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New City of Milwaukee ID card now available to the public | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. José G. Pérez
February 7, 2017
Members of the Milwaukee Common Council will host a news conference at City Hall on Friday, February 10 to let city residents know how they can apply for the city’s municipal identification (ID) card.
The news conference on Friday will start at 10:00 a.m. and will be held in the first floor rotunda at City Hall, 200 E. Wells St. Participants will include Alderman José G. Pérez, Alderman Khalif J. Rainey and Alderman Cavalier Johnson.
On July 26, 2016, the Milwaukee Common Council passed an ordinance relating to the creation and issuance of a municipal identification (ID) card for city residents ONLY. Anyone living in the City of Milwaukee may be eligible to receive an ID.
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Key facts about the City of Milwaukee Municipal ID:
Alderman Pérez said the License Division will process, print, and mail new IDs to applicants within two weeks of application. “A valid ID card is something that many people may take for granted, but for others, getting an ID card can be a life-enhancing moment, a real game-changer,” he said.
“The City of Milwaukee ID card is something I would encourage all residents to consider and apply for,” Alderman Pérez said. More information is available online at Milwaukee.gov/ID.
Before an application can be processed, individuals will need to provide proof of identity and proof of City of Milwaukee residency. In general, acceptable forms of documentation are as follows:
An applicant may submit one of the following (The document must display photograph and date of birth):
Or an applicant may submit any two of the following (One document must display photograph and date of birth):
To begin the process of getting a municipal ID, each applicant must schedule an appointment by calling the License Division at 414-286-2238. The application appointment must take place in person at City Hall (200 E. Wells St., Room 105). When calling to set up the appointment, applicants are strongly advised to indicate if translation or other assistance is needed.
Alderman Rainey said he believes the municipal ID card can improve the lives of people who will be able to use the card to help themselves and their loved ones. “Not only will the ID help add an increased sense of membership in the community among residents, but it can be the key to access public and private services,” he said.
Alderman Johnson said the city’s role of providing services and information – coupled with the vast diversity of the city’s population – makes the municipal ID a valuable “win-win-win” for residents.
“The 2nd Aldermanic District I represent is very diverse and home to city’s largest Hmong population,” Alderman Johnson said. “Making sure we are connecting the Hmong community and other immigrant groups to city services – and especially to this new form of identification – is a very high priority for me.”
Alderman Pérez said additional uses for the municipal ID will be explored as the program is implemented. He said anyone looking to proactively support the program or to suggest a potential partnership should contact their Common Council member.

author: Ald. José G. Pérez


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On National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Milwaukee residents urged to ‘Know Your Status’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Health Department
February 7, 2017
In recognition of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the City of Milwaukee Health Department and community partners are hosting free, confidential testing and resources on Tuesday, February 7 from 1-6 p.m. at Hillside Terrace Family Resource Center (1452 N. 7th St., Milwaukee).
“The impact of HIV continues to be felt across the country and has a disproportionate impact on black residents,” said Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker. “We have the tools to prevent the spread of HIV, and it begins with a single step: Getting tested. It is critically important that all individuals know their HIV status and then take steps to prevent the spread and reduce their risk.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while black individuals represent 12 percent of the population, they accounted for 45 percent of the nation’s new HIV cases in 2014. In Wisconsin, the city of Milwaukee made up 10 percent of the state’s population, but accounted for 47 percent of all HIV diagnoses statewide in 2015. Young black MSM (men who have sex with men) accounted for 31 percent of HIV diagnoses in the city.
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Numerous challenges contribute to higher rates of HIV infection among the black population. According to studies, a lack of awareness, coupled with stigma and discrimination, fear, homophobia and socioeconomic issues associated with poverty – including limited access to high-quality health care, housing and HIV prevention education – increase a person’s chance of getting or transmitting HIV.
The National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day event is hosted by Diverse & Resilient, in partnership with MHD, AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, W.I.N.G.S. International, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Health Service, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, Outreach Community Health Centers and many more.
Confidential HIV & STI testing is also available weekdays at the City of Milwaukee Health Department Keenan Health Center (3200 N. 36th St.). Visit Milwaukee.gov/health for more information.

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: February 7, 2017

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

author: City of Milwaukee Health Department


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Pete’s Fruit Market – Bronzeville to hold job info event Thursday | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
February 7, 2017
Pete’s Fruit Market, a family-owned store that will soon open a new location at Bronzeville’s busy “front door” at N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. and W. North Ave., will hold a job informational session from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 9 at the YWCA, 1915 N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs said today.
“Thursday’s informational session is for anyone interested in possibly working at the new Pete’s grocery store,” Alderwoman Coggs said. “This is a prime opportunity to meet with store managers, so attendees should bring their resumes and be prepared for brief interviews.”
Pete’s Fruit Market is a full-service grocery store known for many years by customers on the near south side. Thursday’s job event is listing possible positions that will be open at the new store, including cashiers, stockers, maintenance, meat clerks, and customer service.
Alderwoman Coggs and the community had been firm in pushing back efforts in recent years to open a dollar store at the location, instead repeatedly seeking a grocery store selling healthy foods and fresh produce items.
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The Pete’s store will fill approximately 13,700 square feet of space at the site of the former Walgreen’s at the northwest corner of King Drive and North Avenue. The store will be located in the heart of the Historic King Drive Business Improvement District.
The developer – Vangard Group – is a Milwaukee owned firm with experience in successful projects in Bronzeville. The general contractor is JCP Construction – also a locally owned and operated company.

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


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How to support refugees in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alexandria Bursiek
February 8, 2017
Refugees from Burma, Somalia and other countries attend a holiday party at International Learning Center, a program of Neighborhood House of Milwaukee. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
In January, President Donald Trump banned immigrants and refugees from entering the United States for the next 120 days, and Syrian refugees indefinitely. The ban has been temporarily halted and refugees with visas have been urged to hurry into the country before the ban goes back into effect. The president’s executive order has called attention to the needs of refugees who are already in the U.S. Here are a few places to get involved and support refugees in Milwaukee.
• Lutheran Social Services is looking for donations to help fund its Refugee Resettlement Program and provide for more than 2,200 refugees the organization has worked with during the past five years. Lutheran Social Services is also in need of funding to purchase a new van for transporting goods and refugees. Donations are accepted here.
• The International Institute of Wisconsin is working to help refugees successfully immigrate and become self-sufficient. IIW is accepting cash and material donations, specifically household items. It is also looking for volunteers; all opportunities can be found on the website.
• Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement program offers help to refugees at no cost to them. Catholic Charities is accepting donations and offering opportunities for community members to volunteer. Its Migrant and Refugee Services Program is in need of a volunteer to oversee a computer classroom and help with basic computer functions such as keyboarding, job searching or Google searches.
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• SEA Literacy works to help educate Southeast Asian refugees. SEA Literacy is looking for volunteers who can tutor refugees in computer skills, teach literacy or assist with ACT prep.

created: February 8, 2017

author: Alexandria Bursiek


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 13, 2017

created: February 13, 2017

author: Adam Carr


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 7, 2017


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Marquette, Near West Side Partners team up for ‘Grocery Challenge’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
February 8, 2017
The owner of Quick Pick Foods, 2336 W. Wisconsin, is not concerned about a potential new grocery store on the Near West Side harming his business. (Photo by Dean Bibens)
Marquette University and Near West Side Partners are teaming up for a “Grocery Challenge” intended to bring a new grocery store to the Near West Side.
“Bringing a grocery store to the area should be good for the community,” said Marquia Currin, 31, who lives in the Avenues West neighborhood. “ I just want to be able to get the things I need when I travel to a store and sometimes the local convenience marts don’t provide that.”
Currin attended a kickoff event for the Grocery Challenge on Jan. 31. She is most concerned about feeding healthy food to her 9-year-old daughter and the new baby she is expecting. “My little girl Sonji is my world and this little baby inside of me also means the world to me so keeping them healthy is my number one [priority].”
The project’s primary goal is to generate innovative, affordable and sustainable models to bring fresh foods to the Near West Side. Dr. Christopher Simenz, clinical associate professor in the Marquette University physical therapy program, and Keith Stanley, Near West Side Partners executive director, are co-leading the challenge.
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“We’re thrilled to see the leadership of Marquette University and its students in moving this forward,” said Stanley. “As always, we will work closely with our residents, other business owners and elected officials to determine the winning student or student group and identify an appropriate site in support of positive economic development in the Near West Side.”
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Simenz noted that the project should affect the lives of everyone in the Near West Side community. “This isn’t a Marquette project; this is a community project,” Simenz said.
“We want grocery options that are inclusive to everyone who calls the Near West Side home — our students, longtime residents and those who work in the area,” stressed Kelsey Otero, associate director of the Marquette University Social Innovation Initiative. “A challenge format allows new and innovative ideas to emerge; we want to see out-of-the-box thinking and change the narrative around food access.”
Otero cited a recent study suggesting there that there is enough demand in the area to support two mid-sized grocery stores.
The owner of Quick Pick Foods, 2336 W. Wisconsin in the Avenues West neighborhood, said he had not heard about a potential new grocery store on the Near West Side, but noted, “I don’t think that it will affect my store.” The man, who declined to give his name, added, “I get a lot of business throughout the day and I have good relationship with my customers so my store will be fine.”
Resident meetings will be held on Feb. 20 and in early March to explain the complexities of the grocery store business, and introduce innovative grocery models.
Teams will have day-to-day support from Marquette staff and guidance from university leadership, Near West Side Partners staff and others interested in supporting the challenge. In addition, student teams can participate in a speed-networking event featuring local grocery experts to get feedback on ideas and suggestions for next steps. Teams will consist of both students and Near West Side community members.
Students and community members can focus their efforts on one of six areas: small footprint stores, food pantries, existing retail spaces, co-ops, alternative grocery models and food literacy.
On April 20, teams will pitch their recommendations to a panel of judges including Marquette leaders, representatives of the Near West Side Partners anchor organizations (Aurora Health Care, Harley-Davidson, Marquette University, MillerCoors and Potawatomi Business Development Corp.), grocery and food experts, and community members. The judges will decide on one or more ideas to pilot next fall.
Winning teams and ideas will receive seed funding from the Marquette Office of Research and Innovation to help implement the pilots. Initial funders will receive an equity stake in the company.
“A great neighborhood cannot exist without healthy food options,” said Otero, but there are so many options that could work for all of the different people who live, work and visit the Near West Side.”

