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Packers great LeRoy Butler to speak at St. Thomas More High School | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Kevin Russell, St. Thomas More High School
April 27, 2017
Retired Green Bay Packers star safety LeRoy Butler will speak at St. Thomas More High School on Monday, May 8 at 6:00pm. Members of the community are invited to attend Butler’s presentation, which is sponsored by St. Thomas More’s Center for Servant Leadership and Civic Engagement. This event is free to attend.
A member of the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade team, Butler played 12 seasons with the Packers and was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2007. Growing up in poverty and spending much of his early childhood in a wheelchair, Butler will share how he kept a positive outlook and remained persistent while overcoming the many obstacles that he encountered in his life.
“LeRoy Butler has an incredible perspective on what it means to be a servant leader,” St. Thomas More principal Nicholas Kelly said. “Our community will benefit tremendously from hearing his story of perseverance and passion.”
Informed by his inspirational rise from poverty to NFL stardom, Butler will also discuss how serving others in need helps him remain humble while experiencing personal and professional success. Butler will also stress the importance of leadership, empowerment, and community-building to create an environment that preaches mutual respect and human dignity.
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“Butler’s story will challenge students, families, and alumni to think about how we can be forces for positive change in their daily lives, especially focusing on how this generation of students can eliminate bullying and affirm the human dignity in everyone,” Mike Greuel, co-director of St. Thomas More’s Center for Servant Leadership and Civic Engagement, said.
Established in 2016 in partnership with the EveryDayGood Foundation, St. Thomas More’s Center for Servant Leadership and Civic Engagement integrates into the everyday academic curriculum, stressing societal values, such as humility, wisdom, honor, reflection, and community. The Center utilizes guest speakers, case studies of successful leaders, mentoring of grade school students, local and international service opportunities, and group discussions to force students out of their comfort zone and transform them into community-driven servant leaders.
To ensure proper seating and accommodations, please RSVP to Katlyn Putney at putneyk@tmore.org by May 7 if you will be attending.
About St. Thomas More High School
Located at the intersection of Morgan and Kinnickinnic Avenues on Milwaukee’s south side, St. Thomas More High School educates over 500 young men and women in grades nine through 12. Guided by nearly 150 years of experience and tradition as a Catholic college preparatory high school, St. Thomas More strives to nurture the whole student: intellectually, spiritually, and personally. Emphasizing project-based learning in all aspects of education, St. Thomas More challenges students academically while instilling values of personal responsibility, compassion, and conscientious citizenship.
For more information about St. Thomas More High School, please visit www.tmore.org.


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Recycled art raises funds for Habitat for Humanity | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
April 27, 2017
Habitat for Humanity recently sponsored its eighth annual Recycled Art Contest to raise funds for the organization. The artwork was displayed during the Historic Third Ward’s Gallery Night and Day at Habitat ReStore East, 420 S. 1st St., on April 21 and 22.
The contest challenged community members to create works of art or repurpose items using second-hand materials purchased at ReStore. Sixty-seven entries were submitted, a record number.
During the past 33 years, Milwaukee Habitat has served more than 1,000 families in the Greater Milwaukee community through new construction, rehab and repair programs and provided housing solutions for more than 1,500 families in developing countries.
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source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Sharon McGowan


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Sharehouse Goods, related businesses seek to contribute to ‘human flourishing’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 27, 2017
Barista Lauren Van Krey, a Washington Heights resident, prepares an order at Sharehouse Goods. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Washington Heights business owner Jarod Cronk built his consignment/”sharing” business and coffee shop, Sharehouse Goods, after career upheaval thrust him into the business world nine years ago.
The former educator said he went through a dark time before he discovered his entrepreneurial abilities and figured out how he could use them to support his family and also fulfill his need to help others.
“My faith is my identity,” said Cronk, who explained that he was inspired to live, work and create jobs in the central city, in large part, by the ideas of James Davidson Hunter, who argues that Jesus came into the world to foster “human flourishing.” Cronk said the concept was intuitive to him, “but I wasn’t able to name it until I read it” in Hunter’s book, “To Change the World.”
Cronk’s entrepreneurial efforts and commitment to providing employment opportunities are driving a business revival in the 5500 block of West North Avenue, one of many city blocks that have not flourished for years. He purchased three adjacent buildings on the south side of North Avenue as well as a house and garages on the southeast corner of 55 Street and North Avenue. He has leased space to two other community-minded entrepreneurs. Cronk is also in the process of establishing other new business in his corner property.
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In 2012, Cronk acquired the two buildings at 5507 and 5513 W. North Ave. that housed the headquarters of Hartter’s European Fine Pastries for 40 years but had been vacant for almost a decade. A Sherman Park homeowner, Cronk opened Sharehouse Goods, a coffee house, at 5507 W. North Ave. in April 2014.
Sharehouse Goods owner Jarod Cronk talks with a potential business partner in the coffee shop. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Tenant Chris McRoberts, owner of McBob’s Pub & Grill, 4919 W. North Ave., established McBob’s Catering Kitchen, a commercial kitchen and catering business next door to Sharehouse Goods at about the same time. McRoberts plans to start selling sandwiches there when Cronk’s other tenant, Vennture Brew Company, opens its beer bar and coffee shop next door to the west, in August, Cronk said.
The name Sharehouse Goods refers to the initial business Cronk and his wife Bethany built reselling goods through Amazon that others “share” with them. They started by selling books they wanted to recycle and then began reselling books they found at rummage and library sales. The Cronks taught people they met along the way how to sell online, resulting in partnerships with people who sell through them.
Cronk resells “just about anything you can put a bar code on,” including books, CDs and other media, he said. Accepting goods from anyone who wants to donate or consign them, Sharehouse’s large volume allows it to return 70 percent of the profit to its consignment partners. Some, including people facing obstacles to employment such as a history of incarceration, are sharing full time and making a living doing it, Cronk said.
Initially working out of a warehouse at 30 Street and North Avenue, Cronk found he disliked the isolation. He opened the coffee shop, where he also has warehouse space and a shipping operation, to establish a presence in the community and interact with people living, working and passing through the neighborhood. At his coffee shop and four warehouses, he employs from eight to 12 people and writes consignment checks to an average of 40 to 60 individuals and organizations each month. “Sometimes it’s 70 or 80,” he said.
Coffee shop manager Takeya Hibbler met Cronk through James Place Sherman Park, a career guidance center at Washington High School. Cronk offered Hibbler, a 2012 Washington graduate, a job at the suggestion of her fiancé. Cronk said she has become a valued employee who he leaves in charge of the business when he is out of town.
Hibbler has been able to move out of her mother’s home and rent her own apartment with the money she has saved working at Sharehouse, she said. “It means a lot to me. Not everyone is fortunate to have a job and I’m grateful for it,” Hibbler said. Besides learning multitasking, customer service, phone etiquette and other skills, she has overcome her shyness and made many friends, she added.
Takeya Hibbler wraps consignment items for shipping. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Cronk and a business partner, Michael Medcalf, are working to create their own line of high-quality coffee blends. They plan to begin testing them at the Bear Trax Race in Delafield on April 30 and Milwaukee Veg Expo in Wauwatosa on May 6. They are also planning to open a coffee roasting company. Sharehouse Goods now brews and sells Stone Creek Coffee.
Cronk explained that Eric Resch, Stone Creek’s founder and co-owner, is mentoring him as part of his own commitment to improving the city. Resch has said that coffee, the second most traded commodity in the world, changes lives, Cronk noted.
Like Cronk and Resch, Medcalf, has a strong interest in developing the central city and its residents. The 29-year-old African-American business professor and entrepreneur grew up in Bayside, graduated from Nicolet High School and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UW-Whitewater. Because his mother taught in MPS schools for more than 30 years and he teaches city residents at MATC, Medcalf is aware that many suffer from gaps in their education.
Cronk’s business philosophy, with its “philanthropic undertone … immediately made me gravitate towards him,” Medcalf said. “It’s what I’ve done in my own practice working in education. Obviously you have to make money to support yourself but doing so in a way that others benefit as you progress in your own endeavors” is an important part of his philosophy, he said.
Medcalf explained that he and Cronk intend to sell their “MKEing Coffee,” with the tagline “Good Coffee for a Good City,” using a club membership model in which members receive a 12-ounce bag of coffee delivered to their homes every three weeks. Cronk and Medcalf plan to build a sales force of formerly incarcerated people who will earn half the profit of their sales.
Cronk also plans to open a cold-pressed juice café in the property east of 55 and North.
Obviously exhilarated by his work, Cronk said, “I think there’s a whole slew of people who are having this kind of collision of interests (entrepreneurship and contributing to the greater good) … but unless there’s legitimate job creation, it’s really hard. It comes down to jobs in a lot of ways.”

author: Andrea Waxman


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 26, 2017

author: Adam Carr


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Boys & Girls Clubs members sign letters of intent to attend college | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
April 28, 2017
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee held its fourth annual College Signing Day for 115 high school senior club members on Wednesday.
The seniors announced their college of choice and signed letters of academic intent while families and friends cried out joyfully each time a name was announced.
“This is a culmination of their hard work,” said Telemachus Rafaelidys, development and communications manager for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. “By signing their academic letters of intent these teens are making a pledge to go to college and a commitment to complete their schooling.”
One student, Demetrius Nelson, a future Wisconsin Badger, addressed his peers prior to the signing. “We’ve all persevered through tough times along this journey,” he said. “I’m just happy that I didn’t give up and I am standing in this position today.”
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All of the teens who participated in the event, held at Direct Supply at 6663 N. Industrial Road, were part of the Clubs’ Graduation Plus programming. More than 95 percent are first-generation college students. Cumulatively, the participants have been awarded about $5 million in scholarship funding.
“This is our fourth year and it just keeps getting better and better,” said Vincent Lyles, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs. “I am looking forward to seeing more and more club members get into college.”

