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Eliminate solitary confinement | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Laurence J. Dupuis
February 18, 2016
Laurence J. Dupuis, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, calls for independent oversight of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ use of solitary confinement, especially for children.
As Jon Litscher prepares to take the reins as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections amid revelations about the abuse of children at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake juvenile correctional facilities, the ACLU of Wisconsin repeats its call for independent oversight and reform of the department’s use of solitary confinement, particularly of juveniles. The ACLU also supports Milwaukee County’s efforts to bring young prisoners back to their home communities, but only if they can be appropriately housed and cared for locally.
Recent developments have brought momentum to the cause of curtailing solitary confinement and the “terrible price” it exacts on prisoners. In a concurring opinion in June 2015, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy complained that “the conditions in which prisoners have been kept simply has not been a matter of sufficient public inquiry or interest.” He observed that “near-total isolation exacts a terrible price,” and invited a legal challenge to long-term solitary confinement.
In late 2015, a group of leaders of state correctional systems including former Wisconsin DOC Secretary Rick Raemisch and advocates for prisoners made recommendations to end the overuse of isolation in prisons.  The recommendations included ensuring that vulnerable populations, including juveniles, be confined in isolated settings only when no alternative exists and then only for a maximum of 15 days. In January 2016, President Obama prohibited solitary confinement of juveniles in federal prisons and adopted other recommendations to limit the use of restrictive housing. These. developments coincide with the United Nation’s adoption of the “Nelson Mandela Rules” for the treatment of prisoners, which recognize solitary’s “devastating effect on physical and mental health” and restrict its use to no more than 15 days
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The ACLU has long been concerned about solitary confinement in Wisconsin’s prisons and jails, especially when applied to young people, and called for greater transparency so the public can monitor and deter abuse. In 2010, the ACLU questioned the closing of Ethan Allen School for Boys and Southern Oaks School for Girls, because many of the youth incarcerated there were from the Milwaukee area and would be more isolated from family if moved to the more distant Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake facilities. The ACLU feared the greater distance would make family visits more difficult, interfere with the youths’ rehabilitation and put them further “out of sight and out of mind.”
In 2012, the ACLU and Human Rights Watch issued a report, “Growing Up Locked Down,” which documented the severe harm solitary confinement causes young people.  The report noted that the Wisconsin Department of Corrections refused to allow interviews of children in its custody, and the ACLU called upon “Wisconsin prison and jail officials . . . to be more transparent about how they use solitary confinement on kids.”
In November 2015, the ACLU joined other advocates in calling upon the Department to contract with an independent entity, such as the National Institute of Corrections, to evaluate its solitary practices and policies, report its findings to the public and make recommendations for future improvements.
While the Department under outgoing Secretary Ed Wall made some progress toward reducing the use of solitary confinement, it did not respond to calls for greater oversight and transparency. The DOC’s general lack of transparency with regard to solitary and particularly the isolation of the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lakes facilities from prisoners’ families raise serious concerns about the extent to which juveniles may have been subjected to solitary.  Litscher should seize the opportunity of his appointment to eliminate solitary confinement of juveniles, radically reduce its use among all prisoners, and submit to independent oversight.

created: February 18, 2016

author: Laurence J. Dupuis


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 17, 2016

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: February 17, 2016

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

author: Adam Carr


text:
Filling in the banking gap: Local micro lender to take on small-business loans up to $1M for first time | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 18, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal

author: Andrea Waxman


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New Consulate in Milwaukee To Serve Rapidly Growing Mexican Population | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 18, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Reopened Holton Center serves Riverwest, Harambee youth | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Emmy A. Yates
February 18, 2016
Rodney McCoy, Cameron Henderson and Zuriah Haynes pose during their basketball game. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)
After closing its doors for four months, the Holton Center at 510 E. Burleigh St. has reopened thanks to a new partnership with . Open Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., the after-school center seeks to provide a positive environment for preteens and teenagers in the Riverwest and Harambee neighborhoods.
The Holton Center closed in late August due to a lack of funding, creating a hardship for neighborhood youth.
“Kids had nothing to do and were bored,” said Riverwest-Holton Youth Development Manager Greg Reinholt. “You could tell that the center’s absence was tough on them.”
While the center was closed, Holton approached COA about taking it over. COA agreed, not only because of the opportunity for more program space, but because of what Reinholt described as a “civic responsibility.”
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The Holton Youth and Family Center recently reopened. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)
“COA has been a partner and supporter of Holton since the beginning,” COA Executive Director Tom Schneider said. “This unity is great for the program so that it can continue to grow.”
“It felt like a good fit,” he added.
Holton Center staff members are happy with the participation they’ve seen since the reopening. The center currently averages about 30-40 participants per week and Schneider expects to see double the number of teens and preteens within the next year.
The center is focusing on programming that helps teens make good choices, Reinholt said. The “Making Proud Choices” program covers health and wellness issues, ranging from how to eat right to sexual abstinence. Other programs include conflict resolution and, through Milwaukee Public Theatre, public speaking, theatre and poetry.
Small group meetings allow young people to meet and connect with older peers as well as professional counselors.
“A lot of these kids don’t have a lot of interactions with positive adults,” Reinholt said. “That’s why it’s important to have professional staff that these kids can count on.”
The Holton Center wants to be seen as not just a place for young people to hang out, but as an environment full of positive peer interactions that help lead them in the right direction.
“It’s good for the youth,” said 13-year-old Zuriah Haynes. Having attended the center for most of the last three years Haynes said she felt really sad when she heard it would close. Since its reopening Haynes has spent most of her after-school time there, becoming the center’s “Teen of the Month” because of her participation and peer encouragement.
“A youth program makes the neighborhood seem young,” Haynes said. “Now it’s not as dark and scary in Riverwest anymore.”

author: Emmy A. Yates


text:
Taking care of God’s business | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 18, 2016
jsonline.com


text:
The Long View On Crime And Punishment With Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 18, 2016
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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Wisconsin dairy farmers worry about losing Latino workers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 18, 2016
jsonline.com


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City of Milwaukee to host a public information meeting for proposed new Bublr Bikes Station locations | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
February 19, 2016
(Photo courtesy of Bubblr Bikes)
The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW), in partnership with Bublr Bikes, will host a public information meeting on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 to discuss installing approximately 32 proposed new bike sharing stations over the next two years in several Milwaukee neighborhoods and downtown, where 28 Bublr Bikes stations already are in operation.
The City received a $1.6 million federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) grant to install new Bublr Bikes share stations in 2015 and 2016. Rules for using federal transportation funding for this project require that the proposed station locations must be reviewed for historic and various environmental impacts, and then approved by the State of Wisconsin before installation. The City also must share the proposed station locations with the public for comment.
Bublr Bikes, the City’s non-profit partner in the local bike share system, continues to reach out to community partners to raise private funds for more bike stations and to support system operations.
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“Milwaukee has made great progress with our Bublr Bikes system since its launch in 2014,” said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. “Let’s keep the positive momentum going in 2016 by expanding bike share stations into more Milwaukee neighborhoods so more residents and visitors can enjoy bicycling for work, school, business, and recreation.”
WHEN: Tuesday, February 23, 2016
4:30 – 6:30 p.m. – Open house format
5:00 p.m. – Welcome by Mayor Tom Barrett followed by presentation 6:00 p.m. – Repeat of same presentation
WHERE: Zeidler Municipal Building
841 N. Broadway, 1st floor meeting room
WHO: Mayor Tom Barrett DPW staff
Bublr Bikes staff and Board of Directors
More information available on the DPW website at Milwaukee by Bike.

created: February 19, 2016

author: City of Milwaukee


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LISC Milwaukee announces hire of Bess Earl as new Community Safety Program Officer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
LISC Milwaukee
February 19, 2016
LISC Milwaukee announced today that Bess Earl will be taking the position of Program Officer for Community Safety. This position seeks to ensure the strategic alignment of neighborhood investment and development with existing and planned law enforcement initiatives in the city of Milwaukee. Earl will work closely with community development initiatives and law enforcements to advance common goals for the increased safety and vitality of Milwaukee neighborhoods.
Most recently, Bess Earl served as the Director of the Washington Park Partners (WPP) Sustainable Communities where she oversaw neighborhood revitalization strategies. At the same time, Earl was the Coordinator of Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) Coordinator for United Methodist Children’s Services. BCJI is a federal grant program that aims to reduce crime and improve community safety to advance overall neighborhood revitalization. Through a partnership team, including neighborhood residents, Milwaukee Police Department, and local agencies, the BCJI targeted hot spots of violent and serious crime and employed data-driven, cross-sector strategies resulting in the reduction of violent crime in Washington Park.
Bess was an AmeriCorps member for two years with the 16th Street Community Health Center and the Washington Park Partners.  Bess has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is currently enrolled in the University of Milwaukee’s Nonprofit Management Graduate Certificate Program.
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author: LISC Milwaukee