author: Dean Bibens


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Common Council approves annual Housing Trust Fund grants | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Michael Murphy
February 9, 2017
The Common Council has approved the  $526,000 in funding recommendations for six projects that will construct new housing for those in need, rehabilitate existing housing stock and convert historic buildings to adaptive reuse residential developments.
The projects will leverage an investment of more than $28.7 million in local construction and rehabilitation work over the next year, said Alderman Michael J. Murphy, chair of the HTF advisory board.
Since 2008, the Housing Trust Fund has awarded nearly $6 million dollars in grants, which in turned leveraged $103 million in projects that created or rehabbed 763 units of housing. Of those, Alderman Murphy said that 345 support veterans, the chronically homeless or those with mental illness, and 473 are accessible for people with mobility impairments.
“It’s really remarkable what we have been able to do with just a little up-front investment on the city’s part,” Alderman Murphy said. “For every dollar we have invested in the Housing Trust Fund, we have already seen a return of 17 dollars in projects to help those in need.”
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Alderman Murphy said the six 2017 projects selected by the advisory board for funding will also create jobs and valuable opportunities for construction workers, carpenters and those in the trades. “When we ensure that the investments that we make in housing also create jobs for local tradespeople, we foster a win-win for the city—caring for those in need while creating the opportunities Milwaukeeans need to thrive.”
This year, a total of 12 proposals sought nearly $2 million in HTF funding. Of these requests, six were selected to receive funding.
The 2017 HTF awards are as follows:
The awards were approved during the Common Council meeting on February 7.

created: February 9, 2017

author: Ald. Michael Murphy


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Cough Syrup & Soda: A Dangerous Concoction Making Milwaukeeans ‘Lean’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 9, 2017
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio

author: Andrea Waxman


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Department of Justice report on Milwaukee police is being ‘finalized’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 9, 2017
jsonline.com


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New HIV Cases In Milwaukee Decline In 2015 For First Time In 3 Years | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 9, 2017
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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On the Block: Healthy living | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Naomi Waxman
February 9, 2017
Avenues West resident and Funky Fresh Spring Rolls CEO Trueman McGee, 32, makes his way every Saturday to the Outpost Makers Market at 1617 W. North Ave., not only to sell his immensely popular spring rolls, but also to spread the word about the importance of eating well and making healthy lifestyle choices. Unhappy about his weight and eating habits in the past, McGee made a commitment to change and wants to help others do the same.

author: Naomi Waxman


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 8, 2017


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Silver Spring Neighborhood Center fosters hope, self-sufficiency | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Naomi Waxman
February 9, 2017
Darla Honeycutt (left), teen girls social development director, and Kailyn Jones, youth and teen program coordinator, show off the colorful room where participants in Silver Spring Neighborhood Center’s teen programming socialize, learn and play. (Photo by Naomi Waxman)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 15 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). The Silver Spring Neighborhood Center is a finalist for the BMO Harris Cornerstone Award, which recognizes an organization for its commitment and effectiveness over time.
By the time he was in eighth grade, Chaz Gary had accumulated 194 school suspensions. Raised in poverty by a mother who struggled with addiction, Gary, now 26, credits his survival and success to two consistent forces in his life: basketball and the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center.
A college graduate and real estate broker in Wisconsin and Texas, Gary recently returned to the center to work as the male coordinator for teen programming.
“No one threw me away here,” said Gary. “I would not be who I am today without this building. There’s always someone here [and] the lights are always on.”
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The Silver Spring Neighborhood Center (SSNC), 5460 N. 64th St., was founded under the settlement house model in 1958. Designed to bridge gaps between socioeconomic and ethnic groups at the turn of the 20th century, settlement houses offered much of the same programming that exists at SSNC today, including child care, art and craft groups, sports and adult education opportunities.
Aram Lester (left) and Nigil Foreman settle into a toddler-sized sofa in their classroom at SSNC’s Elaine Schreiber Child Development Center. (Photo by Naomi Waxman)
Situated adjacent to the Westlawn housing development, the center provides a litany of services in an effort to promote community and self-sufficiency among the more than 8,000 individuals it serves each year.
Youth and teen program coordinator Kaylin Jones’ story is similar to Gary’s. Kicked out of middle and high school, Jones had difficult relationships with both her mother and her peers. At 14, she attended a basketball game at the center and found herself drawn to the community feeling. She never left and now can be found at SSNC seven days a week.
“I can guarantee without the mentorship, the family, the people who held onto me…I would never have finished high school,” said Jones. “I feel privileged to be able to pour back into the young people the way that I received as a teenager.” Jones is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Opportunity for all ages
The recent recipient of a four-star (out of five) YoungStar rating, SSNC’s Elaine Schreiber Child Development Center has demonstrated marked improvement in communication and cognition skills among its young participants ranging between 6 weeks and 12 years old. YoungStar is Wisconsin’s childcare quality rating system.
“From infancy to college, we create a culture of raising children and getting them to come back,” said Executive Director Tom Ellis.
Gary calls this the “secret sauce”: strong, consistent relationships with young people coupled with low staff turnover that encourage young people to come to the center and reach out to coordinators in times of trouble.
Teens learn about teamwork and discipline through the Spartan Sports Program, a year-round support system on and off the court for young athletes. In the last three years, participants have earned $1.5 million in athletic scholarships. Darla Honeycutt, SSNC’s “lady” social development coordinator, brings her own background in fashion and design to the teen participants, which fosters a sense of entrepreneurship and pride among the young women in her program.
SSNC’s teen social development program boasts zero teen pregnancies and felony convictions among participants. One hundred percent of active high school seniors earn a diploma and 80 percent are pursuing post-secondary education or job training.
Programming is designed to help adults achieve as well. Adult education opportunities include GED preparation, English Language Learner and computer classes, while the Transform Milwaukee Program provides job training for residents who face obstacles to employment.
The center also provides access to an Emergency Food Pantry four days per week for residents of the 53218, 53209 and 53225 ZIP codes. Like many of his young charges, Gary said, he was heavily dependent on the center’s pantry during his childhood. Nearly 18 percent of Milwaukee County residents were designated “food insecure,” or struggling to avoid hunger, in 2014.
Other SSNC services include Community Learning Centers, created in partnership with three Milwaukee Public Schools, family programming and the UWM Silver Spring Community Nursing Center.
Moving mountains
“The hardest part [of the job] is not being able to take away all [the teens’] problems,” Gary said, recalling a young person’s request for help moving on the coldest day of the year.
Normal work hours are of little import to the SSNC team, who sometimes feed and clothe the young people in their program. Several staff members have gone so far as to take youth into their own homes.
Ellis grows emotional when talking about the center’s staff. “We’ve got a lot of people here who do hard work every day without recognition,” he said, voice quavering.
SSNC staff and leaders know that the communities they serve face many obstacles — poverty, hunger, trauma and mass incarceration, among others — yet they remain undeterred despite the enormity of the task at hand.
“The man who moves a mountain,” intones Ellis, quoting the Chinese philosopher Confucius, “begins by carrying away small stones.”


