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Local churches work with congregations to combat infant death | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Marlita Annette Bevenue
October 12, 2015
City police chaplains attend the fifth annual Strong Baby Sabbath Luncheon hosted by Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital: Pastor Alexis Twito, Lynne Hines-Levy, Brenda Hines and Pastor Lucy Gaynor Hunter. (Photo by Marlita A. Bevenue).
Local church leaders urged their congregations Sunday to be part of a citywide effort to fight infant mortality through the Strong Baby Sabbath initiative.
Originally coined the Safe Sleep Sabbath, Mayor Tom Barrett started the program five years ago. In an effort to prevent infant deaths, Barrett enlisted the help of local churches to support young families through education, awareness and action. He changed the name to Strong Baby Sabbath to highlight the leading cause of infant deaths in Milwaukee: premature births.
According to the Milwaukee Health Department, premature births account for nearly 60 percent of all infant deaths in Milwaukee, and 66 percent of all African-American infant deaths.
“The power of the church is to surround young mothers, fathers and children with love,” said Barrett. “When we talk about the church sanctuaries, it’s a way to reach these young families in a way that they need to be reached, and the faith community is a powerful, powerful partner in helping young women and children.”
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Gerri Sheets-Howard of Capuchin Community Services shows off plaques of appreciation she received for supporting expectant mothers in Milwaukee. (Photo by Marlita A. Bevenue).
Barrett, joined by Milwaukee Health Commissioner Bevan Baker and other community partners, spoke to a group of nearly 100 local faith leaders at the fifth annual Strong Baby Sabbath luncheon last week at Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital. The event also was supported by the Milwaukee Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families at United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County.
This year, 10 churches were recognized for becoming Strong Baby Sanctuary locations for mothers in need of health care resources, food and family planning information.
Gerri Sheets-Howard, administrative director for Capuchin Community Services, was recognized at the event for making a positive impact on young mothers in her community and her church congregation at Bradford Memorial A.M.E. Church in Milwaukee.
“This Strong Baby Sanctuary program makes me feel empowered. I feel equipped with the information and the resources needed to help mothers take the necessary steps to avoid infant mortality,” said Sheets-Howard. “We want to empower our young mothers, we want to encourage them to become stronger mothers. We want them to be encouraged so that they know they are not alone.”
At the luncheon, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin representative Dr. Veronica L. Gunn, described how stress and a lack of social support are the leading causes of premature birth. Dr. Gunn encouraged faith leaders to “lift up those families in your communities, in your churches, in your synagogues who are healthy and encourage them to role model that to others.”
The Strong Baby Sabbath program supports the mayor’s goal to reduce the city’s overall infant mortality rate by 10 percent and the African-American infant mortality rate by 15 percent by 2017.
The overall infant death rate for Milwaukee decreased from a rate of 10.2 for every 1,000 live births in 2011-2013 to 9.9 infant deaths in 2012-2104. The mortality rate of African-American infants is 15.3 compared to 5.2 for white infants, and 4.0 for Hispanic infants, according to the health department.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 11, 2015

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: October 11, 2015

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

author: Adam Carr


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On the Block: Torn on gun control | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
October 13, 2015
Marc Alesceo, 57, who has lived in Milwaukee his entire life, admits that the he is conflicted when it comes to the gun control debate. On one hand, Alesceo believes guns should be abolished, and on the other hand he thinks Americans should have the right to protect themselves, their property and their family.

created: October 13, 2015

author: Brendan O’Brien


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 12, 2015

created: October 12, 2015


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Rehabbed foreclosures improve outlook for N. Sixth Street | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Karen Slattery
October 13, 2015
Brenda Knox keeps her living room curtains closed, even on the sunniest days. She’s lived in the same house on North Sixth Street in the Harambee neighborhood for more than two decades and says she’s never felt really safe. She doesn’t want trouble looking in through her windows.
But, one of these days, she may feel comfortable enough to open the drapes. The City of Milwaukee and its partners are renovating three foreclosed homes in her neighborhood, the one next door and two across the street. Another house at the other end of the block has already received a facelift.
The progress Knox sees on her street is the result of one of the city’s “scattered sites” projects, which involves simultaneously rehabbing tax-foreclosed houses in four-to-five block clusters in the city.
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But the city cannot do the projects alone, according to Mario Higgins, housing policy director for the City of Milwaukee. So the city has partnered with Maures Development Group, Brinshore Development, BMO Harris Bank and others to refurbish 35 city-owned housing units in the Harambee and Lindsay Heights neighborhoods and get them back on the tax rolls. The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) provided the low-income housing tax credits for the project.
This old home’s new look is giving hope to neighbors in the Harambee neighborhood, an area hit hard by the tax-foreclosure crisis. (Photo by Karen Slattery)
“It is a powerful strategy for improving neighborhoods,” said Higgins.
The city’s effort to refurbish several houses in the same area at the same time quickly leads to visible changes to the neighborhood. Developers are asked to consider the architecture in the surrounding area so that renovations fit visually into the neighborhood, according Maria Prioletta, redevelopment and special projects manager with Milwaukee’s Department of City Development. “We even had a discussion with a developer about porches, about how porches should look,” she said.
The project grew out of Mayor Tom Barrett’s Strong Neighborhoods Plan The mayor said the city is a “quadruple loser” when homes are empty. The houses go to waste, fail to generate tax revenue, drive down nearby property values and place additional burdens on city resources such as police and fire services.
The mayor said he hopes this redevelopment project will have a positive impact on the people in the neighborhood. “This is what we’re trying to do, improve the quality of life,” said Barrett.
According to Prioletta, Brenda Knox can expect to see the housing renovations in her neighborhood completed before the end of the year. Knox said she hopes she gets good neighbors. She said that she thinks the neighborhood will “be safer and it’ll be nicer.”
Higgins and Prioletta agree that Milwaukee may have reached the high water mark on tax foreclosures, but “the city will be living with the impact for a while,” according to Higgins.
Early next year, the city will begin renovating tax-foreclosed properties in the Century City neighborhood, according to Prioletta. She said more than 30 homes will be refurbished as part of the Century City Housing Initiative.
In addition to cleaning up the mess caused by the foreclosure crisis, the city is trying to avoid additional foreclosures. According to Higgins, people having trouble paying taxes or mortgages should contact Take Root Milwaukee, a hotline program that involves banks, realtors, the city and others, and is aimed at helping people work through the problem.

