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Running Rebels’ vision: To see the best in kids, even if they don’t see it themselves | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
February 4, 2019
Victor and Dawn Barnett serve more than 1,500 youths a year through an array of programs, including a gym at Running Rebels East, 225 W. Capitol Dr. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 12finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). Running Rebels is a finalist for the BMO Harris Cornerstone Award, which recognizes commitment and effectiveness over time.
Davonte (Dae) Hill recalls the day he stood in front of a judge as a 16-year-old. He was given two options: serve time in a detention center or get connected to a program at Running Rebels Community Organization.
Hill knew some kids who played on the Running Rebels basketball team, so he chose the latter.
“Looking back, I was a kid who was one good decision away from being successful and one bad decision away from throwing my life into the streets,” Hill said.
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Ten years later, Hill is a full-time employee at Running Rebels. He is a youth adviser as part of an in-school program called Violence Free Zones, the head engineer of the entertainment program and a basketball coach, but the title he prefers is “mentor.”
“I think being a mentor is understanding the youth that we serve, taking them under our wings and unlocking their potential, because we see their lives from a different scope and perspective than they see their own lives,” Hill said.
He said the young people he works with know he came from a similar environment and seeing him doing fulfilling work helps them earn their trust.
“I look at the youth that I serve as the best versions of themselves,” Hill said. “I see presidents. I see the next big entertainer. I see the next big athlete or the next lawyer or doctor.”
When Hill first came to Running Rebels, Victor Barnett, founder and co-executive director, saw that kind of potential in him.
“He saw that I could be a leader,” Hill said of Barnett, who saw his interest in music and connected Hill to the entertainment and leadership programs. After his court order was up, Hill could have left Running Rebels, but he didn’t.
Davonte Hill (center) works with Sir’zion Curlin and Tyler Knight, eighth-grade students at Roosevelt Middle School, as a mentor in Running Rebels’ Violence Free Zones program. (Photo courtesy of Davonte Hill)
Barnett said that’s the point of his organization.
“It’s about activities and programming geared to connect young people to something positive to do that they might become passionate about,” he said. “To keep their attention on that, to steer them away from some of the everyday pressures they have.” Some youth get plugged into Running Rebels through the justice system, but many choose to participate freely.
“Coming down here is like Thanksgiving every day,” Hill said. “Every year we wait for that one day to go be around all the family, but you get that same feeling here on a day-to-day basis.”
Barnett first started mentoring young men in his neighborhood through basketball in 1980. More than 38 years later, he and co-executive director Dawn Barnett have expanded their programs in response to the needs and interests of the youth they work with. They now serve more than 1,500 youth a year.
When young people needed somewhere to go after school and in the summer, they started programs for them. They recognized a need to help young people in detention centers to transition home and make better choices. They’ve now been partnering with Milwaukee County and others involved with the youth justice system for more than 20 years, and say they have saved the county more than $80 million by preventing youth incarceration.
“Victor and Dawn were way ahead of the curve of youth justice work,” said Mark Mertens, administrator of the Milwaukee County Division of Youth and Family Services. “They were recognizing early on the importance of engaging youth and helping then find meaning.”
When the Barnetts saw that basketball was a consistent interest for youth, they took their program to the next level with competitive AAU teams. In 2017, they opened up the East location, 225 W. Capitol Dr., and for the first time got their own gym.
Running Rebels’ entertainment program has its own recording studio and has continued to grow, teaching sound engineering, videography, production and marketing. The catering company offers youth an opportunity to learn culinary skills and entrepreneurship.
The Barnetts partnered with Milwaukee Public Schools to put mentors in schools during the day to mediate and support students through Violence Free Zones, which has been proven to decrease behavioral incidents and suspensions.
The evolution of Running Rebels has taken many shapes — violence prevention, workforce development, college preparation — but they all come back to mentoring.
“Quality mentorship is at the backbone of when you hear ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’” said John Rankowski, director of prevention programs. “It’s all about relationships.”
Running Rebels does not take these relationships lightly. Dawn Barnett said that the organization hires staff who are dedicated to their young people’s wellbeing, even when it may be inconvenient.
Hill acknowledged that these relationships were invaluable to him. “I reached a point in my life where I had lost a lot of friends, due to crime or passing… and I kind of evaluated their lives, and I noticed the absence of positive people looking out for them,” Hill said. Out of the 10 friends Hill hung out with when he was arrested, only four are still alive, and two of those four are in prison.
“Beyond goals of decreasing violence or decreasing recidivism, we’re raising the bar in relation to positive things,” said Rakowski.“We talk about getting young people into a position where they’re accomplishing things… getting a young person in a position to want to and be willing to give back.”
This is what Running Rebels staff refer to as the “full circle effect,” when youth receive positive mentorship and then want to contribute to their community going forward.
“The goal is to …pour into somebody to the point where they can come back and help the next generation. That’s really what the full circle effect is for us,” said Dawn Barnett.
She said that with the added location, the organization is positioned better than ever to continue that cycle through people like Hill.
“It puts us in a space moving forward to be able to really dream big and think about our vision for young people in this city,” she said.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 3, 2019

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: February 3, 2019

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

author: Adam Carr


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Carolyn Esswein sets her designs on serving underserved neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Analise Pruni
February 5, 2019
Carolyn Esswein explains her process of charrette, where she brings together residents, funders and designers for community-based development planning. (Photo by Analise Pruni)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 12 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs).
When Kelsey Otero first met Carolyn Esswein while working for Near West Side Partners in 2015, she said she knew nothing about real estate or redevelopment.
“Carolyn really took me under her wing,” said Otero, co-chair of the Commercial Corridor working team for NWSP, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing the Near West Side. “She didn’t just tell me: ‘this is what you need to do.’ She helped me to understand the process and that’s helped me overall become a better leader.”
Esswein has been an architecture and urban planning consultant in Milwaukee for more than 26 years, as well as an adjunct professor at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee since 2002. In 2012, Esswein left a corporate job at GRAEF for the director’s position at Community Design Solutions (CDS) and a permanent teaching position at UWM.
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As director of CDS, whose mission is to provide preliminary design and planning services to underserved communities, she has been instrumental in helping residents envision the potential of their neighborhood.
Esswein’s charrette process for community-based development distinguishes her from other planners. Charrettes allow all stakeholders in a project the opportunity to resolve conflicts as well as forge solutions.
Esswein’s development charrettes engage with residents of underserved communities to determine what they would like to see in a project, park or other development.
“The process of charrette is an interactive design day, but there’s a lot of work that comes before a charrette,” Esswein said.
Otero noted that she worked with Esswein on the Near West Side charrette for six months before the actual design day in April 2016. They identified six key properties that had potential for mixed-use development and revitalization and held focus groups with funders, developers and more than 100 residents to brainstorm ideas.
Mark Debrauske, Nate Waddell and Lyssa Olker of HGA Architects and Engineers, and Carolyn Esswein, director of Community Design Solutions at the UWM School of Architecture and Urban Planning, listen as an audience member suggests an idea at the Near West Side charrette. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Esswein’s charrettes have guided the vision, investments and implementations of many projects throughout the city, including the previously vacant Garfield Avenue Elementary School that was converted into housing, along with mixed-income apartments at The Griot and America’s Black Holocaust Museum, in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
The mixed-use Welford Sanders Historic Lofts, in the Harambee neighborhood, was also envisioned at a charrette.
Her later involvement with the Lindsay Heights redevelopment plan led to the construction of 165 new homes, 100 homes being rehabbed and more than $70 million in investments.
“We select sites that are the most catalytic and have the opportunity to spur additional investment,” Esswein said.
Deshea Agee, executive director of the Historic King Drive Business Improvement District (BID), has worked with Esswein on numerous occasions, including the Bronzeville and MLK Drive charrettes. He said that when she organizes a charrette with all the stakeholders it is like she is conducting an orchestra.
“[She] knows all of the sounds and knows when they need to play and [is] able to put it all together at the right time,” Agee said. “It gives community residents a way to understand how development happens.”
Esswein said it is important to connect residents with local developers and architects and to understand the nuances of each neighborhood.
Esswein employs about a dozen of her UWM students annually through Community Design Solutions, where they work with client groups on their projects.
Bill Noelck, who worked with Esswein at CDS while in graduate school, said planners can “put our blinders on and just do design in a vacuum.” Esswein’s process allows them to connect with people they don’t work with very often. Community members are “some of the most passionate people with the best visions, addressing some of the most challenging problems,” he said.
Otero said that Esswein is involved with projects well past the initial design process.
“She kicks a project off, she sees it through the charrette, and then she continues to stay involved with the progress at each and every site,” she said.
One of Esswein’s favorite projects is the first HOME GR/OWN in Ezekiel Gillespie Park, which was a product of the Lindsay Heights charrette. HOME GR/OWN, an initiative of Mayor Tom Barrett and the City Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO), was designed to create access to greenspace development, grow healthy, local food and repurpose vacant city lots.
Nancy Frank, who teaches with Esswein at UWM, said she shows her students how to trust and listen to the community, rather than think they are the experts.
“She has inspired a number of students to see their future, not in designing great skyscrapers, but to really work at a grassroots level; working with communities that really need design services,” Frank said.

created: February 5, 2019

author: Analise Pruni


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 4, 2019

created: February 4, 2019


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 5, 2019


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NNS reporter Analise Pruni goes live on WGLB 1560AM | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
February 5, 2019
NNS reporter Analise Pruni recently appeared on WGLB-AM 1560’s “Morning Mix” with hosts Dennis Walton and Saryea Murchison to discuss how a historic designation for Washington Park has created a spirited conversation on public land use. The park, designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, also is used by the Urban Ecology Center.
The “Morning Mix” airs at 8 a.m. Mondays and Fridays.
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author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 5, 2019
“Track 1” from Untitled – 02-01-19. Track 1.