author: Dean Bibens


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Future Milwaukee project explores Avenues West assets | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
April 28, 2017
Ali Kopyt, Emily Dalton-Niles, Erica Horton and Lori Albers (left to right) used the motto of the Avenues West neighborhood, “Together we can” to inspire their project. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
A window with big block letters spelling out “Mobile Design Box” popped up this past weekend on 27th Street, catching the eyes of passersby and sprucing up a short stretch of vacant storefronts. Inside, walls lined with crayon drawings, handwritten poems, logos of local neighborhood businesses and inspiring messages demonstrated the vitality of the Avenues West community.
The display was part of the Avenues West Community Art Project, a gallery created by neighborhood residents and curated by a team from the community leadership program Future Milwaukee.
“We wanted to use this as a way to promote the assets that are here and …have art be the way we show the different experiences of people in Avenues West,” said Emily Dalton-Niles, a marketing and public relations professional who is part of this year’s Future Milwaukee class.
Future Milwaukee builds capacity in local leaders by focusing on professional development, expanding community connections, and deepening appreciation and awareness of Milwaukee’s many assets.
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“I want Future Milwaukee students to engage with and deepen their understanding about the complexities of living and working in an urban environment and the critical thinking skills that need to be applied as a leader in different intersecting systems,” said Christine Hill, the organization’s executive director.
Students, residents and employees from Avenues West created artwork about what makes them happy in their neighborhood. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
The participants, an intentionally diverse group who work in a variety of fields and represent a range of ages, genders, races and ethnicities, were split into groups of four or five and assigned to one of the neighborhoods in the Near West Side. Their task? Investigate the history, talk to those who call the neighborhood home and figure out a collaborative, community-driven project that could benefit the area.
Dalton-Niles and three of her colleagues set out to learn more about Avenues West.
“We had conversations with business leaders, local organizations and nonprofits, as well as residents in the community, and one of the things that we heard the most is that there are residents and there are businesses, and there wasn’t a lot of connection between the two,” she said. “We found art to be a really nice catalyst for building those connections and just getting to share each other’s different experiences.”
The team hosted two art build days at local businesses Ruby G’s Espresso Bar and Café and Miss Katie’s Diner, where they invited local residents to come and create a piece of art based on the prompt, “Avenues West makes me happy because…” The Future Milwaukee team encouraged participants to replace “Avenues West” with an organization or business they are involved in, to show its value to the neighborhood.
Team members also visited organizations including Highland Community School, Penfield Children’s Center, Marquette University, Redeemer Lutheran Church, City on a Hill and Daddy’s Soul Food to facilitate creative workshops.
“The messages, especially from the children, are all the same,” said Lori Albers, a disabilities advocate and member of the Future Milwaukee team. “This is a great community to be a part of. It makes them happy.”
“Everything about this project was about trying to have a positive outlook,” added Ali Kopyt, an architect and Future Milwaukee participant. “Which is why when we came up with our prompt, we wanted to show that everyone has these great happy feelings about Avenues West, and there’s that common connection among the people who participated, no matter what part of the neighborhood they were from.”
The exhibit, titled “Together We Can Connect a Neighborhood,” debuted during Gallery Night and Day and featured pieces from nearly 200 members of the Avenues West community. Daddy’s Soul Food, one of the many businesses highlighted by the project, catered the event.
“I hope all who visited the gallery feel empowered and encouraged to tour the neighborhood and stop in to some of the places we did, and engage with the residents and the owners in Avenues West,” said Erica Horton, an accountant and Future Milwaukee participant.
Other Future Milwaukee projects in the Near West Side neighborhoods included resources fairs, community cleanups and resident surveys.
“Milwaukee has a lot of great neighborhoods. Some of them are more well known than others, said Dalton-Niles. “Avenues West is a super-thriving neighborhood with so many businesses and organizations and a strong relationship with other Near West Side neighborhoods.”

author: Allison Dikanovic


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 27, 2017


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Kick off to Jane’s Walk weekend | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Arthur Heitzer
April 28, 2017
Please join us as we once again celebrate the legacy of Jane Jacobs at Turner Hall on Wednesday, May 3rd.
5:30 PM: Buffet Dinner – Turner Restaurant
Enjoy a traditional Milwaukee Fish Fry including salad, baked ziti, French fries, potato pancakes, rolls, and warm chocolate chip cookies and coffee/tea/soda. Cost: $20/person.
RSVP for the fish fry to milwaukeeturners@gmail.com or Katharine Hren at  414.272.1733 by Monday, May 1st
6:30 PM: Ballroom Doors open – Some of the Jane’s Walks Leaders will be present. Learn about Jane’s Walks that will be taking place 5/5 to 5/7!
7:00 PM: Presentation – Turner Hall Ballroom
$5 suggested donation
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FEATURED SPEAKERS:
CHRIS SOCHA, Kubala Washatko Architects
Chris will discuss the application of Architect Christopher Alexander’s Pattern Language analysis to the urban environment and how it can help people look at and assess their own neighborhoods
JULIA TAYLOR, Greater Milwaukee Committee
LYNNE McCORMAK, Director of Creative Placemaking for LISC
Julia and Lynne will talk about national and local Creative Placemaking and how it supports and encourages citizens to reimagine their own neighborhoods as places of beauty, playfulness and people-centeredness.
Sponsored by the Milwaukee Turners, the Greater Milwaukee Committee, LISC Milwaukee, Historic Milwaukee, Congress for the New Urbanism, Urban Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Bike Fed, Radio Milwaukee 88.9, MATA, UEDA, and Zip Milwaukee!
Here is the link to our FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1461776717178841/

author: Arthur Heitzer


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African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin hosts 2nd Annual Breakfast of Champions | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin
May 1, 2017
Cecelia Gore, executive director at Brewers Community Foundation, at a MANDI Awards event in 2014. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
The African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin (AACCW) will host its 2 Annual 2017 Breakfast of Champions on Tuesday, May 9 at the Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee. Registration begins at 7 a.m. The breakfast is AACCW’s annual fundraising event aimed at bringing the greater Milwaukee community together to support its mission and to honor a local business leader who is passionate about economic development and wealth creation in the African American community.
Cecelia Gore, president of the Brewers Community Foundation, has been named the 2017 Business Champion. Gore is a senior level executive with extensive experience leading community/external affairs, foundation and sports philanthropy. An active community leader, Gore has been a champion for diverse businesses.
AACCW will also recognize Associated Bank, BMO Harris Bank, Milwaukee Bucks and Northwestern Mutual as its 2017 Strategic Partners for their commitment to supporting organizations dedicated to business development leading to job creation and for building bridges in communities of color.
The Breakfast of Champions is a successful fundraiser because of the efforts of co-chairs who drive donor engagement. This year’s co-chairs include John Daniels III, A.L.I.V.E., Inc., Giacomo Fallucca, Palermo Villa, Inc. and Julia Taylor, Greater Milwaukee Committee.
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In addition to honoring these leaders, the AACCW will formerly present its new President/CEO Ossie Kendrix to the greater Milwaukee community. Most recently, AACCW announced Kendrix would lead the organization, effective today. “The Breakfast of Champions is an essential platform for building partnerships that lead to wealth creation in the African American community. With just a few days on the job, I am excited to hit the ground running with this event,” said Kendrix, president and CEO.
Philanthropist and entrepreneur Roland Parrish will deliver the keynote address during the breakfast. Parrish, chairman and CEO of the National Black McDonald’s Owner Operators Association (NBMOA) and founder of Parrish Restaurants, owns and operates 20 McDonald’s Restaurants with revenues exceeding $59.7 million. He is an advocate for minority owned suppliers, vendors and franchise owners and will focus his remarks on advocacy for diverse businesses.
AACCW is pleased to have the support of our Most Valuable Player sponsors, Northwestern Mutual and the Brewers Community Foundation.
When: 7 am, Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Where: Pfister Hotel, 424 E. Wisconsin Ave.
Cost: Tickets are $75.00. Register at aaccwisconsin.org.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 1, 2017