author: Karen Slattery


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Black leaders say priorities must change to address poverty | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
October 14, 2015
Attendees look on during the event, the first of a monthly series. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
A panel of community leaders at a recent meeting in the 10th Legislative District called for Milwaukee to invest in education, job training and job placement, especially for African-Americans, in an effort to address poverty.
The first installment of Tenth Talks, a monthly town hall meeting with 10th District State Rep. David Bowen, brought together residents and organizations from Shorewood, Harambee, the Rufus King neighborhood and throughout Milwaukee to discuss fiscal priorities for the city and district. Panel participants included Milwaukee NAACP President Fred Royal, Neighborhood Children’s Sports League President Earl Ingram and Rick Banks, community engagement specialist at the Harambee Great Neighborhood Initiative.
Bowen’s presentation focused on the financial impacts of Gov. Scott Walker’s recent budget, which included $300 million worth in cuts to public education, and the public financing deal for a new Bucks arena, which put the city, county and state on the hook for more than $250 million. Bowen also criticized the governor’s decision to turn down about $350 million in federal funds to expand Wisconsin’s Medicaid program, BadgerCare, saying those funds could have helped to maintain health services and eliminate cuts to tax credits for low-income people.
“We are almost at the bottom in every category, across the board, when it comes to African-Americans in this city,” said Ingram. “It is unacceptable. So, when I hear people talk about building an arena because billionaires want it and there’s a will for people with money to make things happen for other people with money, my response is, ‘For heaven’s sake, whatever happened to humanity?’”
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CEO of Prism Technical Management & Marketing Services Randy Crump, who works to ensure compliance with worker requirements, speaks at the event. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Milwaukee’s employment rate for black males is under 50 percent. The city’s poverty rate of 29 percent is almost double the national average of 14.8 percent, a number that makes the city the fifth poorest large metro area in the country. The poverty rate among African-Americans is even higher at almost 40 percent. Among children 18 and under, a segment that makes up about 27 percent of Milwaukee’s population, more than 42 percent live in poverty.
A 2012 report by the Social Development Commission (SDC) analyzed 18 neighborhoods identified by the City of Milwaukee Community Block Grants Administration as the city’s most impoverished areas. That analysis showed that while poverty rates were above 60 percent for those with a high school diploma or less, individuals in those areas who have had some college (53 percent) or have gone through an apprentice program (44 percent) also experience high rates of poverty.
In Milwaukee County, 42 percent of all working age, single individuals who filed tax returns had incomes below the poverty line. The SDC report also points out that those who are not in the labor force are even more likely to live in poverty.
“If we can invest $2 trillion when the nation was at … a high of 12 percent unemployment in the last recession, if we can generate enough energy to discuss a $1 billion sports arena complex, why can’t we generate enough energy to [address] the … poverty that’s been going on in this city for 35 years?” said Royal. “That’s where the focus needs to be.”
Responding to a recent statement by Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele that his 2016 budget helps the African-American community by increasing funding for social services and the House of Corrections, among other things, Banks said, “I’m a little insulted if that’s his answer.”
“It’s a Band-Aid,” said Banks, who noted more funding is good but added, “it’ll never fix the problem, the disease that is mass poverty.”
Noted Royal, “I’m a firm believer that social services are okay as a safety net,” adding “But, give a man a fish, he’ll eat today; teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for life.”
Royal pointed out that, though the Bucks arena has been billed as a $1 billion investment, the city’s Residents Preference Program (RPP), which mandates developments that receive more than $1 million in direct financial assistance from the city employ 40 percent of unemployed and underemployed workers, was only tied to the stadium itself, which will account for half of the proposed development. Royal questioned Abele’s decision to tout those funding increases instead of pursuing a worker participation requirement for the addition saying, “he doesn’t understand the value of work to an individual that isn’t working.”
As part of the deal, the city and the Bucks have set aside $750,000 for worker training over the next four years. Some have raised concerns about the availability of willing workers. If the Milwaukee Workforce Investment Board determines that all eligible workers have been exhausted, the Bucks can hire any city resident.
Stephen Finn, who lives near 54th Street and Oklahoma Avenue, said he is currently on a construction job that has more than 50 percent minority participation. “The apprenticeship is open to everybody. The apprenticeship ain’t gonna come to your house, drag you out of bed, bite you on the leg and say, ‘Here I am,’” said Finn.
He added, “If you don’t pursue it, I can assure you it won’t pursue you.”
Many in the crowd pointed out that African-Americans are pursuing apprenticeships but simply aren’t being hired. A 2010 UWM report, based on data from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards, showed that of 341 Milwaukee-area union contractors only 78 employed African-Americans. That same report said African-American apprentices “suffered higher job losses and were placed on lay-off in disproportionate numbers” and “had a higher rate of unassigned apprentices than any other racial/ethnic group.”
“You can find them constantly not being hired, not being brought on board,” said Ingram of black apprentices. “Now, there’s got to be some reason for that.”
Randy Crump, CEO of Prism Technical Management & Marketing Services, who has been in business for 25 years and is currently helping to ensure the legislated RPP requirement for the new Northwestern Mutual development, said he was “disappointed but not surprised” that the arena legislation did not mirror the Miller Park and convention center projects, which required 25 percent minority worker participation.
“It starts with the legislation,” Crump said. “I will tell you that, frankly, until the owner, the city or a Northwestern Mutual or a Miller Park — the owner — says ‘It’s going to happen,’ it doesn’t happen.”
Recently, a local training program for ex-offenders began a push urging 100 area companies to hire 100 of its graduates in 2016. But Bowen said Milwaukee needs to do more. While he cautioned against believing one particular project, such as the Bucks arena, is going to make everything better he said the city needs to think bigger.
“The current programs that we have are not built to scale, to help everybody that needs that opportunity. We are working on ideas and visions that are too small to address the problems that we have,” he said.
Banks framed the issue as a matter of priorities. “It’s funny how there’s no money when we … want to do community projects, we want to fix people’s homes — there’s no money. But, there’s money when we want to build a big playground (the arena) for people who can afford it.”
“Our focus needs to be on improving the quality of life of our residents.”

created: October 14, 2015

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 13, 2015


text:
#040 Precious Lives: How Milwaukee Faith Leaders Talk About Gun Violence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 15, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio

created: October 15, 2015

author: Andrea Waxman


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For-Profit Colleges Accused of Fraud Still Receive U.S. Funds | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 15, 2015
The New York Times


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Milwaukee Rep will host Bronzeville Arts Ensemble in residency | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 15, 2015
jsonline.com


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Neighborhood building community with big yellow chairs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 15, 2015
88NINE Radio Milwaukee


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On the Block: Thicker than water | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
October 15, 2015
Read more about Art Brown at milwaukeestories.org.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 15, 2015


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SDC and SCORE partner to provide free business seminars for budding entrepreneurs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Patrice Harris
October 15, 2015
Each year aspiring entrepreneurs have dreams of launching their business and realizing success they only dreamed of. The reality is many small businesses that do open their doors, are forced to close them a short time later. The Social Development Commission (SDC) has formed a partnership with the southeastern Wisconsin chapter of SCORE to provide free seminars to budding entrepreneurs on starting a business and developing effective business plans.
“We encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in our community, but we also need to make sure they are sufficiently prepared for new ventures,” said George P. Hinton, CEO of the Social Development Commission. “Building new business creates job and economic growth which is direly needed in many communities in Milwaukee County.”
The first workshop, What You Need to Start a Business, will be held on Saturday, October 24 from 9:00 AM – noon. The seminar will focus on those that are considering going into business for themselves. The myths and realities of entrepreneurship will be identified and self-evaluation tools will be used to determine if being a business owner is a fit for each individual. A checklist of what to do prior to investing in a small business will be provided and discussed.
A three-part seminar will focus on business plan. The first module, How to Write a Short, Effective Business Plan, will be held on Saturday, November 7 from 9:00 AM – noon. The hands-on workshop will instruct aspiring business owners how to construct a meaningful business plan that positions them for success. The SCORE expert will teach attendees how to exercise and listen to their plan, and how to tackle what is often found to be the most challenging portion of a business plan, marketing. Participants will also be advised on how to create financial “what ifs.”
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How to Refine Your Business Plan is the second module and will occur Saturday, November 14 from 9:00 AM – noon. In this seminar, participants will have a hands-on experience as they learn how to prepare the financial portion of their business plan and will acquire the knowledge to transform financial “what ifs” to financial projections that are required by investors and lenders.
The third and final seminar in the series, How to Finalize Your Business Plan, will take place, Saturday, November 21 from 9:00 AM – noon. At this session participants will learn to write the executive summary of their plan. Previously prepared sections of the business plan will undergo final review in preparation for presentation to prospective investors or lenders.
All seminars will be held at the at the Social Development Commission office located at 4041 N. Richards Street, Milwaukee. The seminars are free, but registration is required. To register, visit www.cr-sdc.org and select Programs/Business Services.
SCORE, is a national network of free, expert business mentors. The organization’s primary goal is to counsel clients toward achieving success in their operation of start-up businesses or existing ones. For more information on SCORE, visit www.scoresewisconsin.org.

author: Patrice Harris


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SDC program helps seniors maintain independence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
October 15, 2015
Mary Listenbee (right), 89, has been a senior companion for Lela Malone, 81, for three years. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
For more than three years, Mary Listenbee, 89, has been the second pair of eyes, arms, legs and ears for Lela Malone, 81.
“If I start something she’ll finish it for me,” said Malone, a client of the Social Development Commission’s (SDC) Senior Companion Program.
The free program matches senior participants with a companion, also a senior, who provides daytime home visits once or twice a week for a few hours at a time. During the visits, the companions help out with day-to-day tasks such as cooking or eating meals, putting together puzzles, going to medical appointments, reading or housework.
While helping the seniors perform tasks that have become challenges, the companions also monitor their health and wellness. In addition, they provide respite care, giving their clients’ caregivers — often family members — a few hours of relief.
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Despite visiting for a limited number of hours per week, the companions have a huge impact on the lives of clients by helping them extend the time they can stay in their own homes rather than moving to an assisted living or nursing home facility, said Mattie Payne, senior companion program manager at SDC.
Mattie Payne, senior companion program manager at SDC, said the program often allows seniors to stay in their homes for a few more years. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“That helps them physically and mentally because they’re more relaxed at home. They know where things are and just feel better (sitting) on their own furniture and among their own memories,” Payne said.
Last year 64 senior companions from SDC made 12,009 visits to 280 clients.
Listenbee typically helps Malone do her physical therapy, takes her shopping and answer the phone to ward off unwanted calls from telemarketers and others, among other tasks. And while Malone said she appreciates all that, she most enjoys the conversations and bond they share.
“She’s like my sister,” said Malone, who practiced for decades as an education paraprofessional on Milwaukee’s North Side. The women spend much of their time together sharing memories about growing up in the south and talking about their late husbands or other family members.
“Socialization and emotional support are key components of the program,” Payne said.
The program, which began in 1974, is one of several services offered at SDC that cater to seniors. They include a Prescription Advocacy and Referral Service, which helps seniors pay for prescriptions, and benefits assistance counseling, which helps them determine whether they are eligible for federal programs such as Medicare or state programs such as FoodShare. SDC recently lost a grant to provide energy assistance services.
Senior companions garner some financial benefits, including a small tax-free stipend that doesn’t affect their Social Security benefit. More importantly, the program helps low-income seniors feel useful, according to Payne.
“I don’t want to be just sitting around and besides I like being able to get out and help someone,” said a spry Listenbee.
Senior companions must be 55 or older, have an income no more than $23,540 for individuals and pass a background check and physical. Companions are provided 40 hours of free service training in addition to supplemental trainings and recognition activities held every few months.
“Some seniors who begin the program as companions end up needing companions of their own,” Payne said.
Malone lives with her adult daughter, who works full time and attends to her mother in the evenings. With Listenbee and her daughter both helping to care for her, Malone said she’s confident she won’t be living anywhere else, anytime soon.
“I don’t want to go to no nursing home. I want to stay right here,” she said, smiling.