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First Ever Urban Candlelight Hike at Three Bridges Park on Saturday, February 25 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Michelle Kramer
February 10, 2017
The Friends of the Hank Aaron State Trail, Menomonee Valley Partners, and Urban Ecology Center are teaming up to bring a new winter activity to Milwaukee to invite people to enjoy the best of winter in the heart of the city. No one would have come down to Three Bridges Park four years ago when it was an abandoned railyard, but it has quickly become a beloved Milwaukee destination with over 50,000 visits in 2016. We have had a lot of positive interest on Facebook and are looking forward to a successful winter activity. We hope you’ll join us!
The first ever Urban Candlelight Hike in Three Bridges Park will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2017 from 5:30-8:30pm. Hundreds will enjoy this unique opportunity to experience the best of winter in the heart of our city, enjoy many fun outdoor activities, and special indoor events to get them toasty warm.
Mayor Barrett says, “The Urban Candlelight Hike is inviting people to get outdoors and enjoy our Midwest winter in the award-winning Three Bridges Park. I’m happy to see people come together and enjoy this great community space all year long.”
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Urban Candlelight Hike Details
Glenna Holstein, Branch Manager with the Urban Ecology Center, values the opportunity to bring together a diverse group of people. “Three Bridges Park is an incredible space. It’s unique because of the way it is connected to the urban landscape; a connection that will be on full display during the upcoming Urban Candlelight Hike. It’s not uncommon to stand on one of the bridges in the park and hear on one side the sounds of a manufacturing facility while on the other side hear the persistent chattering of a kingfisher as it swoops to catch a fish in the river. Layer in the dimension of nighttime and candlelight and you’ve got a recipe for something you truly won’t experience anywhere else!”
Dan Adams, President of Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail, said, “The Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail are looking forward to the public’s exploration of this great trail during a different season and time of day than most users have experienced. I think people will be surprised at the beauty that is evident under the night sky in the middle of winter.”
Employees at Palermo’s Pizza are excited about the Candlelight Hike, according to Angelo Fallucca, chief operating officer and board member of Menomonee Valley Partners. “When Palermo’s moved to the Menomonee Valley in 2006, there wasn’t much development on the west end, but today the area has been transformed into a beautiful urban park that helps Valley businesses attract great talent. We love seeing so many people visit Three Bridges Park and the Hank Aaron State Trail all year long. We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to warm up by our wood-fired pizza oven and enjoy great pizza in Pizzeria 3301.”
History of Three Bridges Park
Located in the heart of Milwaukee, along the Menomonee River between 27th and 37th Streets, Three Bridges Park was once part of a wild rice marsh, then a rail yard, and then a vacant site for decades. Following a large community effort over many years, the area was transformed and opened in 2013 as Three Bridges Park – a 24-acre park, outdoor science classroom for the Urban Ecology Center, and a part of the Hank Aaron State Trail. The park with its trails and bridges connect the surrounding neighborhoods to the Menomonee Valley. This natural area is quickly becoming a popular destination with over 50,000 visits in 2016. Visitors love that Three Bridges Park is a place you can escape the city without ever leaving it.
For more information, trail maps, or to volunteer, visit UrbanCandlelightHike.com.

created: February 10, 2017

author: Michelle Kramer


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Urban_Candlelight_Hike_Webimage | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
February 10, 2017

author: Name *


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Immigrants, advocates ‘stepping up the game’ against executive orders | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
February 10, 2017
Christine Neumann-Ortiz (left) speaks during a press conference at Voces de la Frontera as (from left) Salvador Rojas, Rafaela Flores, Guillermo Ramos and Rafael Sanchez look on. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Zahra Omar describes her aunt as a strong woman. But when she resisted armed Somali militants who had entered her home, they tied her up before one of the men shot and killed her.
“My daddy, too — he died like that,” said Omar, 25. “I’ve never seen my dad.”
Omar was an infant when her mother fled the country, which has been embroiled in conflict since the 1980s when an unpopular regime inflamed clan rivalries to divert attention from its failed policies. With her remaining siblings — two others died in Somalia — Omar’s family found their way across the border to Dadaab, Kenya, where they subsisted in a refugee camp that has housed hundreds of thousands for decades.
Omar recalled difficult conditions where food was scarce and there was little to no medical aid or opportunity for education. After about 10 years there, Omar entered the United States in 2004.
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The move made a big difference, according to Omar, who now has her own children and is intent on becoming a citizen. The family had their own home, clothing, sufficient food, educational opportunities and, most importantly, safety.
But two recent executive orders, signed by President Donald Trump less than a week after the new administration took power, have green card holders and immigrant rights advocates in Milwaukee worried that non-citizens may not be safe much longer.
In response to these actions, Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant rights advocacy group, is organizing Dia sin Latinos, Inmigrantes y Refugiados (Day without Latinos, Immigrants and Refugees), a daylong strike, boycott and demonstration on Monday, Feb. 13. Individuals participating are being encouraged to keep their kids home from school, not go to work and refrain from making purchases in a proactive demonstration of opposition to these measures.
Lena Camara, a Sengalese Muslim, said she plans to participate in Dia sin Latinos, Immigrantes y Refugiados (Day without Latinos, Immigrants and Refugees). (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“It was just shocking for me to hear that a president could actually sign an executive order banning people from entering the country,” said Zeynab Ali, 18, a Somali Muslim who also lived in a Kenyan refugee camp until she was 6.
That executive order indefinitely bans Syrian refugees from entering the country, suspends entry of all refugees for 120 days and bans anyone traveling from Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen from entry for 90 days. Though the order does not single out any particular religious group, the seven nations specifically mentioned are all Muslim-majority countries. Trump expressed support for a ban on all Muslims during his campaign.
Ali, who called the order “horrendous” and “life-threatening” because of the impact it will have on those fleeing violence, said she was surprised by the move because of the fact that all Americans are, essentially, immigrants.
A second executive order, signed by Trump two days before the ban made news, called for “State and local law enforcement agencies across the country to perform the functions of an immigration officer in the interior of the United States to the maximum extent permitted by law” by partnering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the 287(g) program.
Under the program, which was created in 1996, ICE trains local law enforcement officers to enforce immigration laws, granting the authority to “interrogate any alien or person believed to be an alien as to his right to be or to remain in the United States,” and issue search warrants and arrest warrants based on an individual’s suspected immigration status.
In a Facebook post on Jan. 27, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke signaled that he would seek to train his staff under the program and “assign as many deputies to this initiative as I can.”
Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) Chief Edward Flynn said in an interview with local media shortly after Clarke’s statement that it doesn’t make sense for local law enforcement to prioritize immigration enforcement over investigating crimes.
MPD Sgt. Timothy Gauerke stressed this does not mean undocumented individuals who are arrested for a major crime would be released without verifying their status.
“We make whatever notifications we’re legally obligated to make but we don’t have the authority to detain people based on immigration status alone,” Gauerke said. “We don’t want to scare people into the shadows where they don’t use their local police.”
Salvador Rojas, a former undocumented immigrant, said when he and his wife, Rafaela Flores, heard about the executive orders and Clarke’s statement they thought about their community and their children. The couple, who have lived in the U.S. for 16 years, fled Mexico to escape the often-violent drug cartels and organized crime in Veracruz, with the hope of providing a better future for their two children.
Though they had been in the country since 2001, about five years ago ICE came knocking at their door. The agents were looking for someone else who had committed a crime but took Rojas in anyway — he was involved in deportation proceedings for years. Eventually, the two were able to adjust their status and are now permanent legal residents after being robbed at gunpoint, a crime they reported and helped to prosecute.
“Immigration is not just about pursuing people with a criminal record,” said Flores through a translator. “They also profile people and it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any kind of record.”
Lena Camara, 39, a mother and green card holder originally from Senegal, called the recent moves by the Trump administration “terrifying.” Camara, who has a master’s degree and has lived in five countries, said she has had to fight stereotypes her entire life. She said her 8-year-old daughter recently asked if Camara, who wears a hijab, should pretend to not be Muslim. Camara called the thought of not being herself “degrading.”
“You realize that, you know, these people are really talking to you,” she said. “All these orders — xenophobia, the fact that they are attacking women — I mean, it’s like a big ball and you’re in there. Because, if you had a checklist, you would be checking all those boxes.”
“I am from Africa, I’m black, I’m Muslim. And, right now, I feel like … I am a target,” Camara added.
Voces de la Frontera Executive Director Christine Neumann-Ortiz said immigrants have been under attack for some time but what’s happening now is different because the people in positions of power are being driven by a “clear ideology.” She called 287(g), which gained notoriety in Maricopa County, Arizona, under Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a “discredited” and “unconstitutional” program whose implementation would “change, dramatically, the situation here for us in Milwaukee County.”
“287(g) is kind of, like, stepping up the game of proactively going after people at a local level and using local law enforcement as a tool for that,” said Neumann-Ortiz. “It’s part of the mass deportation machinery that Trump is trying to set up.”
Neumann-Ortiz urged people “from all different ethnic and racial backgrounds” to stand together and support the Day without Latinos, Immigrants and Refugees, which she said has garnered national attention.
Camara added that it is more important than ever for different groups, particularly marginalized peoples, to support each other and realize that “this is only one fight.”
“We’ve had so many societies that went through this,” she said. “And I can’t believe that, knowing what already happened, and what can happen, we can allow ourselves to sit back and just let this happen. Because it always starts like this.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 9, 2017