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Greater Milwaukee Foundation grants exceed $80 million in 2018 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
February 6, 2019
Philanthropic support from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation totaled more than $80 million in 2018, with grants from Wisconsin’s largest community foundation supporting a vast range of nonprofit organizations and programs in the region and beyond.
Over the last five years, the community has benefited from over $315 million in grants from the Foundation.
As they have for the last several years, community development efforts received the most grant funding. This is due in large part to the $100 million gift the Foundation has stewarded since 2014 on behalf of former Sen. Herb Kohl in support of the downtown arena project, now the Fiserv Forum. In 2018, about $30.5 million in charitable funds were directed toward that project. Arts and culture, followed by education, round out the top three areas of support.
Foundation grant support in 2018 by category, according to preliminary financial data:
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Community development: $38 million
Arts & culture: $8.93 million
Education: $8.56 million
Human services: $6.91 million
Environment: $6.03 million
Child/Youth/Family: $4.24 million
Health: $3.91 million
Other: $2.13 million
Employment & training: $1.56 million
Grants issued by the Foundation include strategic and responsive investments authorized by the Board of Directors using discretionary resources, as well as grants and co-investments made through the funds of those who partner with the Foundation for their philanthropy.
GRANT DESCRIPTIONS: Learn about responsive and strategic grants awarded in 2018.
Last year, donors contributed more than $47 million in new gifts to and through the Foundation. As of Dec. 31, 2018, the Foundation’s assets totaled $833 million, based on preliminary figures.
“If you held a mirror up to the community, the picture would look a lot like the Foundation’s grantmaking,” said Ellen Gilligan, Foundation president and CEO. “In any given year, you can see the activities and aspirations of the community reflected in those programs and investments, and each year builds on the legacy of all those who have given generously throughout the last century to bring those aspirations to life.”
About the Greater Milwaukee Foundation
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is the region’s largest community foundation and was among the first established in the world. For more than a century, the Foundation has inspired philanthropy by connecting generous people to community needs that align with their interests. The Foundation was founded on the premise that generosity can unlock an individual’s potential and strengthen the community as a whole for everyone who lives here. We work in partnership with those who are committed to ensuring greater Milwaukee is a vibrant, economically thriving region that comprises welcoming and inclusive communities providing opportunity, prosperity and a high quality of life for all.
greatermilwaukeefoundation.org  | @GrMKEFdn  |  facebook.com/GreaterMilwaukeeFoundation

created: February 6, 2019

author: Greater Milwaukee Foundation


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GMF 2016 Logo.png | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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February 5, 2019

author: Name *


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We Are the Drum 2019 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Eunice Drifka
February 7, 2019
CAPITA Productions’ highly anticipated show We Are The Drum will be live at Marshall High School auditorium February 15th – 24th, 2019 with a special “pay-what-you-can” Community Show on February 7th at 7 pm.
We Are the Drum is an educational, entertaining, high-energy, professionally produced show using powerful singing, poetry, dance and inspiration that celebrates 400 years of our people’s rich African American heritage, history and culture; past, present, and future. The theme for this years is “Revive, Restore, Respect!”
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The show’s cast consists of a diverse group of talented actors, actresses, singers, and dancers from the community, ranging from ages 5 to 70. We Are the Drum promises to leave a positive and lasting impact on every audience that views it. Patrons will leave the show revived, restored and respecting all humankind.
We Are The Drum will run from Friday, February 15th – Sunday, February 24th, 2019.
Friday shows are at 7 pm, Saturday shows are at 3 pm and 7 pm and the matinee show on Sunday, February 24th starts at 4 pm.
The tickets are $10. Advance tickets can be purchased online at EventBrite.com and the following locations: Rise and Shine Café (2737 N. Martin Luther King Drive, from 7 pm to 4 pm), Torrence’s House of Threads (7732 W. Burleigh Street & 4722 W. Fond Du Lac Avenue from 10 am to 6 pm), and at Marshall High School (4141 N. 64th Street) Tuesday through Saturday, 9 am to 7 pm.
For more information, please go to our website: capitaproductions.com .
About CAPITA Productions:
CAPITA Productions is a non-profit community theater company, founded in 1990 by the late Brother Booker Ashe. His goal was to draw from all areas of the community to foster multicultural awareness and racial harmony through the medium of Community Theater. Since its inception, CAPITA has worked to bring together people of diverse ages, races, and backgrounds to provide an example of how the community can work together. The acronym CAPITA stands for “City at Peace in the Arts.”

created: February 7, 2019

author: Eunice Drifka


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557889_474815382580357_813183983_n.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
February 7, 2019


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‘We deserve to feel safe in our own skin:’ North Division students march for Black Lives Matter | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
February 7, 2019
A beating drum accompanied by chants of, “No justice, no peace!” and “Whose streets? Our streets!” echoed down Center Street on Wednesday morning as nearly 200 students marched to support the Black Lives Matter movement at North Division High School.
“We’re out here to show our neighborhood and our community who we are, that we’re a united front, that we matter and that we deserve to feel safe in our own skin,” said Aaliyah Rave, 15, a student leader with North Division’s chapter of Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT), who organized the march as part of Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action.
Many students sported black hoodies and buttons that read, “Black Lives Matter,” as they walked the ice-coated sidewalks of the block surrounding their school.
Ajaivien Knight, a 17-year-old junior, grabbed a megaphone from his friend and yelled into it, “Say it loud, say it clear, Black Lives Matter here!” He said he decided to join the march because he is frustrated by police brutality and gun violence in his community.
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“I know how it feels to lose somebody to police hands,” Knight said, referring to his uncle who had been killed. “People might not care about this, but gun violence can affect anyone’s family. We need to have justice, and we need to have a better system that is more fair to people.”
Akeira Smith, 18, is a senior at North Division, and she said she decided to march because she wants to take action to improve her community for the next generation.
“I have brothers and sisters who are young, and they have to grow up in this community, and it’s not going to be the parents and the staff who make the change,” she said. “It has to be the students.”
Several student leaders from LIT gave speeches at a rally following the march.
“We deserve the same freedom to come out of our house and feel safe, without the fear of being shot by a police officer… We should be getting treated the same as white people, but we’re not… the same blood pumps in our bodies as everyone else, but we continue to get treated as less than,” said Princess Holms, 15. “We deserve better.”
In addition to the march, students and teachers planned a week of activities including workshops on the history of fair housing, a poetry slam and a soul food celebration to educate students about the Black Lives Matter movement and provide opportunities for students to take action.
Some teachers showed documentaries or included related articles in their lesson plans for the week, the ACLU is offering “know your rights” sessions for students, and there is going to be an all-school assembly about the school to prison pipeline.
“North Division was the hub of the Civil Rights Movement back in the day,” said Gina Jorgensen, an art teacher and staff adviser to LIT. She said that the LIT students know that history and are trying to live in that legacy with the work they are doing. In the past, they raised awareness about lead in the water at the school, organized to get filters on the water fountains, registered students to vote, and canvassed before elections.
“We want to give the students an opportunity to stand up for justice and to become leaders,” Jorgensen said.
Milwaukee Public Schools is promoting Black Lives Matter in School Week of Action throughout the district, with a different event each evening, as part of Black History Month. Various schools across the city are also celebrating in their own way, similar to North Division, as well as districts nationwide.
“This week is important because we need to come together as the black community and show that we value our lives and demand that others value our lives as well,” said Jashanti Johnson, 15.

author: Allison Dikanovic


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 7, 2019


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Council approves legislation calling for the creation of a maintenance and security plan for City-owned homes | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
February 8, 2019
The Common Council approved a resolution on Tuesday, February 5 directing the Commissioner of the Department of City Development (DCD) to partner with the Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS), Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), and the Office of Violence Prevention to establish a maintenance and security plan for reducing the impact of vacant City-owned homes on neighborhood crime rates.
Common Council File #181491 was introduced by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs and approved unanimously by the Council. Alderman Khalif J. Rainey and Alderman Ashanti Hamilton co-sponsored the legislation
“We know that vacant homes can be an attractive nuisance in our neighborhoods,” said Ald. Coggs. “These homes can present safety hazards to neighbors and first responders when they become havens for criminal activities.”
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“This legislation also includes a property maintenance component, to ensure that landscaping, grass mowing and trash control are all up-to-date,” continued Ald. Coggs. “Together with the safety aspect, we are working to make these City-owned properties clean and secure for the safety of everyone in our neighborhoods.”