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Social change movements must be built from bottom-up, researcher says | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
May 1, 2017
Erica Kohl-Arenas, a professor, researcher and author, addresses a crowd of Milwaukee nonprofit leaders. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Milwaukee nonprofits must strengthen community relationships, act with organizational integrity and diversify donor networks to begin addressing the root causes of issues such as poverty and inequality that plague the city, according to local nonprofit leaders.
Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin Founder and President Patricia McManus said many philanthropic and nonprofit leaders don’t understand the impact of their decisions on people’s lives. “Empowerment is that people empower themselves … You give them the tools — whether it’s the education, whether it’s the resources … and that is not what we have in Milwaukee.”
“I think we need to be really clear about what we’re hearing that residents and our partners want at the neighborhood level,” said Beth Haskovec, executive director of Artists Working in Education (A.W.E.), a local nonprofit whose mission is to provide area youth with access to arts enrichment programs.
The comments by McManus and Haskovec came after a recent nonprofit forum both attended. Erica Kohl-Arenas, a professor, researcher and author of “The Self-Help Myth: How Philanthropy Fails to Alleviate Poverty,” presented on research she conducted that examines three initiatives in California’s Central Valley, dating back to the Cesar Chavez-led farmworker movement of the mid-1960s. The event was hosted by the UWM Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management.
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Kohl-Arenas identified what she called “a war of position” between the different interests — including funders, nonprofits and the farmworkers themselves — involved in these movements. She said stakeholders in social change movements engage in “[multiple] layers of decision-making and agenda-setting.” These negotiations necessitate building consensus and often end up compromising the goals of those most affected by structural inequalities. According to Kohl-Arenas, “Institutions made of industrial wealth are not going to continue to support a movement that challenges industrial wealth.”
A private presentation by Kohl-Arenas at Bader Philanthropies, held after the morning forum, included representatives from local foundations. Asked about Kohl-Arenas’s comments, Maria Lopez Vento, vice president of programs and partnerships at Bader, said in an email that the foundation “does not subscribe to or endorse the views of the presenter.” She explained that Bader hosted the event “because we support the Helen Bader Institute and its mission of educating and preparing the next generation of nonprofit leaders.”
Patricia McManus (seated, left), founder of the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, asks a question during the event. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
According to a recent report from the Public Policy Forum (PPF), a local nonpartisan think tank, 2,431 registered nonprofits in the Milwaukee metro area received $1.85 billion in charitable contributions in 2011. Both the number of nonprofits and contributions received have almost doubled since 1989. A PPF survey from 2016 showed that overall nonprofit leaders in the area saw the sector’s outlook improving, though that perspective was not shared by smaller organizations and nonprofits that focus on workforce, economic or community development.
During that same period, Milwaukee’s poverty rate has increased, from 21.9 percent in 2000 to 29 percent in 2014, according to the U.S. Census. Poverty and other issues, such as incarceration, disproportionately affect the city’s African-American population. Milwaukee has seen spikes in violence over the last two years, which elected officials and community leaders have attributed to a failure to address the root causes of “staggering poverty” such as access to jobs and quality health care.
“Usually, what ends up happening is that space in the middle leaves out the harder structural changes and root causes that the more powerful players in this war of position don’t want to address,” Kohl-Arenas said, adding, “real wisdom comes when people engage in discussions, and analysis and research about their own lives, and build community-based strategies for change in partnership with stakeholders and organizations.”
For this to happen, relationships are key, according to Patrick Schrank, director of programs at Milwaukee Christian Center, who also attended the presentation. He said it is important for nonprofits to build relationships with foundation program officers who can help nonprofits further their mission, but that it’s also necessary to “center” the conversation on — and include the voices of — those being served.
“It’s really challenging to keep the infrastructure in place [and] keep the funding in place to do the work. And, that can, sometimes … dominate the conversation,” said Schrank.
Kohl-Arenas said, particularly since the presidential election, many foundations have begun to give money to initiatives — such as immigrant rights and the creation of organizing frameworks — that would have been taboo when she began her work. However, she said it’s important to understand their limits.
“Foundations will do some things,” she said. “I think there are other things they will never do, and we need to look elsewhere to do that work.”
McManus and Haskovec agreed, saying that nonprofits need to start building individual donor networks and looking elsewhere for funding so their ability to advocate for those they serve will not be restricted. McManus said she’s pleased to see new initiatives — such as Solidaire, a community of young wealthy donors — emerging that provide funds with fewer strings attached. Haskovec also said her organization is exploring other alternatives, such as merchandising photographs and art prints, but added that any forays into this arena must further the organization’s mission.
More importantly, Haskovec stressed the importance of organizations approaching their work “through a social justice lens,” being aware of how actions affect people and intentional in how they interact with the communities they serve.
“We are working very intentionally to build systems where we are hiring artists that live in the neighborhoods that we’re working in,” she said of A.W.E.
Others are building community-based solutions from the ground up. Andre Lee Ellis, founder of We Got This, said his organization does some grant writing but the majority of contributions come directly from community members and volunteers. He said the work he and others have been doing in Borchert Field since 2014 is about building ties between neighbors and creating community wealth.
“I want people to know that you can make your own clothes … you can grow your own food,” said Ellis.
“The most powerful thing is … when people who may not necessarily think they have the means find that the options were right up under their nose,” he added. “The most powerful thing is when people find out that they can, in spite of the cruelties of the world, in spite of the past, in spite of everything. When people find out that they can, they will.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 30, 2017


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Thousands march on ‘Day without Latinos, immigrants and refugees’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
May 1, 2017
Carrying signs reading “Immigration reform now,” “Stop separating families,” “No ban, no wall, no raids” and “Resist, rise up,” thousands of marchers walked from Walker’s Point to the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
Sheriff David Clarke was a target of the marchers. “Indict and convict Sheriff Clarke,” read one large sign.
“We’re marching to celebrate local sanctuary victories, demand that Gov. [Scott] Walker remove Sheriff [David] Clarke from office, and to demand Clarke face criminal charges for his responsibility for the deaths in the jail and abuses of power,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera.
Buses from a dozen cities across the state carried people to the march, which was part of a national day of action for immigrant and worker rights. Organizers called for workers to strike and children to be withdrawn from school for the march.
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According to Neumann-Ortiz, Milwaukee is the epicenter of the fight against 287(g), which deputizes local law enforcement officers to interview, arrest and detain individuals who they think are violating immigration laws. She accused the Trump administration of a “campaign of state terror against immigrant families and people of color.”
May 1, which is typically a day for union members to march for workers’ rights, has been a focal point for immigrant rights demonstrations in recent years.


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Historic MPS school celebrates 105th anniversary | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
May 2, 2017
(Photo by Auer Avenue News Team)
Auer Avenue Community School, located on Milwaukee’s near north side, is proud to announce it will be celebrating its 105th anniversary on Saturday, May 6, 2017. Alumni, guests and the media are invited to join in celebrating educating students in the community for the past 105 years.
There will be a program at 12:00 p.m. followed by cake and punch reception. Alumni and guests will have the opportunity to tour the school until 3:00 p.m. T-shirts will be available for purchase.
Built in 1903, its original name was Twentieth District School No. 4. The name was changed to Auer Avenue School in 1912 to identify it by its street address. Auer Avenue, and in turn, Auer Avenue School, was named after Louis Auer, a member of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors from 1868 to 1880. Auer was a local real estate and insurance agent who was active in local government as alderman, county supervisor and school board member. The school annex that is currently home to middle school students and support staff was added in 1967. Auer Avenue Community School is located in the Amani Neighborhood and has been proudly educating families for more than 105 years.
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In January 2015, as a school reform method, Auer Avenue adopted the Community School model. Auer Avenue Community School is one of seven MPS Schools that are part of the Milwaukee Community Schools Partnership (MCSP) with United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County. The MCSP is a collective strategy to transform schools into a place where students, families, staff and the surrounding community can work together to ensure every student is successful.

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 2, 2017


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On the Block: An uncommon identity | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
May 2, 2017
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Alejandro Narvaez has lived on the East Side, the Northwest Side and the South Side of Milwaukee, always being immersed in slightly different experiences. However, no matter where he was, Narvaez always identified with a culture that he said keeps him grounded, even today.
Read more about Alejandro Narvaez at milwaukeestories.org.
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Visual artist creates murals, paintings focused on African diaspora | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
May 2, 2017
Editor’s note: This story is one of an occasional series of pieces about community artists in Milwaukee.
Ras ‘Ammar Nsoroma, 49, knew the second he picked up a pen and paper that he could be an artist. “Before I was even in kindergarten I realized I had some sort of artistic ability,” Nsoroma said. “My pre-k class went on a trip to the zoo and I sketched a lion by memory; the teacher was amazed because I was only 4 years old.”
Since then, Nsoroma has created more than 100 murals that are displayed in Milwaukee, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis. Nsoroma also does paintings and portraits, but has focused more on sculptures as his career has progressed.
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“My favorite piece that I’ve ever created was based on the story of Joshua Glover and Caroline Quarles,” Nsoroma said. “These were two enslaved Africans that escaped from Missouri and their voyage to freedom brought them to the Milwaukee area.”
Nsoroma’s piece is located along the Marquette interchange near the McKinley Ave. exit and entrance. “I enjoyed creating this piece so much because of its visibility and deeper meaning behind it,” he said. “I just appreciate the beauty in art and how it affects people.”
According to Nsoroma, his work focuses on the “spiritual, cultural and political consciousness of the African Diaspora.” He has worked as a visual artist with Express Yourself Milwaukee since 2014.
Nsoroma was born in Milwaukee and has lived in the city for most of his life. He graduated from Milwaukee High School of the Arts and attended the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design as well as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Nsoroma also is passionate about biking. “I initially started biking to build up muscle in my legs and that turned into me doing it all the time, no matter what the weather brings,” he said. He started a local chapter of an organization called Red Bike & Green four years ago. The group is a collective of black urban cyclists seeking to improve the physical and mental health of African–Americans by creating a black bike culture, according to Nsoroma.
“Each year we’ve added more people to our group,” he said. “Everyone that is currently a part of the organization is trying to spread the word so that more African-Americans in the community join.”
Nsoroma credits artist Evelyn Patricia Terry, owner of the Fine and Folk Art Gallery, with advancing his career. “I met Ms. Terry when I was only a teenager and she helped me become the artist I am today,” he said. “She has a back room in her gallery dedicated to my artwork and she is someone that has appreciated my work from day one.”
Terry, 68, said, “Ammar has had a very strong work ethic since the day I met him. You give him the tools to do a project and he will make sure that everything is perfect.”
Nsoroma also credits Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse and Caravaggio for influencing his art. “Looking at artwork from the best and studying them helped me to be the artist that I am today,” he said.


