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Last Call: Crime, licensing issues contribute to decline of South Side taverns | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
December 12, 2017
Cathy West, owner of Cat-Daddy’s, Too, will close her tavern on Dec. 15. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series on the changing tavern culture on Milwaukee’s South Side. Read the first part here.
Cathy West, owner of Cat-Daddy’s, Too, 2691 S. 7th St., said she always tried to run her tavern the right way. When trouble occurred, such as when a woman was beaten unconscious outside the bar and the time when a DJ she hired became belligerent, she showed police the video footage of both incidents.
Those calls to police, she said, in addition to calls from neighbors about noise and other minor issues, resulted in warnings from the Common Council’s Licenses Committee in 2014 and 2015, but never led to a fine or suspension of her license, which must be renewed annually.
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On Dec. 16, 2016, the first day her renewed license went into effect, a blizzard moved into the city, recalled West, and only a few patrons braved the snow to visit the bar, located in a white building on the corner of West Cleveland Avenue, a street where numerous taverns have closed in recent years.
An argument over billiards broke the peace, spilling outside where a bullet would end the life of 29-year-old Andrico M. Slaughter. West knew the incident was the last nail in her coffin.
“I knew my license would never get renewed again,” she said. It was enough to push West, who was already contemplating a move up north, to give up on the tavern business she’s been involved in since the 1980s. This is the last week the bar will be open.
“Even if I wanted to stay open I knew I had no option to,” said West, whose tavern is located in Ald. Tony Zielinski’s district.
Her assessment was correct, said Zielinski, who represents sections of the 53215 ZIP code and Bay View.
“But for that bar being there would that person have been shot?” asked Zielinski, describing the standard he uses to determine whether or not to renew a license for a bar such as Cat- Daddy’s, Too. “If you have had a history of problems I will shut you down,” he said,
David Torres, owner of The Tool Box, 1500 W. Scott, reopened his bar in August after a year-and-a-half suspension of its tavern license. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
West and other taverns owners, including David Torres and his wife Debra, owners of The Toolbox, say tavern owners are unfairly punished for police contacts, even though in many instances they’re trying to keep patrons safe by calling police. The Toolbox, 1500 W. Scott, was shut down in January 2016,  after the city’s licenses committee denied the request to renew the bar’s license after several incidents — including a murder — that involved police. In that incident, a patron who got into a fight outside the bar attempted to run over two men outside of The Toolbox. One of them opened fire, striking Gabriel Velasquez, who drove off before crashing and dying on Cesar E. Chavez Drive.
During a licensing hearing, Torres testified that he was unsure how the altercation began. He also stated that he and his wife had done a lot to mitigate noise and clean up outside the tavern. He added that he didn’t believe the bar negatively affected Notre Dame School, located directly across from the bar. Several representatives of the school, including the president, principal and the mother of a student, testified that they were concerned about the safety of students and parents and recommended that the license not be renewed.
At the hearing, Ald. Jose Perez recommended that The Toolbox’s tavern license not be renewed, stating that he considered the business a nuisance. Perez’s disdain towards corner bars is no secret. The problem with neighborhood bars, he said, is that they don’t serve the same purpose anymore and that bad things happen there.
“Some of these taverns want to be clubs and they don’t have capacity and they want to make so much more [money] out of the pub, DJs and live bands. They were not built for those purposes,” Perez said.
The Toolbox was one of 17 taverns in the 53204 and neighboring 53215 ZIP codes to have its license revoked or not renewed by the city licenses committee from 2012 to October 2017, comprising 57 percent of the 30 bars closed by the committee during that time period. A separate Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service analysis of city tavern license data found that 40 percent of the taverns in the two ZIP codes closed for any reason during that time period.
A total of 89 tavern licenses citywide were suspended (for periods of 10 to 90 days), not renewed, or revoked by the licenses committee from 2012 to October 2017, with 39 percent (35) involving taverns in the 53204 or 53215 ZIP codes. The 53204 ZIP code, in Perez’s district, has the most taverns with licenses that have been temporarily suspended (some multiple times), and the most that lost licenses. It also has the most taverns in Milwaukee.
According to the City Clerk’s License Division, grounds for suspension, nonrenewal or revocation of a tavern license include police charges relating to the operation of the tavern, sale of alcohol to minors or intoxicated persons and allowing conduct that negatively affects the surrounding neighborhood.
Zielinski, who recently announced his candidacy for the 2020  mayoral race, has pushed for the closing of several bars in the 53215 ZIP code, where 40 of 85 taverns have closed since 2012. Among them are two strip clubs that were located on South 13th Street, near West Cleveland Avenue.
Ald. Tony Zielinski, who represents Bay View and part of the 53215 ZIP code, requires that new bar owners in his district invest in improvements or sell food and alcohol. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Increased crime on the South Side and specifically at taverns has contributed to the abundance of tavern closures in those neighborhoods. Other reasons are the decline of neighborhood tavern culture, retirement or death of tavern owners  and deindustrialization, which has resulted in fewer customers, according to historians, tavern owners and others.
Zielinski is reluctant to allow individuals to open new bars or take over closing bars in his district unless they meet his standards.  He demands that new lessees or bar owners upgrade the tavern and/or sell food, which also requires a restaurant license, he said. Tavern owners are already required to maintain a manager’s license. Existing bars that have had no problems do not need to meet those requirements to renew their licenses annually, added Zielinski.
“Unless you’re bringing food to the table or making a significant investment in improvements, forget about it. I don’t want too many bars concentrated in one neighborhood because it brings problems,” Zielinski said.
His demands have drawn the ire of Hank Ostricki, who owns the building that houses Cat- Daddy’s and leases the bar to West. Ostricki said he has a new owner lined up to run the bar once Cat-Daddy’s closes, but that Zielinski has stonewalled the process by denying the owner a hearing with the licenses committee.
“He told me it was never going to be a bar again. He called it a nuisance,” said Ostricki, who said the alderman hung up on him and won’t return his calls. Zielinski denied the accusation.
“Everyone that wants to apply for a license gets an opportunity to make their case before the licenses committee. Mr. Ostricki’s comments are not accurate,” wrote Zielinski in an email to NNS.
Other incidents have occurred since the murder outside of Cat-Daddy’s, according to a Milwaukee Police Department report  provided to NNS by the License Division. In January, police were dispatched to a fight on the corner outside of Cat-Daddy’s but did not observe anything when they arrived. In March, patrons who had been kicked out of the bar drove by and fired two shots, according to the report. Police said bartenders at Cat-Daddy’s were cooperative on both occasions. The most serious incident occurred in May when officers responding to a report that the bar was open after hours arrived to find several people there at 6:26 a.m, including a felon hiding in the bathroom and a gun in the garbage can.
Those incidents, which are examples of what Zielinski described as serious issues at the bar, nevertheless, can’t stop someone from applying for a tavern license, he said.
Ostricki disputes that claim. “How can it be a fair hearing when he (Zielinski) already told me he won’t give the new bar a license?” Ostricki said.
The building has been a bar since 1971 when Ostricki opened the Hanky Panky tavern there before purchasing the building three years later. He said converting it into apartments, one of the few options he has for the building, would be too costly so he’ll end up with a vacant building. He criticized Zielinski for treating the 53215 ZIP code as if it were the more trendy and upwardly mobile Bay View.
“How can you expect me to pour a million dollars into a $20 neighborhood?” Ostricki asked.
During an interview in September, Zielinski said he holds potential tavern owners in Bay View to the same standards as he does those in 53215.
“I want the neighborhood to have nice places for people to eat and drink and not just dive bars,” he added.
One example he cited of an upgraded tavern is the second location of Cafe Corazon, 2394 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., which opened in 2016 in the renovated space that for decades had been the location of Johnny Club Carnival. Former Club Carnival owner, Juan “Johnny” Sendejo Sr., sold the bar in 2015 and died in February. Cafe Corazon’s owner, George Mireles, spent $500,000 in repairs on the building, according to Zielinski.
“Now we have this beautiful space. It’s very difficult to open up just a plain bar in my neighborhood,” he added.
Tavern licenses, which cost $610 and expire one year from the date of issuance, must be approved by the licenses committee during a public hearing in which residents can testify. Perez, who represents the 53204 ZIP code as well as some sections of 53215, said although he doesn’t have a set of demands, he encourages all potential bar owners to reach out to residents personally or by writing a letter detailing hours of operation, security measures and how they plan to prevent problems that may have occurred at the location previously.
He also recommends that those who’d like to take over an existing bar obtain a manager’s license and complete the city’s PIVOT Program, a two-hour workshop that helps business owners understand licensing issues, best practices and how to keep licenses current and in good standing, among other items.
The Toolbox is one of the rare taverns that lost its license but reopened after a year and a half. Torres said he worked closely with Perez and spoke to any neighbor he could —including representatives of the Notre Dame School who helped shut down the bar — about the changes he planned to make.
“I told them I wouldn’t be open during school hours, that I would close early and that I would be here at the bar almost all of the time rather than relying on managers to run the place,” Torres said.
It was enough to convince the Board of Zoning Appeals to grant The Toolbox another shot, which was a relief for Torres, who said it’s one of the few corner bars left in the neighborhood.
As for West, she’s preparing to leave a business and a lifestyle that she and generations of Milwaukeeans grew up with, but is fading away.
“The people changed, the rules to run a bar changed. They used to be fun, the place where you went after work and met all your friends and neighbors. I’m sad about closing,” West said. “I thought about unringing the bell and fighting it but I knew I had no chance.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 11, 2017