created: February 8, 2019

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


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New editor vows to ‘proceed until apprehended’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
February 8, 2019
After leaving the city for two years to work at USA TODAY, Ron Smith has returned to help lead the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. “We want to tell stories about communities that have long been overlooked but have much to say and step up our watchdog reporting.” (Photo by Wes Tank)
NNS editor Ron Smith
Her name was Ann Christine Heintz — Sister Ann if she needed a favor.
And she did not suffer fools.
On this day, she was showing no love to my 16-year-old self.
“What is this crap?” she asked, glaring at me with disbelief and not trying to mask her indignation.
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I had committed a mortal sin as a young reporter for New Expression, then a citywide teen publication written by and for Chicago youth that reached 120,000 readers monthly.
Ann wanted me to write a story about Chicago Public School teachers going on strike. Instead, I gave her a fawning story about Mayor Harold Washington, the city’s first black mayor.
“Why would you ask him how it feels to be the first black mayor? He’s been in office for two years.”
She rolled her eyes. I slunk further in my chair across from her, hoping to escape more of her vitriol as everyone in the newsroom listened.
Ann expected the best from her young charges, and diplomacy was not one of the tools she favored. She was direct. To a fault. She did not care about your feelings. She only cared about the readers.
Still, I was not prepared for what would happen next.
She ordered me to find the mayor and get her questions answered.
I, however, took the train home from her downtown office and never came back.
At least for a day.
Ann hounded me, even enlisting my mother in forcing me to complete the assignment. I, in turn, bugged the mayor’s office, leaving close to a dozen messages from my high school’s guidance counselor’s office. I left message after message after message to seemingly no avail.
Until one Friday night, the mayor called me back. I got the story, and I also learned a valuable lesson: Persistence pays.
If I could get the mayor to return a call from a teenager who had never even ventured downtown by himself before that assignment, then there was nothing I couldn’t do if I set my mind to it.
A journalist was born.
And that journalist still exists today.
I’ve had the honor of working in some of the nation’s best newsrooms: USA TODAY; my beloved Journal Sentinel, where I served as deputy managing editor; The Oregonian in Portland; Newsday; and the Los Angeles Times.
Along the way, I’ve edited several Pulitzer Prizes. But nothing gives me more satisfaction than to be able to lead the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. I care much about this city, and I believe in the power of the press not only to inform but to transform.
The key word in our name is “service.” We exist to serve communities that often get overlooked – until something bad happens.
My goal for NNS is to celebrate and to illuminate. We want to be a place of positivity, where everybody is somebody, where everyone gets her story told. We will chronicle the many good things that are happening.
At the same time, expect us to become more hard-hitting. We will become an aggressive watchdog and write about issues that are important to you.
We need your help. Engage with us. This is YOUR news service.
I believe there is nothing we can’t do if we set our minds to it.
And I plan to proceed until apprehended.
Watch us soar.

author: Ron Smith


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New Poet Laureate Margaret Rozga puts her actions into words | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elyse McFeggan
February 11, 2019
(Photo by Matthew Wisla)
For Margaret Rozga, actions speak just as loudly as words.
As the new poet laureate of Wisconsin, she inherits a platform that allows her to advocate for social justice— something she’s done in Milwaukee and across the country.
Rozga, who was born on Milwaukee’s South Side, was an activist in the South before moving on to issues closer to home. “The first civil rights issue that I was involved in was voter registration, in rural Alabama, and I volunteered,” she said.
“When I came home, I thought I’d be a hypocrite if I went down South and did stuff and then didn’t do anything at home,” Rozga said.
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She joined the NAACP Youth Council and became involved in the historic protests over fair housing in Milwaukee in the 1960s. She later married the Rev. James Groppi, a civil rights activist and youth council adviser. Groppi died in 1985.
Rozga was sworn in as the 2019-2020 Wisconsin poet laureate during a poetry marathon at Woodland Pattern Book Center, 720 E. Locust St. in Milwaukee.
In her position, Rozga serves as a voice for poets throughout the state.
And lines of supporters eagerly lined up to hear what she had to say during the swearing-in.
Rozga was literally handed a small torch by former poet laureate Karla Huston, who offered her this advice:
“Enjoy every moment; it goes by pretty fast. You will meet some extraordinary people in the state and some people you could never imagine love poetry as much as you do,” Huston told  Rozga.
Rozga, who has published three collections of poetry, is English professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha. In addition to publishing the poetry collections, “200 Nights and One Day,” “Though I Haven’t Been to Baghdad,” “Justice Freedom Herbs” and “Pestiferous Questions: A Life in Poems,” Rozga has written multiple essays and is a regular contributor to Neighborhood News Service.
At the poetry event, Rozga signed books and reconnected with other poetry lovers.
Rozga’s former student, Kathrine Yets, attended the event to support her.
“She’s very important in my life and nobody could be a better poet laureate than she can,” Yets said. “She inspired me to be a better poet and I greatly appreciate her for that.”

created: February 11, 2019

author: Elyse McFeggan


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 10, 2019

created: February 10, 2019


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Alderwoman Coggs to host Black History Month Read-In | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
February 12, 2019
February is Black History Month, and Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs invites parents and children to attend the Black History Month Read-In at Martin Luther King Library, 310 W. Locust St. TOMORROW – Wednesday, February 13th from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Several guest readers, including Little Miss Juneteenth, Kayle Phillips, will read books written by African-American authors. Ald. Coggs and City Treasurer Spencer Coggs are sponsoring the read-in in recognition of the 29th National African-American Read-In, a program that promotes diversity in literature.
“I am excited to share compelling stories written by diverse authors with our young readers,” said Ald. Coggs. “Black History Month encompasses many aspects of our culture and legacy; our read-in will showcase the great works and themes in African-American literature and their authors.”
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The Black History Month Read-In is free and open to everyone. Light refreshments will be served at the event.
For more information on the 6th District, please visit milwaukee.gov/district6 or contact Alderwoman Coggs’s office at (414) 286-2994.
Reasonable accommodations can be made by calling (414) 286-2233, or by sending an email to ADACoordinator@milwaukee.gov.

created: February 12, 2019


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Black homeownership is at a historic low. Find out why this matters and hear solutions to the crisis | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
February 12, 2019
(Photo by Adam Carr)
The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is co-sponsoring “Locked Out: Solutions to the Black Homeownership Decline” from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26 at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society/Museum, 2620 W. Center St. In Milwaukee.
Hosted by ACTS Housing, the program will feature Adam Carr, deputy editor for community engagement at the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service; Danell Cross, executive director, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges; William Tisdale, president and CEO, Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council; and moderator Dorothy York, associate director, ACTS Housing.
Nationwide, black homeownership declined to 41.7 percent in 2016, nearly a 50-year low, according to the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, an industry trade group.
Since homeownership is considered among the best ways to build wealth, experts are concerned about the impact the downward trend can have on the retirement plans for African Americans and other minority groups.
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text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 11, 2019


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Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan names Jackie Harcourt Vice President of Fundraising | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan
February 12, 2019
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (LSS) announced Jackie Harcourt as the organization’s new Vice President of Fundraising. In this role, Harcourt will oversee and execute all fundraising efforts and donor relations. Harcourt will work with LSS, engaging partners and donors while championing key initiatives and programming. As LSS works to fulfill its vision of healthy communities filled with people using their God-given gifts to serve, the need for fundraising to support life-changing programs such as housing and foster care increases.
Harcourt has extensive experience in this realm, having served as the Director of Development and
Strategic Partnerships at the United Community Center (UCC) for 15 years where she led plans and
development efforts raising more than $25 million in gifts. Harcourt secured more than $9 million in multi-
year partnership funding for workforce pipeline development, older adult services, pre-college
programming, and education services in five years, as well as increased individual and major gifts from
$20,000 to $700,000 from 2002 to 2018.
Harcourt graduated from Alverno College with a bachelor of arts in business management and
professional communications. She began her career in nonprofits in Southeastern Wisconsin.
“It is with great excitement and hope that we welcome Jackie to our executive team,” says Héctor Colón,
President and CEO of LSS. “We have made significant changes to our organizational structure to better
connect and communicate with our donors and partners. With Jackie’s extensive experience in
fundraising and strong connection to Milwaukee, we look forward to even stronger and more positive
engagement with those who support our mission so passionately.”
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MCW President’s Community Engagement Award — nominations open until Feb. 15 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Medical College of Wisconsin
February 12, 2019
The President’s Community Engagement Award recognizes the exemplary community-academic partnership, community-engaged research or community outreach activities of faculty, staff, students and/or community partners of the Medical College of Wisconsin. Nominations are now being accepted through February 15, 2019.
Please note that all awardees must be available to attend the President’s Community Engagement Award Luncheon from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. on Friday, May 3, 2019. The luncheon will be held at the main campus of the Medical College of Wisconsin in conjunction with the Community Engagement Spring Conference (awardees are welcome but not required to participate in the conference proceedings before the luncheon).
Awardees will be recognized for their achievements, and each will receive a plaque and a $2,000 monetary award. We encourage you to forward this announcement to your colleagues and community partners – thank you! Please contact Christine Zeller, Program Manager for the Office of Community Engagement, at czeller@mcw.edu or 414-955-5720 with any questions regarding the award or submission process
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author: Medical College of Wisconsin