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Silver City Catalytic Project taking shape | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors
February 10, 2017
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors (LBWN) invites you to a “Sneak Peek” of the West National Catalytic Site located at 3514 W. National Avenue in the Silver City neighborhood on the near South side of Milwaukee.
West National Catalytic Site “Sneak Peek”
Thursday, February 16th from 3:30-4:30pm
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3514 W. National Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53215
Note: Hard-soled, closed-toed shoes are required.
The Silver City catalytic redevelopment project will spur private investment, increase economic vitality, and improve National Avenue as a safe and enjoyable source for sustainable local job growth.  LBWN is working in collaboration with community partners to purchase this city-owned property to further the vision for this catalytic site.
The complete catalytic site (on the 3500 block of West National Avenue) was identified as part of the 2014 community-guided Charette process for its proximity and access to the nearby Menomonee Valley industrial hub and Hank Aaron State Trail and currently underutilized or vacant commercial spaces.  The community vision, as defined by the charette, is to redevelop the site as a cohesive project focused on activating the commercial space with uses such as retail and food service and to add unique amenities such as a shared courtyard and parking lot.
The full catalytic vision and its anticipated benefits will be realized through a combination of targeted public, private and foundation investments.  LBWN plans to redevelop 3514 W. National Ave. into a mixed-use building with a commercial restaurant space and residential unit(s) and will implement additional strategies to ensure revitalization of the remaining parcels per the charette vision.  LBWN has secured 50% of the necessary funds from the Zilber Family Foundation for redevelopment and is currently seeking interested investors to support the estimated $140,000 gap. The finished overall Catalytic Site will be redeveloped cohesively as a mixed-use retail, business incubation, and restaurant center that will promote interaction from residents and users of the nearby Menomonee Valley. Experienced restaurateurs and other entrepreneurs are strongly encouraged to attend and learn why locating in Silver City might be the best decision your business makes!
National Avenue is a vital commercial corridor in the Silver City neighborhood, and offers the incredible opportunity for local job growth.  Please join us for the “Sneak Peek” to learn more.
After the “Sneak Peek,” LBWN also invites you to meet the staff and board members, including LBWN’s newly appointed Executive Director, Brianna Sas-Pérez and new Board Chair, Marjorie Rucker, Executive Director of The Business Council.  Other staff will be present to share about the West National Catalytic site as well as LBWN’s overall collaborative work in the Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park neighborhoods.

author: Layton Boulevard West Neighbors


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United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County hiring Public Relations and Social Media Specialist | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Michelle Gutknecht
February 10, 2017
SUMMARY
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County envisions a world where all individuals and families achieve their human potential through education, income stability and healthy lives. United Way advances the common good by recruiting people and organizations who bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done. United Way’s global mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities to advance the common good. We invite you to be a part of the change – to Live United.
United Way is a recognized national brand and is the largest funder of health and human services outside of the federal government. Funds raised through UWGMWC remain local and are invested in nearly 220-plus programs at over 110 local nonprofit program partners.
POSITION OVERVIEW
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Responsible for developing, managing effective public and media relations that enhance and protect the United Way brand. Develop and execute social media strategy in alignment with overall UWGMWC media relations plan. Utilize integrated storytelling techniques to tell the United Way story across a variety of communication channels. Share key messages and engage with news, digital, and social media stakeholders in a compelling and influential manner. Assist with the extensive writing needs of the organization for both internal and external audiences
KEY JOB FUNCTIONS
MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
SOCIAL MEDIA/WRITING
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES This job has no direct supervisory responsibilities.
KEY QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
OTHER QUALIFICATIONS
TO APPLY:
For further job criteria and complete details, click on: https://www.milwaukeejobs.com/j/23185192. If you meet or exceed job requirements, please apply directly at this web address today. Please indicate salary requirements.
Equal Opportunity Employer
M/F/Disability/Vet

author: Michelle Gutknecht


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UWM community protests federal visa and immigration ban | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sue Vliet
February 10, 2017
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee students, faculty and staff gathered Thursday at the Spaights Plaza, 2380 E. Kenwood Blvd., to protest an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that indefinitely bans Syrian refugees from entering the country, suspends entry of all refugees for 120 days and bans anyone traveling from Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen from entry for 90 days.
A district court ruling last week temporarily suspended the ban, a decision that a federal appeals court declined Thursday to overturn.
Protest organizers said the executive order harms the citizens of the seven Middle Eastern countries, including those legally residing in the U.S. on student or worker visas, by preventing them from coming back if they visit family in their home countries, and preventing their families from visiting them here.
The rally was one of dozens held concurrently at universities across the country.
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author: Sue Vliet


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Boys & Girls Clubs members celebrate Black History Month through art | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alexandria Bursiek
February 11, 2017
Xzavier Ledesma’s drawing of Malcolm X for a Black History Month art contest depicts the African-American leader as half-human, half-lion. Xzavier, 10, said he wanted to show that Malcolm X was smart and strong like a lion.
On a recent Monday, Xzavier and Lamarr Hughlett, 13, had the opportunity to display their artwork to Mayor Tom Barrett and others at the downtown U.S. Cellular store. Xzavier and Lamarr, members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, were among eight finalists in an art contest celebrating Black History Month. Both boys hope to be professional artists when they grow up.
Their artwork will be shown in U.S Cellular stores in Milwaukee, Brown Deer, Wauwatosa and Bayshore Town Center through Feb. 24.
Boys & Girls Clubs members submitted original 8.5 by 11-inch portraits depicting an African-American figure of their choice. Community members over the age of 18 are encouraged to vote for their favorite piece of artwork. The top three finalists will receive a $250, $200 or $150 gift cards from U.S Cellular.
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“This contest really gave us a chance to challenge our youth with a contest, while celebrating the richness of African-American culture,” said Scott Hanson, U.S Cellular retail area sales manager.
During January, participating Boys & Girls Clubs members were encouraged to do research and learn more about African-American figures.
“What we are doing here is showcasing the future,” said Vincent Lyles, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs. “We are giving our kids the chance to show their work, get inspired and inspire others.”
Xzavier, who attends Rogers Street Academy, said he chose to draw Malcolm X because he inspired people and showed that anyone can stand up for oneself. Lamarr, a 13-year-old student attending Doerfler School, drew a picture of former President Barack Obama. The most difficult part of his drawing, he said, was learning how to do the shading. Other students drew Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Mayor Tom Barrett attended the kick-off and cast the first vote. Barrett joked that voting for the best portrait was much better than a government election because voters aren’t plagued by unwanted TV commercials.
“Every election is actually the most important election we have, because every election is about the future. Right here you see the future of Milwaukee,” said Barrett. “With Xzavier and Lamarr you see two young men who are trying very, very hard and who are obviously great artists.”
Lamarr, who has been drawing since he was 3 years old, said he spends most of his time drawing. He even came up with his own superhero called “Red X.” His superhero is an African-American man with a mohawk who uses what Lamarr described as “black magic.”
Xzavier and Lamarr both attend art classes at the Don & Sallie Davis Boys & Girls Club. They were chosen to come to the kick-off by muralist Vedale Hill, youth arts mentor at the club.
Hill called himself a “proud papa” when speaking about how Xzavier and Lamarr hope to be professional artists. Hill explained that the Boys & Girls Clubs hire professional artists to help students understand that art doesn’t have to be a hobby.
“They play basketball in hopes to go to the league. They do math looking into math careers. Only in the arts are they not really looking to the future,” said Hill. “We are trying to change that whole perspective and think about it in a career-building, entrepreneurial way.”

created: February 11, 2017


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Baby in a Box? Free Cardboard Bassinets Encourage Safe Sleeping | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 13, 2017
The New York Times