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Express Yourself Milwaukee opens new studio at Running Rebels location | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Camille Paul
May 3, 2017
Lori Vance, Express Yourself Milwaukee executive director, and Capollo Free, Running Rebels advocate case manager, chat in ExYo’s new space. (Photo by Camille Paul)
Express Yourself Milwaukee opened its first studio in 2007, on the first floor of the Running Rebels building at 1300 Fond Du Lac Ave.
Lori Vance, executive director of Express Yourself, said the arts group started by using her office in the building for staff meetings. “When we were ready to start programming, we opened a studio in a small portion of the first floor.”
After three years at the facility, Express Yourself moved to 3331 W. Lisbon Ave. Now, the nonprofit organization is in the process of relocating to the Running Rebels facility where it all began.
ExYo is a nonprofit organization that uses artistic expression to provide youths an alternative to violence and street life. “ExYo is growing. We serve about 1,100 kids in a year,” said Vance.
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“One things that’s exciting about the partnership with Running Rebels is that they work with a lot of the same kids as us,” she added.
Express Yourself Milwaukee will have more than 6,000 square feet of usable space in the new location at Running Rebels Central. (Photo by Camille Paul)
ExYo is renovating a space on the third floor, and plans on unveiling its new studio to the public by the end of June. The studio has more than 6,000 square feet of usable space. There is also a recording studio and a loading dock to help move artwork and large pieces for shows outside the building.
Running Rebels recently purchased a building on 225 W. Capital and will be moving most of its programming there, while keeping some at the original location, according to Dawn Barnett, co-executive director.
Vance noted, “They were looking for an anchor tenant in this building and it was the right time for us so we said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
During ExYo’s stay with Running Rebels, the two nonprofit organizations often partnered on programs.
“We’ve always viewed them as family,” said Capollo Free, an advocate case manager, who has worked at Running Rebels for nine years. “I was excited and glad to see them back. I was sad when they left. Their organization played a vital role in providing services to the at-risk populations.”
Victor Barnett founded Running Rebels in 1980, in an effort to keep young people away from gang life. The organization acquired Running Rebels East, the new location, last December. Co-executive director Dawn Barnett said the new space was too great an opportunity to pass up.
“We have been short on space for some time and have needed a gymnasium and additional office space for programming,” said Barnett. “Once we got it, we were thinking about an organization to co-locate with, and Express Yourself was our first choice.”
ExYo and Running Rebels plan to collaborate on programs to give students positive activities to pursue.
“I think more partnering needs to be done in the community,” said Barnett.”  “As resources get slimmer and issues in the community grow, we need organizations to come together and help.”

author: Camille Paul


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FBI Director awards Safe & Sound for Community Leadership | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Safe & Sound
May 3, 2017
At Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Washington D.C. headquarters, on Friday, April 28, 2017 FBI Director James Comey formally honored Safe & Sound with a 2016 Director’s Community Leadership Award, received by Executive Director Katie Sanders, in recognition of the organization’s contibutions to community safety through service and prevention efforts.
Safe & Sound is a Milwaukee nonprofit organization that unites residents, youth, law enforcement and community resources to build safe and empowered neighborhoods. Working in neighborhoods with high levels of crime and poverty, Safe & Sound has a proven track record of improving safety through partnerships, law enforcement, community organizing and positive youth development.
Safe & Sound was among the 58 individuals and organizations nominated by FBI field offices from around the country to celebrate the value of community collaboration and spotlight a range of efforts helping prevent crime, drugs, and violence.
“We are honored to receive the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award and are grateful to Director Comey for recognizing the essential role community members play in public safety,” said Ms. Sanders. “Too often we look to law enforcement to solve problems, and overlook the incredible importance of residents and community members in public safety. Safe & Sound was honored to be recognized among many organizations and individuals who have committed to improving their communities.”
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Safe & Sound serves ten Milwaukee neighborhoods through youth and adult community organizing and coordination with the Community Prosecution Unit (CPU), which works on place-based problem-solving. City-Wide teams also offer prevention resources and training across Milwaukee. In 2016, Safe & Sound launched Technical Assistance program, which offers consultative services in Wisconsin and nationwide.  For more information on Safe & Sound, call Anne Temple at (414) 220-4797 or visit safesound.org.

author: Safe & Sound


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Greater Milwaukee Foundation supports Social Development Commission’s effort to create qualified workers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
May 3, 2017
Many industries in Milwaukee and across the nation are having a difficult time finding qualified workers for open positions. Low-income residents continue to raise the lack of job training for jobs that provide a sustainable wage. The continual cycle perpetuate our community’s extremely high level of poverty.
The Social Development Commission (SDC), located on Milwaukee’s north side, has made a concerted effort to address the lack of job training for adults living in poverty. The agency has developed two successful job-training programs focused on the construction and food service industries. The Greater Milwaukee Foundation has recognized SDC’s creation of programs to address this critical need.
A $25,000 grant from four of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s fund – John C. and Harriett Cleaver Fund, Marie and John P. Botsch Fund, McBroom Family Fund, and Natalie and Tusella Brand Fund , have been awarded to SDC to support its Absolute Advantage construction and ProStart Culinary and Job Readiness programs. In addition to core training, the courses offer employability skills, resume writing, communications, financial education and more. The grant will support the programs through December 2017.
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Since the programs began in 2016, SDC has been underwriting the programs but sought, and continues to seek, outside funding to ensure the programs can continue to grow and place people in livable wage jobs. The Greater Milwaukee Foundation recognized the value in the programs and the successful placement of graduates with employers.
“We are extremely grateful that the Greater Milwaukee Foundation sees the need for job-training programs in our community,” said George Hinton, CEO of the Social Development Commission. “The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is continually on the forefront of initiatives to better circumstances for our community and its residents. Their funding will assist us in creating qualified workers that can go on to obtain jobs that will support themselves and their families.”
The SDC’s website provides detailed information about its job-training program at cr-sdc.org under career services located in the programs section.
For more than 50 years, the Social Development Commission has operated as the Community Action Agency for Milwaukee County. SDC serves as a planner, coordinator, and provider of human service programs for low-income individuals and families residing in Milwaukee County. The agency is an intergovernmental commission and is governed by a board of 18 citizens from Milwaukee County, each of whom hold the title of “Commissioner.” For more information on SDC’s programs and services, visit cr-sdc.org. Connect with us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/SDCMilwaukee and Twitter www.twitter.com/CRSDC.
For a century, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation has helped individuals, families and organizations realize their philanthropic goals and make a difference in the community, during their lifetimes and for future generations. The Foundation consists of more than 1,300 individual charitable funds, each created by donors to serve the charitable causes of their choice. The Foundation also deploys both human and financial resources to address the most critical needs of the community and ensure the vitality of the region. Established in 1915, the foundation was one of the first community foundation in the world. With a total asset based of more than $756 million, it is among the largest.

author: Social Development Commission


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How to volunteer in May | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Martha Cannon, Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
May 3, 2017
A local disaster responder from the American Red Cross Southeast Wisconsin Chapter comforts a fire victim. (Photo courtesy of American Red Cross Southeast Wisconsin Chapter)
With spring just around the corner, it’s a perfect time to spring into action to serve your community. Volunteer Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee, features a calendar full of events for volunteers, both one-time and ongoing. Here are a few of the opportunities in May.
Local Disaster Responder- Need is urgent!
Respond to local disasters and work on scene with families (mainly house fires). American Red Cross Southeast Wisconsin Chapter provides training and a six-month commitment. Apply to Redcross.org/Volunteer.
Contact: Alex Lombard at alex.lombard@redcross.org or 414-345-8655
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Peer Volunteer – Teen Crisis & Runaway Program
Seeking high school students to assist with the recreational and counseling needs of peers in crisis for Walker’s Point Youth & Family Center; flexible schedule.
Contact: Ben Hastil at ben.hastil@walkerspoint.orgor (414) 647-8200.
Mock Interviewers Needed
Serve as a mock interviewer for freshman class at Carmen Schools of Science and Technology South Campus Thursday, May 11, morning or afternoon; must have interviewing experience/skills. Sign up here.
Contact: Roberta Lewis at lewisr@carmenhighschool.org or 414-837-4000 ext. 181
Be the Friendly Face that Greets Guests at NPC
Welcome guests, answer phones and assist with administrative tasks weekdays at the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee; 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. with minimum three hours per week for at least three months.
Contact: efirlinger@npcmilwaukee.org or 414-344-3933
The Great Milwaukee Victory Garden BLITZ
Help construct raised garden beds May 13-27 so Milwaukee residents can have access to healthy, affordable food. Register here at Victory Garden Initiative.
Contact Logan McDermott at Logan@VictoryGardenInitiative.org or 414-431-0888
Spring Weed-Outs
Pull invasive weeds at a nearby Milwaukee County Park Saturday mornings in May for The Park People. See Weed-Out schedule for dates and locations.
Contact: Jim Goulee at jim@parkpeoplemke.org or (414) 273-7275


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Holiday TV Production 2015 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 2, 2017


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Dontre Day remembers Dontre Hamilton on anniversary of his death | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Camille Paul
May 4, 2017
Three years ago, Dontre Hamilton was shot 14 times and killed by former Milwaukee police officer Christopher Manney in Red Arrow Park on April 30. His death rocked the Hamilton family and highlighted the issue of police brutality in Milwaukee.
To mark the anniversary of Hamilton’s death, his family and community members have gathered at Red Arrow Park “planting new life every year with community programming and engagement,” according to the Coalition for Justice, an organization formed in the wake of Dontre Hamilton’s death, and led by his brother, Nate Hamilton.
“We want people to come together and remember Dontre,” said Hamilton.
This year, Hamilton’s family moved the event to All People’s Church in Harambee due to the weather. The event featured speakers, musical performances and a potluck buffet.
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“It’s important to keep the memories of these young men alive,” said Doretha Lock-Davis, “and to continue to let them shine and fight for justice.”
Davis is the mother of Christopher Davis, a young black man killed by Walworth County Sheriff’s Deputy Juan Ortiz on Feb. 24, 2016.
“It’s important to come to this event because it can help get your questions answered,” said Lock-Davis. “You can only get those answers by telling your story and listening to others.”