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: December 11, 2017

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

author: Adam Carr


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On the Block: Giving hope to refugees | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Leah Harris
December 12, 2017
Chris Her-Xiong fled from Laos to the United States when she was 11 years old. About 30 years later, she visited the refugee camps in Thailand and decided she wanted to pursue a career in educating Hmong youth.

created: December 12, 2017

author: Leah Harris


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Alderwoman Coggs receives Milwaukee Urban League award | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
December 13, 2017
Alderwoman Milele Coggs leads a rally in 2013 at the building that eventually became Pete’s Fruit Market. (Photo by Shakara Robinson)
Today Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs received the Milwaukee Urban League’s Economic Impact Award for her efforts to secure a new Pete’s Fruit Market grocery store at N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. and W. North Ave.
The award – presented during the Urban League’s 58th Annual Equal Opportunity Day luncheon at the Pfister Hotel – is special recognition for Alderwoman Coggs’ efforts to not only help attract the store, but also to enhance the Bronzeville district and thus improve the overall quality of life for residents.
“I am grateful to the Milwaukee Urban League for being selected to receive the Economic Impact Award,” Alderwoman Coggs said.
“But in my view, this prestigious award truly belongs to the residents and neighborhood stakeholders who stood firm and made it clear they wanted a grocery store at the location with fresh, nutritious foods and produce,” she said. “They never wavered and today we are very fortunate to have a bustling Pete’s Fruit Market in the heart of Bronzeville at N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. and W. North Ave.”
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Pete’s opened in Bronzeville in September (2017), offering fresh produce and nutritious foods as a full-service grocery store. The store employs many neighborhood residents and has become a key destination business in the Historic King Drive Business Improvement District.

created: December 13, 2017

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 13, 2017


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Beware of the newest phone scam | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lisa Schiller, Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin
December 13, 2017
If you recently received a scam call from your own phone number (or a very similar number), you aren’t alone. People across the state are reporting calls from lookalike numbers. It’s a newly popular technique that scammers use to trick targets into picking up.
Your cellphone or home phone rings. When you look at the number calling, you get a shock. It’s your phone number! No matter how curious you may be, don’t answer it. The person on the other end is part of a scam.
A wide variety of cons are using this phone number spoofing ploy. They may be impersonating the IRS, claiming to collect a debt or even pretending to be computer tech support.
Variations of this con also spoof similar phone numbers. The area code and first three digits will be the same as yours, but scammers will vary the last four. This is because targets are more likely to pick up if they think the call is from someone nearby.
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Tips for dealing with a phone scam:


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 12, 2017


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Police reform process launches with community town halls | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
December 13, 2017
Jay Anderson’s 1-year-old daughter, Jaelyn, his mother, other family members and supporters release balloons in the park where Jay Anderson was killed by a Wauwatosa police officer. (Photo by Amerikus Luvene)
A community-led process to reform the Milwaukee Police Department recently kicked off with two town hall meetings on the city’s near North Side.
The meetings, held at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, 3275 N. 3rd St., are the first step in the Milwaukee Collaborative Reform Process, which will continue a reform process initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice in late 2015. Input from the town halls and a series of community conversations set for early 2018 will determine priorities, according to Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton and the Fire and Police Commission.
Suggestions included requiring all officers to be trained as Community Liaison Officers, requiring officers to log a reason for traffic stops before exiting their vehicle, creating clear guidelines for what happens after an incident where force is employed and developing a clear process for submitting, and following up on, complaints.
“We know the community is burned out on town halls and listening sessions, so we want to let them know that this is something that’s going to be different,” said Markasa Tucker, director of the African American Roundtable (AART). “These are solution-based recommendations that we’re looking for.”
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Nate Hamilton (left) and Markasa Tucker look on as a resident comments during the town hall discussion. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
To that end, feedback opportunities, which include two more town halls on the South Side at the end of January and smaller community conversations, also set to take place early next year, will employ a circle-based format with facilitators to keep the discussions focused. Organizers hope that recommendations will emerge from these conversations to address the findings of an unofficial draft report by the U.S. Department of Justice, which some community leaders say mirrors concerns African-American residents have been raising for years.
The focus, Tucker said, is to listen to residents because, “they know how they want to be treated.” The Fire and Police Commission (FPC) will launch an online portal for residents to submit additional feedback in January.
Angela Harris, a K5 teacher at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, said she was “very encouraged by the conversations” and solutions that were posed by community members.
County Supervisor Supreme Moore-Omokunde suggested re-launching a coalition of community groups that would collaborate to address violence and quality-of-life issues in challenged central city neighborhoods. The Community Safety Coalition, a group of community-based organizations, faith-based groups and individuals, was briefly convened during the tenure of Police Chief Arthur Jones in the early 2000s. The coalition would be “an opportunity for these organizations to work in collaboration with one another,” Moore-Omokunde said.
Others suggested slashing the police department’s budget and directing those funds to other groups or organizations that could be more effective.
But Charlie Ratliff, 60, a long-time Harambee resident, said, “It’s about education and empowerment,” explaining that the issues are much larger than just the police, who he called “gatekeepers.” He stressed the importance of educating black children about their history and seeing black neighborhoods as valuable.
“My people have been denied so long,” said Ratliff.
Jamel Harris, Angela’s husband, said he attended the first town hall to get more information after hearing about the DOJ report on the radio. Harris called the relationship between community and police “broken.” He said it is “a disgrace to the citizens of our city” that, as the report notes, MPD does not have procedures in place for hiring, promotion and other “basic things” companies are responsible for, adding that the department lacks “professional standards.”
“It shows why the behavior of our police force is the way it is,” Harris said.
“This is not something new for Milwaukee,” said America’s Black Holocaust Museum Head Griot Reggie Jackson, referring to high-profile police killings of black men. “This has been an ongoing issue for decades.”
In 1958, Daniel Bell was shot and killed by Milwaukee police officers who planted a knife on the 22-year-old black man’s body. During the summer of 1967, 18-year old Clifford McKissick was shot and killed by an officer under dubious circumstances. And, in a case many in Milwaukee still remember, 22-year-old Ernest Lacy died in the back of a police van after being misidentified as a suspect in a rape case; the three officers involved had been scheduled to be tried by the Fire and Police Commission earlier that evening for brutalizing another man, but the trial was postponed.
More recently, the 2012 suffocation death of Derek Williams while in the back of a police car — ruled a homicide by the medical examiner — and the case of Dontre Hamilton, shot 14 times in 2014, have made headlines.
In the wake of Hamilton’s killing, Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) Chief Ed Flynn asked for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to begin a process to, in collaboration with MPD, examine the department’s policies and practices. The goal was, ultimately, to reform the department, which has struggled to inspire community confidence for decades.
The process, which began in late 2015, was not completed and an official report, initially expected 18 months later, was never produced. However, in August, a draft report was leaked, which led to a community discussion about how to proceed. Flynn derided the draft report’s accuracy, while saying he agreed with most of the 50 findings; about a week later, he struck a more conciliatory tone, saying it is up to police and the community to address the challenges they face together.
Community groups, led by the African-American Roundtable, announced in October that they would take the lead in soliciting feedback from residents to inform the reform process.
FPC Operations Manager Clifton Crump called the town hall “a great starting point.” The next step, he said, will be for the committee leading the process to produce a report for the FPC. Based on that report and other feedback, the FPC will consider changes to MPD Standard Operating Procedures. Tucker said she expects the report to be finished this spring.
“Then it’s up to the policymakers,” said Crump, referring to the 2019 budget process at the end of next year.
MPD Spokesperson Sgt. Timothy Gauerke stated in an email that the department is developing a plan to implement recommendations, and that MPD is dedicated to “increasing transparency through this process.” In a statement issued at the end of November, Flynn said MPD will “partner with the community at large … to implement recommendations and prioritize responses to the findings,” adding that Flynn supports the process as a way to build trust.
Facilitator and UBLAC member Lisa Jones summed up what she heard at the first town hall. “We would like the police to treat the community with care, love and respect. If that happened … we could really flip and change the narrative.”
Jackson added, “Unless we want to be sitting here 20 years from now having the same conversation again … we need to begin to not just talk about these issues, not just ask for the changes to happen, but to begin to demand that the changes happen. That’s the only way we’re going to see progress.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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West St. Paul Avenue listed on State Register of Historic Places | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Menomonee Valley Partners
December 13, 2017
(Photo by Adam Carr)
The Wisconsin Historical Society has listed the West St. Paul Avenue Industrial Historic District, in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley, on the State Register of Historic Places. This district consists of 22 industrial buildings along 10 blocks between 11 and 21 streets. Each of these properties is now eligible for historic tax credits, which help offset costs associated with restoring historic buildings.
The West St. Paul Avenue Industrial Historic District represents a period of industrial growth and prominence of the Menomonee Valley from the 1880s to the 1950s. The district was built by booming manufacturing businesses that produced a wide range of products, including tin ware, wood products, heating supplies, and electronic controls. Some well-known manufacturers who built their legacy on the street include Cutler-Hammer, National Enamel and Stamping Company (NESCO), and Geuder, Paeschke & Frey. The district will now be recommended for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, which is expected by the end of January.
Menomonee Valley Partners, a nonprofit organization working to revitalize the Menomonee Valley, coordinated the district’s nomination to encourage investment along the street. The West St. Paul Avenue corridor was highlighted for its catalytic potential in the Valley 2.0 Plan, a strategic plan for the continued revitalization of the Valley, adopted by the City of Milwaukee in 2015.
“The historic district listing is an exciting part of building St. Paul Avenue’s identity and positioning the corridor for further redevelopment,” said Corey Zetts, Executive Director of Menomonee Valley Partners. In the last 15 months, four new businesses have moved to the street’s historic industrial buildings and three buildings are currently being restored, soon to become home to three additional businesses.
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Menomonee Valley Partners is a 501c3 nonprofit organization formed in 1999 with a mission to revitalize and sustain the Menomonee Valley for the benefit of the greater Milwaukee community. Since 1999, 47 companies have moved to the Valley, more than 5,000 jobs have been created, 60 acres of park and trails have been developed, two miles of riverbank along the Menomonee River have been restored, and 10 million people visit Valley destinations each year. For more information, see RenewTheValley.org