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 19, 2016


text:
Safe & Sound envisions ‘a safe neighborhood for everyone’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 19, 2016
Safe & Sound organizer Adrian Spencer talks with Harambee resident Josephine Key (left) at her home on North Buffum St. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 15 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). Safe & Sound is a finalist for the BMO Harris Cornerstone Award, which recognizes an organization for its commitment and effectiveness over time.
When drivers sped through her block of North Buffum Street or tossed bottles and all manner of trash out their car windows, resident Josephine Key wanted to do something.
“I would go outside and look at things that would go on in the neighborhood and I would think, ‘OK Josephine, are you going to get out and say something or do anything?’” said Key, who has lived there for almost 40 years. She and other longtime residents would shake their heads and say that something needed to be done. At that time, Key lacked the skills and confidence to stand up and take charge.
That changed last year when she met Adrian Spencer, a community organizer working for Safe & Sound. Spencer encouraged Key to form a block club and work with her neighbors to tackle such problems. “Adrian has confidence in me and is always telling me, ‘you can do this,’” Key said.
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Helping city residents like Key work with neighbors to solve problems is an important part of Safe & Sound’s vision to achieve a safe neighborhood for everyone in Milwaukee. Spencer and other organizers knock on doors, develop relationships with residents and connect them with resources, directly and behind the scenes. The organization’s theory is that improvements in public safety require a combination of community organizing, youth development and law enforcement, according to Katie Sanders, Safe & Sound executive director.
Field manager Markevin Brown holds the football at the 2012 opening of Fox Field, a vacant lot transformed by Safe & Sound and residents of the 2000 block of North 41st Street. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“We focus on encouraging residents to get to know each other, to develop a sense of familiarity with who lives and works on their blocks and what is normal. We also work to enable them to intervene when they see something unusual,” Sanders said.
The dynamics of neighborhoods are complex, Sanders noted. Getting to the heart of residents’ concerns and supporting them in solving problems is critical to Safe & Sound. “The most important thing to me is ensuring that residents are a part of the solution,” Sanders added.
One of the organization’s youth programs is Barbershop Mondays, which offers teen boys free haircuts and mentoring by volunteer barbers. Aaron Blather, owner of Rock Steady Barbershop, 1743 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, has children of his own but relishes the role of father figure to poor youth struggling with a lack of guidance and support.
“I’ve learned that kids love discipline and structure,” said Blather, who never met his father and had a significant run-in with the law as a young man. Many of the youth have serious challenges at home, in school and in their neighborhoods, he explained. “A lot of kids do not want to go home because they don’t like the situation they’re in. A lot of them are scared.”
Blather tries to help educate them, show them how to “turn the other cheek,” and find better role models. “Safe & Sound is about keeping them safe, raising them and giving them a chance,” he said.
Safe & Sound works with law enforcement in city neighborhoods through a Community Prosecution Unit model that brings staff members together with representatives from the District Attorney of Milwaukee County, Milwaukee Police Department, community-based organizations, Office of the City Attorney, Department of Neighborhood Services, Wisconsin Department of Corrections and Sojourner Family Peace Center. “At the heart of that partnership is a civilian coordinator from Safe & Sound who represents the interests of residents,” Sanders explained.
“There’s a lot that Safe & Sound can do that we can’t do without them, said MPD Assistant Chief James Harpole of the Neighborhood Policing Bureau.
Harpole noted that historical distrust of police in certain neighborhoods, especially neighborhoods of color, is a challenge for police. It’s something MPD works hard to overcome, he said. “Our Safe & Sound partners don’t have that same history … so they become a bridge for us to the communities that we are so desperately in need of (connecting with).”
Capt. Jutiki Jackson, a member of the police department’s 7 District Community Prosecution Unit (CPU), explained how an Adopt-a-Block initiative carried out last year helped him and his colleagues build bridges to residents in an area around the 4400 block of West Center Street.
MPD selected the neighborhood because it had both a substantial crime rate and residents who “wanted to take an active role in helping us reduce the violence,” Jackson said. A survey designed by Safe & Sound revealed that residents’ top concerns are safety and employment. Enlisting the help of Pastor Dan Czaplewski and his congregation at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, 2862 N. 53rd St., the CPU brought employers to a job fair, helped residents clean and shovel their yards, hosted a summer block party and provided needy residents with Thanksgiving dinners.
Through these interactions, the police were able to talk with residents in informal, friendly settings, which resulted in increased communication and trust between residents and law enforcement representatives, Jackson said. He particularly appreciated the opportunity to play basketball with area youth and talk with them about caring for their neighborhood and opposing bullying, he said.
Another result was the formation of several block watch clubs. “Whenever we can create a block watch in a neighborhood, that’s one great step toward building community relations, and strengthening the neighborhood, and that all goes toward reducing crime,” Jackson said.
Czaplewski said he’s observed an effort by the 7th District CPU and some neighborhood residents to establish the kind of rapport that will make everyone safer.
Founded in 1998, Safe & Sound grew out of a task force that brought government, institutional and business leaders together to address an increase in violent crime. The organization still uses essentially the same strategy the task force developed, but conditions have changed since then and Safe & Sound has continually reinvented itself to address those changes, Sanders said.
Safe & Sound is affiliated with the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiative and is home to the 27th Street West Drug Free Coalition, a community coalition working to prevent alcohol and marijuana use among teens on Milwaukee’s west side.
Josephine Key credits Safe & Sound’s Adrian Spencer and the Buffum Street block club with enabling her to find her voice, speak to her neighbors and encourage them to stand together to make their neighborhood safer, more attractive and a place to be proud of.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 18, 2016


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Local artists, students celebrate Black History Month with performances | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
February 20, 2016
More than 100 people attended “Our History: Telling it like it is,” a celebration of black history and the 53206 ZIP code at the Goldin Center, 2320 W. Burleigh St. The event was hosted by COA Youth & Family Centers, which focuses on early childhood, youth and community development.
Heal the Hood, the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Dominican Center for Women, NOVA School and COA were among the more than 20 organizations participating in the performances.

created: February 20, 2016

author: Wyatt Massey


text:
It’s Official: ‘Hispanic’ is Now a Race | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 21, 2016
Latin Post

created: February 21, 2016


text:
Black history makers visit St. Ann Center Bucyrus Campus | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care
February 22, 2016
Washington Park Choir kicked off the morning program (Photo by Cathy Feldkamp, St. Ann Center.)
History makers of the past, present and future filled the Bucyrus Campus of St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care on Tuesday, February 16, as the community day care’s children, adult clients, staff and guests celebrated black history with storytelling and song.
The Washington Park Choir kicked off the morning program with rousing gospel music that had their all-ages audience clapping and singing along. Next, costumed staff members from the Bucyrus Campus took on the personas of black history makers. Brought to life in the presentations were the biblical Queen of Sheba, who carried the wisdom of Solomon to her people; Dorie Miller, a mess cook on the battleship West Virginia, who left the kitchen to fire an anti-aircraft machine gun during the attack on Pearl Harbor, earning him the Navy Cross; and Madam C.J. Walker, an entrepreneur who launched her own line of beauty and hair products, becoming America’s first self-made female millionaire.
William Finlayson MD (Photo by Robert Bell)
Also featured were Dorothy Dandridge, the first African-American performer to be nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actress; American author, poet, actor, producer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou; freedom fighter Coretta Scott King; suffragette and journalist Ida Wells-Barnett, and Rosa Parks, whose nation-changing refusal to surrender her seat on a Montgomery bus inspired generations.
The children in St. Ann Center’s child care carried the program into the future, reciting quotes they’d memorized, including Maya Angelou’s prophetic words, “Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise.”
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An afternoon reception with the theme Decades of Giants honored Wisconsin black history makers. Receiving recognition at the event were Lester Carter PhD, a pharmacist and owner of Carter Drug Store who dedicated his life to the health and welfare of Milwaukee’s African American community; William Finlayson MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist who also taught at both of Wisconsin’s medical schools and opened the state’s first black-owned bank, North Milwaukee State Bank; Irene Goggans PhD, who spent more than 40 years chronicling the history of the African American community in Wisconsin, creating an archive that’s 300 scrapbooks strong; and Viola (Vi) Hawkins, Board Commissioner for the Milwaukee County Department on Aging, a Milwaukee County Senior Citizen Hall of Fame inductee, and a charter member of the Jazzy Jewels dance troupe.
Vi Hawkins (Photo by Robert Bell)
Also honored were Reuben and Mildred Harpole, longtime Milwaukee activists and education leaders who established a scholarship to encourage African Americans to go into teaching; Robert and Pearl Beckley, owners of a grocery store that brought fresh, nutritious food to the neighborhood and gladly extended credit to families in need; Gwen T. Jackson, a tireless volunteer who served as National Chair of Volunteers for the American Red Cross and has a YWCA building and an elementary school named in her honor; Ben Johnson, first African American president of the Milwaukee Common Council and a mentor for a new generation of community leaders; and Vel Phillips, a Wisconsin attorney who served as the state’s first African American judge and non-white Secretary of State.
“Each one of these people has made history in a public way,” says Diane Beckley, Chief Operating Officer of St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus. “What they have accomplished has improved and enriched all of us here today. But history isn’t always large, and it isn’t always public. It happens all around us, and we are all a part of it. At home, at school, in church and places like St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus, we are writing history every day.”
Children recite a Maya Angelou poem (Photo by Cathy Feldkamp, St. Ann’s Center)
Robert & Pearl Beckley (Photo by Cathy Feldkamp, St. Ann Center)