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Journey House publishes book about Little League trip to Puerto Rico | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alexandria Bursiek
May 4, 2017
Felix Mantilla signs a book for coach Guerrero Duran and his son Alan Duran, 11. (Photo by Alexandria Bursiek)
Last summer 14 students from the Felix Mantilla Little League traveled to Isabela, Puerto Rico, to visit the home of the team’s namesake. About 50 people went on the trip, including Felix Mantilla, the former Milwaukee Braves player, parents, Journey House staff members, Little League coaches and Felix “Tony” Mantilla Jr.
The group wanted to document their experience, so Journey House CEO Michele Bria asked her daughter, Malulani Bria, to take photographs. After they returned — with 5,000 photos in hand — Michele Bria decided they would produce a coffee table book, called “Changing Lives in 5 Days.”
The 120-page book, the first published by Journey House, details the trip through photos, journals and quotations. It was presented to the families of the Little League players and other community members at a recent book launch. All the players who attended the trip were given a free copy, signed by Felix Mantilla, who played on the 1957 Milwaukee Braves World Series-winning team.
Eugene Manzanet, Journey House board chairman, speaks at the book launch about the trip to Puerto Rico as Michele Bria and Malulani Bria look on. (Photo by Alexandria Bursiek)
Journey House has run the Felix Mantilla league since 2014, when the United Community Center decided it could no longer operate the program. Eugene Manzanet, chairman of the Journey House board, explained that when organization leaders were offered the opportunity to run the league they decided to blend athletics with education through the Felix Mantilla Little League Education and Cultural Exchange Program.
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“The base of everything is education,” said Manzanet. “We wanted to give these kids an opportunity to see the world, understand their culture a little bit better and get out of Wisconsin.”
As part of the exchange program, Journey House is hoping to bring baseball players from Puerto Rico this summer to tour Milwaukee and learn about the city’s culture. However, Bria said no official plans have been made.
Journey House received funding for the trip from individual investors and a number of organizations including North Star Providers, a philanthropic organization, and Marquette University High School.
“None of these kids were just given the opportunity. They all earned the opportunity,” Manzanet explained. He added that all of the students had to write book reports and do research about the culture, history and geography of Puerto Rico before going on the trip.
Doshin Rivera, Jr. looks over “Changing Lives in 5 Days.” (Photo by Alexandria Bursiek)
They also prepared on the baseball field. Julio Cruz, assistant coach for the league, said the players practiced on the hottest days in Milwaukee to get in the habit of drinking a lot of water. Despite the coaches’ best efforts to prepare the players for the heat in Puerto Rico, Cruz said they were not ready for it.
The team played against a few local teams in Puerto Rico and, after the second game, the Milwaukee players decided to give away their all-star jerseys to the other team members, who wore T-shirts.
“It was this moment of saying thank you. They literally took their uniforms off their backs,” Manzanet said. “They got it; they understood what we were trying to do.”
“I was kind of sad about it,” said Alan Duran, 11, a Felix Mantilla Little League player. “But we can go to the store and [get] another one. They couldn’t, so I felt good about it.”
The idea for the trip came from Felix “Tony” Mantilla Jr., who thought that the exchange program would motivate more students to get involved in the league, and would give them the opportunity to learn more about other places in the world.
Mantilla Jr. explained that he would like the program to expand. “My hope is that in future years it will be multiple teams coming from here to take advantage of that same trip.”

author: Alexandria Bursiek


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 4, 2017


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34429335655_84924dd730_k (1) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 4, 2017


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34429335655_84924dd730_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 4, 2017


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Community leaders: public officials ignoring ‘public health crisis’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
May 5, 2017
Demonstrators calling for clean water hold signs outside of North Division High School. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of stories highlighting the health risk — particularly to children — of lead services lines, which deliver water from city water mains to about 70,000 homes in Milwaukee.
On a recent weekday afternoon, a group of North Division High School students, Milwaukee Public Schools teachers and other supporters demonstrated in front of the North Side school while chanting “clean water,” sporting signs emblazoned with a fist and the words “Water Warriors” and handing out free bottled water to motorists who stopped.
The City of Milwaukee, and its largest school district, have attempted to assure residents their water is safe amidst a growing concern about the negative effects of lead, spurred by the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
According to a Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) database, 15 of the school’s 66 water fountains tested over the federal limit of lead allowed in water of 15 parts per billion (ppb).
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The protest stemmed from a dispute centered around a recently installed water bottle filling station on North Division’s third floor, an area used for professional development and off limit to students.
“We don’t have a lot of resources that they have on the third floor,” said Shaniya Liberty, a senior at North Division, 1011 W. Center St.
Liberty added that students want filtered water fountains on the first and second floor, ongoing water quality testing for the entire district, filtered water fountains in all district schools and all lead pipes to be replaced.
Denise Callaway, head of communications for MPS, said allegations that district officials are exposing students to lead-contaminated water are not true and that MPS has gone above and beyond what is required, identifying and shutting down bad water fountains.
“We have been absolutely transparent in what we have done,” she said.
Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton addresses the city’s Water Quality Task Force. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Callway added that the district is doing ongoing testing and created a website to provide information. It plans to replace all fixtures whose lead levels exceed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements, though she did not provide a timeline. “There’s no reason the students here should be concerned about this, because there is no issue.”
Countered Liberty, “Honestly, what I believe is that we’re being shielded from the truth … We are not being told the truth.”
The episode underscored the mistrust among some community members toward public officials in the wake of a special task force’s unanimous approval of recommendations to address the lead-water issue.
The City of Milwaukee Water Quality Task Force, created by Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton last summer, included aldermen, community members, public works and city health officials. The group recently approved 20 recommendations to address lead service lines, which deliver water from city water mains to private properties. About 70,000 homes are still serviced by lead lines. The lead service lines bring the toxic metal into the homes’ water.
The first recommendation states: “The City should do all in its authority to accelerate the removal and / or rehabilitation of lead service lines within its jurisdiction.” The recommendation was suggested by task force member Ben Gramling — one of two community members appointed to the body. During the final meeting it was elevated to the top of the list after public testimony. The plan also prioritizes the use of water filtration units as a measure to protect families.
Health Department Commissioner Bevan Baker, who sat on the task force, said he was pleased with the initial recommendations and that they are the first step toward “a comprehensive plan.” He added that he hopes the move, and subsequent action, will help “instill some public confidence.”
“We need to do more,” Baker said. But he added, “In absence of federal and state [funds] and an unlimited budget, one has to reduce risks where possible, and I think that’s what we’re doing.”
The 2017 city budget includes $6.5 million that will go toward replacing leaking lead laterals — 300 of which officials expect to replace per year — as well as service lines at 385 certified child care centers and eight private schools. A recent city ordinance also created a cost-sharing program for property owners, capping the cost at $1,600 to replace the entire service line, a portion of which is private.
Last year, the city provided 1,755 filter starter kits to families at no cost through community partners such as Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers and the Social Development Commission. The city expects to purchase and distribute as many as 3,000 additional kits in 2017.
But Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin founder and President Patricia McManus, who was also part of the task force, said the city’s recommendations and actions have not gone far enough. She said there needs to be a more concrete plan to start replacing lead service lines, particularly for low-income residents. She added that the city needs to make “a comprehensive commitment” to replace lead piping, including private plumbing inside homes, though she admitted, “I have a concern about the political will to do that.”
A new report by the Public Policy Forum concludes that “there is little question that local taxpayers and ratepayers will be called upon to dedicate substantial and growing amounts of resources to taking care of their water and wastewater systems for the foreseeable future.”
This map shows the lead lateral service lines in Milwaukee. (Photo courtesy of FLAC)
Lead poisoning has been a persistent problem in Milwaukee, the effects of which have been concentrated in impoverished central city neighborhoods. In 2003, 38 percent of Milwaukee children tested had lead-blood levels above the current standards. Today, more than 11 percent of children measured above 5 ppb, the nationally recognized standard for lead poisoning, according to the city. As of 2015, 19.9 percent of children under 6 tested in the 53206 ZIP code — where more than 10 percent of the homes with lead laterals are located — had dangerous levels of lead in their blood. In Flint, 4.9 percent of children have lead-blood levels above 5 ppb.
No level of lead in the body is safe, according to the EPA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the City of Milwaukee. High levels of lead in the blood can lead to lower intelligence, irritability, restlessness and a host of other health issues. A 2016 Harvard study suggested “cities’ use of lead service pipes considerably increased city-level homicide rates.”
Community members interviewed at the task force meeting, North Division rally and a North Side community meeting said the issue is more about priorities than resources, noting hundreds of millions of dollars have been allocated to the new Bucks arena and a downtown streetcar. Some criticized public officials for not being fully transparent or treating the issue like the public health crisis they say it is.
“We have been poisoned for decades,” said Robert Miranda, spokesperson for the Freshwater for Life Action Coalition (FLAC), a group convened to advocate for clean water. “Don’t let Mayor Barrett or MPS tell you any different. The bottom line is: our water is unsafe,” he added.
“We’re getting different messages at different times,” said Brenda Coley, co-executive director of Milwaukee Water Commons, during the task force’s final meeting. “The community doesn’t feel like you’re listening to us.”
Hunger Task Force Executive Director Sherrie Tussler said the city is not doing a good enough job educating residents about the potential risks. “We’re not giving people the information — you have to ferret around on the city’s website,” she said. “All they’ve got to do is tell people, and they’re not telling people.”
She noted that a diet high in Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron can help mitigate lead absorption, especially important for young children, who absorb lead at a greater rate than adults.
“Why are we saying, ‘Go see your doctor’? Why aren’t we bringing the doctors to the kids? Why aren’t we having doctors and nurses test kids methodically?” Tussler asked.
“This is a moral issue,” said Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Organizer George Olufosoye. “Are you going to let kids continue to get poisoned? That’s the type of argument that we need to make across the state.” He added that lead contamination affects 80 water systems across Wisconsin.
Olufosoye, whose participated in a panel at the community meeting, said it is important to give scientists a platform, and to listen to them, so decisions are based on data and research rather than finances.
“The only long-term solution is to get the lead pipes out of there. That’s the only solution that makes sense in my mind,” said Michael Carvan, a professor at UW-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences.
Homes built before 1951 most likely have lead service lines, and also could have interior pipes made of lead. The city plans to replace the lead service lines with copper, a metal that is “5,000 times [less] toxic” than lead, according to Carvan. However, the Water Quality Task Force report notes when a copper pipe is placed “upstream” of a lead pipe it can corrode the lead at a “markedly accelerated” rate “increasing the concentration of lead in the water.”
State legislators are considering two bipartisan bills — Assembly Bill 78 and Senate Bill 48 — that would allow water utilities to provide financial assistance for service line replacement. These bills would allow utilities to pass the cost on to consumers in the form of rate increases. Another bill that would allow municipalities to remediate or provide loans to remediate contaminated private wells or “failing private on-site wastewater treatment system[s]” could further open the door to public assistance for removal and replacement of private, out-of-home infrastructure, but would most likely not apply to interior plumbing, according to District 10 State Rep. David Bowen.
Bowen said the state could potentially help homeowners remediate interior plumbing through a tax credit or other program to make it “as affordable as possible,” but noted it would depend on the budget. Still, he said he would like to see the issue addressed and urged residents to raise these concerns with their local and state elected officials.
He added, “We have to make sure people are engaged in this conversation and it doesn’t stop here.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 5, 2017