author: Menomonee Valley Partners


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 14, 2017

created: December 14, 2017


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Activist makes violence prevention his life’s work | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Tyler Durrett
December 14, 2017
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of pieces about grassroots leaders in Milwaukee.
On May 21, 2014, 10-year-old Sierra Guyton was playing on the playground at her elementary school across the street from her house. Sierra was hit by crossfire from two men shooting at each other on the street.
Sierra fought for her life for weeks, but in July she died at the hospital.
Like many people across the city, Sierra’s story grabbed the attention of Tracey Dent.
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Dent, who is an accountant by day and a community activist at all times, was inspired to work for change.
Dent is part of a small nonprofit organization called Community Forward, whose main focus is violence prevention.
“We host job fairs, clothing drives, (and) when Sierra died, we hosted a couple of different fundraisers to help pay for the funeral. After she had died, her parents lost their house, clothes, everything,” Dent said. The group hosted a drive to collect necessities including clothes, food, furniture and appliances such as a stove and refrigerator.
Dent previously served as CEO of Peace for Change Alliance (PCA), and Voices Against Violence Coalition, both violence prevention organizations.
“With those organizations, we worked with the youth, and our goal was to get them to step away from the violence, and to be able to express themselves positively,” said Dent. “On top of that, we created programs to actively work to reduce… crimes and education problems, as well as dealing with the problems right in the street.”
In 2010-2011, Dent served as an assistant to former State Rep. Elizabeth Coggs.
“She then convinced me to run for state rep myself, so I did so in 2012, and again in 2014, but unfortunately I didn’t win.” He also ran for alderman in 2015-2016, but lost.
Although he hasn’t served in an elected office, running and learning about issues in the community have taught Dent how to improve community life, he said.
“It’s about changing the mindset of people,” Dent noted. He works to open up people’s minds and “get them to realize that the way they have been going about certain things in life isn’t right. The violence isn’t right.”
Dent recently has been working to create a restorative justice program with the Milwaukee County House of Correction.
First-time offenders with a low-level felony or misdemeanor would qualify for the program, which would allow them to do community service instead of serve time in prison.
If a first-time offender does not have the money to pay a ticket, he or she could do 60 hours of community service, or pay the fines over an extended period of time, along with 30 hours of community service, according to Dent’s proposal.
People who are already serving time in the House of Correction also would have the opportunity to qualify for the program, potentially reducing their time in prison.
Dent emphasized that the House of Correction is still evaluating the program.
“We are working on this; we have to get it approved,” Dent said. “But we believe this is a good way to give people a second chance, and to let them prove to the community that they have changed, and are ready to make a change.”

author: Tyler Durrett


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Milwaukee Recreation prepares ice rink at Burnham Playfield | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Recreation
December 15, 2017
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Milwaukee Recreation has partnered with Epic Center Community Organization (ECCO) to open a free community ice rink at Burnham Playfield, 1755 S. 32nd Street, on Saturday, December 16. A brief ceremony and ribbon cutting will take place at 1:00 p.m. with open skating to follow until 4:00 p.m.
Open skating will take place every Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and weekends from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. A hotline (475-8192) will be updated daily to inform if the rink is open or closed based on weather/ice conditions.
A limited number of skates will be available for adults and 3rd-8th grade students to borrow for free on-site. The skates were collected and donated by ECCO, Maryland Avenue Montessori School, and Milwaukee residents who responded to requests on social media. For younger children, the department will have five pairs of skates that can be attached to children’s boots or shoes (youth sizes 6-13).
The Burnham fieldhouse will be used as a warming house. Refreshments, including hot chocolate, will be sold inside for a nominal fee.
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Beginning December 21, the rink will open every Thursday night from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for pond hockey. This drop-in program will be free and open to all ages and ability levels; no experience is necessary. Participants are asked to bring their own hockey gear. A limited number of sticks will be available to borrow on-site. For more information, please call (414) 647-6046.
Holiday hours for open skating are as follows: Open 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. December 23, 27, 28, 29, and 30. Closed December 24 and 31.
Weather and ice conditions permitting, the rink will remain accessible to the public outside of the supervised operating hours listed above. However, the warming house will be closed and skates will not be available to borrow.
The Epic Center Community Organization (ECCO) was formed in 2011 by Mike Sengyothinh, an experienced youth worker who had grown up in the Silver City neighborhood. ECCO is a direct response to the Quality of Life Plans that were created for the Layton Boulevard West and Clarke Square neighborhoods as part of the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative.
Milwaukee Recreation is a department of Milwaukee Public Schools, established in 1911 to provide the entire community with affordable and enriching recreational activities. For more information, contact Brian Hoffer at (414) 475-8938or Viviana Buzo at (414) 475-8499.

created: December 15, 2017

author: Milwaukee Recreation


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 15, 2017


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‘Sistas Got This Too’ brings young women to 500 Tuxedos event | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
December 15, 2017
Heaven Nelson (left), a Marshall High School freshman, practices introducing herself. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Vincent High School sophomore Akyra Harris, waving her hand in the air, was one of the first to volunteer to demonstrate the proper way to introduce oneself. Sitting in a circle with 30 other young women, she had just been instructed in the etiquette of entering a room, gracefully sitting down and rising from a chair, and confidently shaking hands and introducing herself to another individual.
Harris said she had not learned any of this before and was listening closely. “I’m going to take advantage of it so I can get far in life,” she said.
A participant in the second annual “Sistas Got This Too” program affiliated with Andre Lee Ellis’ “We Got This” initiative, Harris spent the day with five professional women mentors learning about grooming, etiquette, speaking with her authentic voice, working with her peers on a team and recognizing her self-worth. Founded by Denise Thomas and led by Thomas and other professional women, Sistas Got This Too is a one-day youth empowerment program for 13- to 18-year-old African-American girls.
“There’s a lot of attention around boys and men of color. I was a single mother at 18. We need to pay attention to the young women as well,” Thomas said.
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Thomas, a recently retired MillerCoors executive and communication business owner, said she admired the work that grassroots organizer Andre Lee Ellis is doing to help African-American boys and young men, and decided she wanted to do something similar for teen girls. Ellis supported her in that effort and Thomas started the program at last year’s 500 Tuxedos event.
La Toya Sykes (left) and Dana World-Patterson demonstrate the proper way to introduce oneself. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Other founders include Bria Grant, executive director at UniteMKE; Ebony Haynes, program manager for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee; and Dana World-Patterson, the founder of Foundations for Freedom, Inc., which seeks to eradicate human trafficking. This year, La Toya Sykes, president of Our Next Generation, joined the effort.
Held on the same day as the tuxedo event and in the same place, the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, the program takes “four to five hours to expose these young women to experiences that they may not have on a day-to-day basis, that they should have,” said Thomas.
The one-day program started with advice on grooming and hygiene and a “mini-makeover,” including hair and make-up by a volunteer stylist. Following a snack buffet the teens sat in a circle for an etiquette lesson.
The program also included small-group discussions and exercises designed to help the girls find their voices and express their thoughts and feelings. They worked together to create presentations that highlighted their individual and group value, Thomas said. “This gives (them) an opportunity to be creative, to be empowered, to use art, which is an often-overlooked skill,” she added.
After giving their two- to three-minute small-group presentations to each other, they chose the best presentation and performed it together to the 500 Tuxedos attendees.
Said Sykes, who worked with the teens on team building, “It was a phenomenal project … accomplished together in a short amount of time. I think the girls were surprised at how they were able to present flawlessly and they walked away empowered.”
Sistas Got This Too had its own formal four-course dinner at the Hilton, which included additional etiquette training.
World-Patterson, a professional etiquette and image consultant, said this training is priceless, especially when learned while young when it can be practiced and refined. “These are skills that they will use forever,” World-Patterson added.
“The girls are always asking me why they can’t participate in “We Got This,” Andre Lee Ellis said in an interview. But he added that he can’t mentor the girls like he does the boys. “They need women to do that” and these “wonderful, powerful women” are very capable mentors.
Ceria McGlothian, a junior at Reagan High School, attended for the second time this year. Though she said she learned about etiquette at home, she enjoyed seeing other women learn and grow, she said.
It’s important, she added, because “in Milwaukee there’s kind of a stigma of being a bitch or a baby mama” and suggested that many young women buy in to those images.  The training is valuable because “the higher you hold yourself, the better you’ll do in life,“ she said.
World-Patterson said that the young women are “walking on clouds by the end of the day.”