created: February 22, 2016


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 22, 2016


text:
Bublr Bikes Touts Big Expansion Plan | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 22, 2016
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Clarke Square community concerned about impact of closed Domes | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
February 22, 2016
The Mitchell Park Domes are closed indefinitely due to structural concerns. (Photo by Wyatt Massey)
Elmo Wendorf of Koepke Family Farms sits behind his table at the Milwaukee County Winter Farmers’ Market, a variety of cheeses for sale in front of him. Beside the container of toothpicks and the free samples of cracked bell pepper cheese sits an informational flier asking customers to voice their support for the Mitchell Park Conservatory.
Wendorf first visited the Domes at Mitchell Park when the facility was completed in 1967 and has returned to the park as a vendor for more than four years. The Oconomowoc native said he was sad to learn that the future of the Domes is uncertain. Officials closed the facility indefinitely on Feb. 6 after a piece of dislodged concrete was discovered on Jan. 25.
According to Darlene Winter, director of volunteers at the farmers’ market, the Domes closure has not affected the market. However, residents, visitors and local businesses are concerned that the closure could have a negative impact on the community.
The conservatory houses a variety of plant life in the three domes — desert, tropical and floral — and is a top destination for visitors in Milwaukee. Yet, the Domes have fallen into disrepair due to an aging structure, high maintenance expenses and nearly a decade operating at a deficit.
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Elmo Wendorf, a long-time vendor at the Milwaukee County Winter Farmers’ Market, said the Mitchell Park Domes is a city landmark that should be reopened. (Photo by Wyatt Massey)
Joanne and Ron Soyk, who have lived on the city’s northwest side for 25 years, often take visitors to the Domes because of the unique experience. “I hope it’s repaired,” Ron Soyk said. “It’s a valuable resource to Milwaukee.”
As of last August, the Domes were on pace to welcome more than 238,000 visitors, the highest total in the last four years. Yet, increases in attendance have been unable to offset growing annual expenses.
The Domes posted a net loss of at least $600,000 every year between 2006 and 2014, according to records obtained from the Milwaukee County Parks department. During that period, expenses totaled $14.8 million, while total revenue was $6.6 million. “We have been putting a lot of money into repairs,” said Melissa Baldauff, communications director at the Milwaukee County Executive’s Office.
The Domes offer visitors a change of pace from months of freezing temperatures. The venue also provides an opportunity for couples to host a tropical wedding for a fraction of the cost. As a result of the closure, some scheduled weddings will move to the Domes lobby and greenhouse, and some couples are looking at alternate locations, according to the Milwaukee County website.
Gloria De Angelo, owner of Gloria’s Cake Shop & Café, said that without the conservatory to bring visitors to Clarke Square, the surrounding neighborhood will suffer. De Angelo sells cookies in the Domes’ gift shop and she said Domes visitors frequently stop by the bakery, at 2531 W. National Ave., which opened less than a year ago.
Prince of Peace School, 1114 S. 25th St., typically sends several classes to the Domes each year to learn about plant life cycles and expose students to a variety of plant life not found in Wisconsin, said principal Patti Blaszczyk. “We’ll certainly have to look elsewhere to go on that field trip,” Blaszczyk said. “It was so nice that we could go at any time of the year.”
Michele Bria, CEO of Journey House, said she is disappointed that the Domes are closed, but that her organization will continue to keep Mitchell Park active and vibrant, regardless of whether the Domes are open. Journey House uses the park for youth athletics, such as its football program.
Ian Bautista, Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative executive director, stated that he hopes public officials will make a commitment to preserve the facility.
County officials have approached Journey House and other local organizations to begin a conversation about what is next for the conservatory. De Angelo said employees of the bakery would do what they can to help reopen the Domes. “If they want to fundraise, we will help.”
The nonprofit Friends of the Domes started a GoFundMe crowd-funding campaign to reopen the facility. The 1,600-member organization expressed strong support for reopening the Domes, said Sally Sullivan, Friends of the Domes business manager. As of Feb. 20, the group had raised nearly $4,000 toward its fundraising goal of $100,000.
According to Sullivan, the facility could reopen after structural repairs of less than $1 million. Estimates for rebuilding the Domes start at $75 million, Baldauff said. Park officials have been aware of structural concerns since at least 1994, when the county conducted a study of the structure. “There’s really nothing new going on here that wasn’t already known or wasn’t being handled,” Sullivan said.
The Parks Department requested $500,000 in 2015 to install netting for falling debris in the tropical dome and to develop a long-term plan. Sections of concrete fell in 2008 and again in 2015, both of which prompted structural reviews and led parks officials to believe that the tropical dome had the most pressing concerns. “Before we were actually able to spend the money on the netting, the piece of concrete was found in the arid dome,” Baldauff said.
The money will now be used to install netting in all three domes, a short-term solution to safely reopen the facility as soon as possible, Baldauff said.
The County Board is hosting a forum on the future of the Domes at 6 p.m. on Feb. 24 in the Conservatory Annex beside the Domes.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 21, 2016


text:
Exploring the Root Causes of Milwaukee’s Gun Violence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 22, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


text:
Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Innovation (MANDI) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dawn Hutchison-Weiss
February 22, 2016
Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDI)
Since 1999, LISC Milwaukee has hosted the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDI). The MANDIs highlight the unsung heroes working hard to revitalize Milwaukee’s most distressed urban neighborhoods. This Oscar-style event is attended by 750 civic leaders from the nonprofit, philanthropic, public and private sectors. The MANDIs have grown into the premier event for the community development world, and tell the much-needed story of what’s right with Milwaukee’s neighborhoods. The MANDI Selection Committee includes a panel of 40 volunteer reviewers and jurors who vet nominations and select finalists and winners.
Event Information
Hosted by US Bank, the MANDIs will be held on Wednesday, March 16th, at the Potawatomi Event Center. A cocktail hour and Neighborhood Art Walk will be held from 4:15 to 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and awards from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The evening will close with a Neighborhood Dessert Reception and DJ from 7:30 to 9 p.m. For registration and information, visit http://programs.lisc.org/milwaukee/mandi/2016_mandi/index.php
Make Your Voice Heard and Help a Nonprofit Win $1,000!
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The Wells Fargo People’s Choice Award is a new interactive award category that allows you to help choose the winner. Online voting will begin on March 7th on the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service website, and will continue through March 15th. The three groups that receive the most votes will each receive $1,000 each! Please cast your vote between March 7th-March 15 at milwaukeenns.org/mandivote. (Note: Voting page won’t be available until March 7)
MANDI 2016 Finalists
Doors Open Milwaukee, Moody Park Revitalization, and Turtle Park
COA Youth & Family Centers in Amani, Safe & Sound, and Northside Housing Initiative
Larry and Sharon Adams—Walnut way, Rodney Bourrage Sr—Operation Dream, and Richard Larsen—Larsen Electric
Foreclosure Reclamation Project—ACTS Housing, Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee, and the Wisconsin Cycle—First Stage
Maskani Place, Paper Box Lofts, and the St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care—Bucyrus Campus
Stay Connected at…
Twitter: @LISC_Milwaukee #MANDI16
Facebook: liscmilwaukee #MANDI16
Instagram: LISC_Milwaukee #MANDI16
Website: http://www.lisc.org/milwaukee/
Youtube.com/LISCMilwaukee
#MANDI16

author: Dawn Hutchison-Weiss


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MANDI2016 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
February 22, 2016

author: Name *


text:
Milwaukee Struggles With Lead Paint Contamination | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 22, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


text:
State Would Collect Milwaukee County Debt Under Bill Approved By Assembly | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 22, 2016
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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Modjeska Theater seats purchased as mementos, bargains | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 23, 2016
The Modjeska Theater, which is preparing to reopen this spring, recently sold most of the 600 seats bolted to its first floor, in a few hours’ time. Those who came to collect the chairs, purchased online, said they have connections to the neighborhood, attended concerts there years ago, couldn’t resist the bargain price or just want to own a piece of Milwaukee history. Each set of three adjoined seats sold for $10.
The current owners, who have upgraded the boiler and electrical and plumbing systems, plan to pour a new floor and set up cabaret seating on the ground floor. The balcony seats will remain. The owners plan to host concerts, comedy acts, gallery nights, art fairs, town hall meetings and other community events, as well as movies. They will also rent the space out for weddings and banquets, according to Jesus Nanez, a part owner involved in operations.
“We are interested in making (the theater) accessible to the community, Nanez said. “We will be easy to work with, especially for community groups that sometimes have trouble finding venues. And, we want to improve (Mitchell) street,” said Nanez, who is also president of the Historic Mitchell Street Business Improvement District.
The Modjeska will be selling the remaining seats online from 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23, and at the theater on Saturday, Feb. 27, and Sunday, Feb. 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m, according to Nanez. Check the theater’s Facebook page for a link to the online sale.
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created: February 23, 2016


text:
On the Block: ’Til death do us part | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
February 23, 2016
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Rochelle Wells had her first child at 17. Later, she had two more with the father and they married when she was 21. Now, almost 30 years later, the two have been separated for some time — and Wells has contemplated divorce — but the couple might have a future, yet.
Read more about Rochelle Wells at milwaukeestories.org.
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author: Jabril Faraj