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PEAK Initiative Serves Thousands of Milwaukee Youth; Program Expands to Meaningfully Engage Milwaukee Youth Year Round | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PEAK Initiative
February 12, 2019
At a quick glance, it may seem odd to be thinking about outdoor programming and summer camps in the middle of the polar vortex. But there’s still something amazing going on in our city.
The PEAK Initiative, formerly known as Lake Valley Camp, is a Milwaukee nonprofit organization serving more than 500 youth annually. PEAK stands for Potential, Experience, Access and Knowledge, and derived from a rebranding process in 2018 with youth and families to choose a name for the organization that best fit its offerings to the community.
The organization has been active in the community for the last 15 years, with the mission to bring out the limitless potential in young leaders through extraordinary experiences and nurturing relationships. Since its inception, the nonprofit has fostered exploration and discovery for Milwaukee’s young people through experience-based learning, specifically through attending a residential summer camp in western Wisconsin. More recently, the organization has focused intentionally on leadership through social-emotional learning in a variety of experience-based offerings, starting with participants as young as 7 and building on those skills and experiences until age 18.
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The founders of the organization envisioned a camp that would give Milwaukee youth novel experiences paired with leadership opportunities. What the PEAK Initiative has evolved into, is an immersive lifelong leadership program that features programming during the school day, after-school, weekend, during school breaks and throughout the summer months.
The PEAK Initiative is one of Milwaukee’s hidden gems. Since its inception in 2002, thousands of Milwaukee youth have been served. The camp is still a core component for PEAK, but programs have evolved and grown into something more dynamic and comprehensive to best serve the community.
Today the PEAK Initiative is headquartered at Tiefenthaler Park, located at 2480 W. Cherry St. in the heart of Milwaukee. Year-round programming occurs at the park, in schools, out in the community, and at the organization’s original site, Lake Valley Camp in Boscobel, Wis. The organization uses research and experience informed best practices in its comprehensive programming.
“We create a path of exploration, discovery, and character development that spans into adulthood,” said Amanda Panciera, Director of Administration. “We continue to build programs with intention, listening to the needs of our youth, and make sure our offerings reflect their interests. The PEAK Initiative name captures all of this in its name.”
The PEAK Initiative works to serve youth in Milwaukee by gearing all programming to the needs and interests of the youth. Registration for the 2019 year as already began and is open to all Milwaukee Youth. For more information on the PEAK Initiative go to www.peakinitiative.org

author: PEAK Initiative


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‘Greater than their ZIP codes’: PeppNation encourages students to realize their potential through sports, tutoring | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bridget Fogarty
February 13, 2019
Brandon Culpepper at the Grand Opening of Moody Park (Photo by Adam Carr)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 12 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation, or MANDIs.
On summer days growing up on Milwaukee’s North Side in the mid-2000’s, Brandon Culpepper would ride his bike out of his neighborhood and through downtown to the lakefront.
He said he would do so to remove himself from any negative influences in his daily environment. He still bikes that route a couple of times every summer, only now, the ride is 52 miles with an entourage of nearly 50 central city students and police officers alongside him.
The annual citywide bike ride, Le Tour de Waukee, is part of the summer sports leadership camp Culpepper created along with other year-long programs through his nonprofit, PeppNation.
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Founded in 2010, PeppNation provides sports leadership and mentoring programs to youth throughout the school days and summer. Through tutoring, recess aid and nontraditional sports, the organization aims to form well-rounded students and citizens.
“We are creating a pipeline of success for youth in Milwaukee,” Culpepper said.
Since its Milwaukee debut in 2012, PeppNation has given more than 14,000 Milwaukee youth exposure to unique experiences, such as rugby, the citywide bike ride, scholarship opportunities and college advising, he said. PeppNation youth development mentors are energetic college-aged or older coaches, many of whom are from Milwaukee.
PeppNation partners with MPS, Milwaukee County Parks and MPD District 7 to reach a greater population of Milwaukee citizens.
The District 7 police attend events such as the bike ride with the hopes of providing positive relations and “strengthening rapport between young people and officers,” Culpepper said. After the day spent biking alongside police officers, all of the student participants indicated to Culpepper that they felt more comfortable around law enforcement.
PeppNation Youth Development Mentor Marco Sweeti, a student at UW-Milwaukee, tutors middle school students at Benjamin Franklin School. (Photo by Bridget Fogarty)
Culpepper, who gained athletic success as an NFL prospect and professional rugby player, said he knew from experience the need for mentoring programs in his home city.
“These students only know what they see,” said the nonprofit founder, who grew up in similar situations as many of his programs’ participants, even in the same neighborhood as some. “Our youth have learned that they are far greater than their ZIP codes.”
Program participants verbally repeat together, “As you once were, we are now. As you are now, we someday will be,” a mantra that has always been present in his own life, Culpepper said.
At MPS’s Benjamin Franklin School, 2308 W. Nash St., PeppNation coaches facilitate recess and tutoring weekly. Mike Turner, the dean of students at the school, said PeppNation’s support at recess has made a “lasting impact on the playground” as well as in after-school tutoring and sports leadership programming.
“PeppNation coaches have been instrumental in our recess,” Turner said. “The fact that young people want to be there engaging with our kids in a positive way is a tremendous opportunity for kids and coaches as well.”
Turner said the youth development mentors have been essential in helping kids in kindergarten through eighth grade “really enjoy recess.” Mentors encourage kids to invite their peers to play and empowering them to lead their own games.
“There has been a dramatic reduction in playground incidents, with a direct connection to PeppNation’s mentoring,” Turner said.
PeppNation mentors and staff also help students find college scholarships. Culpepper said he wanted to show students that college education is not only feasible, but can lead to success, too. Culpepper encourages and guides students to follow their sports passions so that they can use their future income and success “to build up their own communities.
PeppNation Youth Development Mentors aid in after-school tutoring at Benjamin Franklin School. “There has been a dramatic reduction in playground incidents, with a direct connection to PeppNation’s mentoring,” says Mike Turner, the dean of students at the school. (Photo by Bridget Fogarty)

created: February 13, 2019

author: Bridget Fogarty


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 12, 2019


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OPINION: A year after Parkland shooting: ‘I feel like my school doesn’t trust me’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Leticia Alavez-Lopez
February 14, 2019
Students gathered outside of an MPS board to protest in March 2018. (Photo by Dean Bibens)
Leticia Alavez-Lopez, an MPS student and Youth Fellow at Leaders Igniting Transformation, reflects on what she’s seen at her school in the year since the Parkland shooting in Florida.
A year ago today, 17 people’s lives were taken far too soon during the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. In Milwaukee, young people grieved for the students and the community in Parkland, Florida.
As the year went by, we saw the rage of desperate parents and terrified students grow as they watched elected officials respond by refusing to address the public’s rampant access to guns and instead exploited the tragedy to criminalize students of color. Young people across the country, including here in Milwaukee, demanded action! We saw no change.
Instead, we saw money being brought in to Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), not to fund our education or invest in our students by providing the resources we need to learn and grow, but instead to make our schools even more like jails. After the tragedy, MPS applied for a grant for “school safety” investments. When it got it, they decided to use it to upgrade our metal detectors and surveillance equipment even more. This has done nothing but continue to oppress and criminalize our youth of color. Studies have shown that metal detectors do not reduce school violence, and instead make students feel less safe. In 2017, $19 million was taken away from our budget. This left textbooks in horrible conditions, over-crowded classrooms, few guidance counselors, and less extracurricular activities, among other cuts. Since then, these issues have only gotten worse.
Despite all the evidence that shows that these invasive and criminalizing measures fail to keep us safe, MPS continues to double down on this failed approach.  Every morning, the first thing I see at school is a metal detector. Instead of feeling welcomed, I feel like my school doesn’t trust me. I feel like they see me as dangerous, not a curious student. We are so controlled in our schools that I am not allowed to use the bathroom without a guard’s permission, I can’t go to the library, or visit the nurse without being guarded. We have at least four times as many guards in my school than we have counselors and MPS is considering adding even more cops to schools. This doesn’t keep us safe. It just makes us afraid.
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We are being treated like inmates at a prison for “our safety” and we’re tired of it. Our voices are always the last to be heard when we should be the first people.
All over the world young people are leading the fight for justice. That is exactly what we will continue to do. On April 2, there will be a school board election. We are working hard to ensure that young people across Milwaukee can take control of our futures through this election. We have been talking with candidates, organizing with each other, and informing our peers about the race and the issues that matter the most to us.
Last year, Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT) the black and brown youth organizing organization with which I work, released a report with the Center for Popular Democracy that described the devastating school-to-prison pipeline in Milwaukee and then outlined our Youth Power Agenda. We want every candidate elected to the school board to be in favor of the Youth Power Agenda and be willing to invest in opportunities for young people to thrive in our schools and divest from school policing and invasive security measures.
We want school board members who will make sure that all the opinions and concerns of young people, those attending MPS, be heard. I refuse to be added to the list of people who die daily due to gun violence or go to a school that feels like a jail.