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City on a Hill works with youth and families to transform Avenues West | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 13, 2017
Karla Hart (right) speaks about her experience living at the Historic Lofts on Kilbourn as Diane De La Santos looks on. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 15 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). City on a Hill is a finalist for the BMO Harris Cornerstone Award, which recognizes an organization for its commitment and effectiveness over time.
One day in spring 1996, Karla Hart’s partner, the father of her children, went to work and never came home. The then-pregnant mother of six struggled to make ends meet. Housing posed a particularly relentless set of challenges for Hart, who was victimized by a series of unscrupulous landlords.
Finally, 17 years after she was abandoned to raise her children alone, Hart found a safe and stable home in the Historic Lofts on Kilbourn in the Avenues West neighborhood, thanks to the faith-based nonprofit City on a Hill.
“City on a Hill has been a tremendous help. If I didn’t get in here I would probably be on the street, homeless,” said Hart, now 64, blind in one eye and suffering from several serious health problems.
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In addition to developing housing for low-income people, City on a Hill pursues its mission to alleviate the symptoms of poverty, break the cycle of generational poverty, and train and engage others in solutions to poverty through a growing number of programs, services and initiatives. These include youth programs, a free health clinic and monthly health outreach, social services, a food pantry, neighborhood outreach, adult support groups, mission trips and racial reconciliation workshops.
Hart first connected with City on a Hill when her youngest child, Crystal, started to attend youth programs there at about age 10. Crystal continued to participate until she entered Alverno College in fall 2016. Though she was awarded scholarships, the financial challenges have been stressful and City on a Hill has stepped in to help Crystal with some of her college expenses, Hart said.
City on a Hill was established in the buildings and on the grounds of the former Sinai Samaritan Medical Center at 23rd Street and Kilbourn Avenue. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Hart also has benefitted from the organization’s recently remodeled free health clinic, open to anyone who is under- or uninsured, low-income or homeless. The clinic is available by appointment and is staffed by more than 100 volunteers, including doctors, nurses, physical therapists, dental hygienists, vision technicians and social workers.
On the second Saturday of every month, the health outreach team sees 300 to 350 walk-in patients.
J’Koreyia Lawson, an 18-year-old freshman at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) also discovered City on a Hill when she was about 11. A neighborhood resident, she and two younger brothers attended a Tuesday evening program that includes a free dinner and worship.
Lawson participated in Youth Center classes throughout middle and high school, including a series of interactive lessons taught though the “Game of Life,” a creation of Lisa Boughton, the youth development manager. Teens learn about goal setting, time management and the consequences of decisions. Presented with choices they will face in high school, college, work and adult life, they gain awareness of opportunities that may become available and the high-risk behavior they must avoid to achieve their dreams.
Lawson also took classes in budgeting and banking, she said, and participated in City on a Hill’s educational advancement program, which provided one-on-one academic support.
The summer after her junior year in high school, she was hired to work in the youth employment program. Still employed as a youth program assistant, she mentors some of the teen girls, Lawson said.
“City on a Hill is special because of the dedicated staff that they have working with young people. It’s very apparent in their interactions with the youth that they truly care about them,” said Katie Sanders, executive director of Safe & Sound.
When City on a Hill was first taking shape in summer 2000, the group began by talking to community leaders and going door to door to discuss the neighborhood’s assets and liabilities, said Diane De La Santos, then a board member. After acquiring the former Sinai Samaritan Medical Center campus, west of North 20th Street between West Kilbourn Avenue and West State Street, in December 2000 the organization initiated an outreach strategy called Adopt-a-Block to identify unmet needs of families in the surrounding neighborhoods. Focusing on building relationships and breaking down racial barriers, staff and volunteers mowed lawns, ran kids programs and held neighborhood events. They helped with immediate needs and made neighbors aware of City on a Hill’s programs and resources, said De La Santos, who became executive director in 2003.
In 2004, City on a Hill and two developers built the Historic Lofts on Kilbourn, 99 mixed- income one-, two-, and three-bedroom rental apartments. In 2011 the partnership completed the William A. Passavant Senior Living Apartments comprising 43 one-bedroom units and eight two-bedroom units in the former hospital’s Maternity Pavilion, and additional construction adjacent to the pavilion.
This kind of affordable housing development neither gentrifies the neighborhood nor concentrates poverty, De La Santos said. There is space on the campus for further housing development and plans are underway to develop 30 to 40 rent-to-own units, she added.
City on a Hill has provided many answers to the problem of generational poverty and other issues facing the City of Milwaukee, said Keith Stanley, who has worked in the Avenues West neighborhood for 12 years. Stanley, who recently joined City on a Hill’s board, said he has been impressed with the organization’s efforts with youth, “teaching them to be better citizens, working with kids not just to get them through elementary and middle school but on to college.
“There are some amazing stories about the work Diane and the City on a Hill staff has done,” said Stanley, who is executive director of Avenues West Association, BID #10 and Near West Side Partners.
De La Santos has been at the forefront of discussions on race and segregation and issues of poverty and limited resources in Milwaukee, said Stanley, adding, “City on a Hill has positioned itself to be one of the solutions to the problems we face in Milwaukee.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 12, 2017

created: February 12, 2017


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Eviction defense project opens, providing free civil legal aid | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Legal Action of Wisconsin
February 13, 2017
Legal Action of Wisconsin has successfully launched its new Eviction Defense Project (EDP), which seeks to reduce housing instability for low-income Milwaukee County families, especially those with children. Housed at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, EDP provides tenants facing eviction with access to free civil legal aid and on-site, limited scope, representation.
“As the temperature drops in Milwaukee, the urgency in eviction cases increases dramatically,” said Raphael Ramos of Legal Action of Wisconsin. “With the EDP, we hope to stabilize housing for families facing eviction during these cold winter months.”
The challenge of evictions in Milwaukee County received national attention over the last year through the award-winning book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond, a sociologist at Harvard University and a recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Grant. The book chronicles the lives of landlords and tenants in Milwaukee neighborhoods and the often devastating impact of housing instability on Milwaukee families. Desmond’s work shows the downward spiral of poverty, joblessness, and homelessness that often results from evictions.
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A close collaboration between Legal Action and others made the EDP possible: The Legal Services Corporation, the Milwaukee Justice Center, Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic, Marquette University, the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, Community Advocates, Quarles & Brady LLP, and many volunteer attorneys. The support of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court was also critical in allowing Legal Action to launch the project.
How to Get Help
Milwaukee County tenants facing eviction can visit the EDP in person during open hours to request civil legal aid. The Eviction Defense Project is housed at the Milwaukee Justice Center in the Milwaukee County Courthouse:
Eviction Defense Project
901 N. 9th St., Room G-9
Open Thursdays from Noon to 3:00 PM
(Times are subject to change; call 414-918-3566 or visit www.legalaction.org for current hours)
The free civil legal aid available at the EDP can include brief legal advice, assistance negotiating settlement with landlord, assistance preparing court documents, and in-court representation.
How to Volunteer to Provide Assistance
Members of the community interested in providing additional support for the Eviction Defense Project are encouraged to contact Raphael Ramos, the EDP Coordinator for Legal Action of Wisconsin at rfr@legalaction.org. All civil legal aid provided through the EDP is limited in scope and duration. Please contact the EDP with any questions or requests for additional information.
Legal Action of Wisconsin
Legal Action of Wisconsin is a non-profit law firm which provides free representation on civil legal problems to low-income individuals in 39 southern Wisconsin Counties.

author: Legal Action of Wisconsin


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Getting to work still part of jobs gap issue, but progress being made | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 13, 2017
Milwaukee Business Journal


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Rebuilding The State’s Largest Housing Complex | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 13, 2017
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Report Looks at Success of Career and Technical Education in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 13, 2017
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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St. Ann Center to use state grant to complete North Side campus | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care
February 13, 2017
(Photo courtesy of St. Ann Center)
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care is very pleased to be included in the Governor’s proposed biennial budget as a non-state agency grant recipient. The $5 million will be used exclusively to fund construction costs to complete its Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Ave.
The center opened in September 2015 after raising about $19 million of the $26 million needed to complete the project. The State allocation will allow the center to open 100 percent of its program units and fully serve the community.
“We are so appreciative to the State for helping us finish construction of the Bucyrus Campus,” said President/CEO Sr. Edna Lonergan, OSF.
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“This will allow us to finish building the Alzheimer’s/dementia unit, which is so critically needed in this area of town. We will build the gym, finish our classrooms, build a handicapped-accessible Aquatic Center to teach adults with disabilities and neighborhood children to swim, and construct a Community Band Shell and lighted walkway, which will be a focal point for neighborhood gatherings.
“Chronic medical conditions put enormous strain on families. Our efforts can now be focused on providing affordable services so we can continue our mission of serving everyone regardless of their ability to pay.”
St. Ann Center, which has drawn national attention for its intergenerational model, provides early childhood education, recreational opportunities and adult day services all under one roof. In only 15 months, the Bucyrus Campus has grown to serve 130 children and 130 adults. Upon completion, Head Start and Early Head Start programs will serve 230 children per day. And more than 350 adult clients—including the frail elderly and adults with physical and developmental disabilities – will make use of day services that include aquatics, art, music, and other forms of therapy.
The center’s programs are open to the entire community, and address the needs of under-served residents on Milwaukee’s north side. The center features a full-service medical clinic and a dental clinic – one of only three dental clinics in the state of Wisconsin equipped to serve persons with severe physical and cognitive disabilities.
Lonergan emphasized that St. Ann Center’s mission includes serving the entire community, from early childhood education and health care to economic development. In the past year, the center has organized two business incubators for local residents trying to start or expand a business. St. Ann Center is also partnering with businesses and community groups to revitalize the North Avenue corridor and surrounding neighborhood.
“We are committed to building this community from within, not gentrification,” said Lonergan.
The Bucyrus Campus has already created 70 permanent jobs, with more than 90 percent of them filled by residents who live in the surrounding neighborhood. That number is expected to rise to 200 jobs over the next two years. St. Ann Center Board member Tim Sullivan, who led the facility’s capital campaign, characterized the Bucyrus Campus as “the most exciting, transformational, community project in the city – ever.”
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care opened as St. Ann Adult Day Care in 1983, and has been expanding its services ever since. It has resulted in fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits and lower health care costs. The programs enable people to remain with families and other caregivers. Intergenerational care is a joyful atmosphere that helps adults to live longer, more meaningful lives and teaches children to appreciate and learn from older adults and persons with disabilities.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 13, 2017