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 14, 2015


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Youths play major role in new app for after-school programs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 16, 2015
(From left) Imani Ray, Abraham Castillo and Everardo Martinez-Saavedra introduce the new app at Discovery World. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Imani Ray, now 19 and a high school graduate, suffered from after-school boredom during her freshman year. But the following year everything changed. Through a connection at Public Allies Milwaukee, the former Messmer High School student found a youth leadership organization that solved her problem.
“I joined Urban Underground my sophomore year so I wasn’t bored for too long,” Ray said.
Now back at Urban Underground as a Public Ally herself, Ray participated in the launch of the Beyond The Bell Milwaukee mobile app and closed the circle on a project she joined at its inception.
The free mobile app was recently launched on Google Play and the iTunes store. The app provides locations, contacts, types of activities and links to organizations’ Web sites for more than 200 after-school programs and activities for youths ages 12 to 18. Users can also identify program sites in close proximity to where they are.
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Reggie Moore, founder and executive director of the Center for Youth Engagement, talks about the app at the organization’s headquarters, 4850 W. Fond Du Lac Ave. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
During her first year at Urban Underground, Ray and her peers worked with the Center for Youth Engagement (CYE), a nonprofit committed to improving opportunities for urban youth. “We created a survey to … find out what the students were doing after school, and if they weren’t involved in anything, to find out what were the barriers,” Ray said.
The survey found that 70 percent of the youth who were not involved in after-school programs or activities said they didn’t participate because they didn’t know how to find them. The results led CYE to initiate Beyond The Bell to focus on improving coordination among youth programs and services in Milwaukee County. First, CYE gathered data for Youth Map Milwaukee, a Web site that maps after-school programs and activities. But when youth from partner organizations pointed out that they typically access the Internet through their cell phones, not on computers, the idea for the app was born.
Although many initiatives are geared to young people, most don’t involve young people, said Reggie Moore, founder and executive director of CYE. But, from the outset, Beyond The Bell involved young people in every aspect of the project. They also will be involved in updating the app and all ongoing aspects, he explained.
Brothers Abraham Castillo, 17, and Everardo Martinez-Saavedra, 16, together with other teen participants, collected data for Youth Map and the Beyond the Bell app by calling organizations around the city and asking about their offerings. Calling strangers was difficult at first, “but it became a lot easier as we got experience and I learned a lot about what was offered,” Abraham said. Another benefit for the brothers, who live on the South Side, has been getting to know teens from other neighborhoods around the city, they said.
Beyond The Bell app (photo courtesy of The Center for Youth Engagement)
“I like (the project) a lot because it’s something that we put our hard work into and it’s going to benefit other kids who are not going to be bored like we (were),” Abraham added.
Abraham and Everardo’s father enrolled them in Hope House’s Shining Stars Youth Program when they were in grade school, the brothers said. Others who worked on data collection came from Urban Underground and Neulife. Teens from Milwaukee Christian Center, Pearls for Teen Girls, Running Rebels and True Skool participated in focus groups.
The focus groups were assembled by Dustin Hahn, UWM’s App Brewery project manager, and his team, who built the app free of charge. The youth provided input on the appearance, desired features and other aspects of the app as it was being developed.
“The feel of it will be really appealing to (young people),” Ray said. “The colors are bright. The process isn’t lengthy. It’s fun and easy to use,” she added.
As people begin using the app, Hahn noted, his team will make adjustments and fixes. “We try to produce the best quality software we can but there’s nothing like real-life testing,” he said. His team would love to continue working with Beyond The Bell to advance the app, he added.
According to Ray, the app will be promoted at schools, youth organizations, events attended by youth and through social media. Moore said that a Beyond the Bell adult working group is developing an outreach strategy and he expects members will ask public relations and advertising agencies for help.
Brian Litzsey, co-chair of Beyond the Bell’s access working group, said “the best part of this project is young people actually had a voice in how (the app) looks.” He noted that even adults tend not to have a chance to work on many projects from the initial concept to the end. Litzsey added that this kind of success allows young people to understand what they are capable of accomplishing.

created: October 16, 2015


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Circus returns to Highland Community School | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Marlita Annette Bevenue
October 18, 2015
Juggling, plate-spinning, martial arts stick-fighting. These were among the circus acts performed by Highland Community School students at the fourth annual circus on Friday, Oct. 16. The gym was transformed from the school lunchroom to a circus scene with colorful parachutes hanging from the ceiling, bright holiday lights and calliope music.
When the show began, more than 60 students ages 6 to 9 took center stage in front of an audience of 300 enthusiastic fans. The performers were backed up by a student-run stage crew managing the show’s technical needs, from dramatic lighting to electrifying music. Highland’s circus performers brought cheers and a lot of laughs to the packed gym.

created: October 18, 2015

author: Marlita Annette Bevenue


text:
A 58-Year-Old Black Man Reflects on the Death Around Him | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 19, 2015
The Atlantic

created: October 19, 2015


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First-ever Milwaukee marathon draws youth into running | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
October 19, 2015
A participant in Kids Run Milwaukee rejoices as she finishes her last lap of the day. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
The thudding of feet hitting the concrete grew louder as a group of seven middle school students rounded the corner in front of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School, huffing and puffing. The runners paused as they finished their lap, and their labored breathing switched to laughter and another burst of youthful energy in just a few minutes.
The students from King, 3275 N. 3rd St., are just a fraction of the more than 120 students voluntarily participating in the Kids Run Milwaukee program this fall, an outreach effort of the first annual Milwaukee Running Festival, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.
“We wanted to spread running to areas of the community we feel are underserved,” said Chris Ponteri, founder and executive director of the Milwaukee Running Festival.
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Volunteer coaches are teaching proper running technique and holding regular practices at nine Boys and Girls Club sites throughout the city for the six weeks leading up to the Milwaukee Running Festival on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. All of the participants will receive new running shoes, entry into the one-mile race and a medal, courtesy of the Argosy Foundation.
“This is our first attempt at something like this,” said LaNelle Ramey, director of athletics and recreation for the Boys and Girls Clubs. He said it’s important to teach running because it is “something (the students) can do on their own on a regular basis.”
Both Ramey and Ponteri said that Kids Run Milwaukee is also a way to address health disparities. “We are hoping this program can spark a healthy initiative in our families,” Ramey said.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School is one of nine Boys and Girls Club sites hosting running clubs leading up to the Milwaukee Running Festival. Other sites range from elementary to high schools in different parts of the city. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
Yusef Salameh, a teacher at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School and one of the volunteer running coaches, said he hopes participants gain a sense of self-confidence and self-worth from the program.
Kids Run Milwaukee is one way the Milwaukee Running Festival is working to engage with residents in different neighborhoods.
“The (festival) event is for the entire city,” Ponteri said. “It is reflective of Milwaukee’s neighborhoods and cultures, and we are proud of that.”
In addition to the mile race, the running festival will include a health and fitness expo, 5K, half marathon and marathon. According to Ponteri, Milwaukee was the largest city in the country without a major marathon. He said the marathon route “goes through just about every area in the center of the city,” including neighborhoods such as Concordia, Metcalfe Park, Sherman Park, Martin Drive, Menomonee Valley and Clarke Square.
Ponteri said that he is excited to showcase different areas with the route. “Milwaukee has neighborhoods that aren’t known to a lot of people in the city,” he added.
Festival organizers have been meeting with neighborhood associations and other local groups to communicate how the course will affect their streets. The event planners are also encouraging neighbors to staff the aid stations and host celebrations on the morning of the race.
“Everyone is excited,” Ponteri said. “Most people we’ve talked to have embraced the festival.”