created: February 14, 2019

author: Leticia Alavez-Lopez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 13, 2019


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Happy Phobruary! Silver City restaurants host eating competition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elyse McFeggan
February 15, 2019
For the fifth straight year, three Thai and Laotian restaurants in the Silver City neighborhood on Milwaukee’s South Side are celebrating the Vietnamese soup, pho.
The restaurants participating are Bamboo at 3427 W. National Ave, Thai Bar-B-Que at 3417 W. National Ave, and Vientiane Noodle Shop at 3422 W. National Ave.
Sponsored by Layton Boulevard West Neighbors, each restaurant is offering $5 bowls of pho all February long. There is also the Phobruary challenge, where participants have the chance of winning a $25 gift certificate to Asian International Market at 3401 W. National Ave.
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The challenge is to finish a $5 bowl of pho at each restaurant in one day. To participate, you should pick a restaurant to start with and order pho. After you finish your dish, send a photo of yourself with your empty bowl and your receipt to Celia Benton, economic development director at Layton Boulevard West Neighbors. She can be reached at celia@lbwn.org. The first three people to complete the challenge will receive a gift certificate. All other champions will win a certificate of achievement and be entered to win a gift certificate. The winner will be announced on March 1.
The three restaurants are located within a block of each other, making this challenge a daylong event and an opportunity to check out other attractions in Silver City between meals.
Participants can also take a long lunch break. Emilio De Torre, a challenge winner from last year, did that.
De Torre ate three bowls of pho in under an hour over a lunch break last year. “I still have the certificate pinned up on my wall,” De Torre said. His advice to future challenge participants was, “Don’t be a cheapskate and leave noodles and broth. And don’t forget to breathe.”
Another option is to spend a whole day with good friends hopping pho shops like Phobruary challenge regular Sam Leichtling.
“Bring a good group of friends to support the restaurants and everyone can have a good time,” Leichtling said. “It’s more about having fun with friends and getting to try different restaurants.” Leichtling
Pho is a soup made of broth, rice noodles, herbs and varying meats, typically beef or chicken. There are more than 30 restaurants in the Milwaukee area that serve pho.
“If you plan on doing them all [of the three restaurants] in a row, I would say that’s going to be a little too much to chew,” said Jay Benaderet, the first person to complete the challenge this year. If eating three bowls of pho one day is too daunting, taking advantage of the $5 meal is still a great option.

created: February 15, 2019


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 14, 2019


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Group works to ensure concerts are music to everyone’s ears | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
February 18, 2019
The bandshell in Washington Park is the place to be on Wednesday nights in the summer. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 12 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation, or MANDIs. Washington Park Wednesdays is up for the Brewers Community Foundation Public Space Award.
Joaquín Altoro grew up on the South Side of Milwaukee, but as an adult, he decided to move to Washington Heights, one of the neighborhoods adjacent to Washington Park.
Shortly after moving, Altoro began attending the park’s Wednesday night concert series at the bandshell. The series starts each year at the end of June and lasts until the end of August and has been a park tradition for nearly 80 years.
Although Altoro enjoyed the performances, he noticed that the concerts didn’t represent the park’s surrounding demographics. A neighbor encouraged Altoro to get involved in re-envisioning the concert series’ mission. So, he joined the Washington Park Neighbors, the organization behind the concerts, formerly known as Neighborhoods United for Washington Park.
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As a board member, Altoro found himself among like-minded people. WPN wanted to diversify the type of music playing in the bandshell and attract people from all of the surrounding neighborhoods.
Soon after, WPN began hiring more African-American and Latinx musicians.
Altoro said WPN would explain its mission to the performers and challenged them to be true to it. As a result, the musicians often found a way to incorporate diversity in their sets through partnerships, dancers and music choice.
Last year, groups such as Sista Strings, Abby Jeanne and Nickel & Rose performed.
Jane Konkel, a WPN board member, has been involved with the concert series since 2010. In recent years, she’s noticed that more children come to the park on Wednesday nights. Sometimes they even come without their families, she said.
Melissa Muller and Joaquín Altoro say they’ve noticed a spike in attendance since Washington Park Neighbors took over the summer concert series. (Photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz)
“People feel safe to allow their children to do that,” Konkel said, noting that the bandshell’s design makes it easy to keep an eye on the children running around.
When the county paid for the talent, Konkel said there was a limit on how much she would spend on a band.
“I remember being limited to not hiring a band over $500,” Konkel said.
Melissa Muller, a WPN board member who acts as an organizer, director and fundraiser for WPN, said the concerts were redefined once WPN took over.
Now, the concerts are almost completely financed through fundraising, which has allowed organizers to raise expectations. Muller said the cost of each Wednesday night ranges. She usually aims for $2,000 but said the most expensive night reached $3,000.
Kate Schwartz, a WPN committee member, helps choose the talent. Although she lives in Wauwatosa, she chose to join WPN because of its mission to diversify the performers. Her background in arts management for a hip-hop label in New York has helped her find the talent.
When it comes to choosing the performers, Schwartz said the committee first looks at the caliber of the musician.
“Talent comes in a diverse package most of the time,” she said.
Chad Piechocki said he tries to attend as many concerts as possible. Piechocki and his wife started coming to Washington Park when they moved to the surrounding area 12 years ago.
Piechocki said that his family worked their vacations and plans around the concerts depending on who was performing. In recent years, he’s noticed that the lineup is more diverse.
“Previous lineups were good, but you could tell this one was curated by people thinking about the neighbors and the park,” Piechocki said.
Muller said WPN’s challenge is to ensure “we are serving the people around the park.”
In addition to different entertainers, WPN created theme nights, designed games and brought in various vendors, such as food trucks, to the park.
As part of its mission to serve the community, last year WPN partnered with the Milwaukee Center for Independence to provide meals for children on Wednesday nights. Muller said the first night, MCFI served 75 meals. On the last night it served approximately 200.
Although the concerts have become more diversified, not everyone has recognized the changes.
Serena Lor has lived in the Washington Park neighborhood for about 15 years. She works as a community organizer and community health worker.
Although she walks her dogs through the park and played there when she was younger, Lor said she has never been to a concert in the park.
“There’s never been any promotion in the actual neighborhoods,” Lor said. “When I did see the posters [in the park] it didn’t really appeal to me.”
She isn’t the only one. Lor said that none of her neighbors appear to attend the concerts either. She added that from her perspective, the audience tends to be predominately white.
According to Judge Derek Mosley, who is on the board of the Urban Ecology Center, the concerts do a great job of representing Milwaukee. Mosley lives on the northwest side of Milwaukee, but he makes a point to attend as many concerts as possible.
The concerts bring together people from all different religions, races, socioeconomic status and backgrounds, Mosley said. It’s an eclectic mix of music and people.
“There’s a lot of events that go on in Milwaukee, but this one is special,” Mosley said.

created: February 18, 2019

author: Ana Martinez-Ortiz


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 17, 2019

created: February 17, 2019


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New NNS editor shares his vision on the ‘Morning Mix’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
February 18, 2019
Hear Ron Smith, the new editor of the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, discuss what’s ahead for NNS on WGLB-AM 1560’s “Morning Mix” with hosts Dennis Walton and Saryea Murchison.
[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');</script><![endif]


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 17, 2019
“Track 1” from Untitled – 02-15-19. Track 1.


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Alverno College, MATC partner to streamline transfer process for students majoring in social work | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alverno College
February 19, 2019
Alverno College and the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) have established a formal partnership that streamlines the transfer process for female students who want to become social workers, allowing them to complete their associate degree in human services at MATC and transfer to Alverno to complete their Bachelor of Social Work. If students follow the proper course sequence at MATC and Alverno, they can graduate in four years.
The partnership further enables the work of Alverno’s strategic plan, which aims to grow enrollment in targeted programs to support workforce development needs for Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.
“This partnership provides another opportunity for women to advance their education with the most seamless transition possible,” said Crystal Aschenbrener, chair of the Social Work department at Alverno. “Student success is our top priority, and this agreement allows women who want to earn their bachelor’s degree in social work to do so in a way that is flexible and affordable.”
Under the partnership, students who complete their Human Services Associate at MATC will have satisfied the requirements for a minor at Alverno, which is required of all social work majors. Any field education internship courses completed at MATC will count toward Alverno’s internship requirements, and social work-related courses may count toward the social work major’s required electives. Alverno’s social work program educates practitioners to understand and navigate the conditions that created clients’ suffering and teaches students how to advocate for changes in policy and legislation.
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Alverno recently formed a similar partnership with Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC), allowing students with a human services associate degree to apply their credits to a Bachelor of Social Work at Alverno.
The job outlook for social workers is projected to grow by 16 percent between 2016 and 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is much higher than other occupations. The increasing need is driven by an aging population, more people seeking treatment for mental illness and substance abuse, and rising student enrollment in schools. Alverno’s social work graduates can seek professional state licensure and will be prepared to make positive contributions in a wide variety of areas including mental health treatment, child welfare and enhancing wellness for older adults.
For more information, visit alverno.edu/admissions.
About Alverno College
Alverno College promotes the academic, personal and professional development of its students in a collaborative and inclusive environment. Undergraduate programs for women are offered in more than 60 areas of study, and graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology and business are open to women and men.
A leader in higher education innovation, Alverno has earned international accolades for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, which emphasizes hands-on experience and develops in-demand skills. The college, Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, ranks among the top schools in the Midwest for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and innovation by U.S. News & World Report. For the past two years, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education named Alverno the country’s most inspiring college.
Based in Milwaukee, Wis., Alverno College is a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college.