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State Money Could Aid In Assisting Milwaukee County Bus Replacement | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 13, 2017
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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2017 State of the City invitation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mayor Tom Barrett
February 14, 2017

created: February 14, 2017

author: Mayor Tom Barrett


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 14, 2017


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Kaepernick gift lets ‘I Will Not Die Young’ expand violence prevention work | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Emmy A. Yates
February 14, 2017
Muhibb Dyer, co-founder of the nonprofit I Will Not Die Young, was the keynote speaker at a Diversity Dialogue hosted by MATC in December. (Photo by Keith Schubert)
When “I Will Not Die Young” co-founder Muhibb Dyer learned that his organization had received a $25,000 donation from Milwaukee-born Colin Kaepernick, quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, he thought it was a prank.
“I have no idea to this day how Kaepernick became aware of our organization,” Dyer said.
Kaepernick attracted attention this past football season by refusing to stand during the national anthem to protest police brutality toward African-Americans and other minorities.
Since Kaepernick’s protest, he’s created a national conversation on wrongdoing against people of color. He also has pledged $1 million to support nonprofits that work with teens in African-American communities.
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Two Milwaukee organizations, Urban Underground and I Will Not Die Young, each received a $25,000 donation from Kaepernick.
Kwabena Antoine Nixon addressed the audience at Coffee Makes You Black in 2013, when the I Will Not Die Young program was first announced. (Photo by Courtney Perry)
I Will Not Die Young is an initiative that teaches boys and girls in middle school through high school how to identify the sources of their pain in an effort to reduce violence. Writing workshops are used to create an outlet for students to express themselves in a positive way.
“People who are hurting, hurt other people,” Dyer explained.
After Dyer’s godson was murdered in 2005, Dyer and Kwabena Antoine Nixon created the Flood the Hood With Dreams campaign, which was later taken over by MPS, becoming “Saving Our Sons — I Will Not Die Young.” While the program is no longer an MPS initiative, it still serves MPS by conducting workshops in schools.
In 2016, I Will Not Die Young worked with approximately 25 MPS schools. Workshops reached between 200 and 1,000 children each.
The organization plans to use the $25,000 contribution to offer more workshops and “peace assemblies” in schools and juvenile detention centers, where participants are encouraged to talk about their personal pain.
The group also intends to bring in speakers and facilitators to help educate young people about college and planning for their future. Other funds will be used to buy materials for workshops and seminars.
With a bit of theatrical flair, the organization also invested in a coffin.
“We wanted to begin our presentations by using real-life scenarios like being in a casket and showcasing where the path of violence and recklessness can lead you,” Dyer said.
At a recent peace assembly, the presenter started a conversation with the 150 attendees by exiting the casket, said Dyer. The main goal of these assemblies is to stop children from believing that they can’t get off the path to violence.
“I never thought I was going to finish school or go onto college,” said Mantrell Williams, who participated in I Will Not Die Young for two years. “Muhibb and Kwabena took me under their wing and we set up goals and we made plans for my future.”
Williams said he was homeless and not attending school when he discovered the organization. Now enrolled in community college in Minnesota, Williams credits I Will Not Die Young for putting him on the right path.
“They make a real change with individuals like myself from the community, and I feel like everyone should get behind what they’re doing,” Williams said.
Dyer said I Will Not Die Young is grateful that Kaepernick remembers his Milwaukee roots. Dyer added that he admires Kaepernick’s activism.
“When you take a political stance, your sponsors can leave you and that sacrifices your money,” Dyer explained. “Mr. Kaepernick is a throwback to former activists and athletes during the civil rights movement.”
Dyer added that Kaepernick’s activism highlights one of the organization’s proverbs: “We’re ultimately defined by making the world a better place.”
“He isn’t investing his money in a status quo organization; he’s putting his money towards disenfranchised populations who struggle to exist,” Dyer said. “It was very honorable of him to contribute.”

author: Emmy A. Yates


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Living activism | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Arthur Heitzer
February 14, 2017
Sunday, March 12, 2017 at 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm) The Coﬀee House, 19th & Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee.
Admission by donation, to support Wisconsin’s two young women studying at Havana, Cuba’s Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM)* and IFCO/Pastors for Peace**, the U.S. coordinator for this program.
Featuring two magnetic performers: A renowned educational consultant, Dr. Tony Baez has performed songs of social change for more than 30 years in the U.S. and Latin America.  Carmen Murguia is an award-winning poet who writes in English with a touch of Spanish about love and life from the perspective of a Latina lesbian from the Midwest.
*Latin American Medical School (ELAM) has graduated over 23,000 physicians from low-income communities in Africa, Asia and the Americas (including the USA). Nearly 10,000 more are enrolled in the program, thanks to the full scholarships oﬀered by Cuba. These new MDs make a commitment to work in under served areas upon graduation. Young people from over 100 ethnic groups—over half of them women —study in an environment that recognizes the right of every patient to care, and that centers learning in the community, where health promotion is as important as disease management.
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**IFCO/Pastors for Peace Is an interfaith organization to assist oppressed peoples in their ﬁght for justice and self-determination.
Sponsored by — Wisconsin Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba
www.wicuba.wordpress.com or (414) 273-1040
The Coﬀee House
the-coﬀee-house.com or info@the-coﬀee-house.com

author: Arthur Heitzer


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Nominations sought for the 20th Annual Mayor’s Design Awards | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Department of City Development
February 14, 2017
Now in its 20 year, the 2017 Mayor’s Design Awards is again accepting nominations. These unique awards recognize design excellence throughout the City of Milwaukee.
“For two decades we have honored some of the very best additions to Milwaukee.  New buildings, parks, amenities, and landscaping add to the fabric of our neighborhoods,” Mayor Tom Barrett said.  “With these awards, we celebrate the beauty, function, activity, innovation, and energy that have been added to our City.  Again this year we are inviting people to nominate projects that deserve to be recognized.”
Recipients of the award are honored for having added value to their neighborhoods by restoring, constructing, or enhancing their properties in a way that respects the urban fabric and contributes to the character of their surroundings. Sometimes awards go to grand, landmark structures; awards also go to smaller projects such as landscaping in a residential neighborhood.
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Nominations are encouraged from the public and from individuals or organizations involved in the nominated project.  Worthy projects must be located in the City of Milwaukee and must have been completed (or nearly completed) any time prior to December 31, 2016. Submissions are welcome on or before March 31st at http://city.milwaukee.gov/MayorsDesignAwards/2017-Nomination-Form.
Additional information and answers to specific questions are available by email at mayorsdesignawards@milwaukee.gov.


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Parents for Public Schools of Milwaukee hosts candidate forum featuring eight Milwaukee School Board candidates | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
February 14, 2017
Eight candidates vying for four slots on the Milwaukee Board of School Directors will face off on Wednesday, Feb. 15, as Parents for Public Schools of Milwaukee (PPS-MKE) hosts a candidate forum from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at MacDowell Montessori School, 6415 W. Mount Vernon Ave. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
In advance of Milwaukee’s spring general election on April 4, candidates will answer questions from Parents for Public Schools and audience members about the challenges facing Wisconsin’s largest school district, how parents can support and engage with the district, funding issues and more.
“We can’t think of a more important way to celebrate ‘I Love My Public School’ week in Wisconsin than by meeting eight people who want to help shape policy and success for our district’s children,” said PPS-MKE President Jennifer Hofschulte. “We know that Milwaukee’s future is tied to the success of our public schools. Let’s see where the candidates agree, and don’t, on a way forward for Milwaukee Public Schools.”
The candidates include two incumbent directors, current and former teachers, an entrepreneur, a community organizer, a project manager, the parent of an incoming MPS kindergartner, and a bilingual advocate and educator:
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The 90-minute program also includes a brief workshop on the proposed 2017-19 Wisconsin budget.

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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Valentine’s Day is sweet, tobacco products… not as much | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Nia Kamara
February 14, 2017
Chocolates and candies are a Valentine’s Day tradition! Unfortunately, candy flavors like grape, cherry, and apple are also making Other Tobacco Products (OTPs) more popular with kids. Teens, like me, see flavored tobacco products every time we walk into a gas station or convenience store. Sometimes when they’re right next to each other it’s hard to tell the difference between the flavored OTPs and candy.
Last year, the Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Poverty Network (WTPPN) FACT group I’m a member of conducted environmental scans at retail stores in Milwaukee. Our goal was to examine the way tobacco companies advertise products, especially flavored ones, in our community.
Participating in important activities like the scan is why FACT, Wisconsin’s youth tobacco prevention movement, is able to spread awareness that tobacco products, even ones flavored like “gummy bear” or “chocolate covered cherry” aren’t treats and that they’re sometimes placed next to real treats in stores to confuse teens.
We don’t want teens to be fooled by candy flavors and bright colors. During Valentine’s Day Fact groups around the State are doing Trick Not Treat activity that shows how tobacco products can easily be mistaken for candy due to their colorful packaging and fruity flavors.
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Remember, these flavors may seem like a sweet treat, but really, tobacco addiction is actually harsh and deadly.
-Nia Kamara

author: Nia Kamara


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
February 14, 2017


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Milwaukee ID Applications Expected To More Than Triple In Coming Weeks | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 15, 2017
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio

created: February 15, 2017


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Pete’s Fruit Market to hold second job info event Thursday | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
February 15, 2017
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Pete’s Fruit Market, a family-owned store that will soon open a new location in the heart of Bronzeville at N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. and W. North Ave., will hold a second customer service jobs information session from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. TOMORROW — Thursday, February 16 — at the Milwaukee Urban League, 435 W. North Ave., Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs said today.
“Due to the overwhelming response at their first such event, the owners of Pete’s Fruit Market decided to host another one,” Alderwoman Coggs said. “Thursday’s information session is for anyone interested in the possibility of working at the new Pete’s grocery store. Attendees should bring their resumes and be prepared for brief interviews.”
Pete’s Fruit Market is a full-service grocery store known for many years by customers on the near south side. Thursday’s job event is listing possible positions that will be open at the new store, including cashiers, stockers, maintenance, meat clerks and customer service.
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The Pete’s store will fill approximately 13,700 square feet of space at the site of the former Walgreen’s at the northwest corner of King Drive and North Avenue. The store will be located in the heart of the Historic King Drive Business Improvement District.
The developer – Vangard Group – is a Milwaukee-owned firm with experience in successful projects in Bronzeville. The general contractor is JCP Construction – also a locally owned and operated company.
“Including an earlier session about construction jobs, this project will now have hosted three jobs information sessions,” Alderwoman Coggs said. “I thank them for their commitment to hiring Milwaukeeans, especially those from right here in the Bronzeville neighborhood.”