author: Allison Dikanovic


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 18, 2015


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HHS: Remaining Uninsured Worry About Costs Of Coverage | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 19, 2015
Kaiser Health News


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Judge Says Texas Can Continue Denying Birth Certificates To Immigrants’ Kids | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 19, 2015
National Public Radio


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Long-range effects of standing up for justice | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Rozga
October 19, 2015
(Photo by Joe Brusky)
Margaret Rozga, poet, civil rights activist and professor emerita of English at UW-Waukesha, rejects cynicism in the fight for social justice.
“What good does it do?” my friend said, not really posing a question about how effective a protest against the takeover of Milwaukee Public Schools would be. Her tone was resigned, already defeated.
“I’ve grown cynical,” she continued, as though cynicism was the flower that somehow bloomed on the stem of social justice activism, as though there were no reason to expect a more beautiful flowering.
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She is not the first person to express such defeatism, and I suspect she won’t be the last. I don’t want to minimize the difficulties of struggling against well-funded campaigns to erase the Constitutional aims of establishing justice, insuring domestic tranquility and promoting the general welfare. At the same time, I don’t want to underestimate the accomplishments of those who stand up for justice and secure results that benefit all, including their opponents and the cynics.
Take voting rights for example. After decades of courageous struggle, after many court cases against specific voting restrictions, after Herbert Lee, Jimmie Lee Jackson, Jonathan Daniels, James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and many others who gave their energy and even their lives, we finally had the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which continued in effect for 48 years until the John Roberts-led Supreme Court gutted it in 2013.
In those 48 years, many African Americans enjoyed unfettered voting rights. African Americans and Latinos were elected to local, state and national office, including the presidency. During those 48 years and continuing today, young people, inspired by the courage of voting rights workers, take up the civil rights banner. I have seen this with the young people I worked with on poetry and civil rights projects.
Those 48 years of success must not be discounted even as we realize we must not underestimate how wily and persistent are those who want to guard only their own privilege. The re-emergence of opposition to voting rights only renews and strengthens my resolve to join groups working to protect the vote, including the League of Women Voters and the League of Young Voters.
A current example: I came home last week from Atlanta and the 50th anniversary reunion of voting rights volunteers to good news. In Milwaukee Local 998 Amalgamated Transit Union by 92 percent voted down a contract proposal that would have added more part-time drivers and thus undermine the family-supporting jobs that the Milwaukee County Transit System has long offered. The very next day, the county announced that it would drop that provision from its contract offer.
This is a significant concession won by a union in a state that under the current governor’s direction has been hostile to unions. It is a victory won by the combined effort of the union leaders and membership with the support of community groups like Schools and Communities United and the Overpass Light Brigade. It is another step toward keeping the jobs that help maintain strong families and help build a strong city.
I am gratified that Local 998 chose to hold some of its actions in front of the image of Father James Groppi in the community mural at Mitchell and First streets. One of the lead artists for that mural project was Jeannie David, who marched for fair housing with Father Groppi and the Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council in 1967. Neither Jeannie nor Father Groppi could have expected that their work would live on and be part of today’s struggles for justice. Sometimes discouragement sets in because we can’t see the long-range effects of the good we do.
What I see in historic and current examples is that, yes, sometimes we need a moment to catch our breath, renew our resolve and look for partners. But no, no cynicism. Cynicism isolates. United let us work to build a movement, to build a strong and justice-minded community.

author: Margaret Rozga


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Mayor Barrett releases 2014 teen birth rate data | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
October 19, 2015
One year after setting a bold new goal to reduce births to teens by another 50 percent by 2023, Mayor Tom Barrett and the city’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, led by United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, have released the city’s 2014 teen birth rates.
According to data from the City of Milwaukee Health Department, the total number of births to teens aged 17 and under dropped below 300 for the first time in history. However, because there are fewer teens overall, the overall teen birth rate ticked upward slightly from 22.9 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 17 to 23.7 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 17. The overall rate remains at its second lowest rate in recorded history. Compared to 2006 baseline data, Milwaukee’s teen birth rate has seen a 54 percent decrease since establishing a communitywide effort around the issue.
In 2014, the rate for non-Hispanic Black teens also dropped to a historic low of 27.0, while the rate for Hispanic teens increased to 25.5 and the rate for White teens increased to 9.2.
“Last year, we set a bold new goal to reduce teen births by another 50 percent by 2023,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “We know this will take an incredible effort to reach this goal, and this new data proves just how difficult the work will be. Every partner in this effort must rededicate themselves. Our children and families in Milwaukee deserve nothing but our very best work.”
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The new goal seeks to reduce the overall teen birth rate by another 50 percent while also decreasing the Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black rates by 50 percent, lowering the overall teen birth rate, as well as the rate for each racial and ethnic group, to below 15 per 1,000 for 15- to 17-year-old girls by 2023. The goal was set after the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative announced it had surpassed its original goal to reduce teen births by 46% by 2015 three years early. Despite the slight increase, the 2014 data remains below the original 2015 goal.
“The data illustrate that we cannot become complacent,” said Nicole Angresano, Vice President of Community Impact for United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. “We have new young people entering this critical age group each year, and we need to redouble our efforts to ensure success for them and for our entire community as we work toward our new goal.”
The goal is supported by the continuation of an unprecedented all-hands-on-deck approach adopted by the Milwaukee community since 2008. The effort is led by United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, which brought together a diverse collaborative of community stakeholders that included local businesses, media outlets, health care providers, schools, and community- and faith-based organizations.
“Births to girls age 17 and younger are a significant public health problem in our community,” said Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker, who also serves as co-chair of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Oversight Committee at United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. “We’ve made great progress since 2008, but these recent data confirm that it will continue to take intensive, innovative, communitywide efforts to reach our aggressive 2023 goal.”
Along with education efforts, a public awareness strategy has sought to speak to teens about how getting pregnant negatively affects both young men and young women in both the short term and the long term. In addition, efforts have emphasized encouraging parents to talk to their teens about the issue. The campaigns have also brought attention to the problems of sexual violence and victimization of teens.
“Our past success shows that we as a community can come together to meet a tough goal,” said Betsy Brenner, President and Publisher of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and co-chair of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Oversight Committee at United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. “But to meet this new goal, and to reverse the 2014 data, we will all have to recommit ourselves to a lot of hard work.”
*The State of Wisconsin Vital Records office has not yet confirmed the 2014 birth figures for Milwaukee. Therefore, the currently-reported 2014 rates are based on preliminary City data that have not yet been certified by the State.

author: City of Milwaukee


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President Obama Pledges $335 Million Education Investment Towards Latino Students | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 19, 2015
Latin Post


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On the Block: Diana Condon | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
October 20, 2015
Every day, Diana Condon, 67, walks in four different directions, dustpan and broom in hand. She cleans up all the trash and litter surrounding her home and business on the corner of 5th and Locust streets. Born just a few blocks down the road, the self-proclaimed “watcher” keeps her finger on the pulse of her neighborhood by getting to know the people along her route. She values neighbors who look out for one another.

created: October 20, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 20, 2015