created: February 19, 2019

author: Alverno College


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campus sign.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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February 19, 2019


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Marley Dias, founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks, will keynote inaugural State of Wisconsin Girls Summit | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alverno College
February 19, 2019
Fourteen-year-old Marley Dias, author and founder of an international social media movement, will be the keynote speaker at the inaugural State of Wisconsin Girls Summit at Alverno College on March 23. The summit will convene thought leaders and inspiring voices to address issues facing girls in Wisconsin, including cyberbullying, poverty, social media and mental health.
In November 2015, Dias set out to collect and donate 1,000 children’s books that feature black girls as the lead character. Her social media campaign, #1000BlackGirlBooks, went viral, and to date more than 12,000 books have been collected. She is also the author of Marley Gets it Done: And So Can You!, and she served as an editor-in-residence of her own digital zine on elle.com. Dias has spoken at the United State of Women Summit at the White House, the Forbes Women’s Summit, the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up event and several other events.
The State of Girls in Wisconsin Summit is an opportunity for community leaders, girls, agencies that serve girls and the general public to have thoughtful, productive conversations. The day-long event will include workshops, breakout panels and discussions, sessions on how to transform ideas into action, a showcase exhibition featuring organizations that are making a difference in the lives of girls, and the keynote lunch address by Dias.
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The summit follows the January release of the Status of Girls in Wisconsin Report by the Alverno College Research Center for Women and Girls, which highlights several troubling patterns for Wisconsin girls but also offers encouraging news. “It’s one thing to call attention to the difficulties girls face every day,” said Jodi Eastberg, PhD, executive director of the Research Center. “But we want to offer a space for people to become energized to do something about the issues highlighted in the report. That’s why this summit is so important.”
For more information or to register, visit alverno.edu/research/girlssummit.
About Alverno College
Alverno College promotes the academic, personal and professional development of its students in a collaborative and inclusive environment. Undergraduate programs for women are offered in more than 60 areas of study, and graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology, school psychology, music therapy and business are open to women and men.
A leader in higher education innovation, Alverno has earned international accolades for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, which emphasizes hands-on experience and develops in-demand skills. The college, Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, ranks among the top schools in the Midwest for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and innovation by U.S. News & World Report. For the past two years, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education named Alverno the country’s most inspiring college.
Based in Milwaukee, Wis., Alverno College is a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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February 18, 2019


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Overnight snow clearing operation requiring alternate side parking continues | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
February 19, 2019
The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) continues its overnight snow clearing operation for the entire city on Tuesday, Feb. 19. This will help ensure that DPW crews can access as much of the street pavement as possible to clear ice and snow effectively, efficiently, and most importantly, safely.
All residents who park overnight on a Milwaukee street must move their vehicles to the ODD numbered side of the street from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday.
City residents are reminded that the posted street sign takes precedence in all areas of the city. Please read the street signs on the block/in the neighborhood for winter parking instructions BEFORE YOU PARK.   As not all winter parking rules are posted, residents should also check for parking restrictions at milwaukee.gov/winterregs.  Residents can also call (414) 286-CITY (-2489).
Parked vehicles should not impede the flow of traffic in the travel lane. This includes both the streetcar route and other city roadways. If a vehicle cannot be properly parked flush to the curb and out of the flow of traffic, whether due to snow or otherwise, then we discourage individuals from parking in that particular spot and reserve the right to ticket and tow.
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Designated Milwaukee Public Schools lots will be available for off-street parking beginning at 7 p.m. This parking option is designed to assist residents who live in congested parking areas to find overnight parking from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. All vehicles must be moved from MPS lots by 7 a.m. the following morning or they may be subject to ticketing and towing.  For a list of school parking lot locations, go to milwaukee.gov/snowparking.
Residents are encouraged to sign up to receive a Winter Parking Alert via a text message and/or email message which serve to notify them that a DPW operation has been called, and that vehicles must be moved accordingly.
To sign up for either or both alerts, go to milwaukee.gov/enotify or call (414) 286-CITY for assistance.


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What the closing of Lincoln Hills youth prison means to you and Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
February 19, 2019
Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls have undergone criminal investigations and been subject to numerous lawsuits for allegations of abuse, neglect and excessive use of force. (Courtesy of Department of Corrections)
You may have heard that Lincoln Hills is closing, but what does that mean for Milwaukee youth and for our neighborhoods? Let’s break it down. Everything you need to know, all in one place.
What are Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake, and why are they closing?
Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls are Wisconsin’s two youth prisons. They are located in Irma, Wisconsin, about three and a half hours away from Milwaukee. Over the past several years, the youth prisons have undergone criminal investigations and been subject to numerous lawsuits for allegations of abuse, neglect and excessive use of force. A recently published report found continued use of pepper spray and isolation tactics against youth in the prisons. The report–which also pointed to delayed staff responses when youth sought assistance and noted that rooms are not suicide-resistant–was conducted by a court-ordered monitor as part of the $18.9 million settlement between the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and the ACLU, which is representing a youth who attempted suicide while at Copper Lake.
The youth prisons are closing because the Wisconsin state legislature unanimously passed a bill called Act 185.
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Who has expressed concern or resistance to the proposed facilities?
More than 150 residents of the Havenwoods neighborhood, where both the state and county facility are being proposed, showed up to a meeting last week hosted by Ald. Chantia Lewis to express concern about the facilities being built in their neighborhood. Residents requested an economic impact analysis, suggesting that the facilities could hurt local small businesses, namely Milwaukee Asian Market, 6300 N 76th St., and asked officials to consider building the facilities in a less residential area.
Youth Justice Milwaukee, an advocacy organization representing youth, families and community members most directly impacted by the youth justice system, has consistently raised concerns about state and county officials building too many facilities with too many beds. Advocates said that too many beds could prompt the courts to place more youth in corrections, even if they don’t need to be there. The group is pushing for an increase in community-based alternatives to youth incarceration in Milwaukee, such as mentoring and job training programs.
How can community members engage in this process? What is still unknown?
Much is still unknown and undetermined about the future of youth justice in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
Milwaukee County Division of Youth and Family Services is hosting a community meeting from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20 at Ma’Ruf Youth Center, 2110 W. Hampton Ave.
Youth Justice Milwaukee is hosting a coalition meeting on Feb. 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society Museum, 2620 W. Center St., where a representative from Columbia University’s Justice Lab will present on the ways that New York’s youth justice reforms could apply to Milwaukee.
What is Act 185, and what does it do?
Act 185 will close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake by January 2021.
It mandates that the youth prisons be replaced with state-run facilities for those deemed serious juvenile offenders and smaller, regional county-run centers for youth with less serious offenses. It will also expand Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center, run by the state Department of Health Services, and turn the existing youth prisons into adult correctional facilities.
Act 185 splits the responsibility of who will run correctional centers for youth throughout the state in a new way. Both the state and individual counties will run facilities, and the two types of facilities will serve different purposes. Now, correctional placements are run only by the state Department of Corrections. Both kinds of facilities will be locked and secure placements.
The two new kinds of facilities are:
Additionally, Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center, located within the Mendota Institute for Mental Health, received $15 million to add at least 29 beds. This will double the size of the existing secure treatment facility, which now only serves boys.
Anything else important to know about Act 185?
Timeline:
You may have heard talk about extending the timeline of the bill, and if Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake will actually close by January 2021. As is, counties that intend to open an SRCCY have to submit a grant application to the state by March 31. The Juvenile Corrections Grant Committee, which has not been assembled, will then submit approved grants to the state Joint Committee on Finance by July 19, and all youth will transfer from Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake to the new facilities by Jan. 1, 2021. Any change to this current timeline or the funding structure would have to pass through the state legislature.
But:
Gov. Tony Evers has publicly expressed concern with the current timeline, indicating that the state may need more time and money to successfully replace the youth prisons. He has mentioned a possible extension of anywhere between six months to two years.
Rep. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee) and Rep. Michael Schraa (R-Oshkosh) are working on a follow-up bill to Act 185. According to Goyke, this bill seeks to clarify some of the terms laid out in the original bill and make it easier to implement what the bill requires. He said there are no funding adjustments or “substantive changes,” but that it may include some kind of contingency plans if counties or the state struggle to meet the set timeline.
Milwaukee County officials have said that they are prepared to adhere to the current timeline and intend to close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake as soon as possible.
Study committee:
Last, as part of Act 185, the Department of Corrections gathered a 25-member Juvenile Corrections Study Committee to make recommendations about rules for the county-run facilities, programming and potential locations for the state-run facilities. Seven members were from Milwaukee, including Goyke, Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee), Fred Royal, president of the Milwaukee NAACP, Mark Mertens, administrator of Milwaukee County Division of Youth and Family Services and Joe Donald, presiding judge of Milwaukee County Children’s Court. The committee stopped meeting in October 2018.
Where will these new facilities be, and how many will be in Milwaukee?
State facilities:
The locations of the state-run facilities for Serious Juvenile Offenders have not been officially announced, but the study committee’s top choice is the Department of Motor Vehicles site, 7301 W. Mill Road.
County facility:
Milwaukee County Division of Youth and Family Services announced that it will build its new facility at either 6101 W. Mill Road or 6600 N. Teutonia Ave.
According to county officials, criteria for selecting a location included the following considerations:
This means that there could potentially be a state-run facility and a county-run youth correctional facility within a few miles of each other on Milwaukee’s Northwest side.
How many youths in these prisons are from Milwaukee, and how prevalent is youth crime in Milwaukee?
The numbers you need to know:
More than 60 percent of the youth placed at Lincoln Hills or Copper Lake are from Milwaukee County, and most come from the city’s Northwest side. According to the most recent available data, 80 youth from Milwaukee are currently at Lincoln Hills or Copper Lake. If the law were to change tomorrow, 24 of those youth would go to the state facility, and 56 would go to the county facility.
According to Department of Juvenile Corrections data, black youth made up more than 70 percent of youth committed to Wisconsin correctional facilities, while they are only 10 percent of Wisconsin’s total youth population.
County officials estimate it costs $140,000 per year to incarcerate a young person, and according to the Department of Juvenile Corrections, more than half of youth who were released from a correctional facility in Wisconsin committed a new criminal offense within three years of release.
In recent years, youth crime, as well as the number of youths placed in correctional settings has decreased, which follows a national trend. According to data from Milwaukee County, the number of Milwaukee youth placed in state correctional facilities has decreased by 56.5 percent since 2011, and since 2011, law enforcement has referred 19.7 percent fewer youth to the Milwaukee County Department of Youth and Family Services.
What do we know about the proposed county facility?
In addition to the final potential locations, Milwaukee County has revealed several key details about its proposed youth correctional facility, including predictions for its size, staffing and programming. County officials have been adamant in saying that the facility will be in stark contrast to Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake, and that it will focus on reducing youth recidivism and preparing youth to successfully reenter their communities.
“We are not bringing Lincoln Hills to Milwaukee,” said David Muhammad, deputy director of the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services. “We are doing something completely different.”
The facility will house both boys and girls. County officials have said that they are still working to finalize the number of beds, but right now they are estimating about 40.
Mary Jo Meyers, director of Department of Health and Human Services, said the facility will operate with a ratio of at least one staff member for every five young people. Officials said they intend to hire staff in youth development positions, not as correctional officers, and that they are looking for staff who have shared experiences with the young people.
According to Mertens, the county facility will not use any restraints or isolation tactics such as pepper spray or solitary confinement to control young people.
Muhammad said the facility will be “dignifying” to youth, and that aesthetically, it will not resemble a prison.
Officials have additionally mentioned wanting to include programs that will support young people’s healing and prepare them for the workforce. The educational program for the facility has not been decided.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 18, 2019