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Diverse voices energize poetry conference | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Rozga
May 8, 2017
Michaela Lacy (Photo by Frederick Kreutz)
Margaret Rozga, poet, civil rights activist and professor emerita of English at UW-Waukesha, highlights the creativity of diverse Milwaukee poets at a recent state poetry conference.
Milwaukee: the source of positive energy that could revitalize Wisconsin? Or, a drag on the state?
Those who live outside of Milwaukee and fear visiting here see Milwaukee in the negative role exclusively. When they get here, they sometimes find, or are shown, a positive and inspiring Milwaukee, not despite its racial, ethnic and cultural diversity but because of it.
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One recent example occurred when the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets held its annual spring conference in Milwaukee for the first time in over 20 years. The conference opened with the incoming and outgoing state Poet Laureates, Appleton poet Karla Huston and Kimberly Blaeser, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee professor of creative writing and American Indian literature.
Blaeser highlighted the outcome of her laureate project. At gatherings in Milwaukee and throughout the state, she invited people who had committed to heart a favorite poem to record their recitation of that poem. The result is an online interactive state map that can link viewers to recordings of Wisconsin residents reciting these poems.
Next up was “Milwaukee Voices,” four local poets whose readings energized the ballroom full of experienced poets from across the state.
Amanda Ngoho Reavey explained that her poems grow out of her experience of being on the border of identities; she was born in the Philippines and adopted by a Milwaukee family. She began and ended her engaging reading with a Tagalog folk song “Bahay Kubo,” which means “nipa hut” or “house cube,” the Native Philippine house.
Another of these Milwaukee voices, Timothy Kloss organizes the Monday Night Poetry series at Linneman’s in Riverwest. His satiric piece, a chilling dramatic monologue, was brilliantly performed though Kloss was under the weather on that rainy night. David Press changed the mood with his deadpan and wry poems.
Freesia McKee and Anja Notànjà Sieger (Photo by Margaret Rozga)
Michaela Lacy, Milwaukee High School of the Arts senior and co-founder of the Sacred Garden monthly poetry event, did a stunning spoken word performance. Her poem “Lemonade Stand” speaks frankly and powerfully of differences between life in a struggling African-American neighborhood and that in white suburbs: “Ain’t no lemonade stands in the hood. Instead we got liquor stores…”
Delivered with heartfelt energy to a predominantly white audience, she had everyone’s rapt attention. Her performance was an eye-opener and earned rousing applause.
Saturday morning’s breakfast conversation was filled with praise for the Milwaukee Voices presentations: “Electrifying.” “They energized the whole room.” “We have got to get Michaela up to Door County.” “I wasn’t going to come last night. I’m so glad I did.”
Another Milwaukee Voices session on Saturday kept the excitement going. Freesia McKee and Anja Notànjà Sieger each read a selection of their poems, McKee’s with an emphasis on social justice issues, Sieger’s more whimsical and light-hearted. Earlier that morning they typed spontaneously composed poems on manual typewriters for $10 each for anyone who requested one.
De’Shawn Ewing and Kavon Cortez Jones added to the sense of a vibrant creative community in Milwaukee with their spoken word performances. Ewing demonstrated what had earned him places in regional and national poetry slams. Among his memorable lines: “If I had time, I’d take time to slow down time” and “I’m just a rattling of souls like windows in a tornado.”
Cortez Jones performed a poem that brought back to life Emmett Till, the 14-year-old African- American from Chicago murdered in Money, Mississippi, in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman. The performance also brought forward little-known details about Till’s family, especially about his father, who as a soldier in World War II was fighting “for a country that hated him,” that court-martialed and executed him for “willful misconduct.”
The energy of the Milwaukee Voices sessions stayed with conference-goers. Madison poet Sarah Busse posted on Facebook the next day: “sitting in a room full of people from all backgrounds who strive to make sense of life thru poems moves me in a way it did not used to.” Katy Phillips said the Milwaukee Voices “didn’t want to fool around. They were not afraid to let the city come through. We heard the edges. They made the city real.”
We in Milwaukee can be proud of the creativity emerging in our city and showcased at the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets spring conference. Milwaukee’s diversity is a strength, a source of inspiration. Thanks to conference organizer Ed Werstein for scheduling sessions that helped poets from throughout the state see a Milwaukee they may not have known existed, and one they will not soon forget.

author: Margaret Rozga


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 7, 2017


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Film on Young Farmers program highlights youth ‘planting seeds’ in community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alexandria Bursiek
May 8, 2017
Young farmers Tavion Blunt, Yearah Lewis, Jason Eaton, Jamari Leonard and Csamari Leonard eat carrots from their garden. (Photo courtesy of Nick DeMarsh)
Several young farmers walk down a street in the Metcalfe Park neighborhood carrying bags of produce. After planting, weeding and harvesting the vegetables from their own garden near 28th and West Wright streets, they approach residents on the street and knock on doors, selling organically grown tomatoes, collard greens, radishes and other vegetables. The students, who are between the ages of 11 and 13, are part of the Young Farmers program run by Groundwork Milwaukee.
This scene is depicted in a Groundwork Milwaukee documentary, “Planting Seeds.” a 23-minute film that was screened at the Wisconsin Film Fest in Madison in April and has been submitted to this year’s Milwaukee Film Festival.
The idea for the documentary came from Nick DeMarsh, the food systems director for Groundwork Milwaukee and co-founder of Young Farmers. DeMarsh reached out to a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor about filming the program and was put in touch with John Flaig, a film student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
“The program is a youth-led program, so for me it was important that the students took center stage,” said DeMarsh. “I took on a bit more of the narrative than I wanted to.”
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According to DeMarsh, the students were nervous about being on camera and it took a few days for them to get comfortable. He added that Flaig was at the garden filming most days last summer, and by the end the students had no problems being filmed.
Deneine Powell, John Flaig, Danell Cross and Nick DeMarsh speak on a panel about the Young Farmers documentary, “Planting Seeds.” (Photo by Alexandria Bursiek)
Jason Eaton, a student at Milwaukee College Prep School, said he enjoyed seeing himself on film because it allowed him to be recognized for the work he was doing. Jason, 13, added that in the documentary he spent a lot of time sitting, and he would like to change that and work harder this summer. He hopes to become a business owner or a professional basketball player when he gets older.
Jamari Leonard, who attends Rufus King International Middle School, said he liked being on camera and getting to know Flaig. Despite working as a young farmer for almost three years, he does not plan to own his own farm.
DeMarsh explained that the program is not intended to convince students to become farmers, but instead is about providing opportunities and connecting youth with members of the community they may not have interacted with otherwise. The youth also are providing healthy food alternatives to residents in the Metcalfe Park neighborhood.
The film includes an interview with Danell Cross, interim executive director of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges Neighborhood Association, formerly known as the Metcalfe Park Community Action Team, which Cross helped found.
“We just knew that our community wanted our kids to be busy; we had no idea of all of the extra benefit. We just knew that they needed something positive to do,” Cross said at a recent screening and panel discussion about the film at UWM.
“We knew that we wanted to build connection with young people with different parts of our community and that happened. When we looked at the process they went through, the relationship they had with Nick, the relationship they had with each other…. We didn’t even think it could be that powerful.”
DeMarsh noted that time will tell what direction the young people will go. “The program plants seeds with diverse and meaningful experiences. As they grow up, the young farmers can pull from their experiences that resonate with them the most.”
Added DeMarsh, “It gives an opportunity; it opens up horizons for them. And for those like Jason who want to own their own business, he has gotten experience with sales. Being able to sell a tomato helps if you want to sell something else in the future.”


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Collaboration, relationships inspire community artist Raoul Deal | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Naomi Waxman
May 9, 2017
Editor’s note: This story is one of an occasional series of pieces about community artists in Milwaukee.
It wasn’t until he moved to Milwaukee that Raoul Deal began thinking of himself as a community artist, but the connection between human relationships and art has long been a focus in his life and work.
Deal, a faculty member at the Peck School of the Arts and artist-in-residence for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Cultures and Communities Program, discovered through teaching that collaboration and community lie at the heart of his work.
“To me it’s important to be in conversation with others. That’s the way I learn about the world. That’s the way I understand who I am in the world,” said Deal. “Art education and mentorship has a lot to do with getting to know others.”
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Deal began working as a substitute teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) after moving to the city so his wife could pursue a master’s degree. It was there he began developing strategies to build understanding between his students and himself, so together they could create meaningful work and learning experiences.
“My strategy was to sit down next to the kids, ask them about their lives and tell them about mine, and in that process establish some sort of human relationship that then was useful later on as we actually worked with trying to transfer or create knowledge,” he said.
This philosophy, Deal added, is the foundation upon which the rest of his work is built. Though he had experience creating art in community settings before moving to Milwaukee, the relationships he built at MPS allowed Deal to embrace his role as a community artist, culminating in an exhibit about his experiences in 2000. Entitled “Reinventing Jimmy Green,” the exhibition was first shown in Xalapa, Mexico, before moving to the Walker’s Point Center for the Arts in 2001.
In a stroke of fate, that same exhibit coincided with the formation of UWM’s Cultures and Communities Program, centered on a desire to foster strong engagement between the university and the city. The program coordinators reached out to Deal after reading an essay he wrote about the exhibit and invited him to join the collaboration.
“My relationship with the Cultures and Communities program at UWM is really what catapulted me into working as a community artist full time,” said Deal.
Though art can have a positive impact, he said, it doesn’t create a better society on its own. For many, fine arts institutions are inaccessible due to cost, location or language barriers.
“[When] you start thinking about who you want to have that access, you have to think about art differently,” he said. “That’s sort of my world, trying to build bridges of access.”
These relationships are essential, Deal found, when collaborating with community members to create art. For communities in need of employment and health care, art is rarely a high priority. Developing relationships allows artists to understand what a community really needs, which then changes the way they think about how art can help.
“The measure of a community art project is whether it means anything to the community or not,” said Deal.

author: Naomi Waxman


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Screen Shot 2017-05-09 at 8.31.04 AM | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 9, 2017


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 9, 2017


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On the Block: New food truck | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 9, 2017
Lyndi Vang manages her sister and brother-in-law’s new food truck, The Noodle Café. She explained that they started selling their dishes a few weeks ago at 35 Street and West Lisbon Avenue, near their home, to offer their neighbors an opportunity to try the foods of the countries they came from, Laos and Thailand.
In addition to the current menu, which includes egg rolls, fried noodles, stuffed chicken wings and nava, a sweet coconut-flavored tapioca drink, The Noodles Café plans to add chicken fried rice, khao poon noodle soup, curry and other dishes in the future.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 8, 2017


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Safe & Sound evaluation finds block clubs, events increase safety | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 10, 2017
Damien Smith, Safe & Sound’s District 5 youth organizer, leads Tamarack Waldorf School students on a tour of the Harambee neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of Safe & Sound)
A two-year evaluation of Safe & Sound following implementation of a new strategic plan in early 2015 found the largest improvement in cooperation among neighbors happened in neighborhoods with the most block club meetings.
Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin measured what they call “collective efficacy.” According to Katie Sanders, Safe & Sound’s executive director, “Collective efficacy means social cohesion and shared expectations about how each resident will engage in the well-being of the community.”
Safe & Sound and other experts in the crime and safety field view collective efficacy as the foundation of neighborhood safety. “It is the glue that binds neighborhoods together,” according to the National Institute of Justice.
(Photo courtesy of City of Milwaukee)
The new strategy significantly shifted Safe & Sound’s operations and structure, which were originally focused on after-school programming for at-risk youth. Instead, it established a community safety team model.
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The teams — made up of community organizers, youth organizers and Community Prosecution Unit coordinators who serve as liaisons with the police — work to bring residents, youth, law enforcement, community partners and government resources together to build safe, empowered neighborhoods.
Because a commitment to data-driven decision-making is a core principle of the strategy, the organization enlisted the Medical College of Wisconsin to conduct an independent evaluation of its work from the beginning.
Lead researchers Michael Levas and Mark Nimmer explained that they were primarily interested in whether Safe & Sound’s outreach efforts were associated with improvement in neighborhood collective efficacy.
The initial results of that evaluation largely confirm Safe & Sound’s belief that resident-centered collaboration is the key to neighborhood safety.
Sanders noted that the organization has already made changes based on the evaluation results. For example, organizers now spend more time supporting block clubs and events, which the data show have a greater impact on crime trends.
Safe & Sound focuses its efforts on 10 central city neighborhoods that have high rates of crime; however, two in MPD District 4 were added in 2016 and were not included in the evaluation.
The researchers compared Safe & Sound neighborhoods (listed first) to neighborhoods in the same police district where Safe & Sound is not present. Layton Boulevard West/Clarke Square was compared to Kosciusko (District 2); Midtown/Metcalfe Park to Concordia (District 3); Amani/Harambee to Borchert Field (District 5); and Parklawn/Sherman Park to Hampton Heights (District 7).
Derrick Shoates (left), District 3 youth organizer, and an MPD Ambassador attend a community event. (Photo courtesy of Safe & Sound)
Data taken from more than 3,000 resident surveys demonstrated that Safe & Sound’s outreach efforts were associated with improvement in collective efficacy in six of the eight neighborhoods.
The evaluation, funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, also found that the number of issue-based and general events, such as safety task force events, block parties and clean-ups, were associated with reductions in both non-violent and violent crime.
“We learned it wasn’t the number of times we knocked on doors or handed out fliers, but rather how many times people could get together,” Levas said.
Police District 5 showed the most dramatic decrease in both types of crimes.
Sanders noted that resident-led collaboration in District 5, which includes Amani and Harambee, as well as the control neighborhood of Borchert Field, is particularly strong. “There are strong, dynamic residents (in those neighborhoods) who are working with strong organizations that are listening to them and taking their lead,” she said.
Damien Smith, youth organizer in District 5, said he is pleased that the results of the evaluation show that his and his colleagues’ efforts are working.
“The stories that I hear and the successes of the young people we work with matter the most,” he said, “but the outside validation puts a battery in you to keep you going.”