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Shift to community-based mental healthcare underway, but problems remain | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
October 20, 2015
John Chianelli and his team at Whole Health Clinical Group received a $1.6 million grant to expand primary care and mental healthcare in local communities. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
John Chianelli knew some of his patients died too young. As director of the west side TLS Behavioral Health clinics he saw U.S. Department of Health and Human Services statistics that showed people in treatment for mental health conditions die 25 percent sooner than others. The cause of death was usually chronic diseases or conditions, rather than the mental health ailments that brought patients to his clinics.
Although Chianelli’s patients from Milwaukee’s central city neighborhoods, like others around the country, were being treated for acute mental health conditions, unrelated health issues such as diabetes or smoking often weren’t getting enough attention.
Dr. Rosalyn McFarland, a family nurse practitioner working for Chianelli, said patients suffering from mental illness face special challenges. “Many don’t trust doctors, or don’t understand their conditions well enough to follow up like they should,” she said.
That’s why earlier this year Chianelli’s organization changed its name to Whole Health Clinical Group and began integrating primary care into its regular practice while treating people recovering from mental illness. The group is affiliated with the Milwaukee Center for Independence.
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Now, as a result of a $1.6 million federal grant awarded last month, the group is set to expand its services to reach more people. The grant, awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, will be paid evenly over the next four years and is expected to allow the Whole Health Clinical Group to treat about 800 patients annually, compared to the 300 it currently serves.
Dr. Rosalyn McFarland works in community clinics for Whole Health Clinical Group. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
“We expect to demonstrate that integrated care can result in greatly improved overall health, particularly for people who are living with behavioral health issues,” Chianelli said.
The Whole Health Clinical Group operates four clinics, including in the Walnut Hill and Avenues West neighborhoods. The service expansion is part of a trend in Milwaukee toward community-based mental healthcare rather than large, centralized institutions.
Experts say placing mental healthcare resources in communities increases efficiency, as well as quality of care and quality of life for patients. “Having total healthcare where we treat the whole person out in their communities means they are getting treatment right when they need it,” Chianelli said.
The transition to a community-based model comes after years of criticism directed at the county for out-of-control costs and adherence to a mindset fixated on maintaining central control of the mental healthcare system.
Since 2011, Milwaukee County has invested about $12 million in new or enhanced community-based services. The money has mostly gone to close or ramp down centralized facilities, as well as to help fund community crisis resource centers, local access clinics and safe housing options for patients.
“Exciting changes are taking place and efforts to establish more robust care in a community setting are generating results,” said Rob Henken, president of the Public Policy Forum, which has studied the county’s mental health system.
A milestone occurred earlier this year with the closing of Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex’s Hilltop hospital. A long-term care facility, at one time Hilltop operated six units caring for people with mental illness, including some with severe disorders who had been in the facility for decades.
Now those patients are being cared for in community settings and, according mental healthcare observers, the transition has been a success. “Some of the patient guardians who were very apprehensive (about the transition) are very positive and say they wish we had done this a long time ago,” said Barbara Beckert, director of the Milwaukee office of Disability Rights Wisconsin, an organization chosen by the state to act as an advocate for patients.
The county anticipates closing its one remaining long-term care facility by the end of this year. It cares for people with mental illness and complex medical issues.
Despite its successes, serious questions and controversies continue to surround the county’s handling of mental healthcare and the transition to a community-based model. According to Henken, the number of admissions to the county’s psychiatric crisis service that involved arrest or emergency detention by police is higher than in in comparable cities. In a recent analysis, more than half of approximately 11,000 admissions to the county’s psychiatric crisis service last year involved county or Milwaukee police officers.
“It’s obviously a problem when the police force becomes the front door to your mental health system,” Henken said.
Beckert is raising the concern that people suffering from mental illness are being jailed and not receiving treatment. “More analysis is needed so we know whether or not more of these people are going to jail,” she said.
The Public Policy Form has organized a panel discussion on Oct. 26 to explore “When the Mental Health and Justice Systems Collide.” Possible issues include whether the transitions taking place in mental healthcare are exacerbating the problem, whether police need more or different training and whether changes are needed in the legal system, Henken said.
Another issue involves the county’s mental health hospital for patients needing short-term and emergency care. Earlier this month the Behavioral Health Division announced it was suspending the bidding process that was to privatize the facility, which is located on the mental health complex grounds at 9201 W. Watertown Plank Road. The county launched a “request for proposal” process in July but only two bidders responded, both of which the county deemed unqualified.
“Now we’re back to square one, with nothing,” said Mary Neubauer, a member of the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board. She said the county’s outreach to potential bidders was rushed and she is frustrated that the Behavioral Health Division never sought comment from the Mental Health Board or the public.
According to Héctor Colón, Milwaukee County director of Health and Human Services, the hospital, which costs about $10 million a year to run, is needed for patients who can’t be treated at community clinics or other hospitals. The county believes privatization will reduce costs to taxpayers and increase efficiency.
Colón has said that the county is likely to offer a sole-source contract that excludes public bidding “whether it would be with a private health system here locally or a national entity,” he said at a meeting in early October.
So far no timetable or specific plans regarding next steps for privatizing the hospital have been announced.

author: Matthew Wisla


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As Schools Buy More Local Food, Kids Throw Less Food In The Trash | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 22, 2015
National Public Radio

created: October 22, 2015


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Benefits for Working Poor Decline in Value | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 22, 2015
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Expanded Hmong market to offer two floors of shopping, 90 vendors | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
October 22, 2015
Mailee Yang, who is the daughter of the Phongsavan Market’s owner Pai Yang, helps a customer pick out fresh vegetables. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
It started with a couple carts of food on the sidewalk in front of an old auto shop six years ago. In November, Phongsavan Market, an Hmong market on the city’s northwest side that houses 20 Asian-themed vendors, will open a new 84,000-square-foot building just south of its current home at 6300 N. 76th St.
The market that was started by Pai Yang in 2009, which includes a grocery store, fresh produce, hot food, authentic clothing and other items, will take on 70 new vendors, all of whom are already lined up. The $4.2 million expansion, originally scheduled to open in 2013 before funding issues postponed its completion, will have two floors of shopping and a large community room for events.
The grocery portion of the market, which occupies half of the current space, will expand to fill it. Management plans to carry “a more complete grocery line,” including frozen foods, fresh meats and medicine.
“Where we came from, this is how we do markets, this is how we sell stuff,” said General Manager Thai Vang, adding that pooling together keeps costs down. “When we first started, it was small but we would eventually grow here and there. Now, we are more complete.”
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Phongsavan Market offers Asian-themed videos, music, clothing and food. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Vang noted that for Hmong people — traditionally village-dwelling peoples from mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand — family is very important. “You have your immediate family, your extended family and then your friends.
“In our community, everything is related. Everybody knows everybody and, so, you’re judged on how you do things,” he said.
Mailee Yang, Pai’s oldest daughter, said her mother’s success stemmed, at least partly, from her good reputation. “My mom … is very well-known with the Hmong population so she decided to just do it one day, just to test it out — just a food stand here, food stand there outside — and everybody just loved it. So, she decided to just go for it, turn the auto shop into a flea market.”
Yang, who has a full-time job but helps at the market whenever she can, added, “The Hmong people stick together … and, when they come here, it kind of feels like home.”
More than 30,000 Hmong migrated to the United States in the 1970s, after fighting for the U.S. government against forces from north and south Vietnam, and communist insurgents during the Vietnam War and Laotian Civil War. There are almost 250,000 in the United States today; almost 50,000 reside in Wisconsin and about 12,000 live in the Milwaukee metro area. The only states with a larger Hmong population are Minnesota and California.
Pangchee Vang (no relation to Thai), a 22-year-old who works two full-time jobs, said she and her mother, Chue, come “almost daily” for groceries, herbal medicine or a bite to eat. She added that Phongsavan carries food and items “you can’t find anywhere else.”
Though her parents came to the United States 27 years ago, Pangchee Vang said Hmong culture and tradition are important to them. “I think it’s something that we will definitely carry on for quite a while. I know there are new, modern Hmong people where they decide to stop the Hmong culture but it runs in our blood. We grew up eating authentic food and it still runs through our family.”
Phongsavan’s new building will include vendors selling furniture, household decor, plants and more “Asian-themed stuff,” according to Thai Vang. The market currently offers videos, traditional clothing, handmade trinkets and other accoutrements.
In addition, a new community room will host Hmong weddings and other cultural events as well as a yearly Hmong New Year. Thai Vang said the New Year traditionally brings people of different communities together. There’s even a game of ball-toss, in which young people meet each other under the supervision of their parents, with the eventual goal of marriage.
Mao V. Thao, 51, who immigrated to the United States when she was 14, sells clothing and shoes made in Laos. She said having a market where vendors sell different types of wares is good for everyone. “Everybody has their own little things.”
For Christy Chang, a 21-year-old nursing student, however, the main attraction is the food, particularly a salad made with papaya. Diners can also enjoy meat-heavy Pho, barbecue pork and beef, and sandwiches. Chang, who was with her boyfriend, said she stops at the market to have lunch two to three times a month. “The food tastes like it’s homemade.”
Although Phongsavan is designed to feel like a marketplace in Thailand or Laos, Vang said, that feeling of community isn’t limited to Hmong people; he hopes the new space will bring in people who aren’t Hmong, too.
“When you come here, it’s like being transported into a different place, different atmosphere, environment,” said Vang. “You feel a friendship, a community, a sense of belonging.”
He added, “We believe this market will showcase our community to the public … We want to grow here and we want to be here for the long run.”
Phongsavan plans to host a grand opening event during November.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 21, 2015

created: October 21, 2015


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John Gurda’s Latest Book is a Definitive Guide to Milwaukee’s Neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 22, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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On the Block: ‘Ignorance is never bliss’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
October 22, 2015


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 22, 2015


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Poor left off Milwaukee’s speeding development train | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 22, 2015
OnMilwaukee.com