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Open Call: NACHW Ambassadors | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
National Association of Community Health Workers
February 20, 2019
The National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW) is seeking interested CHWs to become NACHW Ambassadors. We are seeking a total of 20 CHWs to serve in this capacity. In order to maximize our reach, only one CHW will be selected from any given state. Ambassadors will act as liaisons between NACHW and local, state and regional CHW networks and associations. This is a one-year commitment. Ambassadors will receive training during the Unity 2019 Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada (April 14-17, 2019) which will provide them with the information and skills needed to be successful in their commitment as an Ambassador.
Those selected to become Ambassadors will receive the following support:
CHWs will be reimbursed after submitting expense documentation, including original receipts and proof of payment. CHWs who have already registered and paid for the conference will be reimbursed the early bird registration fee.
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To Apply
To apply, interested CHWs secure a letter of recommendation, which may be submitted by local, state or regional CHW networks or associations, employer organizations, co-workers, supervisors, colleagues etc. The nomination letter must come from someone other than the CHW applicant and will be evaluated based on the following criteria.
CHWs selected as Ambassadors must commit to:
Nomination letters along with the signed statement (see attachment) should be sent to info@nachw.org, with the subject line “NACHW Ambassador,” no later than Monday, February 25, 2019 at 5:00 Eastern Time. You will receive a confirmation of receipt. Selected Ambassadors will be notified by March 15.

created: February 20, 2019


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Taking on the ‘digital divide’ one computer at a time | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 20, 2019
Syier Kern works in the computer lab at City on a Hill, while his mother, Rebecca Ford, looks on. Kern participated in the Bridge Milwaukee pilot program. (Photo courtesy of Digital Bridge)
When he and his Milwaukee School of Engineering classmates built a computer lab in a rural Kenyan village school in 2010, Jeff Hanson learned firsthand about the inequalities that exist in access to technology.
Then a 19-year-old sophomore participating in his college’s servant leadership program, the Janesville native said the experience opened his eyes. After returning to MSOE, he began to understand that similar disparities exist in Milwaukee as well.
Hanson continued working on projects in developing countries, honed his computer rebuilding skills and earned Microsoft Registered Refurbisher status.
And he founded Digital Bridge.
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In March, his nonprofit will launch Bridge Milwaukee, a computer-training program for low-income individuals.
Last year, Hanson and his team piloted the program with City on a Hill, a community organization in the Avenues West neighborhood. The program drew from City on a Hill’s clients, mostly neighborhood residents. At the end of the training, Digital Bridge helped the participants buy computers it had refurbished, for as little as $75, and assisted them in finding inexpensive internet service.
Jeff Hanson (left), Digital Bridge founder and executive director, and William Erdman, sales and refurbishment manager, confer at the nonprofit’s warehouse. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“To equip youth for a successful future we need to remove the obstacles that get in their way, and the digital divide is one of them,” said Diane De La Santos, City on a Hill executive director.
The digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to technology and those who have limited or no access.
“We know our families and can see who is often (at City on a Hill) using our technology,” De La Santos said. “Often times they don’t have access at home or they need some assistance.” She added that having the 10-week course come to participants worked especially well.
Digital Bridge also will offer the program at the Riverwest Food Pantry and Riverworks Center in the Harambee neighborhood. And it is seeking additional nonprofits that have clients who could benefit from its services.
Individuals who are income eligible and qualified nonprofits can buy computers — which Hanson said are in like-new condition — from the organization’s online store as well.
One challenge Hanson faced initially was figuring out how to get businesses to donate computers in a way that was easy and secure and to match those donations to appropriate recipients.
Two years ago Hanson found the space he needed to accept large donations in the former Lindsay Brothers building at 126 S. 2nd St.
With a staff of six and volunteers, Digital Bridge picks up company donations, analyzes and restores the desktop and laptop computers and sells them at a low cost to nonprofit organizations around the world.
Digital Bridge was one of 22 recipients of the Spectrum Digital Education Grant chosen from among 170 applicants nationwide. It will use the $32,500 award, the only one to go to a Wisconsin organization, to support Bridge Milwaukee. Spectrum is part of Charter Communications Inc.

author: Andrea Waxman


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 19, 2019

author: Adam Carr


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Daddy, may I have this dance? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Cynthia Crawford
February 22, 2019
More than 1,000 residents packed the North Division Community Center on Feb. 16 for the 16 annual Daddy/Daughter Dance at North Division Community Center.
“We are so proud of how this event has grown over the years and what it has done to strengthen relationships between fathers and their daughters,” Lynn A. Greb, Milwaukee Recreation’s senior director, said in a statement.
Milwaukee Recreation partnered with the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative and the Social Development Commission to sponsor the event.
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created: February 22, 2019

author: Cynthia Crawford


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 21, 2019

created: February 21, 2019


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Life-saving blood donations needed to help patients in need | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin
February 24, 2019
Together, Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin and blood donors across the state make a life-saving impact through the gift of blood donation. Patients in need of blood tomorrow rely on the generosity of blood donors today.
Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin is calling on the community to make a life-saving donation this March. The need for blood is constant, and recent snow storms and frigid temperatures have caused fewer blood donations and lowered the blood supply. Donations of all blood types are needed, but especially type O negative blood, which is the universal blood type given to patients in emergency situations and those undergoing surgery.
Milwaukee County blood donors can help patients in need at Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin’s upcoming blood drives:
Donors can schedule an appointment by calling 1-877-BE-A-HERO (1-877-232-4376) or visiting versiti.org/BCW.
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Anyone 17 or older who is in good health and meets eligibility requirements is encouraged to donate blood. Appointments are preferred, but walk-in donors are also welcome. Parental consent is required for 16-year-olds to donate. The entire process takes about an hour. Donors should bring a photo ID that includes birth date.