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Questions remain in Claybrooks case, as charging decision nears | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
May 11, 2017
According to accounts from area residents, the confrontation between Jermaine Claybrooks and police began on North 20th Street, just north of Hampton Avenue. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Many questions still remain in the police killing of Jermaine Claybrooks. But, according to an investigator working with the family, it is likely Claybrooks was unconscious by the time a hail of bullets from law enforcement officers sealed his fate. Claybrooks, 32, was gunned down on the 4900 block of North 19th Place on March 16.
Milwaukee Police Department Chief Edward Flynn said the night of the shooting that Claybrooks was a subject of a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) investigation. When attempting to approach Claybrooks’ vehicle, Milwaukee, West Allis and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officers were “confronted by an individual with a firearm in his hand.” Shots were fired and a chase ensued. After crashing his vehicle into a tree on North 19th Place, Claybrooks did not respond to orders to surrender. Flynn stated that a gun was recovered from Claybrooks’ hand at the scene.
According to an eyewitness, plainclothes officers who were on the scene then fired 15 to 20 shots into Claybrooks’ car.
Daniel Storm, a former State of Illinois employee and private investigator with more than 40 years’ experience, said Claybrooks was knocked unconscious and sustained serious injuries as a result of the crash, despite most likely having his seat belt on. After recently inspecting Claybrooks’ vehicle, Storm stated that the airbags were intact, and did not deploy. Fractures inside Claybrooks’ skull are “consistent with him striking the steering wheel,” Storm said, adding that a medical professional, also present when examining the body, pointed out the fractures. Claybrooks’ shoulder was “completely separated” and there was “a tremendous amount of (internal) bleeding,” most likely caused by the separation.
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According to eyewitness testimony and a video taken at the scene of the crash, large amounts of smoke, created by the still-spinning front wheels, billowed into the car.
“I photographed his (Claybrooks’) lungs, and there are black spots consistent with him breathing in that acrid smoke,” said Storm. “The only way that you could remain inside of a car like that is if you were unconscious.”
A cell phone photo taken by an area resident shows Claybrooks’ damaged car, in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
MPD denied a request from NNS for the police report of the incident, citing that the record “is the subject of a pending criminal investigation or prosecution.” The Wauwatosa Police Department, which is heading the investigation into the police-involved shooting, did not respond to requests for comment.
In addition, Storm made a formal request on March 24 for the report from Claybrooks’ autopsy but said MPD instructed the medical examiner not to release the records. Storm, who is also working on the case of Terrill Thomas — who died in the Milwaukee County Jail of dehydration last year — said it is the only autopsy, over his long career, he has not been able to obtain.
“A lot of this doesn’t make any sense,” said Walter Stern, an attorney representing the Claybrooks family. “You have tinted windows in the car. You also have a potentially unconscious person. How in the world is that person a danger to the police?”
He added, “All the witnesses who we interviewed, including the man that took the whole video, did not see any weapon, at any time.”
According to accounts from residents of the immediate area, the confrontation began on the 4800 block of North 20th Street in front of a vacant lot on the east side of the street, which is divided by a large grassy median.
Eboni Conn, who has lived on the block for about a year, said she and her three children were watching a movie in the early evening of March 16 with the surround sound on, and that she didn’t see or hear anything. However, she said police came by later that night asking if she had heard any talking, arguing or gunshots.
“They came and were knocking on everybody’s door, questioning everybody,” Conn said of investigators. “But not on the opposite side of the street — just on this side of the street.”
Conn, who works third shift, said that for the next two or three days, she saw officers searching the area for shell casings. “It was like 5, 6, 7 o’clock in the morning and I would be coming from work … and I would just see them out there searching on the ground, looking on the ground,” she said. “There [were] just the same three [or] four police officers.”
A longtime resident who lives on the west side of 20th Street and did not want to give her name, said she heard screaming and then, after about 10 or 15 seconds, between five and six gunshots.
“I watched the whole thing when they turned the corner,” said Nate Beverly, the man who shot the video on North 19th Place. “I think he (Claybrooks) was out of it before, because you could see he was like — the car was swerving and it was slowing down, and that’s when [police] started bumping the car … You could see a little hole in the back of the window, you know, so I think he was shot before they even shot him over here.”
Others neighbors refused to talk or said they didn’t know anything.
“They’re scared,” said Storm, who has interviewed many residents but said they have been hesitant to get involved. “I saw, in that neighborhood, a real distrust and a fear for a black and white car.”
Vaun Mayes, who helped to initially identify Beverly and bring his recording to the attention of local media, said often police engage in behavior that is intimidating to witnesses while carrying out an investigation. He added that recent cases where police have killed individuals and not faced charges factor in, as well.
Mayes said, “They have legitimate fears — they have a legitimate reason to not want to get involved.”
Milwaukee Police Department officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Beverly said he may be jeopardizing his well-being, but it’s more important that people know what happened. “I kind of wish I’d never seen this, because there’s just so much to this.” But he added, “It wasn’t right. You know, if the guy would’ve got to shooting, I would’ve said, ‘Hey, there’s a guy out here shooting at the police and they got him.’ But that’s not the case.”
According to Storm, the police investigation team’s report was delivered to District Attorney John Chisholm’s office last week. Chisholm’s office did not return a request for comment. Storm said he and Stern have a meeting scheduled with Chisholm soon and that they hope presenting the evidence they have collected will help him to make a timely decision on whether to bring any charges.
Regardless of the result, Stern said he just wants to get to the bottom of the situation, adding that the family has “been really hurt by this whole incident.”
“I want to find out: ‘What is the truth?’ Is there a case or is there not?” he said. “There’s a lot of questions and I want them answered.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 10, 2017


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Ceceila Gore honored for efforts in African American business leadership | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin
May 12, 2017
(Photo by Lee Matz, Milwaukee Independent)
A music infused event provided the perfect backdrop for a fired up crowd at the African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin’s 2 Annual Breakfast of Champions. Cecelia Gore, executive director of the Milwaukee Brewers Community Foundation was honored as the 2017 Business Champion. Held on May 9 at the Pfister Hotel, Gore was recognized as a career champion for businesses and communities in Milwaukee.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized as the 2017 Business Champion. I’ve always worked hard to be a champion of people, organizations and causes that benefit others, said Gore. “Being a true winner makes a difference when you are supportive and an advocate for the greater community.” The AACCW also recognized Associate Bank, BMO Harris Bank, Milwaukee Bucks and Northwestern Mutual with strategic partner awards.
Former president and CEO, Dr. Eve Hall was recognized for sparking the rebirth of the Chamber. “The Breakfast of Champions would not be possible without the strong leadership and direction of former president and CEO, Dr. Eve Hall. She started a whole new ball game by leading the renewal of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin and our inaugural BOC.,” said Clifton Phelps, AACCW board chairmen. Dr. Hall was presented with baseball jersey with her name on the back.
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The Chamber then introduced its new president and CEO, Ossie Kendrix.  He thanked Hall for paving the way. “The Breakfast of Champions is just one way the AACCW brings the community together to support our mission and vision,” said Kendrix. “I will continue to expand our vision of economic vibrancy for African American families and communities resulting from strong business and the ground work laid before me.”
Roland Parrish served as keynote speaker for the event. His message to the audience of nearly 400, focused on integrating money in the black community for wealth building and equal access. Parrish is chairman and CEO of the National Black McDonald’s Owner Operators Association (NBMOA) and founder of Parrish Restaurants, owns and operates 20 McDonald’s Restaurants with revenues exceeding $59.7 million. He is an advocate for minority owned suppliers, vendors and franchise owners and will focus his remarks on advocacy for diverse businesses.
Melinda Davenport from WISN-12 was the emcee, which also featured messages from event co-chairs John Daniels III of A.L.I.V.E. Milwaukee, Giacomo Falluca of Palermo Villa Inc., and Julia Taylor of the Greater Milwaukee Committee.  Plans for the 3 annual Breakfast of Champions in May of 2018 are already underway.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 12, 2017


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‘Music enthusiast’ inspires urban youth to create their own music | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Camille Paul
May 12, 2017
Editor’s note: This story is one of an occasional series of pieces about community artists in Milwaukee.
Kiran Vedula, known as “Q the Sun” in the band New Age Narcissism, has worked in Milwaukee’s music scene for the past 12 years as a musician, composer and producer.
“Milwaukee is a hard place to start a music career,” he said, “but it’s like a teenager. There are a lot of great things happening and it knows it can be something cool, but it’s struggling with its identity.”
Vedula uses his knowledge and experience in the music industry to give back to the community, working as a mentor for youths at nonprofit organizations in Milwaukee.
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“We talk to kids about the difference between having a vision and a goal,” said Vedula. “With New Age Narcissism, we show students how to create something out of nothing and apply it to some aspect of their life.”
Vedula play keyboard, sings and produces for the artist collaborative, New Age Narcissism. NAN includes well-known artists such as Webster X and Siren and is experimental hip-hop, pop and soul.
Vedula was introduced to music when he was 6 through classical piano lessons. After participating in classical competitions, musicals and plays, he committed seriously to music when he was 15.
“My parents are from India, so music wasn’t necessarily something that many people pursued outside of relaxation and fun,” he said. “As I got older and got into performing more and writing songs, I really got hooked on it and realized ‘this is me.’”
Vedula attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he learned how to produce and record music. Now he produces tracks for NAN, radio and other musicians across various genres.
“I would consider myself a music enthusiast,” he said. “I don’t really come from any musical tradition. I’m just a fan of sounds, people and what music does to bring those people together and what music does to me when I’m alone.”
Vedula originally combined his music and community work as a mentor at COA Youth & Family Centers, a nonprofit organization that provides educational, recreational and social work programs for families, children and teens.
“I’ve never really thought about working with the community; it just seemed like a natural part of the music process,” he said. “I gravitate toward people who I see have something special.” Vedula added that young people don’t always realize that they have talent, so he helps them do that.
Last September, Vedula began working as a music production and band music instructor at TRUE Skool, a nonprofit organization that uses urban arts to engage youth in social justice leadership and development. He also works at Express Yourself Milwaukee, which uses the arts to help young people express themselves in positive ways.
“Kiran is completely relatable to the youth that we work with here,” said Shalina S. Alina, co-executive director of TRUE Skool. “It’s not hard for him to inspire the youths here to create their own music.”
Alina’s fellow co-executive director, Fidel Verdin, met Vedula when both men worked at COA.
“Kids would always talk about this guy named ‘Q’ and I would hear his beats and thought he had a great ear for music,” said Verdin. “Kiran adds a live band aspect to the class.”
Vedula said that he has seen Milwaukee become a better environment for musicians and hopes that his efforts with TRUE Skool and Express Yourself will create more community leaders.
“I feel like my group and other artists and people that we’re affiliated with and work with are in prime positions to do some really interesting and amazing work.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 11, 2017