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Future of Walker Square neighborhood begins to take shape | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
October 23, 2015
Several recommendations in the preliminary Walker Square Action Plan involve improvements to West National Avenue. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
If preliminary recommendations from the Department of City Development (DCD) for the future of the Walker Square neighborhood are adopted, West National Avenue would eventually feature bike lanes, greenery and a diverse tenant mix that could include health care facilities. The area also would be part of a Business Improvement District.
According to Sam Leichtling, long range planning manager for Milwaukee’s Department of City Development, West National Avenue is not pedestrian- or bike-friendly and doesn’t encourage drivers to stop and frequent the businesses there. Adding trees and bike lanes could make the street more inviting to visitors and encourage a more diverse mix of tenants, according to Leichtling.
The recommendations for West National Avenue come after months of meetings among DCD officials, residents, representatives of the Walker Square Neighborhood Association and other local stakeholders, including Alderman Jose Perez. The draft will be finalized and introduced to the Common Council in November, and if adopted would become part of the city’s overall comprehensive plan for the near South Side.
Representatives from the Department of City Development discuss preliminary recommendations for Walker Square with local residents. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Once the proposal becomes official, “any new development or plans for the area will have to coincide with the spirit and vision of the neighborhood plan,” said Perez.
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According to Leichtling, similar action plans have been utilized to propel other neighborhoods, including Walker’s Point and Menomonee Valley.
The preliminary plan was presented to the public during a recent meeting at the MATC Walker Square Campus, 816 W. National Ave. Residents were asked to provide feedback on the plans for National Avenue, as well as recommendations to locate an FaB Center of Excellence in the area, increase the availability of housing resources for tenants and potential homebuyers, and invest in Walker Square Park.
Last year, FaB Wisconsin, the state food and beverage industry consortium, and MATC proposed plans to open an MATC Food Maker School and FaB Center of Excellence in Walker Square. FaB Centers of Excellence are state-of-the-art food innovation and training facilities. Locating a center in Walker Square would be a boon to residents who could potentially receive training there, said Perez.
“We have a large population of residents who could train there and then bus, walk or bike to work in one of the many food companies in the Menomonee Valley,” he added.
Several people at the meeting agreed that investment in Walker Square Park is crucial.
“The park, as well as this neighborhood, have a lot of history with all the immigration and culture in the area,” said nearby resident Carmen Cabrera. Cabrera described the park as the local plaza, and said more social activities should be hosted there and the pavilion should be rehabilitated.
Perez said the action plan would play a key role in transforming the neighborhood.
“Within 3-4 years we’ll have some concrete plans for mixed-use development in this area that will benefit the residents here and improve their quality of life,” Perez said.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to correct Sam Leichtling’s title.

created: October 23, 2015


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21713850064_404f4b6934_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 22, 2015


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Dominican Center for Women wins 2015 Nonprofit Excellence Award | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
October 24, 2015
The Amani neighborhood in Milwaukee has been described by UW-Milwaukee’s Center for Economic Development as “the epicenter of social and economic disadvantage in Milwaukee.” Bordered by Center Street, Keefe Avenue, 20th and 27th Streets, the neighborhood has very high unemployment and crime rates in a residential landscape marred by foreclosed homes and vacant lots.
When the Dominican Center for Women was designated in 2012 as the anchor community organization for the Amani neighborhood by the federal Building Neighborhood Capacity Program (BNCP), it was clear that an all-out organizing effort was needed to tackle the issues and concerns of the community. The Dominican Center got to work and is building a model resident-led revitalization plan.
As a result, an Amani collective voice has emerged through the creation of the resident group Amani United. Community projects include neighborhood cleanups, anti-violence vigils, voter education that greatly increased turnout in the November 2015 election, canvassing to collect data on perceptions while engaging residents in neighborhood activities, and more.
A highlight of the community organizing work was the opening of the new Moody Park, which was celebrated by 500 people in August 2015. Amani United residents took an active role in the park design, with COA-Goldin Center helping to support their goals. A new Friends of Moody Park Group was formed to develop programming for children and families. The Amani United Safety Task Force was formed, and the groups are working with Safe & Sound to provide resident safety training and develop a watch group.
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“Successful neighborhood engagement is integral to neighborhood stabilization and growth,” said the award nominator. Community organizing by the Dominican Center and Amani United “…provides hope that the Amani neighborhood will eventually be known as an empowered community and is a safe place…”

created: October 24, 2015

author: the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 24, 2015


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6th Annual Milwaukee County Project Homeless Connect | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Emmy A. Yates
October 25, 2015
More than 400 participants attended Milwaukee’s 6th annual Project Homeless Connect event at Marquette University Alumni Memorial Student Union, 1442 W. Wisconsin Ave. The one-day, one-stop event, held Thursday, offered multiple free services to homeless individuals. Participants were able to receive clothing, hygiene kits, haircuts, and health and dental screenings, as well as gather information on Social Security, legal matters and mental health.
Volunteers led individuals through three floors of services, and gave them a lunch and light snack as they left. The event was co-sponsored by United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County, the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County.

created: October 25, 2015

author: Emmy A. Yates


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21798442953_62b0650363_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 25, 2015


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College Possible fought hunger to give back this Make a Difference Day | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
College Possible
October 25, 2015
(Photo courtesy of College Possible)
On Saturday, October 24, College Possible Milwaukee participated in Make a Difference Day, the nation’s largest day of service, by trick-or-treating for non-perishable food items to fight hunger in Milwaukee in collaboration with Hunger Task Force.
Nearly 250 College Possible Milwaukee students, staff and AmeriCorps members traveled door-to-door in Milwaukee neighborhoods to collect a resulting 302 bags of non-perishable food items for Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force.
Students from College Possible Milwaukee’s 14 partner high schools teamed up to gather food donations from households throughout Milwaukee to benefit families in need. College Possible makes community service a key component for the low-income students it serves.
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Launched in 2008, College Possible Milwaukee is a nonprofit organization serving low-income students in colleges and universities across the nation in addition to its 14 high school student cohorts to significantly increase their chances of earning a college degree. AmeriCorps members guide College Possible students through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support to significantly increase their chances of becoming accepted to and succeeding in college.
While their low-income peers face an 11% six-year college graduation rate, College Possible students are connected with the necessary resources and supportive relationships to experience a 55% likelihood of graduating from college within six years. On average, College Possible students’ ACT scores increase by 20%, and 98% are accepted to college.
College Possible services are no-cost to students or schools, but in return they are expected to participate in at least two community service projects a year.  Additionally, College Possible’s emphasis on service aligns with the Milwaukee Public School District’s graduation requirement of twenty hours of community service or a service learning class.

author: College Possible


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 25, 2015


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Hair styling is therapy for one Milwaukee mental health worker | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Karen Slattery
October 26, 2015
Ask Dorothy McCollum what social work and hair braiding have in common and she has an answer. Both jobs, she says, require caring for others.
Some evenings and on weekends, you will find her styling African-American women’s hair at her shop on North Martin Luther King Drive.
During the day, McCollum is a professional social worker at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee where she works with mentally ill veterans.
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She has worked in jobs related to mental health for much of her adult life. She said she connects with the veterans because family members, including her father, a brother and both of her sons, have served in the military. McCollum said she’s also suffered depression. “Because of my history and my past,” she said, “I am able to relate really well, I think.”
Her past has not been easy. Her husband died when she was 28 years old and the young mother, who had dropped out of high school, could only read at the fifth- grade level. While McCollum was working as a certified nursing assistant at Milwaukee County’s mental health complex, a nurse encouraged her to get an education, so she studied for her high school diploma.
“I got my GED results back and I’d passed all the tests,” she said, “and then I realized I could learn.” She earned a bachelor’s degree at Mount Mary University and later landed a job caring for veterans who are ill. “It’s a God thing,” according to McCollum, who believes the work is something she is meant to do.
She earned her master’s degree in social work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2010 and now works at the Veterans’ Recovery Resource Center with veterans who suffer illnesses including schizophrenia, severe depression, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She works with her supervisor, Dr. Erin B. Williams, and a team of others in a program aimed at integrating veterans back into the community.
Williams called McCollum a “jewel and a treasure of a human being,” adding, “she is sensible, dedicated and gracious in her work.” She described McCollum as a strong advocate for the mentally ill.
However, according to McCollum, “watching what veterans go through can be painful.”
So she de-stresses at her second job as a hairdresser at the shop she owns called D&D Lovely Locs. Her specialty is Sisterlocks, an all-natural process in which she uniformly parts the hair according to a pattern and weaves it into hundreds of thin braids. The initial braiding can take up to 15 hours.
The style is professional and familiar to African-American women, said McCollum. “We’ve always braided our hair. As a kid, your mother braided your hair because the style needed to last; mother did not have the time to do your hair every day.”
She didn’t intend to start a business, but got into it after taking a class to learn how to braid her own hair and her daughter’s hair. Others liked her work and she now books customers two months in advance.
One of those customers, Karen Nimmer, was in the stylist’s chair on a recent Saturday morning having McCollum retighten her locks, a three-hour process. She said she chose the easy-to-manage style several years ago and has not looked back.
All of the hours in the chair, Nimmer said, led to a friendship between the two women. They know one another’s children and take an exercise class together. According to Nimmer, “There’s more to it than hair. It’s a genuine friendship.”
McCollum said she is able to process some of the difficult things she sees during the day when working with people with mental illness by “talking to her supervisor or to God.” She added, “When I leave work, most of the time I can leave it there.”
Her own therapy, she said, is the hair styling she does after hours and on weekends, and the friendships she develops with the women who come into her shop to have their hair cared for.