created: February 24, 2019

author: Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin


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City recognizes completion of the Washington Park Townhomes | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
February 25, 2019
The Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee (RACM) authorized a certificate of completion last week for Washington Park Townhomes, a catalytic project that adds forty new homes to the 30th Street Industrial Corridor. Gorman & Company led the residential construction project located at 31St and Galena Streets.
The City of Milwaukee and its partners addressed significant environmental issues at the previously tax foreclosed site. Nearly $1.5-million of Federal, State, and local funds were spent in site cleanup and preparation. Historically, this was T.C. Esser Paint Company where paint and stained glass were produced during much of the last century.
The new Washington Park Townhomes are two story attached residences that sit on the 2.5 acre parcel. The development was designed in consultation with neighbors, a relationship that led to lighting improvements and a project that is more pedestrian friendly.
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“City government has made a priority of adding and improving affordable housing in Milwaukee, and the Washington Park Townhomes is a step forward,” Mayor Tom Barrett said. “Through my 10,000 households effort we are working collaboratively to improve housing opportunities for Milwaukee residents over the next decade.”
In building Washington Park Townhomes, Gorman & Company included a training component that gave forty previously incarcerated individuals hands-on construction training in a variety of skilled trades. The entire project significantly exceeded city requirements for small business enterprise and residential preference program participation.
“Gorman & Company is grateful for the city and the residents of the Washington Park neighborhood who worked with us to develop this project,” Ted Matkom, Wisconsin Market President said. “Our goal has been to create a valuable and sustainable asset for years to come.”
The redevelopment of the Esser Paint site was underway for more than ten years. The city has recognized this as an important location for catalytic development in the city’s 30th Street Corridor, and this is coming to fruition. South of the townhomes is a successful community garden managed by the Hmong-American Friendship Association; north of the townhomes is Galena Park, built last fall as part of a Green Bay Packers “Hometown Huddle”.
The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority provided financing and directed Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits to Washington Park Townhomes. Those credits were purchased by Associated Bank which also provided construction financing. In exchange for the tax credits, Gorman & Company set aside units in the project for low income residents.
The townhomes include two- and three-bedroom residences. Following completion in the fall of 2018, the developer quickly leased all forty homes and maintains a waiting list of thirty qualified applicants.

created: February 25, 2019

author: City of Milwaukee


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 25, 2019


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Inaugural César E. Chávez Spoken Word Contest | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Marcus Performing Arts Center
February 25, 2019
Similar to the Marcus Center’s Dr. King Birthday Celebration, we are engaging our youth through an art, essay and spoken word contest. The inaugural César E. Chávez Spoken Word Contest will take place on Sunday, March 24 at the Marcus Center for Performing Arts.
Attached is a flier — contest guidelines here.
Hard copies will be made available at the following public libraries:
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author: Marcus Performing Arts Center


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“No Small Matter” screening comes to Milwaukee February 27 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Next Door
February 25, 2019
Next Door — a leading provider of high quality early childhood education in Milwaukee — is partnering with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Milwaukee Succeeds and United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County to present a free screening of the new documentary, No Small Matter, on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. More than 300 guests have registered for the event at Marquette University and more spaces are available.
No Small Matter  — produced by the Kindling Group and Siskel/Jacobs Productions — is the first major theatrical documentary addressing the critical need for our country to strengthen investment in high quality early childhood education. Viewers will observe the stunning truths about the human capacity for early intelligence and the potential for high quality early childhood education to create long-term benefits for our country and its youngest learners.
The free screening runs from 4:30 pm to 7 pm at Marquette University’s Tony and Lucille Weasler Auditorium at 1506 West Wisconsin Avenue. After the screening, there will be a Talk Back program with one of the filmmakers.
The upcoming screening of No Small Matter is the latest event tied to Next Door’s 50th Anniversary celebration this year. Next Door is hosting a year-long anniversary campaign to celebrate this major milestone and raise community awareness and support for Next Door’s early childhood education programming for central city families. Next Door plans to partner with 50 organizations during this anniversary year — including Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Milwaukee Succeeds and United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County for the No Small Matter presentation.
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“We’re thrilled and grateful to have these three partners join us for this important and eye-opening documentary screening,” said Next Door President Dr. Tracey Sparrow. “With their support and recognition of our work, we will be able to educate even more people in the community about the critical need to invest in the first five years of a child’s life.”
Click here to register for the event.
No Small Matter Resources
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shm-KRh4LFg
Website: https://www.nosmallmatter.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nosmallmatter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoSmallMatter

author: Next Door


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
February 22, 2019

author: Name *


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Nominees sought for Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jewish Community Relations Council
February 25, 2019
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation is seeking nominees for its fifth annual Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award. The award will be given to an individual who has demonstrated leadership, courage and compassion as a social justice advocate, while working to eliminate discrimination and injustice in the greater Milwaukee area. Nominees’ professional and personal contributions to social justice will be considered. Previous honorees are James H. Hall, Danae Davis, José A. Olivieri, and Reggie Jackson and Fran Kaplan.
The honoree will be recognized at the JCRC’s Annual Meeting on June 20, 2019. Nomination forms can be found online here. The deadline for submission is March 12, 2019.
This award was created in memory of prominent Milwaukee attorney and activist, Robert H. Friebert. He was driven to pursue social justice through the law and public service, and he believed deeply that everyone deserves equal social, economic and political rights.
Bob Friebert (1938-2013) dedicated himself to the pursuit of social justice and the Jewish value of tikkun olam (repairing the world). A graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, Friebert was a founding partner of the law firm Friebert, Finerty and St. John S.C. He argued four cases in the United States Supreme Court, addressing the rights of teachers to organize, due process for federal youthful offenders, reproductive rights of women and the rights of people to vote in primary elections. He served as the first public defender for the State of Wisconsin from 1966-1968.
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Friebert became active in local, state and national Democratic politics in his pursuit of social justice. He served several terms on the Democratic National Committee and as an advisor and consultant to numerous Democratic presidential. Friebert enjoyed political debate and was respected for his strongly held views by Republicans and Democrats alike. Friebert was president of the JCRC, formerly the Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations.

author: Jewish Community Relations Council


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Racism’s ‘polite face’? How we can reverse the decline in black home ownership | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 25, 2019
Sandra Campbell grew up in two houses her parents owned in Lindsay Heights. In 2007, she built this house near 17th and Walnut streets. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
The numbers tell a depressing story.
The home-ownership gap between black and white Milwaukeeans is a “staggering” 40 percent, said Michael Gosman, the executive director of ACTS Housing.
“It’s so bad that a lot of African-American families seem to have a sense that home ownership might not even be for them,” said Gosman, whose organization empowers renters to become homeowners.
ACTS Housing is one of the sponsors of “Locked Out: Solutions to the Black Homeownership Decline,” a community discussion that takes place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26 at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society/Museum, 2620 W. Center St.
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Owning property, especially one’s home, has always been part of the American dream, but black people have never had anything close to equal access to home ownership, said Danell Cross, executive director of the neighborhood association Metcalfe Park Community Bridges.
She encourages her community to invest in owning homes and building a financial legacy for the next generation. “We too should and can have a part of this American dream,” she said.
Houses on Lloyd Street, across from Washington Park, are typical of once-thriving city neighborhoods where many inhabitants now rent homes and live in poverty. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Cross will be one of three panelists who will discuss black homeownership — why it has declined, why that is important and what can be done to change it.
The other panelists include Adam Carr, deputy editor for community engagement at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, and William Tisdale, president and CEO of Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council.
Both individual and institutional housing discrimination play a role in the disparity between black and white home ownership, Tisdale said. There is discrimination in sales, mortgage lending and homeowner insurance markets. In addition, wealth and income disparities occur because wealth gets passed on in disproportional amounts to white families, in comparison to black families, Tisdale said.
Carr noted that when he co-chaired the recent March on Milwaukee 50th anniversary coordinating committee, which organized a series of events commemorating the fair housing marches of the late 1960s, he got “an in-depth look at the history and the deep context of the conversation we’re having.”
The open housing marches “showed us the magnitude of the racist sentiment” that did not end with the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act in 1968, Carr said, adding, “Today (that racism) has a much more polite face but is as resolute as it was in 1967, and this is a topic we need to talk about.”
Cross would like to see city and state officials, mortgage lenders and others start to shape policies that support the African-American community. “If you don’t address that, you’re saying to the community, ‘we extend home ownership, but not to you.’”
Gosman said though the panel will look at the challenges home ownership pose for black residents, “more time is going to be focused on what can we all do as individuals to try and rectify this.”
In addition to ACTS Housing, other event sponsors include the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council and Metcalfe Park Community Bridges. Dorothy York, associate director of ACTS Housing, will moderate.  Clayborn Benson, director of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, will deliver opening remarks.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 24, 2019