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 15, 2017

author: Adam Carr


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Six Months After Unrest, Job Training Comes to Sherman Park Neighborhood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 15, 2017
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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St. Ann Center to receive $5 million from state budget for Bucyrus Campus completion | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 15, 2017
Milwaukee Business Journal


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What’s Killing America’s Black Infants? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 15, 2017
The Nation


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Youth share powerful stories at Teen Gun Violence Prevention Summit | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Camille Paul
February 15, 2017
Robert “Redd” Jones, a mentor who attended Neighborhood House as a teen, shares his experiences with gun violence. (Photo by Camille Paul)
Nelicia Miranda, 15, remembers hanging out with her cousin, Anita Burgos-Brooks, at girls’ nights. Nelicia and her sister would visit Burgos-Brooks and they’d paint each other’s nails and eat their cousin’s fried shrimp.
“We were there almost every other day; she would work late and we would watch her daughter,” Nelicia said. “It was like our second home. She was just a good person to be around.”
Burgos-Brooks, known as Anita Bee, was a Milwaukee poet and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. In December 2012, Nelicia and her family received a phone call at 3 a.m. informing them that Burgos-Brooks was shot and killed in her home by her husband, Keith Brooks.
“I woke up shocked. I thought it was a dream,” she said. “It didn’t feel real to lose someone like that, who was so good, pure hearted and beautiful.”
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Nelicia told her story at Neighborhood House of Milwaukee during the recent Teen Gun Violence Prevention Summit. The four-hour summit included presentations by Safe & Sound, focused on explaining the consequences of drug use, and personal stories or spoken-word performances by teens about gun violence and drug abuse. After the performances, a Milwaukee Police Department officer spoke about gun violence in the city.
Nelicia, who was 13 when she lost her cousin, turned to harming herself as a way to deal with the grief.
Alexia Evans reads her poem “You Don’t Live on My Street” at the summit. (Photo by Camille Paul)
“I felt like the world was going to end and there was no escaping this everyday problem of gun violence,” she said. “It was really difficult to cope with the fact that she wasn’t here with us anymore.”
Nelicia turned to counseling and religion to find solace after her cousin’s death. Now, she works for Neighborhood House as an outdoor environmental educator in the summer and attends the after-school teen program. She writes poetry and hopes to attend college to major in business and open her own hair salon.
“I’m still growing and they are helping me,” she said. “It’s like a family here.”
The Neighborhood House teen program serves about 50 teens a week. The free program offers a computer lab, roller skating rink and basketball courts for students.
Robert Jones, 24, is now a mentor at Neighborhood House where he started going when he was 15.
“I was lost as a kid. People use to call me a savage. I would do anything to anyone no matter who they were,” said Jones. “I would fight people, shoot at them, or rob them depending on how I felt that day.”
Jones grew up on 19 and Hampton with his mother and two sisters. Jones’ father was absent from his life and his mother turned to cocaine to deal with her struggle with illness.
“I was a lonely boy and I had no structure,” he said. “I had a lot of anger and sadness.”
Jones turned to violence and spent time in jail for pushing drugs and gun possession. He said he has lost more than 20 people to gun violence, including his best friend and brother.
“There needs to be more restrictions, I could go out and get a gun right now,” he said.
When Jones was 15, his mother decided to move him closer to downtown and to Neighborhood House.
“All of the killing that was going on with my brother being killed, my cousin trying to find his killer, and me in the middle of it, my mom knew I was going to end up either in jail or dead.”
There, Jones met James Austin, an Army cadet and former Neighborhood House employee. Austin mentored Jones and became a father figure to him, showing him the love he didn’t receive as a child.
“No matter what I did he was always there to help,” Jones said. “He brought me over to the house for dinner and would cook for me and show me true love and care.”
Jones followed Austin’s footsteps and became a mentor. He attempts to foster change in teens who attend the program and keep them from making the same mistakes that he made.
“Some of them just don’t know what love feels like and never had anyone care for them. So it takes some time for them to get use to it.”
Jones hopes to play basketball in college and study criminal justice to become a cop.
“Someone showed me that I have a kind heart and I have a lot of patience,” he said. “I want to make a difference and as long as I help someone else, that makes me happy.”

author: Camille Paul


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Riverworks executive director leads revival in Harambee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
February 16, 2017
Darryl Johnson, executive director of Riverworks Development Corp., heads an effort that has resulted in millions of dollars in development and initiatives that have improved the quality of life in the Harambee and Riverwest neighborhoods. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 15 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). Darryl Johnson is a finalist for theNorthern Trust Navigator Award, which recognizes an individual for leadership and collaboration.
Like other neighborhoods in Milwaukee, the North Side neighborhood of Harambee was devastated by the departure of major industrial companies in the 1990s. The mass exodus left thousands jobless and a glut of empty industrial buildings in the neighborhood.
Two decades after the collapse of the area’s industrial economy, Darryl Johnson, who grew up in Harambee, is guiding its revival as executive director of Riverworks Development Corp. (RDC), the development wing of Riverworks Center, 526 E. Concordia Ave. The two-pronged entity also includes the Riverworks Business Improvement District (BID).
Among Johnson’s accomplishments was working to secure a major grant from the Kresge Foundation, along with the Greater Milwaukee Committee (GMC), to fund art and cultural programming for the area’s most influential project, the Beerline Trail.
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The Beerline Trail, a multi-use recreational trail, started as a trash-strewn railway corridor. The trail was extended into Harambee and Riverwest in 2015. The two neighborhoods had previously shared a border, but little else, before being connected by the trail, Johnson said.
“The neighborhoods were isolated from each other. It was almost like the haves and the have- nots. We needed to find ways to engage residents of both areas with each other,” said Johnson, 57.
The trail has become a catalyst for several other projects in the area including the ARTery, a blighted plot of land along the trail that is now an active public space that hosts art exhibits, performances and other events that connect residents from both neighborhoods. The ARTery project is a partnership among Riverworks Center, Greater Milwaukee Committee (GMC), Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Still Waters Collective and several other organizations.
The Beerline Trail was extended into Harambee and Riverwest in 2015. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Julia Taylor, president and CEO of GMC, said Johnson fits the definition of an unsung hero. The GMC has been working with Riverworks Development Corp. to establish a creative district by developing programming and entrepreneurship opportunities along the Beerline Trail.
“The work he’s done over the past 10 years to stabilize and grow that community has been one of those success stories that nobody knows about because it’s taken so long,” Taylor said. She said Johnson has been a key force for urban development in the area.
His ability to build partnerships with other organizations has brought more than $15 million in investments into Harambee and Riverwest, according to Steve Adams, RDC board chair. Those investments include the creation of the Riverworks Lofts, 3372 N. Holton St., a former spaghetti factory.
“His success in spurring investments and building partnerships has helped create high-quality housing options for local residents,” said Adams, who also pointed out the addition of several new businesses in the area.
Johnson, who previously founded the Parkside Housing Cooperative and was executive director of Lisbon Avenue Neighborhood Development, also has prioritized the growth of human capital by creating a Financial Opportunity Center within Riverworks. The center provides personal and career coaching, workforce development training, and financial and benefits coaching. According to Johnson, the services were created after leaders realized that creating job opportunities in the area wasn’t enough.
“When we started workforce development we were placing people in jobs but we weren’t preparing them to be successful,” he said.
Through partnerships with the City of Milwaukee, Employ Milwaukee and other nonprofits, Johnson also helped launch Neighborhood Ambassador and Youth Ambassador Programs in Harambee. The ambassadors are tasked with street cleaning and facilitating resident engagement, while receiving job training. The programs help remove employment barriers and build soft skills for unemployed or underemployed individuals and those aging out of the foster care system.
“He’s mastered an understanding of the strengths of Riverworks, so he knows when to take the lead on projects, and also what types of complementary pieces are needed,” said Carl Nilssen, Riverworks BID chair. The organization’s staff has grown from five to 19 since Johnson started there in 2003.
Another jewel in Johnson’s plan to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood is the 14,000-square-foot Riverworks City Center, 3334 N. Holton St. In 2016, Riverworks closed on financing to develop the new retail center, which will eventually house the organization, other nonprofits and retail businesses including Family Dollar.
The development also will allow for expansion of the Financial Opportunity Center and Riverworks Cleans, a social entrepreneurship project, Johnson said. The first business to be launched through Riverworks Cleans is a laundromat, which is set to open in April and will employ four people, he added.
Despite the many positives recently, Harambee continues to face many challenges, Johnson said. “There’s still not enough activities for young people; too many boarded-up houses and commercial buildings.”
But the vibrancy is returning. It’s coming back as jobs become available, and as residents receive job training, have access to better housing and become more engaged, he explained. As he sat in his first floor office, Johnson pictured himself walking down the street and chatting with people in Harambee seven years from now.
“I want people to say, ‘I live in the Harambee neighborhood,’ and say it with pride,” Johnson said.