created: October 26, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 26, 2015


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How MPS Changed School Expulsions | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 26, 2015
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Lawmakers to Justice Department: Help Reduce Gun Violence in Communities of Color | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 26, 2015
Latin Post


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Milwaukee County transit union workers approve three-year contract | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 26, 2015
Milwaukee Business Journal


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There Were Fewer Black Men In Medical School In 2014 Than In 1978 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 26, 2015
National Public Radio


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John Kuhn, Santana Dotson, and Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Network team up to raise awareness for prostate cancer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin
October 27, 2015
Santana Dotson before and after the shave for the Green Gold & Growing prostate cancer awareness kick-off at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. Courtesy of Froedtert Hospital
Green Bay football fan favorites John Kuhn and Santana Dotson are teaming up with Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Network for Green Gold & Growing, a prostate cancer public awareness campaign. The initiative kicked off October 27 at Froedtert Hospital, when Kuhn and Dotson, along with prostate cancer survivor Frank Krupkwoski, shaved their facial hair to get a “clean start” before challenging men to join them in growing out their facial hair throughout the month of November.
“Each one of us plays an important part in the fight against prostate cancer,” said William See, MD, prostate cancer specialist at Froedtert. “Talk with your doctor. Screening is safe and painless and can detect prostate cancer early, when it is most treatable.”
Approximately one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, with African-American men 60 percent more likely to die from the disease. If found early, prostate cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer; yet, it is the second leading cause of cancer death in men — nearly 30,000 lose their lives to the disease each year.
Santana Dotson, Frank Krupkowski, former prostate cancer patient at Froedtert and John Kuhn show off their clean shaven faces. They will be growing their facial hair throughout the month of November in support of Prostate Cancer Awareness. Courtesy of Froedtert Hospital
Prostate cancer advances slowly, giving men time to find a physician and treatment that best meets their needs. Men with a family history of prostate cancer and African-American men are encouraged to be screened beginning at age 40. For others, baseline screening is recommended by age 45. Starting at age 50, screening is recommended every one to two years.
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The public is encouraged to get creative in helping raise awareness about the importance of prostate cancer screenings by submitting photos of their own facial hair growth on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GreenGoldGrowing. People who prefer not to or are unable to grow facial hair are encouraged to submit photos showing “fake” facial hair. At the end of the campaign, one submission will be randomly selected with the winner receiving a chance to meet Kuhn at a private event later this year.
“My beard ranks right up there as one of the best in the world,” said Kuhn. “I know Santana can’t do better than me, but I want to see if someone else out there can. I hope we’ll see lots of pictures and get people talking about this important men’s health issue.”
“I’ve had facial hair since John was in diapers, so there is no way he can grow a better beard than me,” Dotson said. “But no matter who grows it best- me, John, or anyone else in Wisconsin- if we can get guys talking about prostate cancer and the importance of getting screened, then we’ll all be winners. We have the power to tackle the issue, but we need everyone to step up and join us in raising awareness.”
“We are thankful to John and Santana — leaders on and off of the field,” said Dr. See.
Dr. See encourages every man to talk with his physician about prostate cancer screening and to know that options are available when seeking care.

created: October 27, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 27, 2015


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Milwaukee Running Festival Marathon & Half Marathon: Traffic and parking patterns to change | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
October 27, 2015
The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) announces traffic and parking changes for a city-wide marathon and half-marathon on Sunday, November 1, 2015. Both races begin at 7:00 a.m. at the Summerfest Grounds.
The 26.2 mile marathon will wind through all parts of Milwaukee – north, south, east and west – visiting many neighborhoods across eight (8) aldermanic districts.
All streets along the route will be closed to traffic and parking during the races. Residents, businesses, churches and all other organizations with driveways on the route should be aware that access during the races will be limited – make your travel and parking plans accordingly.
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Drivers/parkers: Be especially aware of temporary parking restrictions along the routes. “NO PARKING – TOW AWAY ZONE” signs will be posted with information as to when parking will be restricted. Vehicles must be moved off the routes to ensure the safety of all participants.
All vehicles parked on the marathon and half-marathon routes will be ticketed and towed.
In the event that a vehicle is towed, the City Tow Lot will be open 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Sunday, November 1 for vehicle retrieval.
Milwaukee County Transit System riders should expect detours on the approximately 20 bus routes directly affected by the races, as well as delays system-wide on Sunday. For more information on alternative routes, stops, and detours, please check www.ridemcts.com.
The attached timeline gives an approximate schedule of when marathon and half-marathon participants will pass the dozens of intersections along the routes.
For more information about the marathon, the half-marathon and the entire Milwaukee Running Festival, please visit www.milwaukeerunningfestival.com.


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Marathon Half Marathon timeline | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 27, 2015
Marathon Half Marathon timeline


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New mural marks entry to Washington Park neighborhood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 27, 2015
The mural, titled “A Source of Life,” as seen from 31st Street. (Photo by Jeff Redmon)
A small crowd of Washington Park residents and community leaders recently celebrated the completion of a mural marking an entryway to the neighborhood. They cheered and clapped as Alderman Russell Stamper cut a ribbon dedicating the mural on 31 Street at Lisbon Avenue.
“(The artists) did a wonderful job with it,” said Lakeitha McClinton, who lives across the street and watched the mural go up with her three young sons.
A resident introduced the idea of visually marking the entry to the neighborhood, said Beth Haskovec, a member of the arts and culture committee of Washington Park Partners, one of the project’s sponsors.
Alderman Russell W. Stamper II cuts a ribbon as community leaders and Washington Park residents celebrate a new mural marking the neighborhood’s entrance. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Artists John Kowalczyk and Jeff Redmon, who were selected by the committee from a group of eight, painted the mural during a one-week period in early October. Titled “A Source of Life,” it covers the south and west sides of a vacant, city-owned building at 3044 W. Lisbon Ave.
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With a nod to the zoo once located in Washington Park, and inspired by the park’s designer Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., who believed that natural beauty can improve human nature, Kowalczyk and Redmon incorporated wildlife native to the area or in the zoo. The mural depicts coyotes, tiger moths, Great Crested Grebe ducks and polar bears on a brightly colored geometric background.
“The surreal landscape and proportionately huge wildlife give the feeling of a wonderland,” they said in an artists’ statement about the mural.
Interested to discover that wild animals live in the urban setting, Kowalczyk said they wanted to point to the natural beauty surrounding even busy city intersections in the neighborhood.
“I liked calling attention (to these animals) and making everybody see that beauty,” he said.
This mural is just a tiny part of the vision for the neighborhood, explained artist Muneer Bahauddeen, a Washington Park resident and co-chair of the arts and culture committee.
The mural wraps around the vacant building on the northeast corner of Lisbon Avenue and 31st Street. Here it is viewed from Lisbon Avenue. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“We visualize this being an artisans row from 27 Street to 49 Street on Lisbon,” Bahauddeen said. “We’re encouraging artists and artisans and craftspeople to move into available housing here in the community and keep this initiative going.”
Bahauddeen said that this is an ideal time for people to relocate to Washington Park. It is “the new frontier” for those concerned with urban issues to work with the community using art as a healing tool, he explained.
According to McClinton, the block has experienced some healing since the mural was completed.
Now that there is a mural on the building, “we don’t have to worry about the prostitutes or crack heads standing on the corner,” she said.
She added that it draws attention to the space and “really brings a lot of light to the block.”