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Maskani Place stabilizes lives, helps homeless families get back on their feet | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
February 24, 2016
Maskani Place tenant Michelle Guzman has lived in the apartment complex for two years. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 15 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). Maskani Place is a finalist for the State Farm Building Blocks Award, which recognizes a real estate project that advances the community.
Life for Michelle Guzman was looking up three years ago. The 29-year-old was working as a customer service representative and had a home on the city’s South Side where she was raising her son.
But it all fell apart when she lost her job at the call center and then her home, forcing her to live in a homeless shelter for five months. Then she was told about Maskani Place, a building located in the Harambee neighborhood that opened its doors in 2014 to homeless families and families on the verge of becoming homeless.
Guzman and her son now rent one of the 37 units in Maskani Place. “I just wanted to have a roof over my and my son’s head,” she said. Maskani Place “has been a blessing. I’m grateful. It has helped in so many different ways. I don’t have to wonder where I am going to be sleeping.”
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The facade of Maskani Place, a 37-unit building in the Harambee neighborhood. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
The mission of Maskani Place is to create housing stability in the lives of tenants, according to Michael Goldberg, executive director of Heartland Alliance Housing, the organization that spearheaded the project.
“That is really the heart of it. We are helping families that have really been struggling with housing stability and the impact on those families is great,” Goldberg said.
One of the key long-term outcomes that Heartland Housing hopes the project will achieve is reducing the number of times children have to move which, according to several studies, has an adverse effect on their academic careers.
“These studies are showing that for every move, kids are falling behind their peers by months,” Goldberg said. “If their housing is not threatened, then it really gives the child a platform to excel in school.”
All Maskani Place apartments are built for families; 75 percent of the units have at least three bedrooms. Tenants pay up to 30 percent of their income in rent. Eleven units are reserved for those earning less than 60 percent of the median income in the area. Twenty-six units are reserved for those earning less than half of the median income in the area.
Maskani Place was a blighted city-owned building before the project. Most of the project’s $9.6 million cost was funded through a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development low-income housing tax credit. The City of Milwaukee Housing Trust Fund also chipped in more than $200,000 and another $250,000 came from the Federal Home Loan Bank’s Affordable Housing Program.
“This kind of investment in affordable housing helps stabilize neighbors and helps catalyze investment in those neighborhoods,” Goldberg said.
On-site services
Community Advocates provides on-site services such as employment training, in addition to helping tenants find child care and develop financial literacy. Tenants also have been able to sign up for the Affordable Care Act within the apartment complex.
“Having a case manager at Maskani Place, we are actually able to go into the home and get to know the child and get to know the mom and really dig deep into what the core issues are so we can resolve them so they are not coming up again,” said Maudwella Kirkendoll, COO at Community Advocates and director of the organization’s basic needs division. “It really allows for a comprehensive, in-depth look at the family.”
The organization also provides training to tenants to help them understand their rights and responsibilities as renters.
“It’s critical for individuals who lived in shelters for a year or two to be able to reintegrate them back into stable, permanent housing,” Kirkendoll said. “If they decide to stay at Maskani, then they need to understand their responsibilities there as well.”
Social services are also available to tenants who are dealing with substance abuse, an abusive relationship or mental health issues. Maskani Place tenants have access to a computer lab, multi-purpose community room, a wellness room, an outdoor play area for children and raised garden beds — all in the name of creating a sense of community both within Maskani Place and the surrounding neighborhood.
“One of the goals is economic self-sufficiency. We are giving people the tools and time that they need to become much more engaged in the community,” Goldberg said. “They are giving back more to community than they would if they were living in emergency homeless shelters or in someone’s basement.”
For Guzman, a safe, stable place to live has allowed her to focus on obtaining her GED, which she expects to earn in May. She hopes to eventually enroll in college to study criminal justice or social work.
Maskani Place “changed my life around. But it’s just a start as this is not where I will be living the rest of my life,” she said. “I’ll be moving out eventually and let someone else move in.”

created: February 24, 2016

author: Brendan O’Brien


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 23, 2016


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Barrett reports local hiring numbers for Northwestern Mutual project | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 25, 2016
jsonline.com

created: February 25, 2016


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Bronzeville Arts Ensemble works to strike racial balance in local theater | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 25, 2016
88NINE Radio Milwaukee


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DATA WONK: Is The Central City Economy Improving? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 25, 2016
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Milwaukee Ladies United hosts first in-person event | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Emmy A. Yates
February 26, 2016
Milwaukee Ladies United recently held its first group gathering to bring its online members together. More than 400 women attended the event at Moxy Art Studios, 133 W. Pittsburgh Ave., which centered on women’s empowerment through positive interactions.
The MLU Facebook group encourages women to get to know other women in their neighborhoods and community. Users address beauty secrets, mental and physical health tips, relationships and other topics related to womanhood and femininity.
The 21-and-older event included food, beverages and music, and showcased art by local artists Bianca Brandolino, Rachel Stenman, Kelly Fields, Kari Borchert, Kathryn Newton, Elly Hazard and Maeve Jackson.
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created: February 26, 2016


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Super Senior Friday offers help for seniors | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
February 26, 2016
Seniors will have the opportunity to learn valuable information about programs and benefits for seniors during the 10th Annual Super Senior Friday on March 11 from 8:30 AM – 12:30 pm, a free event presented by the Social Development Commission’s (SDC) Senior Companion Program. Super Senior Friday will be held at the Clinton and Bernice Rose Senior Center, 3045 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Milwaukee. The event, co-sponsored by My Choice Family Care, the Milwaukee County Department on Aging and AARP, will offer seniors health screenings and exams, personal training advice and demonstrations, and more than 20 exhibitors will provide information on benefits and programs for seniors. This event is free and open to the public.
Blood pressure checks, flu and pneumonia shots, workshops on breast and prostate cancer are among the health screenings and information that will be available.
AARP will offer VITA free tax preparation and filing for attendees. Onsite enrollment for energy assistance will also be offered. Seniors interested in learning about SDC’s programs and services for older adults can discover more about the Senior Companion Program that aids homebound seniors, and other senior benefits that can reduce Medicare premium or secure free or low-cost prescriptions.
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Exhibitors include Walgreens, Independence First, the Alzheimer’s Association, Social Security Administration, the Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long Term Care, the Milwaukee Women’s Center, the Milwaukee County Department on Aging, US Bank and SDC programs: Senior Companion, Prescription Advocacy & Referral Service (PARS) and Residential Services.
Attendees can enjoy a free continental breakfast beginning at 8:30 AM. A complimentary lunch, sponsored by My Choice Family Care, will be served at the conclusion of the event.
For more than 50 years, the Social Development Commission has operated as the Community Action Agency for Milwaukee County. SDC serves as a planner, coordinator, and provider of human service programs for low- income individuals and families residing in Milwaukee County. The agency is an intergovernmental commission and is governed by a board of 18 citizens from Milwaukee County, each of whom hold the title of “Commissioner.” For more information on SDC’s programs and services, visit cr-sdc.org. Connect with us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/SDCMilwaukee and Twitter www.twitter.com/CRSDC.