author: Andrea Waxman


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Bader Philanthropies provides $310,000 to expand Alzheimer’s education and outreach for Milwaukee’s African American community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bader Philanthropies, Inc
December 18, 2017
Bader Philanthropies, Inc., one of southeastern Wisconsin’s top five foundations, announced its board of directors approved a two-year $310,000 grant to the University of Wisconsin Foundation for the Milwaukee office of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (WAI). The grant will expand outreach activities that help the underserved aging populations of African-Americans in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha counties. The funding will also be used to help increase the number of African-American participants in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) study. In addition to the grant awarded to WAI, the board allocated more than 142 grants, worth a total of $8.6 million, to support various projects and organizations throughout Wisconsin, the United States, and internationally.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2017 Facts and Figures, 110,000 individuals and families in Wisconsin are impacted by Alzheimer’s disease, yet African Americans have two times the increased risk for memory loss, compared to Caucasians. The association says the reason for this is not yet known, but it is believed that higher rates of cardiovascular diseases and lower levels of education among minority groups may contribute to higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease. Ongoing research and outreach through WAI programming is a crucial way to discover if there are unique risk factors for people with different ethnic backgrounds.
People with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers receive needed education, quality services and support with the help of the WAI Regional Milwaukee Office through its information, research, outreach, advocacy and service programs. The grant will fund a full-time Outreach Director, whose role includes direct oversight and leadership of outreach and research programs. The WAI Regional Milwaukee Office continues to collaborate with the Milwaukee Health Services Memory Clinic to provide dementia-specific care for Milwaukee’s African-American community.
“One of the greatest challenges in effectively addressing this disease that still remains is access to an early or timely dementia diagnosis,” says Dr. Mark Sager, Former Director of the WAI. “At WAI, our goal is to improve the lives of older adults and their families who are impacted by Alzheimer’s and other dementias. We are looking to reduce the stigma of and raise awareness about dementia, especially in our underserved and underrepresented communities in the Milwaukee area,” says Gina Green-Harris, Director of WAI Regional Milwaukee Office.
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With additional funding, the WAI Regional Milwaukee Office hopes to continue providing outreach services and support to families through programs such as the Melodies and Memories Amazing Grace Chorus program, a signature lifestyle intervention program for WAI. Research shows music has been a useful therapy for Alzheimer’s treatments. The chorus serves to improve the quality of life of its participants and caregivers through socialization and music. Another key goal for this chorus is to reduce stigma and increase the scientific understanding and awareness of music’s impact on the brain and the impact of caregiver burden.
Chorus participants benefit by receiving continuous education about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Families and participants learn more about care services and are offered educational opportunities, family engagement experiences and respite opportunities. Annual concerts are held in the spring and winter. The next is scheduled for December 16 at the Milwaukee High School of the Arts, 2300 W. Highland Ave., Milwaukee.
Through outreach, research programs and events, radio campaigns, in-home and clinic services, and the Amazing Grace Chorus program, the WAI Milwaukee office estimates that they reach and serve over 30,000 individuals and households annually in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin. Additional outreach activities being planned for 2018 include the 5th Annual Breaking the Silence continuous education workshops, caregiver appreciation events and participation in community health fairs. These workshops and caregiver events are held throughout the year, including a large Minority Health Month event in April.
WAI collaborates with a number of agencies to better serve the African-American communities including: Milwaukee Health Services Memory Clinic, Milwaukee County Department on Aging, Alzheimer’s Association, Unison, ADRC’s of Racine and Kenosha, Kenosha Community Health Center, Social Development Commission, and the Center for Urban Population Health.
“As a long-time funder of the WAI, this program has a special place in our hearts at Bader Philanthropies, as it serves the key issues our mother Helen Daniels Bader was most interested in, healthier older adults, as well as a passion for the arts and creativity,” said Daniel J. Bader, president and CEO of Bader Philanthropies. “The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute and the Melodies and Memories Amazing Grace Chorus is something she would have enjoyed and we are proud to partner with WAI to create meaningful experiences that bring older adults and families together.”
About Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute
WAI is a national leader with a statewide presence. In the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea to share knowledge to the borders of the state and beyond, WAI collaborates with small rural communities and urban centers, the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, as well as the university’s academic and research departments. WAI facilitates collaboration and cooperation within the scientific, treatment and caregiving communities to benefit the people whose lives are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.
In 2008, WAI established a Regional Milwaukee Office to improve access to services, provide education to increase awareness and offer supportive services. The WAI Regional Milwaukee Office’s community engagement model empowers the Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin communities of color, primarily African Americans, by providing culturally-specific health care services and training for professional and family caregivers in underserved and under-represented communities. WAI Regional Milwaukee Office also helped to create the first dementia clinic specifically for African-Americans with a Federally Qualified Health Center.
For more information visit http://www.wai.wisc.edu
About Bader Philanthropies, Inc.
Milwaukee-based Bader Philanthropies, Inc. is a philanthropic leader in improving the quality of life of the diverse communities in which it works. Through the Helen Daniels Bader Fund and the Isabel and Alfred Bader Fund, the organization funds innovative projects and programs, convenes partners, and shares knowledge to affect emerging issues in key areas. Since its founding in 1992 as the Helen Bader Foundation, the organization has committed more than $265 million in grants and program related investments, such as PRIs and equity investments that advance its charitable mission. For more information on Bader Philanthropies, visit www.bader.org.

created: December 18, 2017

author: Bader Philanthropies, Inc


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South Siders weigh in on Cristo Rey’s upcoming move to Clarke Square | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lydia Slattery / Wisconsin Watch
December 18, 2017
The future campus of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee is located at 1818 W. National Ave. in the Clarke Square Neighborhood. (Photo by Adam Carr)
South Siders are looking forward to welcoming students, educators and administrators from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School to Clarke Square. Cristo Rey recently purchased and will renovate a former Pick’n Save grocery store located at 1818 W. National Ave.
Ian Bautista, executive director of Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, said he is glad that Cristo Rey is moving to the South Side neighborhood and that the grocery store building will not remain vacant.
“It’s a very productive and positive use of what is now a largely vacant space. To take 120,000 square feet and fill it up with educational activity and development, that’s definitely positive,” Bautista said.
The community will benefit because the school will also bring people in to support local businesses such as El Rey and Gloria’s Cake Shop and Café, Bautista explained.
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“When you think symbolically about the health of a neighborhood, having a high school is very meaningful because it gives the neighborhood a better sense of identity,” Bautista said. He mentioned that a Cristo Rey student is interning at Journey House, which houses CSNI.
Ian Bautista, Clarke Square Initiative executive director, says Cristo Rey’s move is good for the neighborhood. (Photo by Raina J. Johnson)
Bautista also said that Cristo Rey is a respected institution, and it’s good to have a high-quality education system come to Clarke Square.
Cristo Rey’s current location is in West Milwaukee at 1215 S. 45th St. The school focuses on connecting its students with internship and work-study opportunities in the Milwaukee area. School officials announced that they expect the new school to open in fall 2019. It will enroll about 500 students on an ongoing basis.
According to Andy Stith, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee president, “This new building will provide the space and amenities needed to continue providing our students with a high-quality education and we’re excited about the next chapter of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee.”
Tracy Josetti, managing director of development for Cristo Rey, said the school evaluated several locations and the former Pick ‘n Save building was the best.
“We liked the idea of being within reach of Marquette University. We liked being close to the public parks systems, and near the Domes,” said Josetti.
Cristo Rey also chose the location because it’s near major roads and highways that provide easy access to transportation routes for faculty, students and families, in addition to safety and security features, Josetti said. She added that the new space is more than twice the size of the school’s current 45,000-square-foot location.
The renovations are projected to cost $20 million, but that number could change since the project is still in the infancy stage, said Josetti. Fundraising will begin in early 2018, she added.
Tammy Rivera, executive director of the Southside Organizing Committee, said community members were disappointed to see Pick’n Save leave, but are pleased that the building won’t remain empty.
Rivera added that it is too soon to know the impact the school will have in the community, but said she is glad to see that Cristo Rey is committed to social justice. She said she hopes the school community will engage with residents, and looks forward to working with Cristo Rey and its students on issues of social justice. She would like to see the school’s leadership and students reflect the diversity of the surrounding community.
Gloria De Angelo, owner of Gloria’s Cake Shop and Café at 2531 W. National Ave., is unsure how Cristo Rey’s arrival will affect her business, but said she hopes the school brings in new customers to her shop, located a few blocks west of the school.
“I do have a lot of [choices] that kids might like,” said De Angelo, mentioning chocolate, coffee and cakes. She added that the store has Wi-Fi so students could do their homework there. She agreed that it’s good for the community that the building will not remain empty.

author: Lydia Slattery / Wisconsin Watch


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 17, 2017

created: December 17, 2017


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15276132817_f8e5148551_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 17, 2017


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Zilber Family Foundation announces $3.03 million in grants to benefit Milwaukeeans | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Zilber Family Foundation
December 18, 2017
At its recent meeting, the board of directors of the Zilber Family Foundation awarded 17 grants totaling $3,035,000 to nonprofit organizations in Milwaukee, bringing the total for 2017 to $7,847,265.  The grants support organizations working to address the causes and consequences of poverty in Clarke Square, Layton Boulevard West, Lindsay Heights, and other city neighborhoods.  Through the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative, the Foundation funds local efforts to meet basic needs, increase access to social and economic opportunity, and improve the quality of life in a 110-block area on the city’s north side and a 170-block area on the south side.  Newly-awarded grants include:
For more information and a complete list of Zilber Family Foundation grants, visit: www.zilberfamilyfoundation.org.
Formed in 1961, the Zilber Family Foundation is a private independent grantmaking institution dedicated to enhancing the well-being of individuals, families, and neighborhoods, with an emphasis on the City of Milwaukee.  Since the start of the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative in 2008, the Zilber Family Foundation board of directors has awarded $54,823,312 to support programs that meet basic human needs, enhance access to economic opportunity, and improve the quality of community life.
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author: Zilber Family Foundation


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Marquette’s Dwyane Wade “Live to Dream” Summer Reading Program curbs summer literacy slide | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Marquette University
December 19, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Marquette University)
Marquette University’s College of Education has released results of its Dwyane Wade “Live to Dream” Summer Reading Program, showing significant progress in curbing the “summer slide” in reading achievement among inner-city Milwaukee school children.
The “summer slide” refers to the tendency for students, especially those from low-income families, to lose achievement gains they made during the previous school year.
All 131 second- and third-grade students who participated in Marquette’s summer program over the past three summers have either maintained or increased their reading level – 67 students (51%) increased and 64 students (49%) maintained their reading level.
“Literacy opens doors for a lifetime of educational and career opportunities for young kids, which is why it is so important that we counter the trend of the summer slide,” said Bill Henk, dean of the College of Education. “We are incredibly grateful to both Dwyane and Tragil Wade for providing the capacity to change the trajectory of the lives of these students.” Henk also expressed gratitude to the Todd Wehr Foundation and Greater Milwaukee Foundation, who have contributed to the program.
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According to the National Summer Learning Association, “Unless students deliberately engage in learning activities, almost all of them experience educational losses over the summer. Additionally, while students from underserved populations might keep pace with their peers during the school year, they typically experience higher summer learning losses due to decreased access to books and education programs. The NSLA identifies this unequal access as the source of nearly half the achievement gap between low- and high-income students.”
View the complete results from Marquette University’s Dwyane Wade “Live to Dream” Summer Reading Program.
Marquette University alumnus and Cleveland Cavaliers star Dwyane Wade gave $195,000 to the university’s Ralph C. Hartman Literacy and Learning Center in December 2014 to help improve the region’s literacy gap among inner-city children.
Wade, who attended Marquette from 2000 to 2003, made the gift through his Wade’s World Foundation which provides support to community-based organizations that promote education, health and social skills for children in at-risk situations. Tragil Wade, Dwyane’s sister, is the executive director of Wade’s World Foundation, which has adopted literacy as a core focus area.
The “Live to Dream” Summer Reading Program, which will be held in Marquette’s College of Education through at least 2020, provides free transportation for children to and from the Hartman Center on campus. It builds off the center’s existing school-year reading program for second- and third-grade students. More than 850 prospective Marquette teachers have tutored approximately 2,800 kids in the Hartman Center’s 25 years on campus. In addition to the free tutoring services to approximately 150 low-income children annually, the center conducts research related to children’s growth and learning.
In 2014 when the university announced the gift, Wade said, “We believe that every child deserves a shot, and I am proud to impact children on the very same campus of Marquette University where I was a student. My hope is that the children will envision themselves as future Marquette students where they can one day transform their lives through higher education.”
Interested donors for the “Live to Dream” Summer Reading Program can do so through an online site, marquette.edu/livetodream, or by contacting Laura Bolger, director of development at laura.bolger@marquette.edu.
About Marquette University’s College of Education
For more than 95 years, Marquette University’s College of Education has helped prepare individuals to work as professionals in public and private school settings. The college’s undergraduate programs position students for teaching in elementary, middle and secondary schools as well as other educational contexts, and graduate programs prepare students for several roles including: counselors who work in schools and other human service organizations, master teachers, school principals and superintendents, private practice counseling psychologists, and higher education faculty and administrators.
About Wade’s World Foundation
The mission of Wade’s World Foundation is to help inspire and provide support to community-based organizations that promote education, health and social skills for kids in at-risk situations so they have the necessary tools they need to leave a positive footprint within their community and succeed in their life experiences. Since the foundation launched in 2003, Wade and his family have been committed to giving back in Chicago, South Florida and throughout the country.  More information on Wade’s World Foundation can be found at www.wadesworldfoundation.org.

created: December 19, 2017

author: Marquette University


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 19, 2017


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New campaign to end child poverty aims for 10,000 signatures | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Leah Harris
December 19, 2017
Children of color are more likely to grow up in poverty than white children. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
As a grandparent and educator, Andrea Muniz says that ending childhood poverty is incredibly important to her.
Muniz is an early childhood educator at the Southside Ebenezer Child Care Center. She attended the announcement for a new, statewide campaign to end childhood poverty at Marquette University because she sees the struggles that children she works with go through.
“I see different families and where they are in life,” she said. “They can’t afford all their meals. They’re living in poverty.”
After three years of planning, various faith-based and anti-poverty groups came together to announce the new campaign to end child poverty last Thursday. The campaign’s goal is to cut child poverty and racial disparity rates in Wisconsin in half in the next 10 years.
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Muniz said a major issue is that parents aren’t spending their money wisely, which keeps their families in poverty.
“We have to start young,” said Muniz who is certified in financial education and hopes to open a center to help families understand how to manage their finances next year.
Robert Kraig, executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin, and David Liners, executive director of WISDOM, discuss the campaign’s goals. (Photo by Leah Harris)
“Working with the children and parents with their finances will build a foundation and it’ll give the parents hope,” she said. “They will be more confident in how they spend their money.”
Four statewide organizations are the lead coalition partners: WISDOM, Wisconsin Council of Churches, Kids Forward and Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund. About 15 people joined religious leaders at Marquette to learn about the campaign. Earlier in the day, three other presentations to discuss the campaign were held in Wausau, Eau Claire and Appleton.
Another campaign goal is to collect 10,000 signatures on the coalition’s website. As of Monday evening, the plan had 798 signatures.
“We’re not going to start talking to officials until we reach 10,000 people,” said David Liners, executive director of  WISDOM. “We’re not looking for a hero in the legislature. We’re looking for a movement of people who want to take this more seriously.”
Before the campaign launched, participating organizations hosted 24 forums at churches across the state, with more than 1,200 participants coming together to voice their ideas.
“We’re asking people to join,” said Robert Kraig, executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “Everyone says they want to achieve this objective but somehow we muddled through decade after decade losing ground and allowing generations of children to grow up in poverty.”
Advocates for the campaign conducted studies about poverty in the state and found that children are the poorest age group today, compared to the 1950s, when seniors were the poorest demographic. They also found that children of color are more likely to grow up in poverty than white children. According to a report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 34 percent of African-American children nationwide live in poverty, compared to 12 percent of white children.
Shana Harvey, an artist who has taught music in schools, libraries, public parks and museums for about 20 years, is one of the campaign’s staff coordinators. Harvey’s role is to make sure volunteers have the resources they need to present information about the campaign to their organizations.
“Childhood poverty would seem to be a very simple issue. You would think that we would see the issue as a top priority,” she said. Harvey noted that child poverty is connected to many other issues later in life such as the likelihood to be involved in violence and to be incarcerated.
“These are young people who have the potential to grow up into healthy, contributing adults,” Harvey continued, “so why aren’t we addressing the fundamental obstacle between this child and a viable future?”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 18, 2017


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On The Block: Thefts thwart holiday donations | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elliot Hughes
December 19, 2017
Laura Sue Mosier, 58, co-owns the Schuster Mansion Bed & Breakfast at 3209 W. Wells St. in the Concordia neighborhood. For several years now, Mosier and her husband, Rick, have collected warm clothing from their guests to donate to the community, which they place outside the B&B. But lately, Mosier said, a man has been taking the clothing and selling it to people. Unsure of how to prevent this, she said she’s temporarily stopped the giveaway.

author: Elliot Hughes


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Opioid death toll surpasses 300, while Opioid Task Force struggles to meet | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
December 20, 2017
A discarded needle in an alley on the 2300 block of West Orchard Street on Milwaukee’s South Side. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The death toll in Milwaukee County from opioid overdoses has reached 302, according to data from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office. That number will rise once toxicology determinations in 35 other suspected drug-related deaths are made.
In response to the high number of deaths, the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) last week announced it would be creating a 16-officer task force to more quickly investigate fatal overdoses.
“Their (officers’) full-time job is going to be to identify the suppliers in overdose deaths,” said MPD Chief Ed Flynn, during a press conference announcing the new task force.
The deaths in Milwaukee are part of a national increase in opioid related deaths and addiction. The epidemic has hit Milwaukee County especially hard, with drug- related deaths expected to top 420 this year, according to Ald. Michael Murphy. Last year, 342 drug-related deaths, a great majority involving opioids, occurred in the county, up from 110 in 2002.
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While the city tries to come to grips with an epidemic and a death toll of historic proportions, the City-County Heroin, Opioid and Cocaine Task Force, created in late January in response to the crisis, has struggled to meet, cancelling four of 12 meetings scheduled this year. The most recent meeting was to be held on Dec. 15, just one week after a 24-hour-period in which eight suspected opioid overdose deaths occurred in the county.
Ald. Michael Murphy (pictured in 2015) is part of an Opioid Task Force workgroup seeking to enhance local options for safe medication disposal. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Rafael Mercado, one of the creators of the MKE Heroin Diaries Facebook page and a member of Team Havoc, sent out several warnings on social media about a bad batch of fentanyl he suspects was behind the spate of deaths.
One warning read, “please let your family, friends, and neighbors know we have another bad batch of fentanyl-laced heroin going around.”
Opioid Task Force Chairman and Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) Commissioner Bevan Baker, described that day as one of the most harrowing he can remember.
“I have never witnessed anything like it. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever dealt with in terms of drug-addiction and human loss,” Baker said.
Cari Kegley, a Greenfield resident who has attended several opioid task force meetings,  said she was devastated to hear about the most recent spate of deaths and angry that the task force cancelled its latest meeting in the wake of it. She said she wants to see the task force take action.
“More needs to be done faster. People are dying,” Kegley said.
Baker said it was unfortunate that task force members were unable to meet last week and that it had been difficult to schedule a meeting with the upcoming holidays and other conflicting commitments. The task force comprises several top county officials, including Brian Peterson, chief medical examiner, Michael Lappen, chief of the Behavioral Health Division, and Christine Westrich, director of the Office for Emergency Management. The task force also has several other high-profile members, including Murphy, Ald. Khalif Rainey and St. Francis Mayor Cory Ann St. Marie-Carls.
According to Lappen, the most recent meeting, as well as two previous meetings, had to be cancelled due to lack of a quorum. He wrote in an email to Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service that it has been a challenge to accommodate the hectic schedules of task force members.
The fact that top-level officials constitute the majority of the task force has presented problems, admitted Murphy, who said he was disappointed that last week’s meeting was cancelled.
“Perhaps were we to do it over again or change something in the future we would have other designees, but we felt originally that we wanted to have the top people at the table but everybody’s so darn busy,” Murphy said.
The task force did meet on Dec. 1, and has a meeting scheduled for Jan. 19, he added.
Meanwhile, the task force is on track to meet its goal of having a comprehensive plan to combat the opioid epidemic completed by February, according to Baker. Baker said the general public should know that tasks are being completed by task force members and others behind the scenes.
“We cancelled the meeting but we are not resting. Tremendous efforts are being made,” Baker said.
According to Sarah DeRoo, health communications officer for MHD, six workgroups have been tasked with specific goals. Among them are increasing the availability of naloxone, a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose; promoting understanding of pain, pain management and substance abuse disorders; improving data on heroin, opioids and cocaine; and assuring adequate and affordable access to treatment for substance abuse disorders.
Murphy is a member of the workgroup charged with enhancing community options for medication disposal. Current options include medication drop-off sites and the Drug Mailback Program in conjunction with CVS Pharmacy, in which residents can dispose of medications by placing them in their mailbox in a secure envelope, Murphy said.
The group is also actively seeking funding to support its initiatives and is reaching out to hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, among others, Murphy added.
Murphy recently sponsored a budget amendment approved by the Common Council securing $50,000 to fund a public awareness campaign about opioids. The county also recently received $2.6 million in grants to combat opioids.
The increased funding and subsequent efforts to combat opioids can’t happen fast enough for Kegley, who is calling for more consistency from the task force and more resident involvement.
“They (the task force) need to quit being so sporadic and the community needs to attend the meetings and fill the room,” Kegley said. “I saw someone overdose at the gas station on Saturday. This problem is out of control!”

created: December 20, 2017

author: Edgar Mendez


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LISC invites CDCs to apply for Advancing Equitable Development in Milwaukee HUD Capacity Building Grants | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
LISC Milwaukee
December 21, 2017
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Milwaukee seeks applications from community development corporations (CDCs) to increase their human, financial and technical resources, enabling them to increase the scale and complexity of their housing production, to expand into new areas of economic development and to deepen resident’s power and capacity for change.
As a result, communities will have greater capacity to advocate for their needs, and activate solutions and partnerships that result in long-term, sustainable improvements to civic life. The issues we face in Milwaukee are complex and require innovative and connected thinking to effectively work toward solutions.  LISC Milwaukee prioritizes supporting effective collaborations that create authentic solutions and support the development of inclusive systems.
Proposals that reflect new or developing collaborations will be given strong consideration.  The deadline is January 19th. Grants will be awarded up to $50,000.
Visit LISC Milwaukee’s website for details.
ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE TRANSMITTED IN MICROSOFT WORD FORMAT TO LISC MILWAUKEE BY E-MAILING LISCMKE@GMAIL.COM AND MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5PM CST on 1/19/18.
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created: December 21, 2017

author: LISC Milwaukee


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Milwaukee Health officials encourage parents to follow safe sleep recommendations | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Health Department
December 21, 2017
Today Milwaukee officials are urging families to follow safe sleep practices for infants. The reminder comes in response to an increase in the number of sleep-related infant deaths. While a cause of death has not been determined in all cases, preliminary data suggests that more than 30 infants may have died in unsafe sleep environments, a total that has not been recorded since 2007.
“While we have made progress in reducing infant deaths citywide, in 2017 a concerning increase in sleep-related infant deaths have been reported,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “These tragic deaths can be prevented. I urge parents and caregivers to follow safe sleep practices and ask that our partners educate parents about ways to keep infants safe.”
In response to this data, the City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) is issuing an alert to area medical providers and reminding parents and caregivers of the safest ways to place an infant down for a nap or at night.
“We thank our partners citywide who help us share the ABC’S of Safe Sleep: That babies are safest when they sleep alone, on their backs, in a crib, and in a smoke-free home for every nap and every night,” said Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker. “But we know that a new generation joins the ranks of parenthood each year, and we must continue to pass along the knowledge and recommendations that will help keep every infant safe.”
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On average, approximately 15-20 Milwaukee infants die in their sleep each year, making it the third leading cause of infant deaths behind complications of prematurity and birth defects. Sleep-related infant deaths include infants who died while sleeping on an adult bed or other unsafe sleep surface such as a sofa, car seat or air mattress; placed to sleep with pillows or extra blankets; and those who were placed on their stomachs or side to sleep.
The MHD urges all parents and caregivers to follow the recommendations issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics and practice safe sleep in their homes. This means that at every nap and every night an infant should sleep in an environment that follows the ABC’S of Safe Sleep:
A = Alone, never on the same sleep surface as a parent, caregiver, or other children
B = On his/her back, never on their stomach or side
C = In a crib that is free of bumper pads, pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals
S = In a smoke-free home
Since 2009, the MHD has operated a citywide Cribs for Kids program, providing free safe sleep environments to more than 800 families annually. Anyone in need of a safe place for their infant to sleep can dial the MHD Cribs for Kids program at (414) 286-8620.