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Young rapper Lil Vic spreads positive message through music | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
October 28, 2015
Victor Barnett Jr. and his mentor Dae Hill produce their rap music in the studio at Running Rebels. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
The chaotic pounding of drums, the steady pulsing of bass-heavy beats and the beeping and blasting of a high-intensity video game leads anyone looking for the Running Rebels after-school program to the second floor. The open rooms of comfy couches, pool tables and Flaming Hot Cheetos are the breeding ground for a young artist with a vision for his city.
Victor Barnett Jr. is a seventh-grader at Brown Deer Middle School. He can beat most of his friends at 2K NBA for Xbox and claims to be one of the best at math in his whole grade. Victor is also a rapper. His stage name is Lil Vic.
The 12-year-old has a message for his community beyond his years. “Milwaukee should be a positive place, not all these shootings,” Victor said. “We should come together and work together as a whole.” All of his lyrics are positive and encouraging. He says the people he’s met have inspired his songs.
“I’ve heard people’s experiences,” Victor said. “I know people who either have been in jail or got in trouble or have lost somebody because of that and I’ve heard their stories, and it’s not a good, happy life… I also see all these people coming together knowing that most of these people aren’t as bad as people say they are.”
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After losing his grandmother to cancer, Victor wrote the song “Everything is Gonna Be Alright,” which he described as “a song about how everyone has problems and struggles, and everything is going to have a good thing come out of it.”
Other songs such as “No More” and “Sunrise” are about the violence that Victor sees and hears about in his community, and the peace that he hopes for. The song “Bout None” is about staying true to yourself. Victor also performed in a five-minute video called “Be the Bridge” that he created with other members of Running Rebels.
Victor’s mentor, Dae Hill, works with him to help write lyrics and produce his songs and music videos. Hill is an alumni of Running Rebels and is now a staff member. He said he’s watched Victor grow up and considers him a brother.
“Working together is easy and natural,” Hill said. “We make it fun. It’s gotta be fun.”
On a recent evening, their studio space in the back room of the third floor of Running Rebels provided a view of a skyline just beginning to light up as the sun went down. The room was dark other than the bluish glow of the computer screen. Hill played several Lil Vic songs, and he and Victor each began to rap the lyrics under their breath and make small-scale hand gestures to the beat. When they realized what they both were doing, they couldn’t stop laughing at each other.
“He’s hilarious. If I’m sick or tired, he’ll just say funny jokes that make me happy,” Victor said.
Lil Vic is a hopeful voice for the youth of Milwaukee. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
“He’s the cool kid… he’s got that cool kid sound that people respect and want to listen to,” Hill said, describing Victor’s voice and performance. Victor turned away, looked down and laughed bashfully to himself, neither confirming nor denying the claim.
Hill said Victor seems humble but flips a switch while performing. “When you see him on stage, you see another side of him. He radiates confidence,” Hill said.
Victor has been rapping for nearly four years, since he was 8 years old. When asked about the early stages of his rap career, he giggled. “We were playing a game. It all started out as a game!” he said, as if divulging a secret. Victor said he used words starting with each letter of the alphabet and put them in a song on a bus ride home from a service trip in New Orleans with Running Rebels. His sister and friends told him he had a good rapping voice.
“I was like, ‘I guess,’ and that’s when I decided to start rapping,” Victor said.
According to Victor, family and friends have served as mentors, pushing him to pursue his music and become the best person he can be. He said that Running Rebels has introduced him to role models that he looks up to, and he hopes that his music can encourage others.
“I’m just up there and I’m feeling it. I’m saying what I really feel, and I just hope that they enjoy it as much as I do on stage,” Victor says of his audience.
Lil Vic is making his way into local circles of community activists and people in his neighborhood with his performances at Juneteenth, African World Festival and the 300 Strong event, among other community gatherings. He has released a full-length album and several music videos and is hoping to soon reach everyone in Milwaukee and beyond with his positive rapping.
Victor Barnett Sr., the founder and executive director of Running Rebels, said he believes in what his son is doing and thinks it has the potential to greatly affect local youth. “The hope is that music will spread among young people that they actually like, but with totally different words than they’re walking around singing now,” the elder Barnett said.
These counter-cultural lyrics include lines such as, “It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s not about them. It’s about we.”
Running Rebels facilitates a rapping, music and entertainment group on Wednesday evenings that allows students to use the recording studio space and bounce ideas off of each other.
“Sometimes we even have competitions, like who can come up with the best lines,” Victor said.
Victor said he has big dreams for his future. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, he shrugged nonchalantly and said, “actor, rapper and hopefully basketball player.”
He said he plans on staying in the community. “This is where I started, and this is where I want to stay. I would want to help where I grew up first. I want to spread a positive message in Milwaukee,” he said, with his bright red Nikes firmly planted on the ground and a smile on his face.

created: October 28, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 28, 2015


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22532625035_9f3039c0df_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 28, 2015


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Café @ Large wins $25,000 grant | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 29, 2015
Students and staff of Arts @ Large were presented with an enormous facsimile of a check, representing a $25,000 grant, at a recent celebration at the organization’s gallery and café, 908 S. 5 St.
State Farm’s Youth Advisory Board selected Arts @ Large and its Café @ Large program for the grant because of their core goals, said Kelly Savage, community relations specialist for State Farm. The youth-led coffee house aims to give teens skills and experience in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, marketing and business management. Arts @ Large is currently accepting applications for the next group of student baristas.

created: October 29, 2015


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Milwaukee leaders set to add positions focused on youth violence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 29, 2015
jsonline.com


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On The Block: Things have changed | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
October 29, 2015
Jonathon Rodas, 22, moved away from Milwaukee for a year but came back a month ago. Shortly after returning, he was stabbed in a random attack while walking with his mother and sister along South Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. He’s worried that violent attacks like the one he suffered have become more common in Milwaukee recently.


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22336472550_fd73671ccb_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 29, 2015


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Solar-powered address plaques bring light, break down barriers in Burnham Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
October 29, 2015
Pastor Jim Anderson helps Maribel Hernandez assemble her address plaque while she holds her baby, Elizabeth. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Jim Anderson, pastor at Mision Cristiana Bethel Church, 1601 S. 33 St., has heard all the radio reports and news stories about how Milwaukee is one of the most segregated cities in America.
“I always wanted to do my small part to help break down the cultural barriers here,” Anderson said.
So three times a day he walks his dog, a small papillon, around the neighborhood, greeting and attempting to engage his neighbors, many of whom speak only Spanish, in small talk.
Carmen Mora and her daughter place the numbers on her home’s plaque. (Photo by Adam Carr)
While walking his dog this summer he noticed a car moving slowly down his block before the driver got out for a closer look at the address plaques on some of the homes.
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Anderson wondered, “What if that had been an ambulance answering an emergency call and they couldn’t tell which house needed help.”
What began as an idea to improve public safety by installing lighted address plaques ended up being the bridge he’d been envisioning since moving back to the city from Minneapolis about three years ago.
When all was said and done, residents of 19 homes on South 33 Street between Mitchell and Lapham worked together to install solar-powered oval shaped plaques that light up their homes and the block at night.
That might not seem like a big deal until you consider that Anderson speaks very little Spanish, which is the native language of more than half the residents on the block. Luckily, he had two eager partners in husband and wife Glenda De Leon and Julio Rayzoga, who are his neighbors.
With some translation from Jonaton Zuniga, community outreach manager for Layton Boulevard West Neighbors, a nonprofit serving the area, the neighbors went door to door explaining the goals of the “Address Plaque Block Project,” and asking others if they were willing to participate.
“If the neighbors spoke Spanish we’d talk to them, and [if they spoke] English, he (Anderson) would,” said De Leon, in Spanish.
One of the first stops they made was to Carmen Mora’s gray and blue two-story home. Mora, who is bilingual, said she was thankful that others on her block came to her with an affordable idea that would benefit the neighborhood.
Nineteen homes on South 33rd Street in Burnham Park now feature solar-powered address plaques. (Photo by Adam Carr)
“The idea was good and the price too good to pass up,” said Mora, who’s been living on the block for 14 years.
Neighbors paid $10 for each of the $50 plaques, according to Zuniga. The Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation (NIDC) donated $1,000 to cover the remaining cost of the project.
According to Beth Lee, director of fund development and communications at LBWN, grants including those from NIDC have resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in investment in three Layton Boulevard West neighborhoods, including Burnham Park.
More importantly though, “initiatives like the address plaque project truly result in a collective impact that creates long-term neighbor connections,” Lee said.
De Leon agreed. “My husband and I met our neighbor Juan, who we’d seen walking around but had never talked to,” she said. She added that meeting him and other neighbors during the project makes her feel safer on her block.
As for Anderson, he’s just glad to do his part to introduce neighbors to one another.
“I’m just one guy but I want to share with my neighbors the keys to this block,” Anderson said.


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22420787746_2f6baf9569_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 28, 2015


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Walker Highway Plan May Cause Education Cuts | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 29, 2015
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Wisconsin’s Graduation Gap Between Black & White High School Students Worst in the Nation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
October 29, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio