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45,000 masks and counting: COVID-19 stopped the Mexican Fiesta. But it didn’t stop its organizers. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
August 7, 2020
Volunteer Susy George and her daughters work on assembling masks. (Photo provided by Laura Vasquez, WHSF)
Although COVID-19 has forced the cancellation of this year’s Mexican Fiesta, the organization behind the event isn’t taking off.
Instead of planning the annual three-day festival that celebrates Latinx culture and heritage, volunteers are assembling and distributing face masks.
Volunteer Kalia Hernandez prepares a mask. (Photo provided by Laura Vasquez, WHSF)
“We always try to step up when the community is in need,” said Teresa Mercado, the executive director of the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, or WHSF.
WHSF hosts the festival, which is normally held at the Henry Maier Festival Park in August and has been around for 47 years.
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It has partnered with MaskUp MKE, a social awareness campaign to encourage residents to wear face masks, to create the only volunteer-staffed mask production facility at its main office, 2997 S. 20th St.
So far, volunteers have produced 45,000 masks, and WHSF has enough material to make 40,000 more, Mercado said.
The organization is distributing the masks for free, along with information on the importance of wearing a face covering during the pandemic.
‘We’re helping people’
Karla Huerta, an international student adviser at Milwaukee Area Technical College, is a volunteer who’s worked with WHSF for 20 years.
Huerta said in normal times, she would be selling food, bread or margaritas to help raise money for WHSF. Now, she’s stapling ear loops to masks with her daughters and mother. Together, Huerta said, they’ve put together about 500 masks.
Mojitos and sangria lounge coordinator Salvador Chavez poses with masks he’s just assembled. (Photo provided by Laura Vasquez, WHSF)
“I felt like it was an emergency,” Huerta said of this summer’s experience. “We’re helping people in the community protect their families.”
Mercado said over 200 volunteers have stepped up to help assemble masks. To keep them safe, WHSF has created protocols, including checking the temperatures of volunteers before they begin work.
Mike Kryshak, owner of Rebel Converting, provides materials for face coverings to MaskUp MKE. He said WHSF has been a “godsend.”
Having access to masks is especially important in the Latinx community, Kryshak said. The predominately Latinx 53215 ZIP code is a “hotspot” for COVID-19. As of Aug 5, Latinx residents lead all ethnic groups in Milwaukee County in cases with 6,317.
“For many of them, they can’t stay home,” Kryshak said. “They can’t afford not to work.”
How you can help
Anyone looking to volunteer can call WHSF at (414) 383-7066 or visit its website.

created: August 7, 2020


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 6, 2020

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: August 6, 2020

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

author: Adam Carr


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5 things to do and know the weekend of Aug. 7 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
August 7, 2020
The group Vecinos Unidos, or United Neighbors, is hosting an art day in the garden Saturday, Aug. 8. (Photo provided by Vecinos Unidos/United Neighbors)
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon .
1. Safe & Sound virtual plug-inSafe & Sound is hosting a twice-weekly virtual plug-in every Monday and Friday from now until September. The plug-ins feature conversations with staff members, residents and elected officials. This week’s plug-in is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7. To join the conversation, click here.
2. MPS celebrates graduatesMPS seniors and their families, along with administrators, faculty and school board members, will celebrate graduation during a virtual ceremony from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8.  Showing off Milwaukee’s beautiful, resilient Class of 2020
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3. Community giveaway dayThe nonprofit Community Cry is hosting a community giveaway day at the Church of Milwaukee, 1501 W. Ring St., from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8. There will be free haircuts and hair braiding, a clothing giveaway and refreshments. Volunteers are needed and donations are welcome.
4. Día de arte en el jardín/Art day in the people’s gardenVecinos Unidos or United Neighbors is hosting a día de arte en el jardín or art day in the people’s garden. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 1102 S. 21st St. Children and adults are invited to write messages of love and hope on ceramics, which will be used to decorate the garden.
5. Liberate MKE and partners host block partyLiberate MKE, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and the Milwaukee Freedom Fund are having a block party at Metcalfe Park Rising, 2600 N. 34th St., from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8. The block party is a chance to celebrate Blackness, learn what it means to defund the police, discuss violence prevention methods, create art, enjoy refreshments and more. Masks are required.
Read: ‘We keep leveling up’: Liberate MKE continues to campaign to defund the police.
Bonus: The latest coronavirus coverage from NNS
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters are hard at work bringing readers up-to-date information regarding coronavirus. Stay informed on coronavirus by following us on our Facebook page and subscribing to our daily newsletter. All coronavirus related articles can be found on this landing page. If you have a question or concern about coronavirus, send them in our way. We’re here to serve you.

author: Ana Martinez-Ortiz


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OPINION: Conversations with white people about their racism can be uncomfortable. Do it anyway. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jenny Lee
August 7, 2020
(Photo by Wes Tank)
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
Jenny Lee is a stay-at-home chef and former newspaper journalist.
A small Confederate flag was tacked to a wall in a relative’s garage. I was at a reunion for my husband’s side of the family in the Midwest. As an Asian American from Wisconsin, I had never seen the Confederate flag on a wall. My eyes widened.
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Three years ago, I wouldn’t talk to the relative, even though the flag offended me. Now after George Floyd’s death galvanized the world to rise up, I felt I had to speak up.
But I didn’t know how.
Wanting to be a better ally, I started this odd journey of having uncomfortable conversations with white people.
My first conversation was with a white mom who liked my NNS essay about Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. She said in a text, “I’m sorry for the racism that is happening during an already difficult time.”
The comment was off, but I said, “Thank you.”
Later, I read a public Facebook post by Nyanyika Mary, who is Black. She wrote, “The same way you feel hearing ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ after a mass shooting is how we feel hearing ‘I’m sorry’ after a white person realizes racism exists and feels bad. Instead of I’m sorry, I have thought of a few other ways to show solidarity.”
“That’s how I feel!” I thought. I circled back and the mom agreed to talk to me. As gently as I could, I said I thought her apology was something someone would say at a funeral.
“I’m so sorry!” she said.
“It’s a start,” I said. I wanted to make sure she goes beyond saying sorry. She agreed. We talked about ways we could show solidarity to Black people.
“Thank you for talking with me!” the mom said.
I thanked her for taking my call. I felt buoyed from that conversation.
Later, I had to resolve a falling out with a white friend because my anger consumed me. She had committed a microaggression in January. (I’m not explaining the conflict for privacy reasons.) I wrote her an email to muffle my anger and asked to talk in a composed tone. My friend’s response? Silence for five months.
I asked another friend who knows about conflict resolution for advice. She said I focused too much on “You did something wrong” instead of seeing the white friend’s point of view. She suggested I ask, “Could we just talk?” as a way to start a conversation.
I followed the advice and the other friend agreed to talk. I still had a profanity bubble above my head right before the scheduled Zoom call. Asking “why” questions to this friend in a matter-of-fact manner actually dissolved my anger bubble. Turns out what she said was out of true ignorance.
She gave a heartfelt apology. She cried. My eyes welled up. We were friends again.
In mid-June, I saw a Facebook post by a floral business I follow. Above a photo of lawn art, the post said, “Black thumb? We’ve got your garden needs covered with some flowers even you can’t kill!”
I know what the post is trying to say. For those who say, “Don’t take it so literal,” my answer is: millions of slaves with Black thumbs picked cotton and made their white owners rich. (And Black thumbs are actually “green thumbs.”) Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many before them were killed. That’s why the post is offensive.
I messaged the white business owner directly. She quickly apologized for her employee’s post. She understood it was tone deaf. She changed the words, but she didn’t write a correction.
Changing the post without a correction meant she didn’t own up to the mistake publicly. I messaged her back. She asked for my phone number. She called me.
“I just don’t want to bring attention to something negative,” she quivered.
I stopped her.
“Are you calling me to tell me you’re not doing the correction?” I asked.
She avoided the question by repeating herself.
We went back and forth. Although it’s not my job as a Person of Color to educate her, I walked her through why a correction is needed and how she could write one. She posted a correction the next day.
My mind felt tired after talking with her. I won. Yet I was angry I had to hold her hand. I took a break.
Now back to the Confederate flag.
After the conversation with the florist, I didn’t have the mental energy to argue. I just wanted to let the relative know my stance on it. That’s all.
Since I’m Facebook friends with his wife, I messaged her in early July. I told her I remembered the flag. It deeply offended me, but I couldn’t say anything at the reunion. I said the Confederate flag is a symbol of slavery.
No response. Two weeks later on Facebook, she commented “Looking good!” on my new haircut. She could have unfriended me. But she was suddenly very positive. Taking it as a signal, I texted her. I told her I wasn’t looking for a fight. I guessed the flag was her husband’s. I acknowledged he has a First Amendment right to display the flag and I didn’t think he was going to change his mind. I just wanted to know: Is the Confederate flag still on your wall?
She confirmed it was her husband’s flag. For clarification, I asked if the flag was still there. A few days later, she summarized her husband’s words. The flag was a gift from a classmate who lived in the South. The flag matched the license plate décor on that wall. The two friends watched the “Dukes of Hazzard” as kids. Her husband said he has no problems with the flag hanging there.
I purposely didn’t get into a discussion.
The conversations made me realize I need to protect my mental health before tackling the Confederate flag.
What’s the lesson here? Know when not to argue. Know when to gently push.
Some conversations will be a success. Other conversations could be a dead end.
Protect your mental health.

author: Jenny Lee


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Post from Community: The people have spoken and continue to demand divestment from the Milwaukee Police Department | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
African American Roundtable
August 7, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
The African American Roundtable sees this as a moment to share a simple statement and remind everyone that demoting the Milwaukee Police Chief is simply not enough. In less than a month the Mayor will be sharing his executive budget with the community that needs to reflect a $75 million divestment from the Milwaukee Police Department.
Our message to Mayor Tom Barrett and the Common Council remains the same, that in order for us to create a safe community for all to live and thrive we must divest from police.
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Our demand is as follows:
● Community investment: A $75 million divestment from the Milwaukee Police Department and reinvestment into building healthy communities that can thrive. In accordance, $50 million must be allocated to fund public health and $25 million to housing cooperatives.
We look forward to Mayor Barrett’s budget that reflects this demand from the people.

author: African American Roundtable


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5 things to do and know this week in Milwaukee: Aug. 10 to Aug. 15 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
August 10, 2020
Ayuda Mutua MKE and Metcalfe Park Community Bridges are hosting a food and supply drive at Turner Hall on Monday, Aug. 10. (Photo provided by Ayuda Mutua MKE Facebook page)
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by .
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley will deliver his vision for the county, “One County, Stronger Together,” at noon on Monday, Aug. 10. The speech will be livestreamed on YouTube. Crowley will lay out the county’s plan to achieve racial equity and make Milwaukee County the healthiest county in Wisconsin.
2. Food and supplies drive at Turner Hall: Monday, Aug. 10
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Ayuda Mutua MKE and Metcalfe Park Community Bridges are hosting a food and supplies drive at Turner Hall, 1034 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave., from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10. The groups are looking for the following donations: personal protective equipment, nonperishable boxed or canned food, hygiene supplies and school supplies. For more information, click here.
The Northwest Side Community Development Corp. is hosting a series of pop-up farmers markets during the month of August. The first will take place at the Century City I Building, 3945 N. 31st St., from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11. Featured vendors include Pete’s Pops, Red Stone Rice, Community Bakers, Kaleidoscope Gardens and more. Click here to see the locations and dates for the remaining markets.
4. Annual book bag drive honoring Syville Smith
Sedan Smith and partners are hosting the annual book bag drive honoring Syville Smith at Sherman Park, 3000 N. Sherman Blvd., from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13. Syville Smith was killed by a Milwaukee police officer on Aug. 13, 2016, an incident that sparked days of unrest in the Sherman Park neighborhood. Sedan is his brother. There will be entertainment, speakers, free haircuts for children, a raffle and refreshments.
Read: Unrest in Sherman Park: Three years later.
5. Riding Over Stigma with Red Bike & Green Milwaukee: Saturday, Aug. 15
Red Bike & Green Milwaukee and Troney Small are hosting a four-mile bike ride to raise awareness concerning mental illness. Men and boys of color are invited to join. Participants are asked to wear bright green in honor of mental health. Masks and registration are required. The ride will begin at the Walnut Way Conservation Corp., 2240 N. 17th St., at 12:30 p.m. and end at Rise & Grind Cafe, 2737 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15.
The latest coronavirus coverage from NNS
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters are hard at work bringing readers up-to-date information regarding coronavirus. Stay informed by following us on our Facebook page and subscribing to our daily newsletter. All coronavirus related articles can be found on this landing page. If you have a question or concern about coronavirus, send them in our way. We’re here to serve you.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 9, 2020

created: August 9, 2020


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Milwaukee steers an additional $15 million from CARES Act into the Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
August 10, 2020
The Social Development Commission and Community Advocates continue to work on helping struggling tenants with the Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program. (File photo by Adam Carr)
As residents continue to struggle to meet payments, the City of Milwaukee is providing an additional $15 million for rental assistance aid through the federal CARES Act.
Steven Mahan, director of the city’s Community Development Grants Administration office, said the new funds will help the Social Development Commission meet surging demand for the Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program, or WRAP.
He said the funds will assist Milwaukee residents who have already applied for WRAP and then be used to help other applicants.
The Social Development Commission, or SDC, previously received $6.7 million to assist residents of Milwaukee, Ozaukee and Washington counties with rental assistance as part of CARES.
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In addition, Community Advocates received $7 million in CARES funding to help Milwaukee County residents. CARES stands for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Both agencies have struggled to meet demand from residents. Last month, we wrote about how the SDC was working to pare down a backlog of 24,000 names. We also reported on efforts by Community Advocates, which was playing catch-up with 1,500 applicants.
As residents continue to face hardships in paying rent, we are checking in regularly with the SDC and Community Advocates on what’s happening with the Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program.
Kim Dawson-Brooks of the Social Development Commission said staffers at the agency have noticed that applicants are not filling out the necessary forms to complete the process.
“If everyone who has a pending application returns the necessary forms a majority of our applications would be depleted,” she said.
Eligible applicants must be an adult Milwaukee resident with a household income at or below 80 percent of the county median income, $65,000 for a household of four or $46,000 for a household of one, in the month of or before the application date. They must be able to prove they have a loss of income due to COVID-19.
WRAP can award up to $3,000 per household in a combination of rental payments and/or security deposits paid directly to the landlord.
But the process relies heavily on landlords writing on behalf of their tenants.
In an earlier interview with NNS, Dawson-Brooks explained how applicants can make the process easier by following these steps:
Submit information through WRAP website as opposed to calling.
Work with your landlord and return requested information as quickly as possible.
Have information ready in advance. Applicants (adult Wisconsin residents) will be asked to provide the following information during the application process:
Since mid-June, Community Advocates have approved 350 households for rent assistance, totaling $500,000, according to Deborah Heffner, the housing strategy director at Community Advocates.
Another 1,500 completed applications are being reviewed and processed by case managers for final approval.
Worried about being able to pay rent? Here are some resources that can help.
Do you want to talk to a reporter about your experience? Fill out this form.
Check out our Instagram Story on “Milwaukee resources to help you avoid evictions.”
Help is just a text away with our News414 project with our friends from Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media. Text MILWAUKEE to 73224 to see how it works.

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


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OPINION: ‘Afraid for my life’: Who are you supposed to call when it’s the police committing the crimes? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
LaTasha Lux
August 10, 2020
“In the days following my assault I was diagnosed with a concussion and I began having anxiety attacks.” The author is seen here overcome by emotion at a recent protest. (Photo provided by Azure Mahara)
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
LaTasha Lux is a proudly tattooed wife, mother, lover of sci-fi, book nerd, “Disnerd” and photographer. She recently contributed to our gallery of photos from recent protests.
July 5, 2020.
That date is forever stamped on my memory. On July 5, 2020, I became a victim.
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Twice.
A little about me. I’m a wife and a mom. I work full time and I love photography. Photography is my passion, and when I had the opportunity to use photography to help tell the story of Milwaukee’s peaceful protests in the wake of the police murder of George Floyd I jumped at the chance.
Now, I’m not exactly what you would call shy, but I am no extrovert. I had no contacts and no idea how to start, but I grabbed my cameras and headed out anyway. What happened next was day after day of miles-long marches, meeting organizers and protesters, hearing the stories. I felt honored that I was trusted to share their fight for justice. I enjoyed my time out there with them.
And then July 5, 2020, happened. It was another protest, another group of people passionate about their cause, calling for social justice, inclusion, an end to police brutality. There was nothing out of the ordinary about that day. The march started late due to rain, but then the sun came out and we were on the move.
I made my way through the marchers, capturing images, talking with people. The group was stopped at the intersection of North Old World Third and East State streets when I heard a commotion behind me. I ran toward the noise and saw a man and a woman, who appeared to be drunk, shouting at the marchers. I began photographing.
This wasn’t something new, I’d seen this before. People were not shy about sharing their displeasure with seeing protesters. It’s important to capture these interactions as well as the marches themselves.
Through my viewfinder I saw the man turn to face me. It didn’t register to me that he was actually approaching me.
Then I felt the impact, and all hell broke loose. It took a few seconds for me to realize what had just happened. This man had just hit me. Looking back, I’m grateful I had the camera up to my face.
I was just assaulted. Someone put an ice pack in my hand and guided me over to a seat. I called 911.
The police showed up quickly. I was asked what happened and if I could describe the person who’d assaulted me. I showed them photos of the couple.
And then I waited. And waited. And waited. Witnesses were interviewed. Videos of the incident were viewed. And I waited. I was asked more questions.
Over the course of the next five hours, I sat and waited with no access to food, water or a restroom. The questions the police were asking began to shift: “What were you doing?” “Are you sure that’s how it happened?” “That’s not the story they’re telling.”
The “they” being the man who hit me and the woman he was with. I guess now is a good time to mention I am an African American woman. The man who hit me is white, as is his female companion.
I began to worry that I might be arrested. When I was taken into an alley and told to get into an unmarked car to speak with a detective, I was afraid for my life.
Let me say that again: I was afraid for my life.
I gave my phone and the unlock code to a friend who’d been waiting with me. I told her my wallet was in my camera bag. I asked her to call my husband, just in case.
Five hours after I was hit in the face, I was allowed to go home. It wasn’t until close to midnight that I found out that the man who’d assaulted me is a Milwaukee Police Department officer.
I was assaulted by a belligerent, off-duty Milwaukee police officer, and then I was subjected to hours of other MPD officers attempting to cover up for him.
Who are you supposed to call when the police are committing the crimes?
In the days following my assault, I was diagnosed with a concussion and I began having anxiety attacks. I didn’t feel safe in my home and I didn’t feel safe outside my home.
Then the nightmares started. I was victimized twice that day, once at the hands of an officer when he hit me and once at the hands of every one of those responding officers, who took an oath to serve and protect, when they decided I was not worthy of their service and protection.
I’m angry. I’m sad. I’m scared. And all the emotions in between. People have described me as strong — as brave — but I don’t feel that way. A little piece of me was stolen on July 5, 2020, and I feel its loss every second of every day.
I want to be the person that I was before that day. I want to get back out and continue to use my camera to tell the stories without my hands shaking. I want the tears to stop sneaking up on me.
Most of all, I want the officer who attacked me and the police officers who attempted to help him by covering up for him to face consequences for what they did to me that day.
At the time of publishing, this incident is under investigation by the Milwaukee Police Department.

author: LaTasha Lux


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Post from Community: Amani Youth Council works for peace, unity | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dominican Center
August 10, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
“Our Council is all about bringing greater peace to our neighborhood,” said Amani Youth Council President Soleil Harvey. “Not only are we about peace, but we are also uniting youth from all neighborhoods and positively changing the way elders think about the new generation.”
More than 50 youth, residents and partners came together in Milwaukee’s Amani neighborhood on July 31 to support the Amani Youth Council in their inaugural event, a March Against Gun Violence. The March was proposed and planned by youth. Dominican Center, Amani United and Safe & Sound came together to assist them in bringing their vision to life. “One of the myths that I hope this march has dispelled, is the myth that young people in the Amani community are disengaged,” said Dominican Center Youth Organizer Amanda Clark. “They want to live, they want to grow up and they want the community to know that their (youth) lives matter.”
Participants gathered in masks and PPE at Moody Park. Youth handed out signs handmade the day before with phrases like “I want to grow up” and “Guns down MKE!” and everyone gathered to hear remarks from organizers and leaders, including State Rep. Kalan Haywood II.
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The Amani Youth Council was inspired by the REAL-ationships and REAL-leadership groups held in Moody Park last year, which were a collaborative effort by COA Goldin Center, the Ziedler Center, Safe & Sound, Friends of Moody Park and Community Advocates. Programming allowed youth to engage with law enforcement, discuss and learn about issues they face, and build community amongst themselves. Nineteen youth from Amani graduated the 6-week program. “During these six weeks of programming, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office and Milwaukee Police Department reported that there was a significant decrease in calls for service in the neighborhood,” said Clark.
Council President Harvey was among the 19 graduates. Her work, along with a personal connection to violence in her neighborhood, pushed her to lead the Council and plan the March. “I feel that everything happens for a reason, and I think because my brother has been shot, that pushed me even more to change my community because I have personal issues with violence,” said Harvey. “I love my neighborhood. I have lived in Amani almost my whole life, and this is where I am going to be. (The Council) is what I want to do, because it’s better to start early if you want to make a change.”
The Council, along with many community organizations, are also coming together for a “Remembering Tay” Moody Park beautification project to honor the life of Tay Jackson, a young community activist murdered after a 3 on 3 basketball tournament at the park, only one day after the REAL-ationship and REAL-leadership youth were honored for their accomplishments at COA’s Beyond the Bookbag event. Artists Working in Education have begun to outline murals on the pathways and Amani youth have been invited to submit drawings to be made into collages for the backboards on the basketball courts, which will receive a full makeover to complete the project.
If you would like more information about the Amani Youth Council, please contact Amani Youth Organizer Amanda Clark at (414) 444.9930 or amanda@dominican-center.org.
Dominican Center with Amani residents and partners to build a better future. Please contact Christina Chronister for additional information at (414) 444.9930 or by email at christina@dominican-center.org

author: Dominican Center


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AYAGV12s.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
August 10, 2020

author: Name *


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Post from Community: Milwaukee students and community celebrate ‘completion’ of Lead2Change’s Dream.Explore.Build. program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lead2Change
August 10, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
On Thursday, August 6 from approximately 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Milwaukee high school students celebrated their accomplishments and ‘completion’ of Lead2Change’s Dream.Explore.Build (D.E.B.) program, which is a career-readiness program designed to engage high school students in cultivating their dreams, exploring their strengths, and building their futures. The completion ceremony took place in the parking lot at the James O. Wright Center for Work and Training at 6055 N 91st Street in Milwaukee. The event also marked a milestone in the community partnership between Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc. and Lead2Change to help build Milwaukee’s talent pipeline.
Families, Lead2Change representatives and Goodwill Industries representatives safely celebrated the students’ accomplishments by gathering during a drive-in-movie-styled event. From their cars, attendees will be able to experience the ceremony by directly watching the stage and listening on the radio in their cars.
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With similar missions to serve and advance communities, Goodwill Industries and Lead2Change partnered to bring this transformational career-readiness programming to youth on Milwaukee’s northwest side. Lead2Change is a leading career-readiness organization that engages young people in leadership opportunities and equips them with essential tools to be successful in college, their career and the community. Employment and training are Goodwill Industries’ primary focus, assisting men and women to develop their job skills and secure work opportunities that fulfill their personal and professional goals.
As a part of this community partnership, Goodwill Industries provided a site for Lead2Change’s signature program, D.E.B., at the James O. Wright Center for Work and Training during the 2019-20 Lead2Change programming year, which took place weekly on Saturdays starting on November 2, 2019. Prior to this partnership, Lead2Change had not been able to offer classes on the northwest side of Milwaukee, which is a more accessible location for the students’ families. Having a site at this location eliminated the transportation barrier faced by many of the students and offered an opportunity for students to learn outside of their traditional classrooms in a safe and supportive environment.
“It has been exciting to partner with an organization that has a mission focused on workforce development,” said Dionne Grayson, president and CEO of Lead2Change. “We are excited to expose our students to Goodwill Industries, and we look forward to future opportunities to expand our impact by engaging parents and connecting them with the resources and services that Goodwill offers.”
“Meaningful community impact requires deeper levels of collaboration. Prior to COVID-19, we were able to open our doors to host an amazing program – a program that’s shaping and building a robust, diverse talent pipeline in Milwaukee,” said Angela Adams, vice president community relations, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc. “Today is a day that we can celebrate our youth who successfully navigated our current reality in order to complete their Dream.Explore.Build. program.”
About Lead2Change
Based in Milwaukee, Lead2Change is a leading career-readiness organization that engages young people in leadership opportunities and equips them with essential tools to be successful in college, their career and the community. Young people who experience our programs enter the post-secondary world confident and clear about their career interests and their position in the ever-evolving workforce.
As part of a national movement, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation founded the Youth in Service Fund in 1996.  The program was created to engage young people in youth leadership and philanthropy.  After many years of success and granting nearly $550,000 to youth-led projects, in 2009, the Youth in Service Fund transitioned to Lead2Change, a career-readiness non-profit organization. This initiative was spearheaded by Dionne Grayson and a group of young trailblazers. While philanthropy is one tool used to help young people develop career-readiness skills, we also offer 16 nationally recognized career clusters to help young people find their passion and follow their path. For more information, visit https://lead2changeinc.org.
About Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc.
Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago is the largest Goodwill organization among 158 agencies in North America and has been providing services to the community for the past 100 years. With over 90 locations, Goodwill’s mission to provide training, employment and supportive services for people with disabilities or disadvantages who seek greater independence helps those in need across a 23-county territory. In 2019, Goodwill served nearly 43,000 men and women with disabilities and disadvantages and helped 7,932 individuals enter employment. Visit www.goodwillsew.com for more information.


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The NNS coronavirus update: What Milwaukee residents need to know the week of Aug. 10 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bridget Fogarty
August 10, 2020
Officials from the Milwaukee County Election Commission say Election Day will look much different than what we saw in April. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the locations for absentee ballot drop off on Election Day.
Here’s the latest update on COVID-19 in Milwaukee and the resources you need to combat it.
As the city prepares for Tuesday’s primary election, officials from the Milwaukee County Election Commission said voting will look much different than the unprecedented election of April 7.
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Though early voting has ended, here’s what to expect if you choose to vote in person.
While a mere five voting locations were open during April’s election, 168 polling sites will be open Tuesday. Claire Woodall-Vogg, the executive director of the city’s Election Commission, said residents who choose to vote in person can also expect strict safety measures.
All polling locations will have plexiglass barriers separating voters from poll workers, she said. Poll workers will be wearing face masks and face shields, and more personal protective equipment will be available. The polling sites also will have staff dedicated to sanitizing voting booths and other items after use.
Voters will be expected to follow the city’s mask mandate, as well as regulations posted throughout polling locations, to keep themselves, their fellow voters and poll workers safe.
“Hopefully if you’re feeling comfortable going to your local grocery store, you’ll feel comfortable voting,” Woodall-Vogg said.
For anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, curbside voting will be available, according to Julietta Henry, the elections director of the Milwaukee County Elections Commission.
“Curbside voting isn’t anything new,” Henry said, as it has long been a voting option in Wisconsin for elderly residents and those who cannot enter polling locations due to disability.
She said voters will see a “Health Alert” posting at each polling site door, asking them to refrain from entering the building if they exhibit COVID-19 symptoms. The signage will provide instructions on how voters can safely request to cast their vote curbside.
You can find your voting site here.
For more information on what’s at stake in the Aug. 11 primary election and how to vote, here’s what you need to know.
Data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services on Saturday showed 1,165 people have tested positive for COVID-19, a new single-day record. In addition, Milwaukee’s South Side remains a hotspot for the coronavirus.
Health leaders say they are pleased that more residents are taking precautions like social distancing and getting tested, said Dr. Ben Weston of the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management during a media briefing Thursday.
Officials continue to encourage residents to get tested at the free community testing sites at UMOS, 2701 S. Chase Ave., and Custer Stadium by Barack Obama School, 4300 W. Fairmount Ave. You can also contact your health provider, call IMPACT 2-1-1 or take a look at the county’s testing site map to find a testing center near you.
Milwaukee NNS got an early look at the free mask distribution plan. The plan, which still has not been released, details how Milwaukee residents will be able to get free masks provided by the city by the end of August.
The reusable masks will be made by Milwaukee businesses and free for all in the city.
Until the reusable masks are ready, the distribution of disposable masks will continue at the following locations:
Check the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s website for the most updated facts and answers to questions about the mask ordinance.
Look here for up-to-date statistics on COVID-19 in the county. More precautions on how to stay safe and information on COVID-19 can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
Check out our continuing coronavirus coverage.
Looking for more personalized direction to resources and information during the coronavirus crisis? Get connected with News414, a texting-based news resource from Milwaukee NNS, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media. You can text MILWAUKEE to 73224 and begin to receive free, personalized data via text messages.

author: Bridget Fogarty


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Post from Community: United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Announces Inaugural Grants for Safe & Stable Homes Initiative | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
August 10, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County announced the inaugural grants for their Safe & Stable Homes initiative. Beginning last August with their annual campaign, United Way set a goal to end family homelessness by 2025. Over $770,000 has already been raised, and this money will be used to support programs at nonprofit agencies focused on preventing family homelessness.
“We are so appreciative of everyone who made a donation to Safe & Stable Homes,” said Nicole Angresano, Vice President of Community Impact for United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. “We are especially grateful to three key sponsors, Brewers Community Foundation, Ascension Wisconsin, and ManpowerGroup. Their dollars are making an immediate impact in our community.”
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“Brewers Community Foundation harnesses the pride, passion and commitment of our fans, players and other supporters to positively impact the community,” said Cecelia Gore, Executive Director, Brewers Community Foundation. “We recognize how critically important it is to end family homelessness and want to play a role in supporting United Way’s efforts. We are all on the same team and everyone needs to win!”
“United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County is well positioned to tackle the interconnected social determinants of health in our community, like safe neighborhoods, good education, and affordable housing,” said Bernie Sherry, ministry market executive, Ascension Wisconsin. “We are proud to partner with United Way as part of our mission to deliver compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable.”
“At ManpowerGroup, we truly believe sustainable and meaningful work has the power to change the world, and for many people that starts with having a safe place to call home,” said Nafessa Burdine, Community Investment & Sustainability Leader at ManpowerGroup. “That’s why we’re proud to support Safe and Stable Homes right here in Milwaukee – because every person deserves the security and opportunity this initiative brings”
The funding for Safe & Stable Homes is dedicated to ending family homelessness in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties. Year one’s priority is to prevent evictions through legal aid, financial assistance, and the creation of the Rental Housing Resource Center.
These are the thirteen programs that United Way will be funding in 2020-21:
“With the effects of COVID-19 disrupting the income of families living paycheck-to-paycheck, this funding could not have started at a more appropriate time,” said Angresano. “We know that ending family homelessness is possible, but it will take some time. We thank everyone for their ongoing support.”
For more information on the initiative, visit: UnitedWayGMWC.org/Safe-and-Stable-Homes
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our local community. We win by Living United.


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Families face peril as unemployment benefit expires | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
August 11, 2020
Alfreida Casterlow of Milwaukee lost her job in April with Northwestern Mutual, which she held through the staffing agency Kforce. She immediately applied for unemployment but did not receive any benefits until July 7. She said her unemployment insurance checks stopped on Aug. 1 due to a bureaucratic problem, and state officials told her she must reapply for benefits. She said the temporary benefits helped, but she will again fall behind on bills if she is left waiting too long to again be approved. (Photo provided by Coburn Dukehart/Wisconsin Watch)
Kristina Smith lost her job in the printing industry and has been waiting for nearly two months to hear back from the state on her unemployment case.
If not for the weekly $600 federal unemployment supplement her fiancé, a die cutter, received after becoming unemployed, their household of six would have been in dire straits months ago.
That benefit, part of the federal CARES Act, has expired and talks in Washington to renew it came to an impasse over the weekend. President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order continuing the benefits at a lower level — $400 per week, including $100 to be provided by the states.
But Democrats and Republicans were wrangling over the order Monday, with some critics calling it legally dubious.
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All this leaves Smith and countless others wondering how they will survive.
“Not enough money for food or for rent. I mean, this is crazy,” said the Milwaukee resident. She’s looking for work while worrying about contracting the novel coronavirus.
According to data collected by Citizen Action of Wisconsin, a member-based organization that focuses on social, economic and environmental justice issues, an unemployed full-time worker who normally makes $10 an hour will now receive a $156 weekly benefit from the state, a 79 percent reduction in spending potential from when the federal supplemental benefit was provided.
Full-time workers who normally earn $20 or more per hour will see their weekly income drop from $970 to $370 per week. But if Trump’s order goes into effect, and Wisconsin provides the $100, that amount would be $770.
The larger reduction would cause a wave of evictions, foreclosures and families being unable to put food on the table, said Robert Kraig, executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin.
“We passed relief that needed to go further. This is an ongoing financial catastrophe,” said Kraig, who, in the days before Trump’s order, criticized Republican legislators for not extending the benefit.
The unemployment benefit for Wisconsin is 40 percent of a worker’s average wage, with a cap of $370. For those who were eligible, the federal supplement added $600 to their payment.
Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, who recently co-sponsored several bills related to unemployment insurance, said the cut in benefits puts many Milwaukee families at risk.
“That extra $600 is the difference between stable housing and running the risk of being put out in the street,” she said before Trump issued his order.
Some Milwaukee residents have been in crisis mode ever since a state moratorium against evictions expired in late May. Emergency rental assistance programs in the county are facing severe backlogs as they try to meet demand.
Trump’s order asked federal officials to “consider” reinstating a moratorium on evictions, but no action was taken.
“His executive order offers merely false hope and risks increased confusion and chaos at a time when renters need assurance that they will not be kicked out of their homes during a pandemic,” Diane Yentel, president of National Low Income Housing Coalition, told USA Today.
The loss of the federal unemployment benefit hurts those who are part of workshare programs. It also affects those who still are employed but have had their hours reduced and were eligible to receive the additional $600.
“They would still see about a 50 percent reduction in the spending that they otherwise would be able to do right now,” said Kevin Kane, a staff researcher for Citizen Action of Wisconsin, said before Trump issued his order.
That’s the case for Crystal Aguilar, who works as a server but saw her hours cut when the pandemic started. She said her weekly income was more than halved.
The benefit “allowed me to make what I would have normally made,” Aguilar said. “Now that it has ended, it’s hard coming up with enough to make ends meet, and I’m having to look for a second job.”
Local businesses will be drastically hurt by the income that is no longer in the economy, Kraig said.
“You can create another secondary wave of unemployment,” he said.
In fact, he estimated Wisconsin would lose 65,000 jobs, with more than 14,000 of those based in Milwaukee, with the benefits ended. More than $3 billion would be removed from the statewide economy, including $975 million from Milwaukee-Waukesha metropolitan statistical area, the research from Citizen Action of Wisconsin found.
“We’re going to have record amounts of homelessness, spurred by evictions and foreclosures . . . a lot more people literally in modern soup lines. It’s going to have a devastating impact,” Kraig said.
Congress and the White House were still at odds Monday over the effects of Trump’s order, with Democrats still hoping to reinstate the $600 federal supplement and Republicans looking at a smaller payout as part of a new coronavirus relief measure.
The Washington Post reported Monday that Trump was pressuring Democrats to resume talks with Republicans on the stalled coronavirus relief bill.
Smith said she has hope but little confidence that something will happen soon.
“I honestly don’t think that help will come in time,” she said. “So yeah, we’re basically screwed.”

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 10, 2020


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Milwaukee significantly behind in project to replace 1,100 lead pipes by end of year | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
August 11, 2020
The lead service replacement project began four years ago after the city found an unsafe number of lead laterals, or service lines. (File photo by Jabril Faraj)
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify remarks made by Milwaukee Water Works Superintendent Karen Dettmer concerning the funding of  line replacements and to provide more context on the city’s lead service replacement project.
The city is significantly behind in its goal to replace 1,100 lead pipes by the end of the year, exacerbated in part by the ongoing pandemic, Milwaukee officials say.
As of Aug. 10, only 333 lines have been replaced, according to data on the Milwaukee Water Works website.
The lead service replacement project began four years ago after officials found an unsafe number of lead laterals, or service lines, connecting water mains to houses and businesses.
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The lead from these lines leaches into tap water and can have unhealthy effects on those who drink it, especially developing children.
The project replaces lead pipes with copper ones.
During a July 15 meeting of the Milwaukee Common Council’s Public Works Committee, Ald. Milele Coggs said the rate of replacement is too slow. Coggs called for more options for residents.
“My goal is to get to a point where you don’t have to wait until stuff is disrupted to be able to replace your lead laterals,” Coggs said.
Milwaukee Water Works Superintendent Karen Dettmer said her department did not feel comfortable sending workers out during the early part of the pandemic, because so much about the virus was unknown at the time. Officials, she said, did not want to put workers or residents at risk.
The process of replacing the lines requires multiple people entering a home or business.
Because of the risk of exposure, Dettmer said, some residents did not want workers entering their homes.
While the pandemic did slow the program, Dettmer said workers have made significant progress at child care centers that have been closed during the shutdown.
“It’s not a simple answer as far as moving forward with lead service line replacement,” Dettmer said. “If we had an infinite amount of funding, it would be a much simpler answer.”
Dettmer said the price of replacing lead service lines has increased, and the city’s budget will face constraints in the future.
Dettmer is proposing a new plan that would evenly distribute revenue from water rates to help fund service line replacements. The water main replacement project will affect 300 properties with lead service lines.
With 70,000 lead service lines in the city, it would take roughly 70 years for the program to reach its goal.
For Robert Penner, a member of Get The Lead Out coalition, that’s too long. The coalition is made up of residents and community organizations.
Penner cited Lansing, Michigan, as the “gold standard” for lead replacement. He acknowledged that it is a smaller city than Milwaukee. Lansing had to replace 12,150 pipes as opposed to Milwaukee’s 70,000.
“We see that as absolutely unacceptable,” Penner said. “We’ve seen in other cities that this type of project can be accomplished in a few years.”

author: Matt Martinez


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OPINION: How capitalism makes it hard to end racism in America | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Thomas Hansberger
August 11, 2020
(Photo by Wes Tank of TankThink)
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
Tom Hansberger is a philosophy lecturer and graduate student at Marquette University and a co-chairman of the Milwaukee chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.
On May 25, 2020, four Minneapolis police officers arrested a Black man named George Floyd for allegedly counterfeiting a check. Derek Chauvin, a white officer, then knelt on Floyd’s throat for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, long after Floyd lost consciousness, killing him.
Minneapolis, the United States and the world have erupted in protests. Their outrage is completely appropriate and their demands are just: an end to police brutality and racism, defunding police departments, reinvesting in communities and the dismantling of the American police state.
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As a Latino, I implore white people to support protests and amplify demands here in Milwaukee that advance us toward those goals, like the demands of the African American Roundtable.
Some white people may be newcomers to this struggle and it is important to remember that this is just the latest battle in the war against “The New Jim Crow.” The increased number of white people who have participated in the protests is a good sign, but over 400 years of racism will not be defeated in a month. How do we uproot such a powerful force?
To answer this question, Black activists since W.E.B. Du Bois have turned to socialism. Du Bois understood that whiteness represented a kind of “racial bribe;” comparatively better conditions for white workers in exchange for their cooperation with a racial hierarchy. Race forms a tool for wealthy elites to divide the working class, preserving their power and perpetuating racism all at once.
For this reason, Malcolm X declared that “You can’t have capitalism without racism!” and Fred Hampton exhorted us to fight racism with multiracial solidarity and capitalism with socialism. The call to defund the police is a part of this radical history because the new generation of grassroots Black activists has taken inspiration from Angela Davis, a famous Black socialist activist who was the target of racist attacks by Ronald Reagan in the 70s.
The Black socialist tradition helps us identify the most powerful people in our society who have an interest in stoking racism: capitalists. Socialists recognize capitalists as people who generate their income from other people’s work. Racism is valuable for capitalists because it prevents their employees from cooperating with each other to end their exploitation. Encouraging working white people to distrust their Black peers undermines working class solidarity. The stronger racism is, the weaker the labor movement and working class will be.
That’s why wealthy capitalists have always used Trumpian tactics to encourage the spread of racism for profit. Amazon’s April firing of Christian Smalls is an obvious, recent example. Smalls, who is Black, was leading a unionization effort in a Staten Island Amazon warehouse. In notes from a private meeting with Jeff Bezos, Amazon attorney David Zapolsky wrote that Smalls would be a good target for Amazon’s anti-union campaign because “He’s not smart, or articulate.” Zapolsky’s characterization of Smalls obviously reinforces racist stereotypes of Black men, weaponizing them in the service of Bezos’s greed. Bezos may donate to Democrats and make empty statements in support of Black lives, but the way he treats his workers shows that racism is a capitalist phenomenon, not a partisan phenomenon.
By strategically deploying and reinforcing racism, capitalists like Bezos remain free to prey upon Black poverty. Black workers’ poverty is reinforced by the criminal justice system in the United States, which makes it much more difficult for felons to find steady work even as it reincarcerates many convicted felons for their failure to get and keep a job. It is almost common knowledge that 53206, on Milwaukee’s northwest side, is one of the most incarcerated ZIP codes in the entire United States.
When the risks of joblessness are so high, Black and Brown workers are forced to accept unhealthy working conditions and poverty wages. This effectively inhibits organizing and drives down workplace standards, even for white workers.
In this light, we can better understand why it is so difficult to end racism in the United States when the wealthiest, most powerful people in our society do so much to keep racism alive. Any reforms that leave them in control will inevitably be undone, repurposed or ignored as racism reasserts itself. But we can make an important step toward a more egalitarian America by recognizing that white and Black people have common interests, and a common enemy, in the workplace. Since the vast majority of Americans must work for a living — many of them for a small group of employers — our shared interest in the empowerment of the working class provides the broadest, strongest foundation for an “us that includes all of us,” as Michelle Alexander put it.
Workplace organizing has proven results in this struggle: the Black Educators’ Caucus of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association successfully organized workers and the community to demand that Milwaukee Public Schools cancel contracts with the Milwaukee Police Department. Their victory will materially benefit students by redirecting city resources toward education and undermining the infamous school-to-prison pipeline. Labor unions have the potential to unite Black, Brown and white co-workers to ensure that our communities are not only free from police harassment, but also that they have fair wages, health care and good public services.
To follow the lead of Black Educators, white people should organize institutions that empower working people and put racial justice at the heart of their mission: labor unions, people’s assemblies, churches and community organizations must become champions of racial justice to give the Black liberation movement the power to transform our society for the better.
Many white people are using their greater social power on the streets in solidarity with Black people. It is my hope that white people will make a habit of shielding their Black neighbors against police violence, engaging in ongoing mutual aid and using their comparatively greater wealth and power to achieve freedom with ‑ rather than freedom from ‑ their Black neighbors.
These skills will also be necessary for the next step in combating racial inequality: organizing at the roots of racial capitalism to ensure that Black, Brown and white working people are (finally) treated equally.

author: Thomas Hansberger


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Thomas Hansberg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 10, 2020


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A legacy of resistance: Historical resources for understanding local and national protest movements | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
August 12, 2020
Young people have long been the leaders and organizers of protests in Milwaukee. (Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Historic Photo Collection, Milwaukee Public Library)
Since George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Milwaukee has seen daily protests and marches throughout the city.
Many of the demonstrations have been led by young people, and Milwaukee’s history of protests shows that this is nothing new.
Reggie Jackson, head griot at America’s Black Holocaust Museum, said an early and notable instance of youth-involved protests in Milwaukee took place in the early 1960s during the Milwaukee United School Integration Committee’s campaign against segregated schools.
In that era, some Milwaukee Public Schools went to great lengths to create the appearance of integration, while keeping segregation alive within their building. African American students and teachers from the North Side were bused in every day to schools on the predominantly white South Side but kept separately from the whites once inside the school. They started school an hour late, left early and in some cases had to ride the bus back to their neighborhoods for lunch, Jackson said.
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Eventually, students, parents and teachers experiencing these indignities said enough and began holding school boycotts to desegregate schools. After the school board failed to integrate schools, Milwaukee United School Integration Committee, or MUSIC, held its first boycott on May 18, 1964, according to March on Milwaukee.
During the boycotts, students attended Freedom Schools, which were alternative schools housed in churches and community centers. Teachers taught academic subjects, but there was an emphasis on freedom, brotherhood, justice and equality.
While youth were not the leaders of the MUSIC protests, their role in protests grew as the decade continued.
In 1963, the Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council, with their adviser John Givens, began its first direct action campaign against employment discrimination at a local restaurant. In 1966, it protested the white Fraternal Order of Eagles Club with adviser Father James Groppi, and a year later, joined Ald. Vel Phillips, who had been a teacher at the Freedom Schools, in the Open Housing Marches. The Youth Council marched for 200 consecutive nights for an open housing law that was passed in 1968.
“The youth have a unique perspective of challenges in the city,” Jackson said.
“They are walking in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing to see people pass the baton on to young folks.”
Robert Smith, the director of Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach and associate professor of history at Marquette University, says young people understand the importance of what’s happening in society right now. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Robert Smith, the director of Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach and associate professor of history at Marquette University, said that young people understand the importance of the now.
Young people are taught to be respectful and expect respect in return, but if that doesn’t happen, they call out that mistreatment, Smith said.
“Every human being is entitled to basic human rights just because we exist,” he said. “I shouldn’t have to wait for them.”
Smith said he doesn’t expect the current demonstrations to end anytime soon. Everyone is engaged in this moment, he said. While he anticipates change, Smith said that it is dangerous to think there will be sweeping changes.
“I think we will see significant changes in police enforcement, but it does not mean all the problems will go away,” he said.
The United States has a deep history of racist behavior and so many of this nation’s institutions are rooted in racism, he said, and it’s going to take a long time to uproot this sickness.
Part of addressing the root of the problem is understanding how history has shaped the policies, practices and behaviors of today. Below is a list of critical and historical resources. The list is broken into several parts and has sections on Milwaukee’s history, educational resources, films/documentaries and books.
Please note, some institutions may be closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Are we missing a critical or historical resource? Please, put it in the comments below or send us an email to info@milwaukeenns.org with the subject line “Historical Resource.”
Local resources and guides
America’s Black Holocaust Museum
America’s Black Holocaust Museum, 401 W. North Ave. has an extensive virtual collection open for exploration. The museum’s four pillars are remembrance, resistance, redemption and reconciliation. The museum begins its history in before the slave trade began in Africa and continues to the African American experience in the present day. Its galleries feature videos, readings, photos and more.
UW-Milwaukee Libraries “March on Milwaukee” (Recommended by Reggie Jackson)
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Historical Society created a collection of Milwaukee’s Civil Rights Movement. The digital collection, titled “March on Milwaukee,” is a collection of personal essays, photographs, interviews and more. The collection is categorized by people, events, places, organizations and subjects.
Milwaukee Public Library
The Milwaukee Public Library has multiple historical resources covering Milwaukee’s history of protests. There is a gallery of the photos from Milwaukee Civil Rights Movement. By searching keywords such as “open housing,” “protests” and “demonstrations,” viewers can find more photos in the library’s photo collection.
The Central Library, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave., has a collection of  local newspapers and article clippings that cover the events from the 1950s to the 1980s. Individuals can look at the subject index to find topics related to the Civil Rights Movement.
One librarian wrote a blog post titled “200 Nights That Shook Milwaukee: The 1967-1968 Open Housing Marches.” The blog explains the history of the Open Housing Marches and includes additional resources.
The library also has the Dr. James Cameron Pamphlet Collection. The collection, which can be viewed online, consists of 37 pamphlets written by Cameron on the topic of slavery, civil rights, Milwaukee police and community relations. Cameron, who survived a lynching, founded America’s Black Holocaust Museum.
Wisconsin’s Black Historical Society
The Wisconsin Black Historical Society is temporarily closed, but some of its resources are still available online. The learning center, for example, has lessons plans and worksheets for students in elementary and secondary school that focus specifically on Wisconsin’s African American history.
Urban Underground (Recommended by Reggie Jackson)
Urban Underground, 2342 N. 27 St., is a local youth organization that teaches young people how to be leaders. The organization is for teens ages 13 to 18 who want to make a difference in their neighborhoods. Through various activities, members learn about social justice in the areas of public safety, education, health and juvenile justice reform.
Urban Underground is deliberate in exploring Milwaukee and gives youth the opportunity to challenge the status quo of their neighborhoods, Jackson said.
Milwaukee Public Schools
Milwaukee Public Schools recently released a resource guide for teachers, parents and students. The guide offers resources on how parents can talk to their children about race, racism, police violence and more. The guide includes a list of resources to practice self-care and understand stress.
Marquette University (Recommended by Robert Smith)
Marquette University’s library creates a list of antiracism resources available in and beyond the library’s collection. The resources listed range from videos and podcasts to books and articles.
Marquette University also created a list of inclusive teaching resources.
National resources
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture
The National Museum of African American History & Culture first opened in 2016. It is dedicated to the documentation of African American life, history and culture. The museum has an online guide titled “Talking About Race,” which breaks down why talking about race is important and offers tools and resources.
Films and documentaries
“13th” documentary (Recommended by Robert Smith)
Ava DuVernay’s 2016 documentary “13” breaks down the history of the prison system and the role race plays in mass incarceration. The title comes from the Thirteenth Amendment, which legally abolished slavery. The documentary is available with a Netflix subscription and is currently on YouTube.
“When They See Us” (Recommended by Rob Smith)
“When They See Us” is a film by Ava DuVernay, which is based on the story of the Central Park Five. The story follows five male teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of rape in 1989. The film is currently available to watch on Netflix.
“The Blood is at the Doorstep”
The documentary, “The Blood is at the Doorstep,” follows the Hamilton family after the shooting of Dontre Hamilton. The story starts in 2014 when the Hamilton family is grieving the loss of Dontre at the hands of the police and continues as they fight for justice and educate the community. The film is currently available to stream for free on IMDb TV and Tubi. Follow the Facebook page to stay informed on streaming availability.
“MILWAUKEE 53206”
In Milwaukee, everyone knows of the 53206 ZIP code, and in 2016 the nation was introduced to it in the documentary “MILWAUKEE 53206.” The documentary follows the lives of those living in 53206, which has one of the highest incarceration rates of Black men in the nation. Although it is currently unavailable to screen, individuals can visit the website or its YouTube channel.
“Queen Sugar” (Recommended by Robert Smith)
“Queen Sugar” is a TV series based on the novel by Natalie Baszile. The show follows the lives of the Bordelon siblings. The story begins after the death of their father who has bequeathed them a sugarcane farm in rural Louisiana.  The show is produced by Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay and airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Currently, it is available to watch on Hulu.
“It’s a beautiful depiction of black people,” said Smith.
“I Am Not Your Negro” (Recommended by Robert Smith)
“I Am Not Your Negro” is a documentary based on the unfinished manuscript, “Remember This House” by James Baldwin. The documentary is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and examines Baldwin’s notes and letters, which tell the stories of the lives of Malcom X, Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King Jr. “I Am Not Your Negro” is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Books
Vox’s recommended reading list (Recommended by Rob Smith)
Vox, a digital news platform, curated a book list that covers police brutality and racism in America. The list includes books such as “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo and “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander. Readers are encouraged to support Black-owned bookstores.
Milwaukee Civil Right Movement Books
Use the key words “Milwaukee” and “civil rights” to find books that further illustrate Milwaukee’s role in the Civil Rights Movement. Such books include “The Selma of the North: Civil Insurgency in Milwaukee” by Patrick D. Jones; “Father Groppi: Marching for Civil Rights” by Stuart Stotts; “City with a Chance: A Case History of Civil Rights Revolution” by Frank A. Aukofer; “The Milwaukee Police and Latino Community Relations, 1964-2000: The Role of Latino Officers” by Antonio G. Guajardo Jr.; “Not Yet ‘Free at Last’: The Unfinished Business of the Civil Rights Movement: Our Battle for School Choice” by Mikel Holt; and “200 Nights and One Day” by Margaret Rozga.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 11, 2020


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MJS Milwaukee Housing Race Historical Archive | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 11, 2020


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‘I refuse to lose’: How this lifelong musician remains resilient through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
August 12, 2020
Victor Campbell has spent most his life lending his talents to other musicians. Now he’s using them to fight for better efficiency in Milwaukee’s emergency social programs. (Photo provided by Victor Campbell)
Victor Campbell has been providing joy to others through music for years.
But after COVID-19 took away his source of income, the 62-year-old jazz drummer didn’t miss a beat.
He just shifted his focus to survival.
“I refuse to lose,” said Campbell, who was laid off from his job as a medical transit van driver and then denied unemployment benefits.
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This loss of income left the Sherman Park resident struggling to pay his bills, so he applied for aid through the Wisconsin Rent Assistance Program in early June.
After over a month, Campbell said he hadn’t  heard back from the program, which has been struggling to meet a backlog of cases.
Determined not to be displaced, Campbell  reached out to the New York-based Jazz Foundation of America and Los Angeles-based MusiCares. Both have programs that provide relief to musicians sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Campbell said both organizations provided him with help only a day after he called.
And he’s made it his mission to get programs in Milwaukee to be just as responsive.
“The system of resources in this city is a game,” Campbell said. “People are in need and are being given the runaround.”
The waiting game
For Campbell, the process in Milwaukee has been a constant cycle of calling. And waiting.
At one point, the Social Development Commission, which is one of two agencies in Milwaukee County administering the Wisconsin Rent Assistance Program, had a backlog of 24,000 names.
Campbell has written letters to county, city and state officials to address this issue. His letters have taken to task not only the Wisconsin Rent Assistance Program but also the Department of Workforce Development, which oversees unemployment compensation, and other agencies as well.
Campbell said he’s never been the type to wait for what he wants or needs.
That’s why the process of receiving rental aid has been so frustrating for him.
“It is not fair for someone who has done everything right to have to wait weeks and even months to know if they will receive the help they need,” he said.
Those who know Campbell are not surprised by his resilience.
“Victor is a Jun-Jun drummer,” said Ferne Caulker, who has known Campbell for over 15 years and recently retired as artistic director of the Ko-Thi Dance Company “A big part of that is understanding what it is to be the foundation of something. I think that is a part of his personality.”
Though Caulker has known Campbell only as a musician, she’s not surprised he’s working to change things.
“He is one of the best jazz drummers in the city,” she said. “But he will still return to the ensemble to teach and learn from the younger generation, and that takes humility.”
For more than 56 years, Campbell has shared his talent with local legends such as Manty Ellis and Willie Higgins and with national acts like Tim Ries, Gary Richrath and The Drifters.
Making ends meet
The traveling musician returned home in 2013 to have hip surgery. He planned to get back on the road after recovery, but his goal was short-circuited when he found out he had to get surgery on both shoulders the next year.
Still not giving up on his dream, Campbell decided to get a day job driving medical transit vans until his shoulders healed properly and he could go back on the road. He has continued to play locally since he’s been back.
“My doctor told me I was the first person to get my shoulders done back-to-back the way I did,” Campbell said. “But I didn’t have time to sit around and wait.”
“Victor is ambitious, dedicated and loyal,” said John High, a pastor and close friend of Campbell’s. “If he thinks it’s affecting other people, he cares about it.”
According to High, who has played music with Campbell since 1981, Campbell comes from a line of people who advocate for themselves. Campbell’s father, Floyd Campbell, was among the first Black men to move to Mequon.
“I think his resilience might be a generational thing,” High said.
Regardless of the reason, Campbell plans to continue working toward changes that will help people like him.
“I will keep calling and writing and complaining until these programs restructure themselves into programs that actually help people,” he said.


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Post from Community: Local soup kitchen gives away groceries to community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
The Gathering
August 12, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
The Gathering is a local community meal program that provides close to 90,000 free meals a year to the hungry and homeless populations. In addition to daily programming, The Gathering is partnering with Amazon, Feeding America, Running Rebels & Walnut Way to do a grocery giveaway, open to the public, on Tuesday, August 11, 2020.
“We are feeding more individuals by the day,” says Lyn Hildenbrand, Executive Director of The Gathering. “…and as areas of our city are affected differently by the pandemic, we need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to provide access to groceries for our meal guests as well as members of the community we serve. We’re thrilled to have such incredible partners that believe in our Mission.”
The Gathering has partnered with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin for decades. When it was announced that Feeding America would be delivering goods donated by Amazon, it only made sense to conduct this giveaway with additional support from Walnut Way and Running Rebels.
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“As the Running Rebels Community Organization celebrates 40 years of service to the community, we are honored to be partnering with The Gathering to provide free groceries and essentials on a weekly basis to our community members who are most in need of basic needs assistance…” says Dawn Barnett, Co-Executive Director of Running Rebels. “During a time when we are facing an increasing number of challenges, now is the time for all of us to be creative and collaborative in order to best serve the community moving forward.”
The giveaway is held every Tuesday, in the Running Rebels parking lot (1300 W Fond du Lac Ave), beginning at 8AM until 9:30AM. During this time, The Gathering serves a free breakfast to the community and after guests receive their breakfast to-go, they will have the opportunity to go grocery shopping in the parking lot. All members of the community are invited and welcomed. To ensure the safety of staff, volunteers and guests, The Gathering is strictly following guidelines recommended by the CDC. Masks will be required to enter the parking lot and social distancing will be set in place. If guests do not have masks, disposable ones will be provided.
About The Gathering of Southeast WI, Inc.
The Gathering was founded in 1982 and over the years, has provided the community with a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner program that run throughout the week across four different meal sites. The Gathering provides other programming such as the Bag Lunch Program and Fresh Produce Preservation Project. Its Mission is to provide meals to the hungry and homeless population who would otherwise go hungry or without. The Gathering works with over 2,000 volunteers and serves nearly 90,000 meals in a fiscal year with only 10 paid staff members. To learn more visit, www.thegatheringwis.org

author: The Gathering


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Post from Community: Charter Communications outlines additional $100,000 contribution to support the city of Milwaukee and its residents | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Charter Communications
August 13, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR) today announced a diverse community impact program that will invest an additional $100,000 to support the City of Milwaukee and its residents through a series of activities and events with Milwaukee nonprofits in  advance of the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
“In less than a week, all eyes will be on Milwaukee as we host the Democratic National Convention,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “I am appreciative of Charter for partnering with local nonprofit organizations to provide services and virtual programming that will help improve the lives of many residents in our city.”
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Charter’s $100,000 community impact support is part of a broader $1.4 million investment in conjunction with the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC). Charter will serve as a premier connectivity provider for the Convention and has built and upgraded the broadband infrastructure in downtown Milwaukee to serve the Wisconsin Convention Center, Panther Arena and Miller High Life Theater, much of which will remain in place post-Convention. Charter committed to a similar investment for the 2020 Republican National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.
Charter’s community impact events celebrate Milwaukee and its role as the host city for the 2020 DNC. Community organizations to be highlighted include: Sojourner Family Peace Center, YWCA of Southeast Wisconsin, Benedict Center, Milwaukee Urban League, Milwaukee Public Schools, Revitalize Milwaukee and other area nonprofits.
The community impact events series will include diverse activities and charitable contributions totaling more than $100,000, including the distribution of 500 Spectrum Safe & Healthy Home Kits. These kits feature easy-to-install and -use products to help make homes safer and healthier, such as a smoke alarm, first-aid kit, carbon monoxide tester, weather stripping, cleaning supplies and more, and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Events, whether virtual or in person, are being orchestrated with participating organizations to provide community service and support while adhering to CDC guidelines for safe public engagement during this pandemic.
“Milwaukee is a special city that many of our employees call home,” said Gary Underwood, Charter’s Vice President of State Government Affairs. “We felt the best way to give back was to build on our longstanding community presence through a special program that honors the DNC host city providing resources and support to several nonprofit organizations to help further their good work.”
Charter, which provides broadband, video, mobile and voice services under the Spectrum brand, is committed to improving communities and impacting lives where its customers and employees live and work. Highlights from Charter’s weeklong community impact program include:
YWCA of Southeast Wisconsin, Aug. 10, 1-3 p.m., 1915 N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
Charter will distribute 150 Safe & Healthy Home Kits to clients of the YWCA along with a charitable contribution of $5,000 to support the organization’s Adult Education Program.  The YWCA of Southeast Wisconsin offers programs and services for women and their families in an effort to eliminate barriers that perpetuate racial injustice, promote economic empowerment, and health and safety. The Safe & Healthy Home Kits will be onsite for outdoor distribution to area residents.
Benedict Center, Aug. 12, 10 a.m.-noon, 1849 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
Charter will partner with Benedict Center to distribute 150 Safe & Healthy Home Kits. Charter will also award a $2,500 charitable contribution to Benedict Center, a nonprofit that provides support services to women involved in the criminal justice system to enrich their and their families’ lives. The Safe & Healthy Home Kits will be onsite for outdoor distribution to area residents.
Milwaukee Urban League and Milwaukee Public Schools, Aug. 13, 1-2:15 p.m., Virtual Event
Charter will partner with the Milwaukee Urban League and Milwaukee Public Schools to host a virtual event focused on empowering youth through technology.State Rep. Kalan Haywood will join the event as a special guest. Resources discussed during this virtual event will include gaining digital access for young people and sharing ways to use social media platforms safely.
Charter also will present a charitable contribution to the Milwaukee Urban League of $5,000 and create opportunities for them to run public service announcements on Spectrum TV. Charter has a history of supporting the Milwaukee Urban League, which is dedicated to providing direct services, research and advocacy in order for African Americans to create wealth and live a better quality of life. The League promotes economic empowerment through education, job and workforce development, and civic engagement, and youth-centered programs are the cornerstone of their work.
‘Connecting the Community through PSAs’ Day
Working with Spectrum Reach, the company’s advertising and media unit, Charter will host a day in Milwaukee for area nonprofit organizations to record 30-second public service announcements (PSAs) that will air on Spectrum TV, as in-kind contribution. PSA messages from diverse organizations will focus on informing Milwaukee residents of resources available in their community or notify them of upcoming events hosted by these organizations.
Sojourner Family Peace Center, Aug. 14, 8:30 -10 a.m., 619 W. Walnut Street
Charter will distribute 200 Safe & Healthy Home Kit kits at the Sojourner Family Peace Center along with a $2,500 cash donation. The Sojourner Family Peace Center is the largest nonprofit organization in Wisconsin providing domestic violence and intervention services.
Revitalize Milwaukee, Aug. 15, Revitalize Milwaukee
Charter will sponsor Revitalize Milwaukee’s Annual Block Build Program, a community event held
Aug. 14-15 where volunteers work together to revitalize and stabilize vulnerable neighborhoods. This year’s project will make repairs at 15 homes in the Clarke Square neighborhood. Charter’s program sponsorship of $12,000 will support Revitalize Milwaukee’s event and help preserve affordable housing and in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.

author: Charter Communications


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5 things to do and know the weekend of Aug. 14 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
August 14, 2020
Art-I-Culture, a group of Black women artists, painted a mural featuring prominent Milwaukeeans. (Photo provided by Samuel A. Alford)
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday.
Bonus: The latest coronavirus coverage from NNS
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters are hard at work bringing readers up-to-date information regarding coronavirus. Stay informed on coronavirus by following us on our Facebook page and subscribing to our daily newsletter. All coronavirus related articles can be found on this landing page. If you have a question or concern about coronavirus, send them in our way. We’re here to serve you.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 13, 2020


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How two Milwaukee natives are leading the city’s fight against COVID-19 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bridget Fogarty
August 14, 2020


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50159949763_13d404bfe8_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
August 13, 2020

author: Dwayne Burtin


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50160744447_b64b6d0d27_o | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
August 13, 2020


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c0481846-wuhan_novel_coronavirus_illustration-spl | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
August 13, 2020


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 14, 2020


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covid-two | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
August 13, 2020


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5 things to do and know this week in Milwaukee: Aug. 17 to Aug. 22 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
August 17, 2020
To receive a book bag from COA, parents must register their children by Tuesday, Aug. 18. (File photo by Edgar Mendez)
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday.
1. Activate MKE: Monday, Aug. 17 to Thursday, Aug. 20
The Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce and various community organizers are hosting “Activate MKE 2020.” Over the course of four days, residents can register to vote and receive information on food pantries and on COVID-19 testing. There will also be school supply giveaways, entertainment, food and more. “Activate MKE” will take place at the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center, 3020 W. Vliet St., from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. starting Monday, Aug. 17 to Thursday, Aug. 20.
2. Metcalfe Park Community Bridges to discuss Milwaukee’s proposed budget: Monday, Aug. 17
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Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and partners are discussing the City of Milwaukee’s priority budget survey, which invites residents to give input. The discussion will take place virtually on the Metcalfe Park Community Bridges’ Facebook page from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 17. The group plans to break down the questions, explain how the budget should value residents and plan their demands for the budget.
3. Bilingual storytime at Alice’s Garden: Tuesday, Aug. 18
Alice’s Garden Urban Farm, 2136 N. 21st St., is hosting a bilingual storytime from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18. Linda Araceli will be read a picture book aloud. Guests can expect a visit from the Barby Book Fairy and a book giveaway. Participants are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair.
4. Expect bus service delays this week because of the Democratic National Convention: Monday, Aug. 17 through Thursday, Aug. 20
The Milwaukee County Transit System is predicting service delays this week because of the Democratic National Convention, which takes place from Monday, Aug. 17 to Thursday, Aug. 20 at the Wisconsin Center. Affected routes include 12, 14, 19, 30, 57, 80, Blueline and Goldline. Temporary bus stop signs will be posted.
The following route changes will be in effect:
Wisconsin Ave East-West Routes: Rt 14 (Humboldt-16th-Forest Home), Rt 30 (UMW-Sherman Blvd), Goldline (UWM-Wisconsin Ave-Bluemound Rd) and Blueline (National Ave-Fond du Lac Ave) will detour via State Street between Water and 10th/11th Streets.
Route 12 (12th-Teutonia) and Route 31 (12th-Highland) will maintain service to stops on 12th and also near the 5th & St. Paul Intermodal Station (IMS). Stops on Wisconsin Ave between 10th and 6th will be temporarily suspended.
Route 57 (Water-Walnut) will see minor impacts, temporarily suspending stops on Michigan. Service to the IMS at 5th & St. Paul will be maintained.
Route 19 (3rd Street/King Drive) will detour via Water between the Third Ward and Juneau Ave, maintaining opportunities for transfer connections with east-west routes.
Route 80 (6th Street) will detour via 12th Street from Wisconsin Ave to Highland Ave, maintaining opportunities for transfer connections with east-west routes.
Stay up-to-date on detours and service changes by clicking here this week.
5. COA’s “Beyond the Book Bag”: Tuesday, Aug. 18 and Friday, Aug. 21
COA Youth and Family Centers is hosting “Beyond the Book Bag,” which provides children with the school supplies and essential resources they need for the year ahead. Registration is required. The deadline to register is Tuesday, Aug. 18. When registering, parents will be asked to pick a time slot and how many children need supplies. Families will be able to pick up their bags at COA, 2320 W. Burleigh St., from noon to 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 21.
Bonus: The latest coronavirus coverage from NNS
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters are hard at work bringing readers up-to-date information regarding coronavirus. Stay informed by following us on our Facebook page and subscribing to our daily newsletter. All coronavirus related articles can be found on this landing page. If you have a question or concern about coronavirus, send them in our way. We’re here to serve you.
In case you missed it: How two Milwaukee natives are leading the city’s fight against COVID-19


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 16, 2020