author: Milwaukee Health Department


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Milwaukeeans not surprised over explicit acts of racism by sewer company employees | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj and Elliot Hughes
December 21, 2017
The cooler of an American Sewer Services employee near the intersection of 25th and Wells streets surfaced on social media last week, days after another photo of employees of the same company carrying guns on the job made its rounds online. (Photo from Facebook)
Two weeks ago, white utility workers entered two predominantly black Milwaukee areas — at one site carrying firearms and at another flashing stickers bearing a Confederate flag and a Ku Klux Klan symbol. After several black city officials spoke up about the issue, they were met with venomous messages laced with racial epithets.
The black residents of those two areas — the intersection of 19th and Meinecke streets and the intersection of 25th and Wells streets — who were interviewed for this story, as well as several community leaders, were unsurprised that such brazen and public acts of racism could happen in their own neighborhoods and to the people who represent them.
Several of them pointed to a new era of open racism, where bigots feel empowered by President Donald Trump, who has been criticized multiple times for not condemning hate groups strongly enough.
Reggie Jackson, head griot of America’s Black Holocaust Museum, based in Milwaukee, said racist viewpoints such as these were expressed “very openly and very brazenly” until the 1960s, when they became taboo as a result of the civil rights movement. He attributed the resurgence of such conversations to the election of Trump, who Jackson said used “clearly articulated code language” in the form of his slogan “Make America Great Again” to appeal to a base that was largely old and white. Former Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who Trump endorsed, has said the country was last great during the era of slavery.
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“It’s a supremacy issue,” said Vaun Mayes, a local activist. “It’s white people having entitlement, especially to this state and to what’s in it. And there’s a sense of, ‘This is my area, this is my space, we don’t want them here.’”
Hugh Bent, who works at Jake’s Deli North, which is several blocks away from the site of the photo showing American Sewer Services employees carrying guns, said the city should continue to do business with the company since two workers have been terminated. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
Mayes said the “blatant racism” displayed in the aftermath of the gun incident is only “one piece of a very systemic issue,” pointing to racial disparities in education, employment and incarceration that are greater in Wisconsin than most other states. He, and others, specifically took issue with white workers who display such an obvious fear of, and prejudice toward, the black community being employed on city projects when African-American residents do not have the same opportunities.
“Why aren’t there either black contractors or local contractors from the community or neighborhood? Why did the city feel like it had to outsource to a different company?” asked Arthur Cameron, a manager at The Juice Kitchen, 1617 W. North Ave.
American Sewer Services, the employer of the workers who were photographed with guns near 19th and Meinecke, and racist stickers near 25th and Wells, does not appear to be in danger of losing its $1.14 million project to rehabilitate sewers in 11 locations throughout the city.
But the absence of American Sewer Service’s owner, Dennis Biondich, from a special public meeting earlier this week to address the incidents left many Common Council members angry. The council has already passed a resolution that would forbid contractors from carrying weapons on the job, and several other aldermen have said they would examine how much the city could cut back on outsourcing work in the future.
Residents interviewed for this story were split on whether the city should partner with American Sewer Services again. While acknowledging that any contractor could hire an employee with racist insensitivities or ideologies, Gary Ingram, a program assistant for Central City Churches, Inc., said the actions of the company’s employees cannot be tolerated.
“It shouldn’t even be up for discussion,” said Ingram. “If you get to dance you pay the band.”
Hugh Bent, an employee at Jake’s Deli North, 1634 W North Ave., who previously worked in construction, said the city should still do business with American Sewer Services, since two employees — one who had his gun unholstered in the first photo and one who was responsible for the racist stickers in the second photo — were fired as a result of the photos.
“If the company does good work, then the city has no reason to terminate any contracts with them” as long as they handle the situation with their employees, he said.
According to those interviewed, including Amaranth Bakery owner David Boucher, who is white, fear of central city Milwaukee neighborhoods is unfounded. Jackson, who lives in Sherman Park, and Boucher, whose home is blocks from the Walnut Hill bakery, said those neighborhoods are not as they are portrayed — as excessively violent —by media or some public officials.
Jackson said much of the violent crime occurs between people who know each other, a claim that is borne out by police data.
Boucher pointed to poverty, which disproportionately affects the city’s black population and is concentrated in the central city, as the driver of the crime that does exist.
“When you’re in that dire situation, you don’t see the options,” he said.
Jackson added, “In order to get past those stereotypical images of what the city is like, you have to come to the city, walk around, talk to people, get to know people.”

author: Jabril Faraj and Elliot Hughes


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 20, 2017

author: Adam Carr


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Greater Milwaukee Foundation reports ‘On the Table’ results, plans for next year | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
December 22, 2017
Carla McKiver, chief financial officer and co-founder of Convergence Resource Center (left), and Ellen Gilligan, Greater Milwaukee Foundation president and chief executive officer, participated in an overview of On the Table 2017. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation has sensed a “hunger for civil conversation” and a “desire to be better connected to one another” among members of different communities for about the past year, said Marcus White, vice president of civic engagement.
The success of On the Table, a GMF initiative to gather diverse groups throughout the city and region to talk about ways to improve the community, confirmed these speculations.
More than 5,400 people from 73 ZIP codes at about 200 locations participated in On the Table, according to a report released recently. Ninety-seven percent said they would participate again, and 90 percent said they met someone new. In addition, 82 percent said they better understand how they can make a difference in their communities.
“One of the questions we would get was, ‘Will this just be more talk?’ so we were very pleased to see that over half the participants reported that their tables made plans to take next steps,” White said.
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Some of these plans are already in motion.
At On the Table discussions in October, participants wrote down bold ideas to improve their communities. Some were posted on boards at a Greater Milwaukee Foundation media briefing. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
Alicia Dupies, Milwaukee Bucks’ vice president of corporate social responsibility, and Kate Carpenter, America SCORES Milwaukee executive director, said they formed a partnership at On the Table to host trauma-informed coach and mentor training for people working with kids in the city. Jamar Wills, a program coordinator at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, said the program has greatly benefited him and enabled him to help his players develop not only on the field but also as individuals. He coaches basketball and football for youth ages 9-14 years old.
At Calvary Presbyterian Church, about 25 people shared dinner and discussed topics of housing, place making and home. Parishioner Jonnie Guernsey said many participants expressed a desire to have more than one conversation per year about this issue, so she plans to host a few others throughout 2018.
Guernsey said the discussion was enhanced by the group’s diversity in terms of race and socioeconomic status. It also included people who receive housing services and people who work at organizations that provide these services. The attendees appreciated the opportunity to talk about housing in an open, honest environment and share a common interest in creating positive change in the city, she added.
A class at Messmer High School hosted students from Burlington High School for an On the Table event. The discussion went so well that the group is planning to meet again, this time in Burlington.
However, the voices of young people were largely missing from On the Table discussions, said Ellen Gilligan, GMF president and CEO. A goal for 2018 is to involve more youth, and GMF will make a special effort to involve more schools.
The foundation would also like to see more private homes and neighborhood groups host tables next year, rather than mostly large organizations and corporations. White added that he would like to see more elected officials joining tables as participants.
At more than 80 percent of tables — no matter the topic of conversation — issues of race, equity and inclusion came up. GMF hopes to increase racial diversity among participants in 2018, White said.
Overall, 42 percent of On the Table participants were nonwhite, a good representation when looking at the region, which includes Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties, White said. “But looking at Milwaukee city and county we need more people of color participating. … We think there were a lot of diverse tables, but probably not as much as there should be or could be.”
He said GMF will look for partners who can help host more tables to increase diversity in 2018.

created: December 22, 2017

author: Elizabeth Baker


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 21, 2017


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Merry Christmas! | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
December 25, 2017
A cardinal perches in Mitchell Park after a fresh snowfall. (Photo by Adam Carr)
The team at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service wishes you and yours a meaningful Christmas!

created: December 25, 2017

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 24, 2017

created: December 24, 2017


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Favorite of 2017: Open housing marches placed spotlight on racial discrimination, segregation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
December 26, 2017
Father James Groppi and members of the NAACP Youth Council march in support of Vel Phillips’ open housing bill. (Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Historic Photo Collection, Milwaukee Public Library)
I knew of Father James Groppi, an icon of the Civil Rights movement, long before I moved to Milwaukee more than 30 years ago. But it was only last spring, while doing research for this article, that I learned about the heroic young people of the NAACP Youth Council and Commandos and how they marched against injustice in Milwaukee for 200 consecutive nights in 1967 and ’68.
Although I loved working on every story I wrote in 2017 and believe that each is important, the opportunity to look in depth at the open housing marches 50 years later was special in many ways. I had heard parts of this important story over the time I have lived here but writing this article allowed me to see the whole story and appreciate its significance. Hearing from people who were there as participants and observers, as well as academics who shared their scholarly insights, was priceless.
This example of young African-Americans in Milwaukee, who faced virulent hatred, unspeakable disrespect and violence but were not deterred from fighting for their rights, is one we should remember and take inspiration from now, when injustice continues to oppress so many.
Click here to read the story.
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created: December 26, 2017


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Favorite of 2017: Common Council votes to strengthen response to threat of lead exposure | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
December 27, 2017
A billboard near North 5th Street and West Keefe Avenue is intended to raise awareness about lead exposure. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
This year, I am grateful to have been able to cover a months-long effort by community groups to strengthen the city’s response to the health threat of lead in water, culminating in a resolution passed by the Common Council and signed by Mayor Barrett at the beginning of December.
This effort was one of several I have covered in which grassroots groups have successfully moved important issues forward in a concrete manner. Community coalitions also played a part in the resignation of Sheriff David Clarke in August and took charge of a local collaborative process to reform the Milwaukee Police Department that they will be leading into the new year.
This year has certainly been turbulent but I am heartened by the growing community involvement in the issues that affect us most. I will be interested to see whether that involvement, and the successes, continue.
Click here to read the story.
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created: December 27, 2017

author: Jabril Faraj


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On the Block: Baking from the heart | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
December 27, 2017
Linda Burrell, owner of Cakes by Linda Kay, bakes all kinds of desserts using the kitchen at 2053 N. Martin Luther King Drive. She sells them individually and through her catering service. Since 2011 when she opened her business, her sweet potato cobbler — a recipe she got from her late mother — has become famous around Milwaukee, Burrell said.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 27, 2017


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Favorite of 2017: Historic King Drive neighbors voice ideas, concerns about development at city open house | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
December 28, 2017
People who live or work in the neighborhood indicate where they spend the most time and what development they’d like to see there. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
My favorite story is about a gathering of residents, workers and business owners in the Bronzeville neighborhood hosted by city planning leaders to discuss Historic King Drive. People came to learn more about how a potential extension of the Milwaukee streetcar route could bring economic growth to their neighborhood. The neighbors themselves, however, did most of the talking, while the city planners listened to their questions, hopes and worries.
The streetcar has been a widely discussed — often political and controversial —topic in Milwaukee for quite a while, so it was interesting to hear the opinions of local residents on the matter. What I learned at the open house helped me better understand the implications of all the development happening along Dr. Martin Luther King Drive and throughout Bronzeville, and I was also able to report on the opening of the Historic Garfield Apartments later that month.
As more planning and development occurs, it will continue to be important to amplify the voices of the community members affected through our reporting.
Click here to read the story.
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created: December 28, 2017


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Favorite of 2017: Last Call: Milwaukee’s South Side taverns | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
December 29, 2017
Sharon Ward, Safe Ride coordinator and treasurer of the Milwaukee County Tavern League, tended bar at The Last Drop, 1979 S. 15th St., until it closed a few months ago. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
I grew up on the city’s South Side, during a time when a corner bar or often times several, was no more than a block or two away. It was where we purchased penny candy as kids, and also where we’d run into our mailman or next-door neighbor. Needless to say, the tavern culture is deep in Milwaukee, especially on the South Side.
But, times have changed, and a stroll or drive anywhere in the 53204 or 53215 ZIP codes provides evidence that the old-time corner bars are a dying breed. I explored some of the reasons why in the first of my two-part special report on the decline of neighborhood taverns. The second part looks at crime and licensing issues that have also contributed to the decrease in corner bars.
Click here to read part 1.
Click here to read part 2.
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created: December 29, 2017


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Favorite of 2017: Milwaukeeans not surprised over explicit acts of racism by sewer company employees | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elliot Hughes
December 30, 2017
The cooler of an American Sewer Services employee near the intersection of 25th and Wells streets surfaced on social media last week, days after another photo of employees of the same company carrying guns on the job made its rounds online. (Photo from Facebook)
I joined the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service in the last quarter of 2017. The most interesting story I worked on centered on community reaction to the controversy around a photograph taken at the work site of a city contractor showing a cooler with a Confederate flag and Ku Klux Klan symbols. This followed on the heels of other photographs that surfaced a few weeks earlier showing three workers from the same company carrying guns on the job. In both cases the contractors were working in predominantly black neighborhoods.
Since the photos surfaced on social media, a wide-ranging discussion has followed, touching on racism, Milwaukee’s real and perceived crime issues, gun culture, diversity among utility workers and the wisdom of the city outsourcing work to non-Milwaukeeans. Those are conversations that a community needs to discuss with itself, however ugly it may get, and it’s rewarding as a reporter to witness it happen.
Click here to read the story.
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created: December 30, 2017


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Red Cross decision a slap in the face to thousands in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Khalif J. Rainey
December 30, 2017
Ald. Khalif Rainey speaks at the 105th anniversary of Auer Avenue School. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Statement of Alderman Khalif J. Rainey December 29, 2017:
The vision statement of the American Red Cross, reads, in part:
The American Red Cross, through its strong network of volunteers, donors and partners, is always there in times of need. We aspire to turn compassion into action so that…
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…all people affected by disaster across the country and around the world receive care, shelter and hope;
But this does NOT apply if you are displaced by a fire and you live in the 53206 ZIP code in the 7th Aldermanic District (and nine other ZIP codes) in the City of Milwaukee. Sadly, the Red Cross has announced that volunteers will longer respond on-site to fires in certain ZIP codes in the city but will instead meet displaced residents nearby or at Milwaukee Police Department district stations.
I believe this decision is a slap in the face to the good people who live in the affected ZIP codes, that they will no longer be extended the vital basic human care and courtesy of on-site Red Cross assistance. Individuals, families and children who have suffered tragedy and loss will no longer have that basic comfort at their homes when they are in the greatest need of help.
The Red Cross sends its volunteers to war torn countries and places where devastating catastrophes have struck, but no longer feels they can go to certain Milwaukee neighborhoods to serve their fellow Milwaukeeans who are suffering.
I would really like to know the rationale of this decision because in my view the optics of it look like classic “red lining” that disproportionately affects people of color (in other words racism).

author: Ald. Khalif J. Rainey


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 30, 2017


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2017_MIADHolidaySale_MNNS_600x200_final | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
November 26, 2017

created: November 26, 2017

author: Dwayne Burtin


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2018 Meal Sites | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 15, 2018
2018 Meal Sites


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Happy new year from Milwaukee NNS | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
January 1, 2018
The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service wishes you a happy and healthy new year.

created: January 1, 2018


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pf-2018-3031241_1920 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
January 1, 2018


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Black death matters: Celebrating unborn gifts | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Charles Robinson Sr
January 2, 2018
Charles Robinson Sr., a mediator, college professor, former administrative law judge and member of Pastors United, writes that ceremonies must be created to heal the sadness and grief of lives cut short by violence.
A few months ago, I had a conversation about the senseless loss of black lives with Elyria Zuniga, a dear friend, psychiatric nurse, and professor, who resides in New Orleans. We met in 1974 in Madison, when we were both pursuing our post-graduate degrees. We maintained our friendship, and, from time to time, share thoughts about the state of the world and our communities. Some of those conversations have turned into action. After discussing “food-deserts,” our block club evolved into an association and created four community gardens inside a 10-block area. Our last conversation has resulted in this article addressing the healing of life forces ended by violence and demeaned by the media.
In the conversation about the demeaning of black lives in death, we concluded that more emphasis should be placed on the mourning process when loved ones suffer loss. Also, the media should not attempt to justify the use of deadly force by focusing on the deceased’s poor judgment and unsuccessful episodes in their life history. Life’s journey encounters challenges and ordeals, which aids the birthing process for our life purpose to be revealed and shared with others in our community.
Recent studies indicate that approximately 50 percent of those incarcerated suffer from some sort of mental illness. There is evidence that individuals growing up in stressful and impoverished conditions have abnormalities inside their brains. Lead in the water and in old paint, mold on the walls of old buildings, the experiencing of chronic stress all produce chemicals that are toxic to the brain and other vital organs. In addition to the inherent conditions associated with socio-economic conditions, there is another layer of structural racism in the form of police practices and media reporting. The image of African-American males is the poster boy for crime in America even though this is factually unsupported.
The media seems to promote old stereotypes about African-Americans, who have been historically characterized as non-human. The apparent systematic propaganda creates an image of lazy, shiftless, ignorant people not worthy of the American Dream. According to historical documents, many white people actually believed that African-American skulls were thicker, that they had tails and other animal traits. One of the first full-length motion pictures, “Birth of a Nation,” portrayed African-Americans as sub-human, in general, and the African-American male, overly sexually aggressive towards white women.
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In our conversation, Elyria and I discussed whether there was a deliberate attempt on the part of the media to create a false reality regarding the African-American male and crime. Michelle Alexander, in her book, “The New Jim Crow,” says this stereotype results in labeling the African-American male with three words as one word: “criminalblackman.” So, when an African-American man is killed by the police, a rap sheet is published immediately, despite relevance. In addition, his picture is displayed continuously throughout the media. As a result, the minds of people are conditioned to perceive an African-American killed by the police as a criminal, whether he was armed or whether he actually committed a crime. This compounds the suffering for those who lost a loved one.
An effective mourning process, including a ceremony to acknowledge the loss of life and to reinforce our humanness is necessary. According to Malidoma Some, an African shaman, who also earned two Ph.D.s and three master’s degrees, writes in his book, “The Healing Wisdom of Africa,” that “the West has not learned how to mourn.”
For the last two years, there have been approximately 1,000 unarmed African-American men killed by the police each year. As a result, a “Black Lives Matter” movement has emerged. Unfortunately, there has been a backlash to this movement. Nevertheless, there must be acknowledgement of these life forces cut short of delivering on their purposes. There must be ceremonies to heal the sadness and grief of those killed to recognize their life purpose, realized or not, and, in some cases, unborn undelivered gifts.

created: January 2, 2018

author: Charles Robinson Sr


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 1, 2018