created: February 16, 2017

author: Edgar Mendez


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The Revolutionary Black Panther Party threatens $400M lawsuit against Milwaukee police | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 16, 2017
jsonline.com

author: Andrea Waxman


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Black History Month at St. Ann Center | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care
February 17, 2017
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The culture and style of Africa were showcased at St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus as part of a month-long celebration of Black history. African drums summoned adult clients, day care children, volunteers and staff to the intergenerational park on Friday, Feb. 3. Keeping the beat were two young drummers from the Ko-Thi Drum Ensemble—Christian, 17, and his cousin Judah, age 4.
Starting off a fun-filled fashion show were the 2-year-old Meerkat class. Evan stepped out in a loose, colorful tunic from West Africa known as a dashiki. Next came Kingston sporting a green kofia—a brimless cylindrical cap with a flat crown, worn by men in East Africa. Harper was beautiful in her wrapped dress and gele—a head tie worn in many parts of southern and western Africa. Tariyah turned heads with her cheetah-print lappa, a garment worn by women in West Africa. Kamilah was stunning in a black head tie, and Edwin rocked a kanzu—a robe worn by men in the African Great Lakes region.
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St. Ann Center staff came next. Nurse Annie Smith modeled a gold-trimmed midi dress in deep purple—the color of royalty, nobility, kingship and creativity. Steven Anderson from the Ubuntu Unit sported a bright blue tunic from Nigeria, a formal garment he wore as best man in a friend’s wedding. Lucille Armstrong from our Social Work department wore an orange kitenge from Nigeria—a garment similar to a sarong. Joyce Davis, Vice President of Adult Services, was striking in a flaring mermaid-style dress in canary, blue and burgundy, handmade for her in Tanzania.
Marie Britt, our receptionist, demonstrated some dance moves while modeling a green dress with colorful red and yellow accents and matching head wrap. Sr. Brigid Mueni from the Simba Unit wore a patterned maroon dress made in Kenya and a broad-brimmed white hat, perfect for summer strolling. Volunteer storyteller Lois Reddick showed off a black vest decorated with Bantu silhouettes.
Diane Beckley, Bucyrus Campus Chief Operating Officer, wore a traditional Cameroonian dress made for her when she visited that country on a mission trip last fall. The blue and beige fabric has a waxed covering that is rain-resistant and suitable for Cameroon’s climate. She carried a matching dress on a hanger, made for her granddaughter, Lai’ Elle.
Volunteer Michelle Woodard communicated the importance of spirituality to the African American culture, singing “How I Got Over.” This beloved spiritual was performed by Mahalia Jackson at the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 before 250,000 people.
The program wrapped up with children and adult clients coming forward and joining in the fashion show finale. Some wore African-inspired garb, others their Sunday best or more comfortable attire. Summing up the spirit of the event, Activity Coordinator Wanda Gray said, “Culture does not make you…you make culture.” And St. Ann Center is creating a beautifully unique intergenerational culture on a daily basis.

created: February 17, 2017


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Blues musician Pierre to host jam session at inaugural Black Arts Festival | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mitchell Mittelstedt
February 17, 2017
Editor’s note: Watch for videos of drummer and bandleader Ramone Malone and spoken-word artist Bobby Drake, who also will be performing at the Black Arts Festival.
Blues multi-instrumentalist Pierre, who goes by his first name only, is performing with his band at the inaugural Black Arts Festival at the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center, 3020 W. Vliet St., on Saturday, Feb. 18.
The three-day festival, sponsored by the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce, will include live performances from spoken-word artists, dancers and musicians, as well as vendor displays and interactive activities.
For several years Pierre hosted jam sessions at Caroline’s Jazz Club, where he was the youngest musician to perform with his own band. There he met Linda Cooper, marketing and sales coordinator of the Black Arts Festival, and they became friends. Cooper reached out to him to host a jam session at the festival.
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Cooper described Pierre as a “musical prodigy,” having picked up piano on a whim in high school after almost failing an AP art class. From there he learned guitar, bass and drums and took a keen interest in blues.
Raised in Gary, Indiana, he moved with his family to Milwaukee in 2001.
“There’s not too many cats my age that’s trying to play the blues,” Pierre said. “Blues is a dying art. I’m just tying to keep it going. That’s our heritage, and our history, one of the few American-born art forms. It’s our duty to keep it going.”

author: Mitchell Mittelstedt


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 17, 2017


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Ramone Malone’s band MIC plays soul, blues and jazz at the inaugural Black Arts Festival | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mitchell Mittelstedt
February 17, 2017
Editor’s note: Watch for the video about spoken-word artist Bobby Drake, who also will be performing at the Black Arts Festival.
Ramone Malone and his band MIC (Musically Inclined Crew) are performing Friday evening at the inaugural Black Arts Festival at the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center, 3020 W. Vliet St.
The three-day festival, sponsored by the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce, includes live performances from spoken-word artists, dancers and musicians, as well as vendor displays and interactive activities.
Malone has been drumming for 26 years, since he started as a youth for his church. “Just watching certain drummers as I grew up, I wanted to take on the challenge of playing drums, and yes, I love it now,” said Malone. Drumming is his passion, although he also sings and assists in other ways at rehearsals if need be.
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In total, the band comprises 11 musicians and plays a variety of music. “We play soul, we play blues, we play jazz, we play music that’ll make you step,” Malone said.
MIC has played at the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center before. Every second Friday for the past few months, Malone and his crew have performed at the Soul Lounge, which is located at the center.


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The inaugural Black Arts Festival features jazz and blues musician Mary Davis | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mitchell Mittelstedt
February 17, 2017
Editor’s note: Watch for videos of Pierre, a multi-instrumental musician; drummer and bandleader Ramone Malone; and spoken-word artist Bobby Drake, performing at the Black Arts Festival.
Mary Davis, a Milwaukee jazz and blues keyboardist and singer who has been performing for more than 50 years, will be one of the featured artists at the inaugural Black Arts Festival at the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center. Mary Davis & Company will perform Saturday, Feb. 18.
The three-day festival, sponsored by the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce, will include live performances from spoken-word artists, dancers and musicians, as well as vendor displays and interactive activities.
“Mary Davis is a legend in Milwaukee,” said Linda Cooper, marketing and sales coordinator of the Black Arts Festival. Cooper said she first saw Davis perform at The Main Event on 3rd and Atkinson in the 1970s. “I was in my early 20s and Mary was already a showstopper, playing at many of the extravagant matinees we had back in the day.”
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Davis has performed not only in Milwaukee but across the country. Church music was her foundation, before she moved on to blues and jazz.
“Mary Davis was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and at the age of 10 she was playing the piano,” said Cooper. A church quartet asked her mother if Davis could join them for a performance at the church, which became her first paid gig. Her family moved to Milwaukee in May 1959.
The Black Arts Festival runs through Sunday, Feb. 19.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 16, 2017


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Spoken word artist Bobby Drake speaks to millennial generation with “Never Say Die” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mitchell Mittelstedt
February 19, 2017
Performance video used with permission of Bobby Drake.
Spoken word artist Bobby Drake’s “Never Say Die” show is about a man whose ambition and drive lead him to alienate the people who are most important in his life.
“It’s kind of the downward spiral that he takes. It’s a cautionary tale about the other side of success,” Drake said.
The performance was one of several by spoken word artists featured at the inaugural Black Arts Festival, which concludes Sunday at the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center, 3020 W. Vliet St.
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The three-day festival, sponsored by the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce, included live performances by dancers and musicians, as well as vendor displays and interactive activities.
After seeing a television interview with Drake about his work, Sasha J. Parsons, event manager of the Black Arts Festival, asked him to participate.
Drake said his work tends to be edgy, dealing with issues experienced by millennials. He contrasts it with work by younger and older spoken word artists that covers different ground. “If you have to give in an MPAA rating, it would be ‘R.’ I wouldn’t suggest having anyone under the age of 18 around.”
Drake, who is also a music producer, enjoys performing his poetry on nontraditional stages such as people’s living rooms to better connect with the audience.

created: February 19, 2017


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 18, 2017

created: February 18, 2017