author: Social Development Commission


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El Día Sin Latinos: an active learning experience | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Rozga
February 29, 2016
(Photo by Joe Brusky)
Margaret Rozga, poet, civil rights activist and professor emerita of English at UW-Waukesha, writes that recent political activism by young Latinos echoes that of an earlier time.
Voces de la Frontera’s brilliant organizing brought a huge turnout to Madison recently to make visible widespread concern about the negative impact of two Republican-sponsored bills. The action also had a valuable bonus. It provided young people with an extraordinary educational experience.
One of the bills in question, SB 533, places restrictions on local governments’ ability to issue local identification cards to people who cannot access a state ID, a measure already jointly approved by the Milwaukee Common Council and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. The other bill, AB 450, fines local governments that bar police from inquiring about the immigration status of those charged with a crime.
That these bills put an undue burden on Latinos had already been argued in numerous letters and emails to legislators, but some state legislators have trouble hearing the voices of those they presume to represent and govern. The presence of more than 20,000 people of diverse ages, races, and ethnicities at the Capitol lets members of the legislature see what they refused to hear.
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Statewide, the event showed how significant are Latino contributions to the work of Wisconsin; if Latinos are not on the job, business is hampered. According to a University of Wisconsin study, 40 percent of the hired help on dairy farms are immigrants. The Dairy Business Association opposed these bills.
Some business owners realize how important Latino workers are and facilitated their ability to join the protest in Madison. Foremost among them is Ernesto Villareal, owner of El Rey Groceries. Never before in his 38 years in business, not even on Christmas, has he closed his stores. But on Feb. 18, for the first time, El Rey stores were closed so that Villareal and El Rey employees could go to the Capitol in Madison to be seen and heard.
The attention on Villareal served to highlight a significant Latino contribution to Milwaukee’s economy and an impressive, a mind-boggling, work record. El Día Sin Latinos had another important benefit, one that has drawn less attention: the rare opportunity for students to participate in history as it is being made.
(Photo by Joe Brusky)
El Día Sin Latinos was one of those rare opportunities for teachers as well as students. Students returning to their classrooms will bring insights and energy, material for in-depth discussion, into their daily lessons. They may bring their new sense of being active agents in their communities. They may return to look at their community in a new way, and begin to see themselves as people who could analyze community issues and join with others in working to find remedies for their issues. They should be encouraged to do so.
This is what happened to the young people engaged in the fair housing struggle almost 50 years ago. I know many of those who were then teenagers. We are now elders and grandparents who have lived these years as committed to social justice now as we were then.
More recently, I worked with students in Milwaukee studying the Milwaukee civil rights history. They worked hard, interviewing participants, doing archival research, putting together a museum exhibit shown at the Arts@Large Gallery. After the project was over, they couldn’t let go. They organized civil rights tours of Milwaukee and gave the tour to more than 500 people. They organized a youth leadership conference attended by 100 students from across Milwaukee. One of their teachers said to me, “You think these students have always been super-achievers, right? Well, you should know they’re at this school because they failed elsewhere. This project has turned them into super-achievers.”
What they learned from the Milwaukee civil rights movement gave them a model, helped them form goals and realize they could achieve those goals. They began to see themselves as people who could analyze community issues and join with others in working to find remedies for their issues. They were helped by the wise guidance of their amazing teachers.
Another project focused on the Mississippi Freedom Summer with students from eight Milwaukee schools and resulted in a similar remarkable energizing of students. What had the greatest impact on the students was the opportunity to talk firsthand, one on one, with those who participated in these movements.
Students participating themselves in El Día Sin Latinos had the rare experience of being themselves part of an historic event, an unprecedented general strike of Wisconsin workers. A picture of these students on the march with so many others in Madison posted on Facebook drew a comment: “Voters. Voters.”
Soon these students will be of age. Already civic-minded, they will be voters. They are likely to be actively engaged in working for social justice. The students who participated in El Día Sin Latinos carry forth our hope for the future of a beloved community.

created: February 29, 2016

author: Margaret Rozga


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 28, 2016

created: February 28, 2016


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Milwaukee School Honors Black Cultural Icons With ‘Alternative Academy Awards’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 29, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Sociologist opens door on devastating effects of evictions | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 29, 2016
jsonline.com


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The Potential Promises Of DAPA | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 29, 2016
The Atlantic


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Vincent Lyles encourages 40 Under 40 winners to ‘find their passion’ to help community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 29, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal


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On the Block: Youth Movement | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
March 1, 2016
Joshua Moore, 19, is a senior at Pulaski High School. He envisions young people rising up in Milwaukee and beginning a movement that would provide a positive message for youth in the inner city and result in a more peaceful Milwaukee.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 1, 2016


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‘Here And Now’: Understanding Changes In Wisconsin’s GED | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 2, 2016
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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How to volunteer in March | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
March 2, 2016
Volunteers help out at United Community Center’s Bruce-Guadalupe Middle School Career Day. (Photo courtesy of United Community Center)
Volunteer Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee features a calendar full of events for volunteers, both one-time and ongoing. Here are a few of the opportunities in March.
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss Celebration
Greet and direct visitors, help with crafts and fun activities, decorate cookies and more at Milwaukee Public Central Library, Saturday, March 5, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Contact: Deidre Steward, 414-286-3077
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Fight for Air Climb
Help with American Lung Association’s event set-up, register participants and/or hand out water for four-hour shifts at U.S. Bank Center in downtown Milwaukee, Saturday, March 19, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Contact: Amanda Stengel, 262-703-4200
Bruce-Guadalupe Middle School Career Day Presenters
Showcase your career to groups of middle school students through half-day interactive classroom presentations 9 to 11:15 a.m. or booth presentations at United Community Center, Tuesday, March 22, 12:30 to 2:45 p.m.
Contact: Joanna Rivas, 414-384-3100
Provide a Meal to the Homeless
Purchase, prepare, transport and serve a meal to 60 people at The Cathedral Center 6:30 to 8 p.m. Ideal for groups of 5-8 people.
Contact: Ana Treptow, 414-831-0394 ext. 2133
StopTheViolence Community Theater Rehab Project
Skilled and unskilled labor needed weekdays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to help Club Kids In Danger Saved remodel a building to be used as a children’s theatre to give kids a safe place to hang out after school and on weekends.
Contact: Marcus Duke, 414-380-3853
Art in Bloom
Greet attendees, assist vendors in marketplace or staff permanent collection at Milwaukee Art Museum for 2- to 3-hour shifts, March 17-20, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Contact: Gretchen Armitage, 414-224-3893

author: the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee


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Milwaukee chosen for federal violence reduction program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 2, 2016
jsonline.com


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State Would Take Back Money From High-Balance Food Stamp Accounts Under GOP Bill | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 2, 2016
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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Wisconsin Leads the Nation in Post-ACA Non-Emergency ER Visits | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 2, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Announcing SOC’s monthly forum on driver’s cards and related immigrant issues | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Southside Organizing Committee
March 4, 2016

author: Southside Organizing Committee


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 4, 2016


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Iconic Bronzeville mural restored to inspire next generation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 4, 2016
The unveiling ceremony was attended by artists who worked on the mural more than 30 years ago, many of whom were students at the time. The event also featured an art exhibition by local artists, African drumming and commemoration speeches from Alderwoman Milele Coggs, Mayor Tom Barrett and Jayme Montgomery Baker from Friends of Bronzeville.
Completed in 1984, the mural was commissioned for the west-facing wall of the Inner City Arts Council, located on North Avenue and 7 Street. The building is now home to the Milwaukee office of Impact Seven, a Wisconsin-based Community Development Financial Institution, which raised funds for the restoration efforts.
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New Felix Mantilla Little League baseball exchange program will help educate and raise cultural awareness among urban youth | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Journey House
March 4, 2016
Felix Mantilla Little League playing in Baran Park. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
A first-of-its-kind initiative that combines youth athletics with education and cultural awareness is underway in the U.S. This summer, students from the Journey House’s Felix Mantilla Little League will travel to Puerto Rico to play in a tournament with local athletes – and more importantly, will have new experiences that contribute to their education and understanding of the world. In summer 2017, players from Puerto Rico will visit Milwaukee.
The league is headquartered at the Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St., Milwaukee, WI, a large and highly respected community center that empowers families on Milwaukee’s near Southside to move out of poverty by offering adult education, youth development, workforce readiness, and family engagement. Organizers are unaware of other programs like this because, unlike many athletic leagues which focus primarily on sports, the Felix Mantilla Little League Education and Cultural Exchange Program incorporates a broader focus on learning and personal growth.
“The recently announced Felix Mantilla Education and Cultural Exchange Program extends our focus to cultivate learning and citizenship to the streets, rain forests and historical sites of Puerto Rico,” said Dr. Michele Bria, Journey House CEO. “Some of these children may never otherwise have the opportunity to travel. Helping them see more of the world around them is extremely rewarding. We are very appreciative of North Star Providers’ and Marquette University High School’s efforts to support this exciting new program.”
The Journey House offers a rigorous educational program coupled with workforce development and athletics to assist economically challenged youth to stay safe, finish high school and continue their education.
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“The game of baseball and excellent mentoring helped change my life. I’m happy that our new Education and Cultural Exchange Program will positively impact my community’s children in much the same way,” said 81-year-old Felix Mantilla, a former Major League Baseball (MLB) player whose 11-year career included winning the 1957 Milwaukee Braves World Series as the starting second baseman for the Milwaukee Braves. Mantilla, a Puerto Rican native and Milwaukee resident, founded his little league in 1972 in a predominantly Latino neighborhood after  playing for the Milwaukee Braves (1956-61, the New York Mets (1962,) the Boston Red Sox (1963–65) and the Houston Astros (1966.) The Milwaukee Brewers Community Foundation helps support the little league.
Mantilla was one of the MLB’s first Latino players and, like African American players that preceded him, faced challenges breaking into the league. Today, an estimated one in four MLB players comes from a Latin American country.
To help fund the program, North Star Providers, a Milwaukee-based philanthropic organization is joining together with Marquette University High School (MUHS) to host an evening soiree’ saluting Felix Mantilla. North Star Providers was founded in 2014 by Jan Neis to provide uplifting experiences for deserving individuals.
On Saturday, April 2 from 5:00 to 7:30 pm in the MUHS Cannon Commons, 3401 W Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, generous donors who support community development, education and youth athletics will gather. Among them will be Felix “El Gato” Mantilla, former Milwaukee Brewers, sports broadcasters, family members and friends. The evening will include a reception, remarks, dinner and an auction. Students from the MUHS will volunteer to serve as waiters.
Tickets for the April 2 event are available for purchase and donations are being accepted for the dinner.  Contributions to underwrite the July 2016 and July 2017 exchange trips will also be graciously accepted. Numerous foundations, corporations and individuals have already pledged their support for the Felix Mantilla Education and Cultural Awareness Program.  For ticket and event information, send email to info@northstarproviders.com or call (414) 378-7408 or visit www.northstarproviders.com.

