-founded the Immigration Task Force for JONAH Justice, an Eau Claire-based interfaith advocacy group. They’ve spent years facilitating conversations between immigrant Wisconsinites and law enforcement about driver’s licenses. When immigrants are cited for driving without a license, Dave says he’ll sometimes accompany them to court “just so they have someone in their corner.”
Fear of encountering law enforcement essentially creates “no-go” zones for some immigrants in and around Eau Claire, he says, particularly around the police station downtown.
Such fears are heightened in eight Wisconsin counties that have signed what are known as 287(g) agreements with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Those agreements allow local and state law enforcement to act as ICE agents would in certain circumstances. That means sheriffs can — among other actions — detain people until ICE can take custody and prepare documents for their potential removal, according to the American Immigration Council.
The eight 287(g) Wisconsin sheriff’s offices are in: Brown, Fond du Lac, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marquette, Sheboygan, Waukesha and Waushara counties. Waukesha County has Wisconsin’s only jail enforcement model. The other counties have warrant agreements.
In Wisconsin, first offenders caught driving without a license face a fine of up to $200. Repeat offenses could mean incarceration — and, for those without legal status, potentially being flagged to ICE.
Torres of Voces de la Frontera says his group is shoring up rural support for expanding driver’s license access. Farmers, he says, are speaking with conservative lawmakers in rural districts.
Many sectors of the American economy have faced worker shortages in recent years, including in aging Wisconsin, where birth rates and migration are low. That’s a particular challenge for farms.
Immigrants in 2019 made up more than half of all hired U.S. farm laborers, and nearly a third of all farm laborers arrived to the country illegally, according to the bipartisan think tank New American Economy.
These immigrants provide the backbone of Wisconsin’s dairy industry, and expanding driver’s license access would help them feel more secure, says Michael Slattery, a grain, vegetable and cattle farmer in the Manitowoc County village of Maribel, who serves on the Wisconsin Farmers Union board.
“The undocumented who are doing this work — they’re our neighbors,” Slattery says. “The driver’s card brings them out of the shadows and makes them a part of our communities.”
The powerful Dairy Business Association lists “driver’s permits for eligible non-citizens” as a legislative priority. But, Chad Zuleger, its director of government affairs, says it’s focusing energy elsewhere.
“Driver permitting remains a priority for DBA,” Zuegler wrote in an email. “However, the Legislature has indicated that they do not plan to include policy initiatives in the budget process.”
Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee stripped nearly 400 items — including the repeal of the driver’s license prohibition —from Evers’s last budget proposal.
Marklein, the committee co-chair, says budgeting will look similar this year.
“Non-fiscal policy deserves open discussion, public hearings, committee votes and floor debate. It should not be tucked into a spending document,” he says.
Although Republicans have not publicly backed legislation, some have discussed the idea in private, Rep. Sylvia-Ortiz Velez, D-Milwaukee, told reporters in February.
But for now, Wisconsin’s thousands of  immigrant drivers will continue precarious commutes.
“We talk to a lot of these families, and they don’t know — when they leave their houses — if they’re going to make it back,” Torres says.
The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.

author: Jonah Chester / Wisconsin Watch


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2_21_23-13.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
March 17, 2023

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Dwayne Burtin


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Dwayne Burtin
March 17, 2023


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Dwayne Burtin
March 17, 2023


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Dwayne Burtin
March 17, 2023


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Dwayne Burtin
March 17, 2023


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5 things to know and do this week in Milwaukee: March 20 to March 24 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
March 20, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Your Move MKE is more than just a chess club, it offers a host of recurring events such as this week’s Makin’ Moves Breakdancing Class. This is a free class using breakdancing as a tool for youths to “learn to hit their anger to the floor, releasing endorphins to better themselves and dance as release therapy.” This week’s class is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, March 20 at Your Move MKE’s community center, located at 1109 W. Historic Mitchell St.
Riverworks Development Corporation is seeking proposals from artists for a hand-painted mural on the Beerline Trail. The mural should be representative of the communities it serves: Harambee and Riverwest. The deadline for artists to submit their concept is Monday, March 20.
Poets and spoken-word artists are encouraged to audition for Poetry Unplugged 20, a spoken word showcase with artists from the series’ last 20 years of programming. Auditions will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22 at Sweet (Suite) Black Coffee Cafe/Lounge, located at 2035 W. Fond Du Lac Ave. For more information, email PoetryPusher@gmail.com.
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Poets, musicians, performers and artists are invited to this recurring open mic event hosted by Arts @ Large. This week’s open mic runs from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 24 at Arts @ Large, located at 1100 S. 5th St. This event is free to attend.
EARN & LEARN is an annual paid summer employment program for young people ages 14 to 24 years old. Participants in the program are placed at businesses and local nonprofits for seven weeks in June and July for 20 hours per week, plus weekly job readiness workshops with Employ Milwaukee. More information and application here.
The Milwaukee County Office of Equity is conducting a series of listening sessions to research how “African American residents have been or are affected by health and racial inequities in county services, including planning and decision-making.” It is a chance to give feedback to improve health services that Milwaukee County offers. Listening sessions include refreshments. The first listening session is not until Monday, March 27, but the deadline to register is Wednesday, March 22.

author: Sam Woods


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Ron Smith
March 19, 2023

author: Ron Smith


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REENTRY | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
March 19, 2023


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Need help repairing your home? Revitalize Milwaukee gets $1 million for Emergency Repair Program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
March 21, 2023
Revitalize Milwaukee is receiving $1 million to continue to serve people through its Emergency Repair Program.
The nonprofit organization helps communities by providing free, critical home repairs and comprehensive services to low-income veterans, seniors and people with disabilities.
It is the largest provider of free home repairs in southeastern Wisconsin and is continuing to add more services.
“If you knew us before the pandemic, you should probably check back in,” said Lynnea Katz-Petted, Revitalize Milwaukee’s chief executive officer. “We added at least 10 new program areas over the last two years.”
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The new funds were secured by U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, and will be used to make home repairs and to assist low-income residents in improving the safety of their homes.
Moore said the funds are especially important as Milwaukee is grappling with aging housing stock.
“I believe two-thirds of the city’s housing stock was built before 1960; 42% was built before 1940,” she said. “There are many safety upgrades that need to be addressed.”
Moore said the demand for Revitalize Milwaukee’s services has surged over the past few years.
“We have seen an increase in the need for emergency repairs,” Katz-Petted said. “We could employ 40 full-time contractors and would still need more help.”
She encourages those who need services to reach out as soon as possible.
“Milwaukee is full of very resilient homeowners who have learned how to survive with their homes in critical disrepair,” she said. “Those are the people we want to reach because you don’t have to suffer or tolerate it.”
Katz-Petted said her organization is here to help.
“If you struggle with speaking English or just struggle to read, call us,” she said. “We will walk you through the application or read it to you out loud. We are here to help, not judge.”
Moore wants Revitalize Milwaukee’s services to be replicated for residents who don’t meet the eligibility requirements for the Emergency Repair Program.
“I hope that Revitalize MKE continues to do a great job so that this program can come to scale,” Moore said. “Because while our low-income residents need help making these upgrades, so do residents in other tax brackets.”
You can call 414-312-7531 or click here for more information.
In addition, the organization is looking to help 30 Milwaukee County and/or Waukesha County homeowners make their homes more energy efficient. Applications are being accepted until funds run out. To learn more about this grant opportunity, contact the group’s partner agency, Green Homeowners United, at 414–604-6418 or complete this form.

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


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Ron Smith
March 20, 2023


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What you need to know about the Milwaukee school board elections on April 4 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
March 22, 2023
April 4 is Election Day, with races to determine several city, county and state positions.
Early voting began Tuesday and continues through Saturday, April 1.
In addition to aldermanic and judicial races, everyone in the city will be able to vote in at least one school board race for Milwaukee Public Schools.
To help you get prepared to vote for the school board races, we’ve compiled this list of things you should know before you cast your vote.
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Nine elected officials comprise the Milwaukee Board of School Directors, or school board. These elected officials oversee decisions at MPS that affect school policy and the district’s budget of over $1.3 billion, including parks and contracting for services such as school buses.
Eight of these officials represent specific districts throughout Milwaukee, while one “at large” member represents the whole city. All members have equal voting power.
The school board acts similarly to the Common Council in that it amends budgets proposed by the superintendent and can pass changes to MPS policy through voting.
Five of the nine seats are up for election this year. These include District 1, District 2, District 3, District 8, and the at-large seat for which everyone in the city can vote.
(You can find your district by looking at the maps here, or by texting “MKE” to News414 at 73224 and submitting your address. )
In District 1, incumbent Marva Herndon and Shandowlyon Hendricks Reaves are running to represent the far Northwest Side.
Herndon is a retired computer programmer and current representative of District 1. Hendricks Reaves has held many school positions, including teacher, principal and administrator while also working at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. She ran unsuccessfully for state superintendent in 2021.
In District 2, incumbent Erika Siemsen and write-in candidate Pamela Holmes are running. Siemsen is a retired teacher while Holmes is a retired sergeant at the Milwaukee Police Department.
In District 3, organizer Gabi Hart and businessman Darryl Jackson are running. The seat is currently held by board Vice President Sequanna Taylor, who also serves on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors and did not file to run for re-election. Hart is a community organizer who co-founded Program the Parks MKE and works with Milwaukee Turners on confronting mass incarceration. Jackson is the vice president of business development at Brothers Infrastructure Group Construction.
In District 8, incumbent Megan O’Halloran is running unopposed. In addition to serving on the school board, O’Halloran is the director of communications and fund development at Walker’s Point Youth & Family Centers.
For the at-large seat, Missy Zombor and Jeff Spence are running to represent the city. Anyone living in Milwaukee can vote for this seat. Zombor is the marketing director for Rethinking Schools and former communications director for the teacher’s union, Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association. Spence was formerly on the school board from 1999 to 2015 and now serves as a diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.
If elected, each board member serves for four years before needing to run for re-election. Each of the seats up during this election were previously voted on in 2019. Districts 4, 5, 6 and 7 were elected in 2021 and will be up for re-election in 2025.
School lunches: Over 78% of MPS students are economically disadvantaged according to recent data presented to the school board, and students receive free school meals through the Community Eligibility Provision. However, students and youth-led initiatives such as Youth Empowered in the Struggle, or YES, have called into question the quality of school meals.  In response, the school board recently assembled a task force to study possible improvements to school meals. Membership of this task force includes MPS students. Read more here.
Exploring a revised school schedule: The school board is currently considering a study on the effects of switching the school schedule to allow for flexibility “such as a four/five day school week; year-round schools; an early release day once per week; or a late start day once per week.” The board is not united on the idea. While this proposal is a long way off and any major schedule change will not take place until the 2024-’25 school year at the earliest, this will be something the new board will likely need to take a position on.
53206 Initiative: Launched in 2017, the 53206 Initiative was developed to address challenges for students and families residing in the 53206 ZIP code. The initiative organizes principals from schools in the ZIP code as well as community stakeholders to address issues related to student achievement; college and career readiness; and mental health services for students. The district presents reports on the initiative’s progress regularly to the board. Read more about the 53206 Initiative here.
Quickly pass a budget for next year: Less than two months after the new school board members are sworn in, they will need to approve a budget for the upcoming school year. The current year’s budget is $1.3 billion.
Enrollment decline: The school board will be considering options for how to slow or stop declining enrollment in MPS. During the last school year, MPS’ official enrollment count was 69,115 students, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, down from 71,510 in the 2020-’21 school year. The official enrollment count at MPS has declined yearly since the 2016-’17 school year when it was 76,207 students. You can view the data here. MPS’ state funding is tied to its enrollment counts, so the fewer students enrolled in the district’s schools, the less funding the district will receive.
Staffing shortages: Despite offering bonuses and relocation stipends for new teachers in high-need areas, MPS still struggles to recruit enough teachers and support staff that it has budgeted for. This is not a problem that is unique to MPS, as teacher and staff shortages have been reported across the city, state and country this year.
Student achievement: In the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s state report card for the 2021-2022 school year, 57% of MPS students were categorized as “Below Basic” in language arts and 68% “Below Basic” in math. Overall, the district’s achievement score was rated in the bottom 0.5% of school districts across the state. However, the same report card also noted that MPS students are improving year-to-year more quickly than 42.5% of districts across the state, indicating that the district is showing improvement in this area. Read the full report card here  and selecting “Milwaukee” from the dropdown menu.
Compared to large city districts across the country, MPS’ average reading and math scores for grades 4 and 8 are below average for large cities. You can view this data here, and MPS’ report to the school board on the issue here.
The board holds monthly meetings to approve policy and budget decisions every fourth Thursday of the month, starting at 5:30 p.m. It also has multiple committees to more closely examine issues relating to things like parent and community engagement, district budget decisions and school safety. These meetings are held throughout the month on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.
You can find a full schedule of board meetings as well as documents related to board activities here. You can also watch meetings live or view past meetings on MPS’ YouTube page here.
Unless otherwise noted on the website, all meetings are held in the O’Connell Memorial Auditorium of the MPS Central Services Building, 5225 W. Vliet St.
You can see what is on your ballot in the April election, including board races, here.


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Ron Smith
March 21, 2023


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Can formerly incarcerated people legally vote in Wisconsin? It depends. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jonmaesha Beltran / Wisconsin Watch
March 23, 2023
This story was originally published by Wisconsin Watch.
Nearly 4.6 million people in the U.S. were barred from voting due to a felony conviction in 2022. That includes more than 65,000 people in Wisconsin, according to The Sentencing Project, an advocacy and research group.
Neighboring Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois are among 22 states that automatically restore the voting rights of people convicted of a felony upon their release from prison.
That’s not the case in Wisconsin, where those convicted of treason, bribery or a felony must first serve their full sentences or be pardoned.
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Wisconsin automatically restores voting rights once a person is “off paper,” meaning they’ve finished probation, parole or extended supervision — a process that can last years. That person must re-register before voting.
It is a felony to vote while under correctional supervision for a felony. After each election, the Wisconsin Elections Commission checks a list of people who voted  and a list of those who are prohibited from voting while under supervision.
A Wisconsin Watch investigation examining illegal voting found that in the last decade, more than half of election-related crimes involved people who voted or registered to vote while still “on paper.”
Some of those cases stemmed from confusion, which is common even among probation officers, Wisconsin Watch found.
Although state law requires the Department of Corrections to inform formerly incarcerated people in writing when their voting rights are restored, activists say some people remain unaware.
“We most often find somebody who has completed their sentence, but they’ll say, ‘Well, I committed a felony, so I can’t vote.’ And they don’t realize that they can now vote because their sentence is completed,” said Marianne Oleson, executive assistant of Ex-incarcerated People Organizing of Wisconsin, which advocates to end mass incarceration.
If you’re formerly or currently incarcerated and thinking about voting, here’s what you need to know.
Ask before you register. You can contact your parole or probation officer, Department of Corrections or the Wisconsin Elections Commission to see if you’re eligible to vote.
Yes. You can exercise your right while you’re in jail or “on paper” for a misdemeanor, the ACLU of Wisconsin advises, as long as the misdemeanor is not related to treason or bribery. If you’re in jail and eligible to vote, you can request an absentee ballot.
Yes. You lose your right to vote only once you are convicted of a felony and then only until your felony sentence is completely served.
Educate your friends and family about policies and issues that affect you, said Oleson, who cannot vote until 2040.
“We call it voting with conviction,” Oleson said. “Make sure you’re helping them understand what they need to do to get registered and vote.”
The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.

author: Jonmaesha Beltran / Wisconsin Watch


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Voting | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
March 21, 2023


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5 things to know and do the weekend of March 24 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
March 24, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Tricklebee Café is hosting a movie night, with the opportunity to build your own vegan pizza with supplies provided. Pizza-building begins at 5 p.m. and a showing of the 1991 film “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze” runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 25 at Tricklebee Café, located at 4424 W. North Ave. Cover is $5 for cost of pizza supplies.
Lola’s New Beginnings has organized a diaper drive and resource fair for families with newborns or who are expecting. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 25 at Lola’s New Beginnings, located at 3330 S. 16th St.
La Familia de Arte has organized a way to celebrate spring with your South Side neighbors by painting eggs, butterflies and other Easter and spring iconography. The event takes place from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 25 at Ascension Lutheran Church, located at 1300 S. Layton Blvd. There are costs ranging from $10 to $35 depending on what you want to paint. RSVP needed.
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To raise awareness of colorectal cancer, Health Connections Inc. and MKE Black Grassroots Network for Health Equity are hosting a basketball game and three-point contest with food vendors, a live DJ and health screenings. The event is free to attend and takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on  Saturday, March 25 at Milwaukee Lutheran High School, located at 9700 W. Grantosa Drive.
March is Women’s History Month, and Sherman Phoenix is celebrating with its second annual “Women’s HerStory Ladies Hat and Tea Social.” There will be a tea tasting led by Aureal Ojeda, owner of Outwoken Tea, and an afternoon of fashion, food and music by DJ MixxChelle. The event runs from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 26 at Sherman Phoenix, located at 3536 W. Fond Du Lac Ave. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
The Summer Youth Internship Program is a longstanding summer internship for young people from the ages of 16 to 19 years old to learn about careers in city government. The deadline to apply for the program is 4 p.m. on Monday, March 27.


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Ron Smith
March 23, 2023


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Ron Smith
March 23, 2023


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5 things to know and do this week in Milwaukee: March 27 to March 31 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
March 27, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Early voting for the April 4 general election will continue through Saturday, April 1. There are several positions on the ballot, including aldermanic races, school board races as well as state and local judicial contests. You can find early voting times and locations here.
Need to learn more about the races? We got you covered.
Here’s what you need to know before the spring election on April 4
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Can formerly incarcerated people legally vote in Wisconsin? It depends.
What you need to know about the Milwaukee school board elections on April 4
Riverworks Development Corporation is creating a guide for curating creative art spaces in Harambee and nearby neighborhoods and is looking for feedback on ideas for public art. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29 at Riverworks Lofts, located at 3372 N. Holton St.
In recognition of Farmworker Awareness Week, the UMOS Latina Resource Center is hosting two events to support farmworkers on Wednesday, March 29. The first event is a lunch-and-learn program titled “The Struggles of the Hands That Feed Us” from noon to 2 p.m. at UMOS, located at 2701 S. Chase Ave. The second is a bandana decorating party and tour of UMOS from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., also at 2701 S. Chase Ave. You can RSVP here.
Attendees are encouraged to donate a new or gently used long-sleeved shirt that will be given to farmworkers at UMOS’ outreach events.
As part of Community Doula Week, the African American Breastfeeding Network is hosting this information session for new or expecting parents as well as birth workers and health professionals. The information session takes place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 30 at 3353 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive.
Meet your neighbors and the Safe & Sound team at this neighborhood event at Safe & Sound’s office just north of Sherman Park. Light refreshments will be served. The meeting takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on  Thursday, March 30 at 4422 W. Leon Terrace Ave.
From the archives: New Safe & Sound executive director seeks to empower residents to solve problems


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Ron Smith
March 26, 2023


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More than muscles: Vive la Fitness will work you out from the inside-out | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
March 28, 2023
When Alfonso Prada, 47, and his wife first started working out at the gym, they became overwhelmed.
“We didn’t have anybody helping us – it was just many machines, and we had no idea how to do it. We felt really alone there,” said Prada, who lives on the South Side.
But at Vive la Fitness, a bilingual gym located at 1920 W. Mitchell St. on the South Side, he and his wife feel like there are “people who care for us,” Prada said.
This fact helps explain why Prada tries to come every day of the week and has done so for the past two-and-one-half years.
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Since joining Vive, Prada has lost about 60 pounds.
Argelia Perez, 40, also tries to come most days of the week since becoming a member nearly three years ago.
The mother of three puts in this work, she said, because of the personalized attention and caring spirit of staff.
“It’s a really friendly environment,” said Perez.
Another important reason, she said, is she can take classes in Spanish, something that was hard for her to find.
She lives in West Allis, where she has other choices for gyms and fitness centers, but prefers “to drive every day because I like to get that Spanish instruction.”
Perez struggled to remember how much weight she has lost since starting at Vive, but Sonia Vernier, the gym’s owner and one of the trainers, reminded her.
“It’s 35 pounds,” Vernier said.
“Yeah,” Perez said. “Thirty-five pounds about.”
Vernier said she is dedicated to the mission “of teaching people.”
“We are not a conventional gym,” she said. “It’s about their lifestyle. … We need to change minds. And we teach people, ‘I can do this.’”
Said Prada, “We are learning not only how to build muscles but – more than that – to change our lives in different ways – believing we can do different things … we can be a better version of us.”
Vernier said she takes pride in the fact many members are older – people whose bodies, and confidence, are not that of a teenager’s. “We are here for people of all ages, with different beginnings, different health conditions … .”
The gym has a pain-free performance specialist certification and a personal training certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, both of which allow staff to better tailor routines and classes to each individual.
Classes are small – usually about eight or nine people – which facilitates such personalized attention.
Barbell training and functional training, which emphasizes working out the whole body, is at the core of the approach in these one-hour classes.
Nutritional education is another central feature of how the gym aims to change mindsets because “if you don’t follow the consistency of the nutrition, you’re not going to see results, no matter how many times you go,” said Jorge Gallegos, a trainer at Vive.
Each member gets a menu, with a step-by-step guide about what, when and how to eat.
Vernier’s own mindset – about food and exercise – underwent its own massive shift.
She said that, for many years, she experienced extreme pain in her body, but, when she would go to doctors, they told her she simply “had a lot of stress.”
Her physical pains were exacerbated by her severe depression as well.
And having two kids and a husband who was often gone because of his military career created “a lot of difficulty in my life,” she said.
“I was crying all the time. I didn’t have energy. I was very angry,” she said.
After several years, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in addition to her depression.
Doctors prescribed various medications, and she was hospitalized several times.
After having her first child, a doctor recommended working out to improve her mood, and Vernier discovered how much better she felt after exercising consistently.
As she learned more about exercising, and nutrition, she came to believe one’s mentality surrounding body and health is the key to sustaining positive changes.
Since consistently working out and eating well, Vernier said she has been “away from any hospital for almost nine years.”
Vernier opened Vive la Fitness in May 2019 to provide people in her community the same “way of life” and “love of the process.”
She wants people who go to her gym to come not “just for muscles” but to think about “how am I feeling today.”
First-time classes can be booked online or by phone at 414-763-6456. Individual classes are $20 each, and a monthly membership, where someone can take as many classes as they like, and get the nutritional consulting, is $115 per month.

author: Devin Blake


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Ron Smith
March 27, 2023


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OPINION: Why we can’t afford to sit this election out | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Anne Egan-Waukau
March 28, 2023
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
On Tuesday, April 4, the state has an election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court that will profoundly impact Indigenous people. This spring election, I will be voting for my ancestors and to continue my father, Hilary “Sparky” Waukau’s legacy to protect the environment and the sovereignty of future generations.
Although we may not always notice, the justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court make decisions that affect our daily lives. Past court cases include decisions on the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, voting rights, COVID-19 emergency orders, ballot drop boxes and others.
These cases have ripple effects in our Native American Indian communities.
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Native people were hit hardest during the pandemic and died at higher rates than any other ethnic group in Wisconsin during COVID-19. So when the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled to overturn the statewide mask mandate, that hurt our people.
Additionally, last year, the court made a decision that absentee ballot drop boxes are illegal and that a friend or family member cannot return someone else’s ballot for them. This decision made it much harder for people to vote.
There are many Native people who lack adequate transportation and depend on nearby drop boxes. This includes elders and people with disabilities who need assistance returning their ballot. Drop boxes were located all over Milwaukee, which made returning an absentee ballot much more accessible.
The decisions the court makes matter to our people, which is why we must use our voices to vote on April 4.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court justice we elect will sit on the court for the next 10 years, which means this election will matter for generations to come. The decisions the court justices make will touch the lives of our children and their children. Future cases likely to come before the court may include the legality of the criminal abortion ban, the makeup of voting maps, election rules, environmental protections, LGBTQ+ rights, gun issues and more.
We cannot afford to sit out of this election.
When I say I’m voting for my ancestors, I mean that I vote to honor the people who came before me and fought for this right. Native people were not allowed to vote until the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. Even then, many states created barriers to prevent our people from voting such as state laws and literacy tests. It wasn’t until the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965 that all Indigenous people in the United States truly had the freedom to vote.
I vote to honor the legacy of the men and women who fought for my freedom. And I vote for my children and the seven generations who come after me because our people still face barriers.
Years ago when I showed up to vote, I was told by the poll worker sitting in front of me that I could not vote because I am Indian. Even though I corrected her several times, she maintained her stance that “Indians can’t vote.”
I waited for her to talk to the lead poll worker, and when she came back and apologized, I took my ballot and cast my vote.
However, it’s sad to say, there are people who may not have stood up for their right to vote.
We face discrimination and structural barriers to voting. I know because I have lived it. When we vote, we are using our voices to make a better outcome for our future generations and elect people who will listen to our communities.
When we vote, we are showing people that we are still here and we matter.
Our vote does truly count!
I urge you to vote on Tuesday, April 4. You can find your polling place and see a sample ballot at myvote.wi.gov.
Anne Egan-Waukau is a member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and is the Urban Native Vote Organizer for Wisconsin Native Vote, a program of Wisconsin Conservation Voices. In this role, she fosters relationships with Native American Indian relatives and organizations in Milwaukee and Madison to ensure the voices of Native people are included in the fight to protect our environment and our freedom to vote. She learned from her father, Hilary “Sparky” Waukau, that relationships are key in the fight to protect the resources of Mother Earth in perpetuity.

author: Anne Egan-Waukau


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Ron Smith
March 27, 2023


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Ron Smith
March 27, 2023


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Post From Community: Applications now open for next class of MATC Gap Year Career Exploration Program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Tinder
March 28, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Applications are now open for the next class of the MATC Gap Year program, which will begin on September 7, 2023. The MATC Gap Year program provides an alternative educational experience for high school graduates who are taking a gap year before continuing their education. Participants earn a stipend of $1,200 while completing the program.
Over the course of ten weeks, program participants experience hands-on learning in career pathways including STEM, business management, creative arts, healthcare, community and human services, manufacturing and more.  These MATC-led learning experiences are paired with community showcases and featured speakers, with field trips to Milwaukee businesses and cultural assets.
After graduation, students stay connected with MATC through special events and access to career readiness services.
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To be eligible to apply, applicants must live in Milwaukee County, have graduated in 2022 or 2023 with a high school diploma, and have a demonstrated financial need as determined by household income not exceeding $75,000. There is no cost to apply or participate.
To apply, visit matc.edu/gapyear. Applications are due by midnight on April 28, 2023.
Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest,  is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 170 academic programs; and transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

author: Wyatt Tinder


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Post From Community: Community Easter Egg Hunt set for April 1 at St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lori Grzybowski
March 28, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
No fooling, Easter’s coming, which means the return of the free Easter Egg Hunt at St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Ave., on Saturday, April 1.
The hunt gets started at 11 a.m. sharp and continues until all eggs are gone – first come, first serve. Children 3 and younger will hunt in the Intergenerational Playgarden, the smaller, fenced-in area on the main building’s east side. Children ages 4-11 will hunt in the larger area near the Indaba Band Shell to the rear of the main building.
No matter what their age, all children must be supervised in their hunt area by an adult. Families with children hunting in both locations need to bring an adult to supervise at each.
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Parents may park in the center’s lots; street parking is also available.
After the hunt, parents can snap photos of their children with the Easter Bunny on the bandshell stage. They can also tour the center’s childcare wings and other areas – including the nature-based curriculum classroom, the large central atrium, the warm-water swimming pool, the hydroponic growing units, library and art room.
In case of heavy rain (or accumulated snow on the ground),  the hunt will be moved indoors to the atrium; enter through the front door.
For more information, contact Lori Grzybowski at (414) 977-5064.

author: Lori Grzybowski


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March 17, 2023


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Post From Community: Food for health, “Power of Plant Based Food” Community Cooking Class | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Liz Hall
March 28, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Learn the power of veggies and community!
We will host our first ever “Power of Plant Based Foods” Community Cooking Class. We will teach community members about the power of plant-based foods and how to incorporate them into meals. Our experienced nutrition educators will teach you how to make plant-based meals and snacks quickly and easily.
Join us Tuesday, March 28th at 12 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. at Food For Health (2007 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, Milwaukee). Classes are limited to 50 participants per session, sign up quickly to reserve your spot.
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Sign Up Here: https://www.flowcode.com/page/ffhcookingclass

author: Liz Hall


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March 17, 2023


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Post From Community: Wellpoint Care Network hires director of equity, culture and belonging | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rachel Frye
March 28, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Wellpoint Care Network, a community-facing human services organization based in Milwaukee, is excited to announce that Jenna Finley has joined the organization, as director of equity, culture and belonging.
This is a new role at Wellpoint Care, and supports the organization’s commitment to advancing inclusion in all facets of our work, ensuring that those served and employed are valued, accepted, respected and treated equitably.
“Jenna is a dynamic and multifaceted leader that specializes in helping communityfacing organizations establish diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace practices,” said Sonja Williams, Vice President of Human Resources. “We are truly fortunate to have such an accomplished and talented colleague on the Wellpoint Care team.”
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Finley was recently employed at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, where she provided administrative oversite and technical expertise to YoungStar member organizations throughout the state of Wisconsin. As a current Adjunct Instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Finley teaches The Diversity Credential, supporting early childhood providers, educators and facilitators on diversity and related topics.
Finley is also the founder and primary consultant of Value Our Voices (VOV) Consulting, LLC and works with employers in the early care and education and non–profit sectors by identifying inclusive solutions to advance equity for all people.

author: Rachel Frye


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March 17, 2023


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Ban that prohibits incarcerated students from using Federal Pell Grants ends in July | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
March 29, 2023
A nearly 30-year ban on the use of federal grant money by incarcerated students will end this summer.
And Milwaukee Area Technical College, or MATC, has been an important part of this change.
Starting in July, incarcerated students across the country will be able to apply for a Federal Pell Grant, a financial resource for college students.
This money is usually used for expenses such as tuition, housing and books and, unlike student loans, does not typically need to be repaid.
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Since 1994, incarcerated students, who would have otherwise qualified, have been unable to apply for this grant.
In the fall semester of 2016, MATC became the first institution in Wisconsin to admit incarcerated students as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative.
The goal of the initiative was to determine “whether expanding access to college financial aid increases incarcerated adults’ participating in postsecondary educational opportunities,” according to a report by the Vera Institute of Justice, a national nonprofit providing technical assistance to both educational institutions and corrections departments participating in the initiative.
The answer to this question is clear: Yes, it does.
Even in the face of pandemic-related challenges, the number of incarcerated students in the country enrolled in a participating school increased each year from 2016 to 2020, according to a four-year survey conducted by the Vera Institute.
The number of students in 2016 was 6,116, and in 2020, the number increased by over 75% to 10,897 students. In total, over 22,000 students have participated in the initiative over the course of those four years, and over 7,000 students have earned either a degree, certificate or diploma.
The number of participating students is expected to vastly expand, , Ben Jones, education director of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, or DOC, said.
The initiative also has an impressive track record here in Milwaukee.
Since admitting its first cohort of incarcerated students, the response from both students and professors at MATC has been “phenomenal,” said Sadique Isahaku, MATC’s dean of General Education Academic & Career Pathway. “We’ve been expanding ever since it started.”
During the first semester in 2016, there were roughly 12 Second Chance students, and there will be 153 students this coming spring, he said.
“Students see it as an opportunity they have never dreamt of,” he said.
Courses available to students at MATC also have been growing. The initiative began with two programs – welding and computer numerical control, or CNC – and, eventually, it expanded to include associate of arts and associate of science degrees. Soon, associate degrees for business administration and human services also will be available, Isahaku said.
Lori Geddes, economics instructor and lead faculty for the Second Chance program at MATC, often points to grade point averages, or GPA, and completion rates to prove the success of the program.
Over 75% of these students have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and their completion rates “far outweigh our traditional students,” she said. “The students are very dedicated to their education because they see education as a means to an end. They realize … they have a lot of hurdles to overcome, and they look at getting a degree as a way to get past some of those hurdles. So, they are very dedicated, and they take their education very seriously.”
In addition to the curricula, MATC provides training for other skills, including those related to getting a job.
“We prepare them very well,” said Isahaku. “We give them mock interviews. We bring in what I call ‘offender friendly’ employers to interview them days before the graduation.”
Jones of the Wisconsin Department Of Corrections said he believes communities as a whole also are the beneficiaries of increasing educational opportunities for people who are incarcerated.
“One thing that I like to say is that about 93% of the people who are incarcerated today are going to be returning back to their communities,” he said. “And the question that we have to ask collectively is: ‘How do we want their time with us to look like?’”


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Ron Smith
March 28, 2023


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Post From Community: Ex Fabula Teen Designer Contest | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lauren Instenes
March 29, 2023
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Ex Fabula is looking for a teen designer to create a flyer for our Teen StorySlam “Spill the Tea” on May 24th. We will be accepting 10 submissions, and all submissions will receive $50 for your initial design. We will conduct an online vote to select a winner. The winner will receive an additional $50 for their final design.
Each design must be/include:
The deadline for submissions is April 13th! Visit exfabula.org/teen-design to submit a design.
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There are also multiple other ways for teens to take part in the Teen StorySlam. You can:
Click here to sign up for any of the above roles.

author: Lauren Instenes


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March 28, 2023


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WisGo: What to know about changes to Milwaukee County Transit System fare collections | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jonmaesha Beltran / Wisconsin Watch
March 30, 2023
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information related to bus fare changes.
Milwaukee County is modernizing its bus fare collection system, aiming to make transit equitable for residents.
Bus riders will pay for their fares through WisGo, a new fare collection system, starting Saturday, April 1.
Everyone with a plastic WisGo card or the Umo mobile app will ride for free after reaching daily, weekly and monthly caps. Riders currently paying with an M-card have through the end of September to transition to the new system.
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Milwaukee County leaders gathered on Wednesday to announce the launch of WisGo and its partnership with Waukesha County, which is joining the fare collection system. Leaders touted a system that’s equitable for riders and predicted it would help return ridership to pre-pandemic levels.
“Historically, only those who could afford to pre-purchase discount passes to ride the bus got the best value. But with WisGo, these inequities are being addressed through fare capping. Now, everyone pays the same rates no matter how many times they ride,” County Supervisor Priscilla Coggs-Jones said in a news release.
Milwaukee County, like public transit systems across Wisconsin, has faced a years-long slide in ridership and revenue that only worsened as remote work options expanded during the pandemic. While Milwaukee County ridership is recovering from the lowest pandemic-era numbers, it’s still lagging behind its earlier status.
“We all know just how important public transit is to our community,” Coggs-Jones said during the news conference. “Many people who rely on the service the most have historically had to pay more to receive it.”
The new fare collection system is powered through the Umo Mobility platform and is used around the world in places such as New York and London.
The technology has made transit in those cities easier to navigate as ridership recovers from the pandemic levels, said Bonnie Crawford, Umo’s vice president and general manager.
“People expect technology. We’re used to connecting to technology in all of the ways that we engage in our neighborhoods, whether that’s paying for your coffee or buying your groceries, and this is really that next step for Milwaukee County and the region,” Crawford said.
Riders can scan their phone or WisGo card on tap-and-go validators onboard buses, which will determine how many times a rider has paid a fare and automatically deduct the lowest amount owed. The validator will also tell riders if their fund balance is low.
Riders will also be able to use WisGo cards and the Umo app on Waukesha Metro Transit buses. Waukesha County is the first to join the regional fare system.
“Transit is something that’s extremely important for a big segment of our population. It gets a lot of people to work; gets them to the doctor; it gets them to the grocery store; and without it, I don’t know how we would really function,” said Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly, adding that the two counties aim to make transit efficient.
Under WisGo, riders will immediately see lower costs.
Milwaukee County is also reducing bus fares, effective Saturday.
The regular fare — for ages 12 to 64 — will be $2 per ride, down from $2.25. Under WisGo, it will be capped at $4 per day, $19.50 per week and $72 per month.
Reduced fare — for ages 6 to 11, 65 and older and those with qualifying disabilities — will be $1 per ride, down from $1.10. It will cap at $2 per day, $11 per week and $32 per month under WisGo. Learn more about reduced fares here.
M-Card or cash riders will continue paying regular per-ride fares of $2.25 or reduced fares of $1.10 until the transition period ends Sept. 30. After that, the cash fare will drop to $2 per ride or $1 under the reduced fare.
“The way that you’re going to get riders on board is to ensure that no rider is left behind, and that’s really a commitment we have here in Wisconsin and throughout the world,” Crawford said.
The Umo Mobility app is replacing the RideMCTS app. The app connects to other modes of transportation like Uber and provides real-time tracking of Milwaukee County and Waukesha County buses. It accepts credit and debit cards, along with Apple Pay, Google Pay and WisGo cards.
The WisGo card is an alternative to the Umo app and will replace the M-Card. The cards will be sold and available for reloading at nearly 100 locations, such as supermarkets, pharmacies and convenience stores.
M-Card users can exchange cards for a free WisGo card from April 1 through June 30. After that, the card will cost $2. Reduced fare riders will receive a WisGo card in the mail. Riders with Commuter Value Passes and U-Passes are automatically enrolled in WisGo.
Riders will not be able to store value on the M-Card starting Aug. 31, and the Milwaukee County Transit System will stop accepting the card on Sept. 30. MCTS CONNECT, Milwaukee County’s bus rapid transit service that launches June 4, will not accept M-Cards.
Riders can still pay with cash on all bus routes, but those paying cash will not qualify for fare caps.
Regular fare replacement for WisGo cards will cost $2, and reduced fare replacement cards will cost $5.
Ambassadors will assist riders with downloading the Umo app or getting a WisGo card.
Virtual and in-person sessions explaining the program are slated for April 6, April 22 and April 28. You can sign up at RideMCTS.com/Community.
You can also visit the following resources for information on WisGo:
RideMCTS.com/WisGo: Timeline and overview of WisGo
RideMCTS.com/UmoApp: How to download the Umo app
RideMCTS.com/WisGoLocations: Where to pick up a free WisGo card through June 30
RideMCTS.com/TopThingstoKnowAboutWisGo: Quick tips
RideMCTS.com/ReducedFare: For minors, seniors, and persons with a disability
RideMCTS.com/TPReducedFare: For Transit Plus riders who use the bus
The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) is a partner of the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and collaborates with WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.


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Ron Smith
March 29, 2023


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Ron Smith
March 29, 2023


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5 things to know and do the weekend of March 31 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
March 31, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Early voting for the April 4 general election will continue through Saturday, April 1. There are several positions on the ballot, including aldermanic races, school board races as well as state and local judicial contests.
If you live in Harambee, you’re invited to this series of virtual feedback sessions on how to improve quality of life in your neighborhood. You will receive $25 for each session you attend, plus an extra $10 if you bring a neighbor. This weekend’s session runs from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 1 online via Zoom. Find more information and register to attend.
DreamTeam United MKE and partners will be giving away groceries at this resource festival. In addition to groceries, there will also be free haircuts and braiding, face painting, a DJ and more. The event runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 1 at Embassy Center MKE, located at 3725 N. Sherman Blvd.
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The Milwaukee Repertory Theater and partners are hosting free theater classes at three locations for youths ages 7 and older. The classes are open to all experience levels (no prior theater experience necessary) and you do not need to attend all classes to participate. Classes run from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Saturday at the following locations:
Lunch is provided at all classes.
Mommie & Me Prenatal Care Service hosts this community baby shower from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 1 at Safe & Sound, located 4422 W. Leon Terrace.
Help honor farmworker and civil rights leader César E. Chávez at a celebration Friday, March 31 at the City Hall Rotunda, 200 E. Wells St., beginning at 10 a.m.  U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jennifer Moffitt will be the featured speaker.


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Ron Smith
March 30, 2023


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5 things to know and do this week in Milwaukee: April 3 to April 7 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
April 3, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Tuesday, April 4 is Election Day, and several races are on the ballot, including MPS school board, Common Council and state and local judicial races. Find out what’s on the ballot and search for your polling place..
Check out these NNS stories on the election
Election 2023: Meet the candidates for the MPS school board
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Here’s what you need to know before the spring election on April 4
Can formerly incarcerated people legally vote in Wisconsin? It depends.
Milwaukee Art Therapy Collective is hosting a free open studio event focused on healing through grief. All materials are provided, and the event is led by professional art therapists. The event runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 6 at 9224 W. Burleigh St.
Every first Friday of the month is “Financial Friday” at Coffee Makes You Black. It’s an opportunity to learn more about financing a home and investing. Representatives from Acts Housing will be on site. This month’s workshop takes place from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3 at Coffee Makes You Black, located at 2803 N. Teutonia Ave.
EARN & LEARN is an annual paid summer employment program for young people ages 14 to 24 years old. Participants in the program are placed in businesses and local nonprofits for seven weeks in June and July for 20 hours per week and take weekly job readiness workshops with the county’s Employ Milwaukee program.
Milwaukee youths ages 13 and 18 are encouraged to submit an original poem online for the 2023 Teen Poetry Contest between now and Friday, April 21. There will be prizes for three age categories (13-14, 15-16 and 17-18. Visit mpl.org/PoetryContest for contest rules and resources.
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges is hosting “Jammin’ at the Polls,” an event with free hot food, music and voting information. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4 at the JCC Pantry, located at 2900 W. Center St. For residents of the 53210 and 53216 ZIP codes, there will also be free groceries available for pick up from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Learn more about the event here.


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Ron Smith
April 2, 2023


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Election 2023: Meet the candidates for the MPS school board | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
April 4, 2023
On Tuesday, voters head to the polls once again to vote for multiple races, including the Milwaukee Board of School Directors. Five of the nine seats on the school board are up for election.
Below are short biographies on the candidates as well as their answers to three questions about why they feel they are qualified and what they think about some of the school board’s current issues. The list excludes District 8, where Megan O’Halloran is running unopposed,
District 1 represents the city’s Northwest Side. Here’s a map of the district.
Incumbent Marva Herndon is running against Shandowlyon Hendricks Reaves to represent this district.
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Herndon is a retired computer programmer and current representative of District 1.
Hendricks Reaves has held many school positions, including teacher, principal and administrator while also working at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. She ran unsuccessfully for state superintendent in 2021.
Marva Herndon
Endorsements: Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, Former state Sen. Gary Goyke, state Rep. Evan Goyke,  state Sen. Chris Larson,  Milwaukee Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, MPS Board President Bob Peterson, Milwaukee Alderman Jonathan Brostoff, MPS Board Director Erika Siemsen, MPS Board Director Megan O’Halloran, American Federation of Teachers Local 212, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, Citizen Action, Fair Wisconsin PAC, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers-Local 494, Milwaukee Labor Council-AFL-CIO, Shepherd Express, Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, UAW-Region 4, Wisconsin Working Families Party.
Campaign website
Dr. Shandowlyn Hendricks Reaves
Per the candidate on endorsements: “Voters are welcome to visit Shandowlyon’s social media pages: (1) Shandowlyon for MPS and (2) Friends of Shandowlyon to view endorsements that are posted daily.”
Herndon: The most important issue in this election is the survival of our “Public Schools.” Privatization is still in play. The big difference between us is the preservation of public education.
Hendricks Reaves:  Improving student achievement, improving district culture/climate, addressing staffing shortages, and increasing transparency around operations and systems are the most important issues in the school board election. Shandowlyon is the only candidate with an educator-led 20-point policy to address student achievement and a “First 100-day plan” to address the other priorities.
Herndon: During my tenure on the school board, we have already put in place increased hiring efforts, especially (for) teachers of color. We have MPSU (MPS University) for assisting staff to attain degrees in education and mentoring/preparation for passing the exams required for certification. In addition, job openings are always posted, job fairs are frequent and the HR Department is traveling throughout the country, visiting HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) looking for new hires. The main problem, nationwide, is there are so few education candidates. The students are not choosing “Education” as a career path.
Hendricks Reaves: When serving at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Shandowlyon developed a statewide plan to address staffing shortages while simultaneously diversifying the teacher pipeline. Strategies in her plan were the result of collaborative efforts with multiple stakeholders at the national, state and local levels. Shandowlyon will draw upon strategies within that plan to address staffing shortages at MPS.
Herndon: My priority would be continued expansion of mental health services and improving our food services. We have expanded mental health services, but the need is great. The food services improvement has been provided in our budget for several years. However, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, staffing shortages and supply chain issues, this is not completed.
We have been made aware of a sizable budget shortfall and will not receive the proposed budget until the end of April. Our financial need is great as the state Legislature consistently cuts per pupil funding for public schools. In addition, they only fund special needs students at approximately 30% reimbursement. This is far from adequate to provide services for those needing the most. This requires reductions in other budget areas that are needed for the classroom, curriculum, building operations, etc. There is no wiggle room in our budgets. So, at this point, I don’t know what, if anything, I would be willing to cut.
Hendricks Reaves: Shandowlyon’s four priorities align with MPS’ legislative advocacy items. Shandowlyon will lead with a razor focus on allocating resources to address low student achievement. Only 14% of MPS students are proficient in reading and only 10% of MPS students are proficient in math. Shandowyon is willing to cut expenditures that fail to (1) yield higher academic achievement for students and (2) provide resources to parents, teachers, and administrators so that the district can engage in transformational change.
District 2 represents the city’s West Side, primarily between West Center Street and West Silver Spring Drive, west of North 60th Street. Here’s a map of the district.
Incumbent Erika Siemsen is running against write-in candidate Pamela Holmes to represent this district.
Siemsen is a retired teacher while Holmes is a retired sergeant at the Milwaukee Police Department.
Erika Siemsen
Endorsements: Full list
Campaign website
Pamela Holmes (write-in)
Endorsements: Former County Supervisor Michael Mayo.
Campaign website
Siemsen: As an advocate for early childhood (education), I support small class sizes and improving our resources for improving early literacy development. Improving the quality and variety of our school lunches is important to me, and I will continue to meet with students to see that those changes take place. I support expanding programs to give our children the tools they need to resolve conflict in a peaceful way through restorative practices and Social Emotional Learning opportunities. Above all, we must work to ensure that there is equity across the district so all students have every opportunity for success.
Holmes: Safety for all students and staff, focusing on the violence, the bullying and the mental health of all students and staff. What sets me apart from my opponent: I’m coming in the door talking about what it is that I’m going to do and that I know that we need for school. Lunch has been horrible for years and you pick election time to want to change school lunches, what about safety and the mental health and well-being of all of our students and staff?
Siemsen: Improving our school climate and culture is another key factor in recruiting and retaining our staff. I have recently worked with administration to incorporate a shared/collaborative leadership initiative that will become part of the five-year strategic plan. I believe that when a school has a positive, collaborative working environment, where staff feels heard and empowered, they will want to stay at that school. As a district, that positive working environment will also attract new staff.
Holmes: You will have to make the school safe; that’s first and foremost for all students and staff. People do not care how much money you give them. No one will take that money if it meant losing a limb or a life. Make the schools safe and address mental health.
Siemsen: My budget priorities are improving nutrition, expanding programs related to social emotional learning, and attracting and retaining staff. Once the proposed budget is released, I will look at how those areas of need are addressed and look for opportunities to shift money to them if necessary. I have advocated for a priority-based budget that involves community input so important conversations can happen before the budget is released.
Holmes: I am willing to be part of the discussion to sell an empty MPS building to free up some funding to address the mental health crisis, the bullying and the violence in our schools so that we can focus on the budget and provide a curriculum for student achievement and a 20-point policy spearheaded by Dr. Shandowlyon Hendricks-Reaves.
District 3 represents part of the city’s North Side, roughly between West Center Street and West Silver Spring Drive, east of North 60th Street to Harambee. Here’s a map of the district.
Organizer Gabi Hart and businessman Darryl Jackson are running.
The seat is currently held by board Vice President Sequanna Taylor, who also serves on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors and did not file to run for re-election.
Hart is a community organizer who co-founded Program the Parks MKE and works with Milwaukee Turners on confronting mass incarceration.
Jackson is the vice president of business development at Brothers Infrastructure Group Construction.
Darryl Jackson
Endorsements: did not respond
Campaign website
Gabi Hart
Endorsements: Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, Leaders Igniting Transformation, Fair Wisconsin PAC, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers-Local 494, Amalgamated Transit Union, former state Rep. David Bowen, MPS School Board Director and County Supervisor Sequanna Taylor, Emilio De Torre, state Rep. Darrin Madison, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, Vaun Mayes, Shepherd Express, Community Task Force MKE, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, Wisconsin Working Families Party, Citizen Action, Alderman Jonathan Brostoff, V100.7 Program Director Reggie Brown.
Campaign website
Jackson: did not respond.
Hart: The most important issues are the ones that are directly tied to our students’ mental, physical and emotional well-being. Our children are failing, and we need to work smarter and faster at breaking through these statistics. Issues such as mental/behavioral health support, equity of resources all around, improving grades and learning environments, curriculum, uplifting our students’ voices, safety, corrective behavior practices, proper meals, teacher shortages and transportation to start. The difference between me and my opponent on these issues is threefold:
Jackson: did not respond.
Hart: I think we could and should consider taking emergency teaching licenses a step further by accepting qualified and passionate individuals with an associates degree and maintain focus and support on continuing education. This can serve as a form of indoctrination similar to how the health care field does with doctors and nurses. I also think paying local teachers more, having a safe and supported work environment, and many other things are key to retaining our dedicated educators and attracting new ones.
Jackson: did not respond.
Hart: Priority additions and adjustments revolve around wages, school nutrition, transportation, mental health, poverty aid, community engagement, continuing education and training for staff, safety and educational resources, i.e. supplies. Again, situational awareness, adaptation and transparency are key. I will make the most sound decisions based upon leaning on those with experience from guidance and more importantly what is presented by those most affected; the public school community (students, parents, educators) and the community as a whole.
The at-large seat represents the entire city. Anyone living in Milwaukee can vote for the race.
For the at-large seat, Missy Zombor and Jeff Spence are running to replace MPS Board President Bob Peterson, who did not file to run for reelection.
Zombor is the marketing director for Rethinking Schools and former communications director for the teacher’s union, Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association.
Spence was formerly on the school board from 1999 to 2015 and now serves as a diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.
Jeff Spence
Endorsements: Former School Board Director Mark Sain, former School Board Director Bruce Thompson.
Campaign website
Melissa “Missy” Zombor
Endorsements: full list of endorsements
Campaign website
Spence: Student achievement across the entire city, regardless of where a young person is educated (traditional, charter, private). I am uniquely prepared to bring all sectors, partners together to improve educational achievement across the entire city, rather than looking at student achievement as a competition. Less than 20% of students in MPS are reading at grade level, less than 10% of students are on grade level in math.  The clarion call should be that this is not acceptable, and that we can mitigate the social and emotional challenges to envision systems that lead to greater outcomes for all.  My opponent is focusing more on inputs and a siloed approach to education, rather than systemic issues that limit our community’s success.  I am better prepared in all facets (education, background, experience and relationships) to tackle these challenges.
Zombor: I am running for the MPS school board to ensure that every student has class sizes small enough for individual attention, amazing educators who are supported and respected, reliable transportation, nutritious school meals and an education that celebrates diversity. Every child –– regardless of their ZIP code –– has the right to attend well-resourced public schools with art, music, physical education, librarians, career education and extracurricular opportunities.
My opponent and I have opposing views on the MPS recreation program, school privatization and local control of our public schools. I am a strong supporter of the Milwaukee Recreation program and believe that the programs offered to MPS students, families and community members improve academic achievement, reduce crime, and strengthen our community. MPS facilities should continue to be used for this vital community service.
I also believe that public education is a civil right and public responsibility and that further privatization of our schools –– whether through expanding vouchers or co-locating charter and MPS schools in the same building –– deepens those inequities. I believe in local control of our public schools, and that every voting seat on the school board should be democratically elected by residents. I oppose public school takeover schemes, and therefore I am opposed to adding unelected, appointed seats to the school board.
Spence: MPS had a program in the early 2000’s (MTEC) that helped elevate educational assistants and individuals with college degrees, but no teaching credentials, become certified teachers.  We can also effectively recruit and retain talent by creating a culture where there are clear and consistent expectations for all employees and demonstrated systems to support success, whether you are a teacher, administrator and, of course, students.  We as a community must respect, support and value noble professions that are committed to serving our community (teachers, safety personnel, etc.), while holding all accountable.
Zombor: There’s an alarming number of educators leaving the teaching profession and fewer people entering teacher certification programs. MPS needs to do more to support teachers to make the profession less stressful and give them the compensation they deserve. MPS can do this by protecting and expanding teacher prep time – especially for special education teachers, offering bonuses for educators who stay in the district, making our schools more peaceful, providing health insurance benefits to all full-time substitute teachers, and reducing class sizes. The district can also strengthen support for “grow your own” programs for aspiring teachers who already work in the district. MPS should also speed up the hiring process to ensure that we’re not losing educators to other districts.
Spence: The 2023-24 budget will be essentially completed by the time new board members are elected, with little room for additional initiatives.  I would focus my efforts on changing the governance model, adding seats for the Mayor of Milwaukee and the County Executive with the goal of visioning more collaborative support systems for all students to maximize the city’s effectiveness in supporting its youngest citizens.  I would begin the hard work of rightsizing the number of schools we’re programming, as falling birth rates and parents utilizing other options challenge our ability to properly resource school communities at a level that ensures success. I would also work to bring back the many partners that have walked away from an organization that’s shown little interest in fundamentally changing its approach to achieve greater outcomes.
Zombor:
We cannot balance the budget on the backs of education workers or make cuts at the school level. We have to look at excessive layers of administration and reduce the number of exception-to-bid contracts the district engages in. MPS also shouldn’t be footing the bill for schools it doesn’t operate. We need to ensure that privately operated charter schools pay their fair share of administrative fees and fair lease agreements.


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Here’s what you need to know before the spring election on April 4 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 4, 2023
The Wisconsin spring general election on April 4 will decide who fills three open seats on the Common Council, settle a pivotal Supreme Court race and resolve questions on three statewide referenda, including one related to bail reform.
Here’s what you need to know.
District 1 voters will decide between candidates Andrea Pratt, the daughter of former Mayor Marvin Pratt, and David Bowen, who previously served as a county supervisor and state representative.
Pratt, chair of the Rufus King Neighborhood Association, has worked at MPS, for the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee and the City of Milwaukee Common Council. She currently works as an equity specialist with the city’s Office of Equity and Inclusion.
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She calls attention to her lifelong residency in District 1, where she’s raised and educated her children. This gives her a good understanding of the district’s issues, she says.
Bowen was a member of Urban Underground before assuming the role of program director for the leadership development and issue-engagement group. He is a two-time graduate of Public Allies, also a leadership development program. Bowen has supported numerous violence prevention initiatives in Milwaukee and led other campaigns related to race and equity during his time as a public official.
District 1 includes a large area on the city’s North Side that extends from West Capitol Drive from North 9  to North 35th streets, north to West Bradley Road.
The District 5 race features Annette Jackson, a Milwaukee resident and business owner, and Lamont Westmoreland, a businessman and former high school basketball coach.
Jackson has also worked in several departments within the City of Milwaukee. She said she plans to focus on the concerns of the community, including road conditions and making local government more accessible to residents.
Westmoreland is the president and CEO of LTW Affordable Painting LLC. and a licensed high school basketball official in Wisconsin. His top priority issues include reckless driving, vehicle thefts and break-ins and absentee landlords.
District 5, on the city’s Northwest Side, runs from West Center Street to West Good Hope Road.
Voters in District 9 will choose between a retired Milwaukee Board of School director and educator, Odell Ball, and a current educator, Larresa Taylor.
Ball’s platform includes plans to address reckless driving, increase drivers education and support red flag laws related to firearms. He also seeks to address lead abatement and to stop illegal dumping.
Taylor plans to focus on the elimination of blight and supporting small businesses and economic development in the area. She also hopes to improve housing and employment opportunities in the area.
District 9 extends from the North Side to the far Northwest Side of the city and includes Silver Spring Drive from North 43rd to North 64th streets and extends north to County Line Road from North 70th to North 124th streets.
Council members are responsible for representing the interests of residents of their districts, serving on committees and making policy decisions that affect the quality of life in the neighborhoods they represent and the city as a whole.
The Common Council has been understaffed for months, but this election will fill all the vacant seats.
The race between former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, a conservative, and Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal, for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court has drawn national attention and big bucks.
Millions in donations from both inside and outside groups have poured in for both sides, with the main issue being presented to voters — Kelly’s stance against abortions and Protasiewicz’ pro-choice lean. Other issues include redistricting and voting rules.
Whoever wins this race will shift the balance of power in the state’s top court to conservative or liberal and could end up as the deciding vote on key cases that are expected to come before the court in the coming years. Those are expected to include rulings on access to abortions, redistricting and voting rules for future elections.
Also on the Milwaukee ballot are spots for judges. Most of these for Milwaukee County Circuit Court and municipal judges feature a single candidate.
While much of the focus on this election has been on the Supreme Court race and local aldermanic races, three statewide referenda could result in significant changes that will impact residents of Milwaukee.
Two, both related to the criminal justice system, could lead to amendments to the state constitution.
One asks voters whether the constitution should be amended to change the bail system by giving judges more flexibility in determining bail amounts for accused violent criminals. Advocates argue that a change to the system is needed to protect the public from “serious harm,” while critics worry that the measure would penalize the poor.
A second measure would also give judges more flexibility, in this case to impose conditions of release prior to conviction.
Placed on the ballot by the Legislature, the governor cannot veto constitutional amendments.
A third measure, which will not impact state law because it is advisory, asks voters whether able-bodied, childless adults who receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits should be required to look for work to receive those benefits.
Another advisory measure on the county ballot asks whether a Wisconsin statute that bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy without exception for rape, incest, or health of the patient be repealed to allow legal access to abortion.
Also on the ballot, depending on where you live, are three contested races and one that’s uncontested, to fill four spots on the Milwaukee Public School Board of Directors. See NNS coverage here.
For those looking to cast their ballots before April 4, the early voting period runs from through April 1. Residents can vote at the Midtown Shopping Center, 5740 W. Capitol Drive; the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building, 841 N. Broadway; or the Zablocki Library, 3501 W Oklahoma Ave., on weekdays from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Voter registration, including address changes, ends on March 31 at all locations. For more info on how to vote in Milwaukee, visit the election commission website here.
Additional neighborhood early voting sites include the Good Hope Library, 7715 W. Good Hope Road;, Mitchell Street Library, 906 W. Historic Mitchell St.; Villard Square Library, 5190 N. 35th St.; and Washington Park Library, 2121 N. Sherman Blvd.
Voters are also encouraged to go to MyVote.wi.gov to look up their polling place, view a sample ballot, view early voting locations and times and to request an absentee ballot.

author: Edgar Mendez


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50507480333_422d371a59_k-3 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
March 22, 2023


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NNS Spotlight: New Port Director Jackie Q. Carter serves as ‘a picture of the possibility’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
April 5, 2023
Jackie Q. Carter is a woman who refuses to accept limits.
For as long as she can remember, Carter knew she had to stomp out stereotypes and erase doubts. She was particularly keen on doing this because although Carter wasn’t a teen mom, teenage pregnancies were something she often saw in her life.
“The message we used to get was, if that happens, then your life is pretty much done,” Carter said.
She now encourages people to remain optimistic throughout life’s ordeals.
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Carter, who was raised in Washington Park, is the first Black person and first woman to lead Port Milwaukee, which oversees operations of the 467 acres that make up the Port. The Port also promotes shipping and commerce throughout the region by allowing access to domestic and international ships, rail and other transportation.
More recently, she was the finance and administration officer for Port Milwaukee, where she oversaw business operations, including financial, human resource and administrative operations.
And she has served at local nonprofits for more than 20 years.
She says her continuing mission is to support the regional economy in Wisconsin by making sure businesses can get their commodities to market. She took her oath of office in February.
Her duties include overseeing staff who work in various fields such as engineering, marketing, finance and administration, operations and trade development.
Carter’s family is the driving force for who she has become.
“My interest is rewriting the legacy or creating a new legacy for my family,” she said.
Carter is a wife and mother of three adult children. Her family also consists of many siblings, two of hers and five of her husband’s, along with their siblings’ children.
“When we get together, it’s a big group,” she said.
Carter believes in volunteering, donating and mentoring. All these things often come together at her church, Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church.
Because of her strong financial background and love for people, she is excited about her new role.
Though “we are not considered a public service agency in the city, you’re still supporting the public good because you’re looking after the interests of the collective people,” Carter said.
Initially, she wanted to be an accountant, which is why she obtained an associate degree at Milwaukee Area Technical College in accounting.
She would eventually earn her bachelor’s degree with a double major in business and management and professional communication from Alverno College. At Concordia University Wisconsin, she received a  master of business administration with an emphasis in public administration.
Along the way, she learned that business isn’t always about entrepreneurship.
“It’s all about connections,” she said.
Carter knows how to connect people to resources after growing up in a community that didn’t have much. This honed skills that she hopes to use to develop policies and strategies to make sure the needs of businesses are met.
As the director of Port Milwaukee, Carter knows she will be serving as an example. And she savors the opportunity.
“It was a moment of triumph,” she said.
Her friend of 20-plus years, Joy Parks, knew this moment was coming for Carter and feels she deserves this milestone. She describes Carter as genuine and a God-fearing woman.
“She is able to effectively lead from any seat that she sits in,” Parks said.
This kind of support for one another is one purpose of a group Carter and Parks are in – the “Sister Circle.”
“It’s a safe space for you to express yourself freely” where you “can feel love, give love, give prayer and be prayed for,” Parks said.
They even have a moment they call “getting each other together.” This is the help they give when anyone in the group is discouraged, doubtful or steps out of character.
“When I’m not sure of which way to go, they’ll help me with that,” Carter said.
Carter knows this new position represents beating the odds and notes the absence of Black people and women in her industry.
“To be able to be one of the people who can step into that space and be a picture of the possibility is really important to me,” she said.
Catch up with the people and organizations who make Milwaukee great by reading “NNS Spotlight.”

author: Chesnie Wardell


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52738017317_3ddc18fb43_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
April 4, 2023