author: Journey House


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Obama touts health care success, calls on leaders to put politics aside | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
March 4, 2016
Barack Obama spoke at the United Community Center Thursday. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
During an appearance at the United Community Center on Milwaukee’s near South Side, President Barack Obama called on Gov. Scott Walker to accept the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion he turned down in 2013.
“Your governor still refuses to expand Medicaid in this state. We could cover another 21,000 Wisconsinites with the stroke of his pen,” said Obama. “He’s denying Wisconsinites their ticket to health insurance, and it’s political.”
Obama was in Milwaukee to celebrate the city’s victory in the Healthy Communities Challenge. The competition’s goal was to increase the number of Americans with health insurance during the latest Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment period. About 38,000 people in the Milwaukee area who had previously been uninsured selected an insurance plan during the first enrollment period this year.
In the 20 cities that participated, 1.6 million new people enrolled, including those who were uninsured and others changing insurance plans. According to the White House, Milwaukee had 51,000 marketplace-eligible, uninsured people at the beginning of the open enrollment period. Milwaukee enrolled the highest percentage of those previously uninsured.
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The president praised the effort. “Milwaukee, you have proved that what Americans care about most is not scoring political points, it’s looking after each other. You’ve made a difference in people’s lives. And we’re not going backwards … that’s not who we are.”
“This city should be proud,” Obama added. “Everybody stepped up as a team.”
Students from the Latino Arts Strings Program perform before the president’s remarks at the United Community Center. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Obama lauded the success of the ACA, which he signed into law six years ago. Since the law’s passage, 20 million Americans now have insurance, putting the country’s uninsured rate below 10 percent for the first time. Obama said the act has cost less than projected and health care price inflation is “at its lowest level in 50 years.”
“It’s saving lives, and it’s saving money,” he said.
But Obama, and other local elected officials, sharply questioned Walker’s refusal to accept federal funds to expand BadgerCare, Wisconsin’s version of Medicaid.
In 2013, Walker partially expanded BadgerCare. However, he turned down federal money that could have saved the state as much as $525 million over four years and provided free healthcare to people who make under 138 percent of the federal poverty line — $26,327 for a family of three. The partial expansion helped 97,500 people, mostly adults living in poverty without dependent children, but 63,000 families above the federal poverty line lost coverage.
A report issued in January by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that, in 2014, there were 113,000 uninsured adults in Wisconsin who would have been eligible for BadgerCare under a full expansion of Medicaid. Of those adults, 26,000 had incomes above the federal poverty line. Seven percent of people living in Wisconsin were uninsured in 2014, a figure lower than the national average. Prior to 2013, 11 percent of Wisconsinites — more than 500,000 people — were uninsured.
“If we could do so well in a state that didn’t take the Medicaid expansion, I think it’s worth asking how much more money could we save and how many more people can we cover,” said County Executive Chris Abele, speaking at the event.
Mayor Tom Barrett said Wisconsin is “leaving $834 million on the table for ideological reasons.” He said all families should have health care.
“That money could be there for early education; that money could be there to repave our roads; it could be there to support our schools,” said Barrett. “And I, for the life of me, can’t understand how giving people access to healthcare has become a partisan issue.”
Obama said health care in America should be a right, adding, “This is no longer just about a law, it’s not about me, it’s not about politics.”
Brent Brown, who introduced Obama, said the ACA saved his life after he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in college, because it allowed him to get insurance in spite of his condition. Brown, who is a Republican, urged legislators to “do what is right for the people.”
Fausto Delgado, a barber who works on the South Side, receives free insurance through the ACA. However he said it’s hard to find doctors who will take his insurance. “A lot of them don’t. So, you’ve got to shop around for that, and it gets kind of hard.”
Wisconsin State Sen. Lena Taylor, who attended the event, said, while “there’s no question” Wisconsin should accept the federal Medicaid expansion, Obama’s visit was a high for Milwaukee. She talked about helping the woman who cleaned her office in Madison to get insurance through the ACA, as well as a constituent who lost his private insurance, got an ACA plan and found out he had heart problems. “It actually causes me to tear up,” she said. “That saved those people’s lives. That’s real. And, I’m proud of that.”
Obama encouraged attendees to keep working together. “When ordinary citizens come together as one family, and one community, and roll up our sleeves and look out for one another, that’s when change happens, that’s when we’re at our best. That’s how we’re going to keep building a country that lives up to its highest ideals.”


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25119121279_1afe0a228a_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 3, 2016


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25486597785_15ecbc2635_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 3, 2016


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 3, 2016


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Metcalfe Park pledges community support to new mothers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 6, 2016
The Metcalfe Park neighborhood association, Community Bridges, recently hosted its first Community Baby Shower at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society. New and expectant moms were treated to lunch and received gifts including clothing, toys, portable play pens, diapers and information from parenting organizations.
Community Bridges members also presented mothers with certificates promising community support for them and their babies.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 6, 2016


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Community members to vote on MANDI People’s Choice winners | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
March 7, 2016
Express Yourself Milwaukee was one of three winners of the 2015 People’s Choice awards. (Photo courtesy of Express Yourself Milwaukee)
For the second time, community members have an opportunity to vote for their favorite organizations and individuals for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDI) People’s Choice Award. The top three vote-getters each will win a $1,000 prize.
The MANDIs, a project of LISC Milwaukee, highlight unsung heroes working to revitalize Milwaukee’s most distressed urban neighborhoods.
The People’s Choice Award is the only award put to a popular vote. An article and video about each finalist can be found on the voting page hosted by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
Three People’s Choice winners will be chosen from among the 15 MANDI finalists in five categories. Winners will be announced at a dinner on March 16 at the Potawatomi Event Center.
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The finalists are:
Brewers Community Foundation Public Space Award
Doors Open Milwaukee
Moody Park Revitalization
Turtle Park
BMO Harris Bank Cornerstone Award:
COA Youth & Family Centers
Northside Housing Initiative
Safe & Sound
Northern Trust Navigator Award:
Larry and Sharon Adams, Walnut Way Conservation Corp.
Rodney Bourrage Sr., Operation Dream
Richard Larsen, Larsen Electric
PNC Trail Blazer Award
ACTS Housing Foreclosure Reclamation Project
Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee
First Stage, The Wisconsin Cycle
State Farm Building Blocks Award
Maskani Place
Paper Box Lofts
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care—Bucyrus Campus

author: Sharon McGowan


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Fighting drug abuse in our community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rick Deines
March 7, 2016
Rick Deines, a conversation facilitator with The Zeidler Center for Public Discussion and a board member of Serenity Inns, writes that it’s time for Milwaukee to address the growing problem of drug abuse.
Drug abuse destroys individual lives and rips apart families and neighborhoods. It feeds parasites in the drug trade. By most any measure it is a sickness. The prison population is deeply affected. Addiction knows no geographical boundaries. Its impact needs to be addressed by all sectors of our community. How do we do that?
Who among our representative politicians at any level are doing more than giving lip service to this disease?
Last Wednesday our family shared our monthly meal with a dozen recovering men addicted to drugs and alcohol. Other volunteers bring a hot meal every night for a month to Serenity Inn, a residential living facility at 29th and Brown in the heart of Milwaukee. The people who serve these meals meet and know the men. Perceptions are changed, community is built across cultural and economic lines.
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Serenity Inn receives men who come out of detox or our penal institutions, or are regular attenders at AA or NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings. Being in residence, the men are totally responsible for making the most of this recovery opportunity. Recovery is what they want. Recovery is what we need as a community.
When one sits at table with these men, it becomes clear how gifted they are. One way or another they have chosen a drug that negates that giftedness. Recovering to the point of re-entering the community with dignity, pride and responsibility is possible.
For years the public image of recovery programs has been the “half-way house” or the overnight “flop house.” While immediate shelter is rightly a front-burner concern, connecting that with at least a six- or seven-month program can provide many with the chance to choose a new kind of life.
Serenity Inn can be replicated. Milwaukee can use at least 25 programs of this stature for men and women. We need an approach that works along with the political will and the support of the community. Until then individual citizens who see the need have ways to act. With programs like Serenity Inn and META House the treatment part can be addressed. Replication does involve cost, but re-direction of current funding needs to be on the table.
It is vital to have staff members who both deeply understand addiction and are passionately dedicated to persons struggling with addiction. This is often overlooked when “programs” take priority over the people who need opportunity. Those charged with directing these programs need a system for meaningful communication to promote mutual learning and accountability.
With the national cry for more beds to treat the ever-increasing number of people who use drugs, Serenity Inn offers evidence that a six- to seven-month residential program that is well staffed and takes an intelligent approach can be a significant part of the solution. Teaming with other mission groups like Project Return and the Milwaukee Community Business Collaborative and with the city and law enforcement, which can provide “wrap-around” services, Milwaukee can make major progress in addressing this issue. Now is the time.

author: Rick Deines


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SI men 141103 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 6, 2016

author: Adam Carr


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Milwaukee Partnership Guides Patients Away From The ER Toward Routine Care | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 7, 2016
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio

author: Andrea Waxman


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Milwaukee schools implement new literacy instruction model | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 7, 2016
88NINE Radio Milwaukee


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‘Those men were me’: Youths accuse MPD of mistreatment | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 7, 2016
jsonline.com


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UCC plans another housing facility for women with substance abuse issues | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 7, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal


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Bradley Tech showcases MPS robotics team ahead of competition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
March 8, 2016
Team 1675, a robotics team made up of more than 40 MPS students from various schools, competes in regional tournaments. During an open house at Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School, community members saw the team practice, learned about the rules of competition and viewed award-winning robots from previous competitions. Team 1675 will compete in the St. Louis regional March 10-12 and at a tournament at the UWM Panther Arena March 23-26.


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Nia Imani shifts focus of shelter program to first-time mothers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 8, 2016
Nicole Roundtree holds her week-old son Joel and her 3-year-old son Elijah in her apartment at Nia Imani. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)08
When Nicole Roundtree lost her cleaning job at the Milwaukee County Secure Juvenile Detention Center in June, she and her 2-year-old son Elijah ended up living in her car. For more than five months, the pregnant 29-year-old mother searched for shelter and work without success.
Finally in early December, she found Nia Imani Family Inc., Milwaukee’s only long-term transitional living facility for homeless women and children, through an online search.
“When we moved in, my son and I were extremely happy. We got to sleep after months and months of pain and depression. We finally got to get some sleep,” repeated Roundtree, who was sick with respiratory ailments for much of that time.
After more than 20 years providing shelter and a structured program that teaches life skills and supports a path to independence, Nia Imani is changing its focus. Having worked with homeless mothers of all ages and circumstances, Belinda Pittman-McGee, founder and executive director, has come to believe that young first-time mothers and their children benefit most from the program.
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Pittman-McGee also plans to expand Nia Imani’s influence beyond the 13 mothers it can house by opening Nia Umoja, a community outreach center for nonresident mothers. Nia, Imani and Umoja are Swahili words for purpose, faith and unity, three of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
Kalita Smith smiles at her 2-day-old baby boy, Kaiden. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“This is a time when these young women can re-imagine their lives. This is the best time to intervene, while they’re still innocent, before they become stressed, cynical, angry and tired from dragging their children through homelessness, and before the damage starts being done to the children,” said Nia Imani board president Julilly Kohler.
Kalita Smith, 25, another young mother living at Nia Imani, also lost her apartment after losing a job. Pregnant for the first time, Smith began to feel sick in her second trimester and missed a lot of work at the childcare center where she was employed. A pregnancy counselor at another nonprofit referred her to Nia Imani.
“I think Nia Imani chose me based on need and on my mindset,” Smith said. “I think they choose women who want to get on their feet. They choose women who they think can progress in their program, not those just looking for a place to live,” she added.
For Smith, a high school graduate with 30 college credits from two for-profit colleges, the most meaningful part of Nia Imani is the life skill classes and the group discussions “that have to do with the inner things, the reasons why we hit those roadblocks in life.” These discussions touch on issues such as depression and lack of support that keep women from progressing in life, she said.
Smith appreciates the understanding of Nia Imani’s staff, who also have experienced homelessness. “Here, we know they have been in our shoes. We can go to them and talk to them and get advice from them. It makes you open up and feel trust in them,” she said.
Pittman-McGee has been replacing the women who complete the residential program with first-time pregnant women ages 19 to 24 and, in a few cases, pregnant women with one young child. She views these young women as full of hope and motivated to grow during a critical time in their lives.
The new Nia Umoja community outreach center will be located in a storefront facing Vliet Street, adjacent to the shelter on 25 Street. It will offer young mothers a safe place to come in off the street and take advantage of programs and support services similar to those offered to shelter residents.
The organization is raising funds to renovate the space, where it plans to install laundry and kitchen facilities, reading and computer rooms, a children’s play area, and space for meetings, training, yoga and massage therapy. But because the need is great, Pittman-McGee said, she plans to start offering life skills support groups there as soon as she can get the necessary permits, hopefully, in May.
Building support networks
Pittman-McGee teaches women that they can create their own support networks and help each other build better lives. She noted that it takes time to reach the goal of self-sufficiency. While young mothers who are on public assistance can get help with food, clothing and healthcare, they have to pay rent on their own.
With a maximum Wisconsin Works (W-2) income of $673 per month, it is financially impossible for the young mothers to live alone, Pittman-McGee said. Pointing out that many people, including college students and young professionals, share housing to make it more affordable, she teaches residents the skills and attitudes it takes to share housing with other mothers.
“They’re learning and seeing how becoming closer and providing support to each other is a benefit. They can share in the expenses and then they can plan their lives to part a few years down the road, when they get jobs and can make more (money),” Pittman-McGee explained.
Though many elements of Nia Imani’s skills training, family atmosphere and support groups remain the same as before, the organization is increasingly using the “trauma-informed care” approach, according to Kohler.
Trauma-informed care includes evaluating people for exposure to trauma and tailoring methods to meet their unique needs. It is based on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, which assesses the association between childhood maltreatment and later-life health and well being, and a subsequent study that looked at similar experiences among poor urban residents of Philadelphia.
Nia Imana has formed a partnership with SaintA, a local social service agency, which is a national leader in trauma-informed care, according to its Web site.
Tim Grove, chief clinical officer at SaintA, said the organization is training Nia Imani’s staff in trauma-informed care and Pittman-McGee is reciprocating by training SaintA’s staff in working with homeless women and children.
Other Nia Imani partners include the City of Milwaukee Health Department, The Parenting Network, which facilitates parenting groups and provides monthly in-home parent coaching, and Davis-Laack Stress & Resilience Institute.
Roundtree said the shelter and its programs offer “a lot of help, structure and discipline that I did need in my life.” Though her doctor had been worried about her health and its effect on her baby, Roundtree gave birth to healthy boy on Feb. 8.
Happy to be in stable housing with the opportunities for personal growth that Nia Imani offers, Roundtree can now envision a future as a dedicated mother with a job and a place to live.
She said she wants her sons’ lives to be different from her own childhood. “I want them to be able to come to me to talk about anything. I’ll be there for them anytime that they need me, no matter what.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 7, 2016


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On the Block: Divisive campaigning | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 8, 2016
Alfredo Rodriguez, 32, comes from a family composed of people of different races. The Walker Square resident said he’s disappointed that presidential candidates seem to be pressing people to let race divide them rather than uniting them. He calls into question their true motives.

author: Edgar Mendez


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DOJ listens to stories of police abuse from Milwaukee youth | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jimmy Gutierrez (News414)
March 9, 2016
Silas Sanders talks about being thrown on the ground by local police, with a gun to his head, while doing his daily chores. (Photo by Jimmy Gutierrez)
The takeaway from a recent U.S. Department of Justice listening session about youths’ interactions with Milwaukee police was unanimous and resounding: there’s a lot of work to be done.
About 125 people of all races attended the event, where one teen shared his terrorizing experience on Thursday, Jan. 21, the same night as the DOJ’s first listening session in Milwaukee.
“Me and my mom were coming home, and I was just moving garbage cans, and out of nowhere police come up on me with guns,” said 15-year-old Silas Sanders. “It’s (one) thing to see a gun on TV, but to see a gun in front of you, you don’t see that everyday.”
Silas’s mother, Diane Sanders, said she and her son were heading home after she picked him up from choir practice. He hopped out of the car to move their garbage cans so she could park in the garage. When she came out of the garage she heard commotion.
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“I come out and I just see my child on the ground with a man on his back, cuffs to him, gun on his head, head on the ground,” Sanders said. “This is the second time he’s been accosted on his own property doing nothing but chores. He was shoveling snow a year ago and they pulled up on him saying he fit the description of a burglary suspect. He didn’t want to go back outside after that.”
Markasa Chambers (left) and Nate Hamilton, co-founder of the Coalition for Justice, comfort Zoe Chambers, 8, as she tries to speak to the group. (Photo by Jimmy Gutierrez)
The listening session for youth was sponsored by the Coalition for Justice and the DOJ’s Community Oriented Policing Service, or COPS, at the Wisconsin Black Historical Museum. This is the second event of what is being called a “collaborative reform,” which is examining the Milwaukee Police Department’s policies, practices and training. Police Chief Ed Flynn requested the process, which was entered into voluntarily by MPD.
Another speaker was Paulara Davis, 25, the older sister of Christopher Davis, who was fatally shot in the head by a Walworth County sheriff’s deputy on Feb. 24. Authorities say officers confronted the occupants of a vehicle in the parking lot of Roma’s restaurant in East Troy, in what is being called a drug investigation. Of the four people in the car, Christopher Davis was the only African-American and the only one shot.
“This problem has hit home with me. I’ve never thought that this whole Black Lives Matter movement would hit this close to me, this soon,” Davis said. “I have a daughter and going through this, I’m scared to leave the house. (She’s) only 10 months and I don’t want to live in Milwaukee anymore.”
The city was ranked as the worst place for blacks to live by the business website 24/7 Wall St. last October. One of the major findings was the difference in high school graduation rates for white students compared to black students. The 14.2 percentage point difference is nearly double the national average. The disparity in median income between white ($61,675) and black ($25,646) households is also one of the nation’s largest.
Darryl Gibson, who coached football on the North Side, said he would stick around after practice until all the kids got home after witnessing police harassing his players.
“It really has to be changed how society perceives us, how MPD perceives us, and not how to deal with us, but how to interact with us,” said Gibson, who is black. “They’re here to serve and protect. There is no serving and protecting. There’s militarization. They’re a threat to us and our safety.”
Flynn told local media earlier in the day that the youth testifying might have been hand picked by the Coalition for Justice, which was formed after a police officer killed Dontre Hamilton in April 2014. He went on to say that the youth would have a chance to “speak their truth, not necessarily the truth, but their version of the truth.”
In addition to the Coalition for Justice, other organizations attending the event included Urban Underground, ACLU of Wisconsin, NAACP Milwaukee Branch, and Team Teal 365, which works with sexual abuse survivors. Elected officials present included state senators Lena Taylor and Chris Larson, state representatives Mandela Barnes and David Bowen, Alderman Bob Donovan and Supreme Moore Omokunde, 10 District county supervisor.
After hearing a few dozen first-hand testimonials, which included poems, stories of racial profiling, and elected officials pleading for help, Troy V. Williams, an official with COPS addressed the audience.
“This is powerful and difficult to hear,” said Williams. “I was saying that the one girl looks like my daughter. I understand what you’re all saying.”
Williams said the first round of goals and objectives from COPS will be made public within the next week on the COPS website. Community members are invited to submit public comments by emailing Milwaukee.crita@usdoj.gov.

author: Jimmy Gutierrez (News414)


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 8, 2016


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#060 Precious Lives: Despite Leadership Changes, Milwaukee Youth Center Remains Safe Haven | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 10, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Community Supported Agriculture a growing trend, with local farms offering produce by subscription | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Urban Ecology Center
March 10, 2016
A dozen local farms have been providing Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscriptions to individuals and families for years. For the 14th year, the Urban Ecology Center is hosting its Local Farmer Open House to connect individuals and companies with local farmers to create CSA partnerships for home and work. The event is free and open to the public.
WHAT: 14th Annual Local Farmer Open House
WHERE: Urban Ecology Center – Riverside Park
1500 E. Park Place, two blocks east of Oakland, Milwaukee
parking available in lot just southwest of UEC
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WHEN: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, Saturday, March 12
WHO: Individuals and families exploring CSA options
Debra Jo Becker & Steve Young, Rare Earth Farm
Kelly Kiefer & Jeff Schreiber, Three Sisters Community Farm
Jamie Ferschinger, Urban Ecology Center
WHY:
Many local farmers who have been providing CSA subscriptions to individuals and families are seeing an increase in employers establishing CSA programs as part of their employee wellness programs. The Urban Ecology Center is dedicated to promoting community by offering resources that support environmentally responsible behaviors.

author: Urban Ecology Center


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Milwaukee Mayor Opposes Allowing Lenders More Time To Sell Foreclosed Homes | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 10, 2016
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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Sociologist’s book brings to life eviction problem in Milwaukee, U.S. cities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
March 10, 2016
Harvard sociologist Dr. Matthew Desmond discusses his book, “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.” (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
On a recent snowy, blustery Wisconsin-winter day, Harvard sociologist Matthew Desmond pointed out the window and said that about 40 families are formally evicted every day in Milwaukee, “including days like today.”
Maudwella Kirkendoll, a housing advocate at Community Advocates, confirmed the statement, saying that at least 50 people a day walk into Community Advocates who are being evicted or are at risk of being evicted.
“This is the reality of many low-income families in the city of Milwaukee,” Kirkendoll said. “(Desmond’s) work highlights eviction, an issue no one talks about.”
Desmond, a 2015 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, known informally as a “genius grant,” recently spoke at Boswell Books on Downer Avenue about his new book, “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.” Desmond focused his research on evictions in the private rental market to illustrate the role that affordable housing plays in the conversation about poverty.
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Throughout 2008 and 2009, he embedded himself for months at a time in communities on Milwaukee’s north and south sides to meet the people whose stories fill the pages of his book, which was released on March 1. He stayed in a trailer park on College Avenue and a rooming house on 1 and Locust streets to learn about the renting and eviction process.
People pack Boswell Books to hear Desmond speak. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
Desmond, who received his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said he chose to study and write about evictions in Milwaukee to illustrate the situation of families in the average American city.
“We can’t fix poverty in this country without looking at housing,” Desmond said.
According to Desmond’s data, there are 105,000 renter households in Milwaukee, and one out of every eight renting families in Milwaukee has experienced a formal or informal eviction within the past two years. That translates to about 16,000 adults and children being evicted in Milwaukee each year. He said the majority of impoverished renting families are spending at least 50 percent of their income on housing, and some are spending up to 80 percent.
Low-income African American women are affected most by this phenomenon. Desmond compared the magnitude of the problem to the way that mass incarceration affects low-income African-American men in Milwaukee. The 53206 ZIP Code has the highest rate of incarceration in the country.
“Poor black men were locked up; poor black women were locked out,” Desmond said.
In his book, Desmond explores the traumatic effect that eviction has on families. He said he learned, for example, that eviction can be both a cause and effect of job loss, and that women who have been evicted have much higher rates of depression for years to come.
“Families are literally losing everything, and it’s tragic,” Kirkendoll observed based on his work with Community Advocates. “Affordable, safe housing should be a human right. However that is not the case for many, especially minorities in the inner city.”
Several hundred Milwaukeeans filled seats and stood alongside the shelves at Boswell Books, hanging on Desmond’s every word. The crowd gasped as he spoke of the abhorrent living conditions and injustices experienced by the people he met. Audience members laughed uncomfortably when he said that he lived without hot water while staying months in a trailer park on College Avenue, despite the fact that the landlord knew he was writing a book about his experience.
“If that’s how I was treated as a researcher, imagine how many of the tenants were treated,” Desmond said.
As an ethnographer, he said it is his job to get to know real people who are experiencing these issues firsthand, so his book is full of personal narratives of both tenants and landlords.
“I hope the book does their humanity a little justice,” he said.
Aristine Patterson was among the crowd in the bookstore. Her story is included in Desmond’s book.
“At first, I was embarrassed of my struggle,” Patterson said. “There were times I had to choose: is it going to be my rent or something else? Now, it’s kind of a strength looking where I was to where I am now.”
Patterson said she made some mistakes when she was younger and lost her home and all of her possessions several times throughout her life, but is doing much better now with a stable home and steady income.
“There were moments that just affirmed how gracefully and powerfully the people in this city refused to be reduced to their hardship,” Desmond said of the resiliency he found in the people he met.
Kirkendoll said that though some people blame mothers for getting themselves into situations of poverty and eviction, innocent children can be most affected. He cited repeatedly changing schools and instability as detrimental to child development.
“I think it should trouble us deeply that kids in this country, in this rich land, face eviction so much,” Desmond said. “They don’t get enough to eat because the rent eats first.”
State Rep. David Bowen, who attended the book release event, said that a bill passed within the past several weeks in the state legislature makes it easier for landlords to evict tenants. He said he is concerned that lawmakers enacted a blanket policy that “overlooked the effect that the policy has on people in poverty.”
“This book provides a platform and sheds light on an issue that is affecting huge populations of people in the city of Milwaukee in a very real way,” Bowen said.
Desmond is pushing for policies that provide more widely available and affordable housing for low-income families.
“Do we think that access to immediate, affordable housing is part of what it means to live in this country?” he said. “I think we have to say ‘yes’ to that question, because without stable shelter, everything else falls apart.”

author: Allison Dikanovic


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 9, 2016


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White House picks Milwaukee for tech job training program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 10, 2016
jsonline.com