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After decades of little progress, Milwaukee begins new approach to improve lives of Black men and boys | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jonmaesha Beltran / Wisconsin Watch
January 11, 2024
Walter Lanier stood before a packed room at the Milwaukee County Zoo in May and repeated his mantra: “We have to be organized.”
The room was filled with Black leaders — mostly men — from government, nonprofits and academic institutions. The leaders knew all too well that, year after year, studies have ranked the Milwaukee metropolitan area the worst place to live if you’re Black.
Those studies have cited Wisconsin’s dramatic incarceration rate of Black men, deep racial disparities in income and educational achievement and a legacy of redlining that made Milwaukee one of the nation’s most segregated major cities.
But Lanier, a pastor and community leader who also has worn the hats of educator and lawyer, announced plans to change the narrative by changing the reality — particularly for Black men.
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Since 2022, Lanier has served as president and CEO of the African American Leadership Alliance Milwaukee. The nonprofit aims to make Milwaukee a top city for Black residents by 2025 and serves as the backbone for its latest push to narrow wide achievement gaps for Black men and boys.
Doing so, Lanier told the gathering, would require all-hands-on-deck cooperation among nonprofits, civic groups and government.
“All over the city and all over the county, we have all types of stuff going on,” Lanier said. “We haven’t been as organized and connected as we need to be.”
It’s hardly Milwaukee’s first effort to boost the achievement of Black boys and men.
Responding to a nationwide challenge by then-President Barack Obama, city leaders a decade ago launched an initiative to “address the multitude of challenges” that disadvantage Black men and boys in Milwaukee. That initiative sparked the creation of a Black Male Achievement Advisory Council to set a policy agenda, provide a funding apparatus and coordinate groups striving toward similar goals.
But the initiative fizzled without measurable results, and the council stopped meeting in 2021 — during a mayoral transition and a COVID-19 pandemic that disproportionately harmed Black residents.
Some suggest the effort fell victim to a culture in Milwaukee where ideas often languish without public commitment and coordination. But city leaders are optimistic a new effort under new leadership will yield progress.
Already Lanier’s group has helped Milwaukee gain certification within the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance network, allowing leaders to learn from other communities seeking to improve the lives of men of color.
“Things are changing,” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley told Wisconsin Watch. “How do we have diversity of thought, diversity of people to really help us move the needle when it comes down to eliminating the racial disparities and the health disparities that we see in Milwaukee County?”
Milwaukee has sought to address barriers for Black males since the 1980s, by which point all of the region’s job growth had shifted to the suburbs.
First came the Milwaukee African American Male Task Force, which led to the creation of African American immersion schools. Then the Milwaukee Parental School Choice Program, which provides funding for children to attend private school. Later was the Milwaukee Fatherhood Collaborative, which advocated for fathers’ rights and for more involvement with their children. The Milwaukee African American Male Unemployment Task Force was among other groups to come.
But the Black Male Achievement Advisory Council, created by a 2013 city ordinance, promised to be different.
Joe Davis Sr., a Common Council member at the time, spearheaded the plan to bring all such efforts under one umbrella to recommend policies and track progress through measurable data.
Following decades of “stealth depression,” Milwaukee was among the top 10 poorest U.S. cities, with 38% of its Black population living below the poverty level and deep disparities between Black and white males.
Only 3% of Black male eighth graders at the time read at or above grade level, 45% graduated on time from high school, and firearm homicide was the leading cause of death for ages 11 to 39 years old.
The National League of Cities, which supports local governments, agreed to assist Milwaukee with data tracking and coaching to reduce racial disparities in education, work and family outcomes.
Business, philanthropic and faith-based leaders joined city, school and police officials in monthly meetings of the Black Male Achievement Advisory Council.
“I cannot recall a time in the city where there was as much energy and cohesiveness across political lines — across business and municipal government, philanthropy partners all speaking and agreeing about a pathway forward — to address this issue,” former Common Council member Ashanti Hamilton told Wisconsin Watch.
The city budget at the time had allocated $100,000 in the council’s first year to fund initiatives supporting Black males.
But tension arose between Davis and then-Mayor Tom Barrett, the council’s co-chairs, before the council reached its first anniversary.
After the city allocated an additional $300,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant dollars to support the council’s goals, Davis called for a larger investment.
“Unfortunately, what I’m finding is that the mayor is not interested in taking a risk or claiming this particular issue on behalf of Black men and boys,” Davis said during a 2014 Common Council meeting.
The frustrations prompted Davis to resign as council co-chair that year. Speaking to Wisconsin Watch, he called Barrett “an obstructionist” who didn’t want to offend other residents by addressing challenges for Black males.
Barrett, now a U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, did not respond to interview requests for this story.
But in 2015 the council saw an opportunity in Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative, launched two years after the Florida killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin reignited national discussions about the life-and-death barriers Black males face.
Obama challenged local officials to build “My Brother’s Keepers Communities” by ensuring Black boys enter school ready to learn, read at grade level by third grade, graduate from high school, complete postsecondary education or training and remain safe from violent crime.
Milwaukee officials joined nearly 200 mayors, tribal leaders and county executives across 43 states and the District of Columbia who have accepted the challenge.
In 2015 Barrett and Hamilton, who succeeded Davis as Black Male Achievement Advisory Council co-chair, created a five-year plan focused on 10 priorities for males of color:
The city laid out a variety of more specific goals in the plan, ranging from increasing graduation rates for students of color by at least 0.5% annually to boosting Black male voter registration rates by at least 3% annually.
While Hamilton cautioned against becoming frozen in a “search for perfection,” some council members worried about a lack of measurable metrics attached to several items. The Black Male Achievement Advisory Council allocated $50,000 to the Center for Self-Sufficiency to evaluate the plan’s metrics.
Carl Wesley, the center’s president and CEO at the time, told Wisconsin Watch he ran into brick walls while trying to collect baseline data from various entities relevant to the council’s efforts, and many of the plan’s goals were vague.
“It had things in there, like increase from this to that, but no one knew where they were to increase from,” he said.
The center couldn’t complete the project, so it didn’t get paid, Wesley said.
In 2018 the city joined Milwaukee Public Schools, Employ Milwaukee and the local United Way chapter in seeking funding from the My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge competition, which required an action plan and a protocol for tracking data and benchmarks.
The application did not draw funding. My Brother’s Keeper instead named Milwaukee a “Community to Watch.”
Local officials at the time acknowledged Milwaukee’s lack of progress on improving outcomes for Black males. While the city saw increased engagement around such issues, it didn’t translate into lower crime rates or higher graduation rates.
“Many grassroots and nonprofit organizations make claim to a number of programs and initiatives that support Black men and boys, but operate in silos with inadequate resources and no unifying measures to reinforce efforts between them to collectively move the needle on outcomes,” Jeff Roman, a consultant who later directed the Milwaukee County Office of Equity, wrote in a 2018 report. “Where substantial investments are being made, little information exists on actual impacts, and the information that does exist suggests that little improvement is being made.”
The national Campaign for Black Male Achievement network in 2018 cited a “strong city administration commitment to Black men and boys,” while showing a need for more targeted funding and better participation and coordination among government, nonprofits and other groups invested in Black male achievement.
The city’s Black Male Achievement Advisory Council stopped meeting in 2021 as Cavalier Johnson replaced Barrett as mayor and COVID-19 disrupted life.
“There was no individual person to pick it up and keep it moving,” Hamilton said, calling for leaders to make long-term commitments to things they say they care about.
Depending on municipal government to oversee initiatives carries risks, said Shawn Dove, former CEO of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, which worked with Milwaukee leaders. Political leaders often change, as do their commitments. Housing an initiative outside of government — but still inviting municipal leaders to participate — can bring more stability, he said.
Whether Johnson will revive the council remains unclear. His office did not respond to Wisconsin Watch’s repeated requests for an interview. Nor did José Pérez, the Common Council president.
Nate Deans, the director of Milwaukee Public Schools’ Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement, hopes the council resumes.
The creation of his department, which provides mentors to 500 Black and Latino male students, resulted from the council’s recommendations.
“It’ll streamline the work that much more if we’re all at least meeting,” Deans said.
Christopher Walton Jr., who briefly served on the council before it stopped meeting, said restarting meetings could help.
“It’s a disservice to the community and to young Black males that we don’t have people putting their hand back on that to get that moving again,” he said. “And so I would definitely love to see that brought back up in full force and get moving again.”
Regardless, Lanier and the African American Leadership Alliance are forging ahead. He didn’t want Milwaukee’s My Brother’s Keeper plan to go to waste.
He called it a well-designed plan that was insufficiently resourced.
Lanier said he’s forming partnerships to strengthen the plan, with a focus on education, employment and anti-violence.
“We’re doing work in all of those areas in Milwaukee, but it’s segregated and fragmented and siloed,” Lanier said. “As a result, we don’t present as well as we could externally.”
That has included working with Johnson and Crowley to gain certification within the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance network, allowing Milwaukee’s leaders to learn from other communities that have improved the lives of males of color.
They include cities like Newark, New Jersey, and Omaha, Nebraska. Newark’s homicides plunged by 55% from 2013 to 2021, and Omaha’s homicides dropped by 30% from 2011 to 2022 due to cross-community collaboration, according to the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, enrollment for students of color in pre-kindergarten increased by 33% from 2013 to  2019, and in Yonkers, the city now has New York’s highest graduation rate for students of color: 91%, according to the alliance.
Lanier hopes My Brother’s Keeper will ultimately certify the state as well. That’s the case in Ohio, where researchers at The Ohio State University and community members partner on best practices for boosting Black male achievement.
Marquette University’s Center for Urban Research, Teaching, and Outreach is helping Lanier identify metrics and compile data to populate a citywide dashboard to track the progress of Black male achievement. The center, which has worked with Lanier for several years, has identified dozens of local organizations and institutions working on equity issues.
Lanier envisions a future Milwaukee where Black people thrive. That will require making measurable progress and changing narratives in Milwaukee.
“Because if we open that door for us, just like everything else, that door is open for everybody else,” Lanier said at the May gathering. “It’s my job to get it done.”
Those wanting to learn more about the African American Leadership Alliance’s collaboration to improve Black male achievement in Milwaukee can sign up for updates at this link.
Editor’s note: Bevin Christie, project manager for Wisconsin Watch’s News414 service journalism collaboration with Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, has worked as a consultant with the African American Leadership Alliance of Milwaukee.
The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
This article first appeared on Wisconsin Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

created: January 11, 2024


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MPS_mentor | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 11, 2024

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Ron Smith


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New Clarke Square leader sees ‘so much possibility’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
January 11, 2024
As the new executive director of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, Kevin Kuschel sees opportunities all over the neighborhood.
Kuschel envisions the park pavilion in Clarke Square Park filled with people for his first community meeting. He sees thriving business corridors and a National Avenue that pedestrians can safely cross to get to the Mitchell Park Domes, 524 S. Layton Blvd.  Clarke Square is bordered by Pierce Street, Cesar E Chavez Drive, Greenfield Avenue and Layton Boulevard.
“There’s so much possibility here,” he said.
In July, Kuschel joined Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, or CSNI as the organization’s new executive director. He had served on its board since early in 2023.
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Kuschel hopes to relaunch some of the successful initiatives started by past directors, such as neighborhood clean-ups and meetings to get input on both problems and solutions from Clarke Square residents.
“Kevin really wanted the job,” said Howard Snyder, president of the CSNI Board of Directors. “He had some of the kind of experience” a growing organization needs.
Kuschel replaces CSNI’s former Executive Director Patricia Nájera, who resigned in June after the hiring process was complete, Snyder said.
In his previous role as an associate planner for the City of Milwaukee Department of City Development, Kuschel learned how neighborhoods function and are connected.
Kuschel also served as co-chair of Avanzando MKE, an employee resource group for the advancement of Hispanic/Latinx city employees, since 2021. He helped bring a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration to City Hall.
“He has that knowledge of safe environments” and how to create them, said Jessica Sanchez, an economic development specialist for the Department of City Development. Sanchez co-chaired Avanzando with Kuschel and is its current president.
Paul Grippe, a Clarke Square resident and CSNI board member, remembered trying to introduce Kuschel at a meeting only to realize he already knew many people.
“It kind of made me feel at ease, that OK, we got the right guy,” Grippe said.
Kuschel is still “understanding the lay of the land” in his new position, but he’s no stranger to Clarke Square.
A Milwaukee native raised in Bay View and Sherman Park, Kuschel attended Milwaukee Public Schools and graduated from South Division High School.
He has fond childhood memories of his mother, a Honduran immigrant, taking him to the Mitchell Park Domes,  El Rey and shops around Clarke Square.
“There’s a lot in this neighborhood. It’s really important in my family history, and this was the landing spot for so many different immigrant groups historically,” he said.
Kuschel attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned degrees in Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian studies and history with a focus on the Americas. He later received a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2019.
After college, Kuschel served in the Peace Corps in Bulgaria and volunteered on coffee farms in Nicaragua.
He was part of a cohort that partnered with CSNI in 2020 on a project for Co:Lab MKE, a program where professionals developed project ideas for neighborhood organizations and competed for a prize. The group’s concept of “InterNATIONAL Avenue” won $5,000 for CSNI.
Kuschel said he spent his first few months on the job at CSNI reviewing the organization’s finances and forming partnerships with neighborhood leaders and institutions.
But above all, he started conversations with residents.
“I have my professional background and everything, but the experts on the neighborhood are going to be the residents themselves,” he said.
Residents have informed Kuschel of concerns ranging from crime in the area and how it affects businesses to turning on the splash pad in Clarke Square Park when it’s hot out, he said.
“I guess I’m called a leader but I try to lead by consensus, like OK, can we get everybody on board?” he said.
Kuschel now hopes to strengthen the neighborhood by celebrating its diversity and vibrance.
“I think I just want folks to see this community and see the beauty that exists here,” he said. “Because it’s a wonderful community, and it needs to be able to survive and thrive just like the rest of us.”
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

author: Meredith Melland


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53442461696_fa9212a222_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 10, 2024

created: January 10, 2024


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5 things to know and do the weekend of Jan. 12 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
January 12, 2024
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Independence First will hold its monthly drive-thru food distribution for seniors over 60 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 12 at 540 S. First St. Participants must complete enrollment forms and present a valid ID upon arrival. More information here.
The Milwaukee Justice Center will be providing  legal advice from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12 at the Milwaukee Public Library Mitchell Street Branch, 906 W. Historic Mitchell St. Those with open or pending cases will be unable to obtain legal advice. More information here.
Strong Native Minds The Next Chapter will be giving away free clothing to adults and children from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 13 at Lutheran Church of the Great Spirit, 3127 S. Howell Ave. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, call 414-301-5377. More information here.
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Alumni of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, and members of Divine Nine organizations are invited to network and celebrate Founders Day for their respective organizations from 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13 to 12 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14. The networking event will be held at 3945 N. 35th St.  A surprise will be awaiting HBCU alums and Divine Nine members who come dressed in their school apparel or D9 letters. More information here.
During Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Stay Out the Game 101 will hold a community event for youth ages 11 to 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 1137 W. Garfield Ave.  Free food and gear will be given out as youth learn about the effects of human trafficking and how to prevent it. More information here.

created: January 12, 2024

author: Chesnie Wardell


text:
39813411833_1bb2f0c7d1_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 11, 2024


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5 things to know and do the week of Jan. 15 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
January 15, 2024
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Crossroads Kitchen is seeking volunteers to help serve hot meals from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15 at 931 W. Madison St. Click here to sign up. More information here.
Ubuntu Research & Evaluation will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a “Beloved Community Day” from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday, Jan. 15 at The Table, 5305 W. Capitol Drive. This free event is meant to build community and create memories, while embracing  King’s vision. Food will also be provided. More information here.
Every Monday in January, Black men will gather on the third floor of Running Rebels Community Organization, 1300 W. Fond du Lac Ave., for a session led by Mike Taylor that will include open conversations and healthy practices for healing. The next session is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15. If you would like to fellowship beforehand, feel free to arrive at 4:30 p.m. More information here.
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Join the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce for its “Third Thursday Networking” event from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18 at Turning Tables, 1034 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave. The event will feature food, networking, entertainment and a pitch competition in which the winners will compete for up to $20,000 in prizes at the Black and Diverse Business Showcase in December. Click here to RSVP. More information here.
“Growing and Thriving Workshop” is a free event where adults 60 and older can learn the history of the Mitchell Park Domes Horticultural Conservatory. Participants will also have the opportunity to choose their own plant to care for. The next workshop will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 524 S. Layton Blvd. Registration is required. More information here.

created: January 15, 2024


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53455909290_29628422ed_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 14, 2024

created: January 14, 2024


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Here’s where you can celebrate MLK Day in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers and Meredith Melland
January 15, 2024
Milwaukeeans can celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by attending speeches, performances, reflections and other family-friendly events planned throughout the city.
This year, the federal holiday falls on King’s birthday, Monday, Jan. 15.
Here’s a list of events in Milwaukee where you can honor King’s life and legacy.
Kids Impact Community is holding a national day of service program from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 15 at Congregation Shalom – Fox Point, 7630 N. Santa Monica Blvd. The event will include a program for all-ages, family-friendly activities and various on-site, service projects. Children ages 9 to 12 are invited to help with set up the day before and assist attendees at a variety of project stations on the day of the event. More information here.
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The YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee is hosting a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Potawatomi Casino Hotel, 1721 W. Canal St., from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 15. The event will include breakfast and fellowship. The YMCA will also recognize the impact of two local non-profit organizations. The program will also showcase the words and creativity of youth, powerful speakers and moving performances. More information here.
From 8 a.m. to 4;30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15, the Arrupe Center for Community Service is hosting a connect and serve where attendees can meet new people while learning more about Dr. King’s legacy and service.
The event will be held at the Tony and Lucille Weasler Auditorium, 1506 W. Wisconsin Ave. Snacks will be provided. More information here.
The NAACP Milwaukee Branch and the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce will host a free showing of the new documentary,“The Space Race: The Untold Story of the First Black Astronauts” at 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 15 at the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center, 3020 W. Vliet St. More information here.
5Points Neighborhood Association is seeking volunteers to help seniors, veterans and those with disabilities prepare their homes from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15 through Friday, Jan. 19. Register here. More information here.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and Bronzeville Arts Ensemble will host a King Day celebration at noon on Monday, Jan. 15 at the MLK Community Center, 1531 W. Vliet St. The event will include musical performances, dance and spoken word honoring Dr. King. An open house will follow at 1:30 p.m. More information here.
Grohmann Museum is hosting a free kids art day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15 at 1000 N. Broadway. The museum will host drop-in art activities in its stART Lab. Kids and their families are welcome to stop by to create Romare Bearden-inspired collages, draw with coloring pages, and work on a group writing project. More information here.
On Monday, January 15, from 10 a.m. to noon, Ubuntu Research & Evaluation will host “Beloved Community Day” at The Table, 5305 W. Capitol Drive. This free event will honor Dr. King’s life through connection, arts and crafts, and storytelling. All ages are welcome to attend. Contact Mikey Murry at mikey@ubunturesearch.com with questions. More information here.
King Fest is a free interactive program focusing on equity, restitution and restorative justice. The program will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15 at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2620 W. Center St. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley will be the keynote speaker. The event is sponsored by the Office of state Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde, and Montréal Cain.More information here.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Justice Coalition will host a justice program on Monday, Jan. 15, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1937 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave. The program will feature musical performances and remembrances from local activists who knew and worked with Dr. King. Groups working for peace in Palestine will be recognized. The free, family-friendly event will conclude with a march (weather-permitting) at 2:30 p.m. to the King statue in the 1700 block of North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. More information here.
The Marcus Performing Arts Center will host its 40th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration at 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15 in the Performing Arts Center’s Uihlein Hall, 929 N. Water St. The program will highlight community youths who interpret Dr. King’s words through student contests. Winners will be showcased at the celebration. A free concert will follow the event. More information here.
Bay Shore Lutheran Church is hosting a volunteer event from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday, Jan.15 at 1200 E. Hampton Road.
The event invites community members to create personal care kits and make sandwiches that will be distributed to those without homes. In addition, participants will write letters to veterans and make Valentine’s Day cards for those at the Crisis Prevention Center. Find more information here.
FATE: Arts & Performing Group is hosting a “Dare to Dream” painting workshop from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 9175 N. 76th St. Participants will be able to create a painting that highlights the themes of hope, equality and unity. Anyone above the age of 8 is welcome to attend. You can register here. More information here.


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Artist creates project that transforms residents into ‘Milwaukee Homies’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
January 16, 2024
Born in Puebla, Mexico, but raised in Milwaukee, artist Carlos Herrada grew up with a deep appreciation for the cholo lifestyle that was evident in his South Side neighborhood.
“Seeing it as a kid I looked up to the culture,” said Herrada, 32, who is also a photographer and illustrator.
While the cholo culture is sometimes associated with gangs, it mainly relates to a style of dress, behaviors and other aspects of the Chicano experience.
Those characteristics, together in the form of a 2-inch figurine, are what drew many, including Herrada, to become fans of the “The Homies.”
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In 2020, Herrada was able to channel his appreciation for the figurines into what became the Milwaukee Homies project, which involves using photos submitted by fans to produce a digital Homie image for a fee.
Created as an underground comic strip by California artist David Gonzales in the ‘90s and later sold as figurines out of gumball machines in Latinx neighborhoods across America, “The Homies” are a series of Chicano characters common to many Mexican Americans.
“Homies were huge back then,” recalled Herrada. “I would see them at the store and ask my parents for them.”
Herrada said his parents didn’t have the money for them and didn’t want him to idolize characters who went by names including Smiley, Pelon and Loco.
“My parents didn’t see them in the way I did,” he said.
Herrada said when he creates Homies he tries to capture the essence of the people by including small details like hats, clothes or tattoos.
“Everyone loves them,” Herrada said.
So far, he’s created more than 90 Milwaukee Homies, featuring homeboys and homegirls, lowriders, pets and other images.
He designed one recently for Anita G, who grew up with an appreciation for The Homies stickers and figurines.
“This was such a cool opportunity to have a Homie character made of me,” she said. “I can show my children and grandchildren: ‘Look that’s me.’ ”
The original Milwaukee Homies image featured El Sebas and Cristo Paz, who together form the popular Milwaukee hip-hop duo Browns Crew.
In 2020, El Sebas was supporting an organization he co-founded, Ayuda Mutua MKE, which provided food, clothes and hygiene products to the community during the pandemic.
Herrada designed hoodies and shirts featuring the Browns Crew as Homies to help raise funds for Ayuda Mutua MKE.
Both Herrada and El Sebas were blown away when they saw the final product.
“We grew up seeing Homies in the vending machines wanting to get them. So to be part of that legacy was really cool,” Cristo Paz said.
El Sebas recalled buying a Homie each time he went to El Campesino, a Mexican supermarket located at 635 W. Greenfield Ave., near Walker’s Point.
He said the popularity of the Milwaukee Homies project stems from a combination of nostalgia and representation.
“Many of us have memories associated with collecting homies, but people also like to see themselves reflected in culture,” he said.
Cristo Paz said he appreciates the diversity of characters in Milwaukee Homies, which draws parallels to a message conveyed in the duo’s song, “100 Mexicanos.”
“Like our song, his (Herrada’s) project displays a wide range of people in our community with a wide range of influences,” Cristo Paz said.
Herrada said he hopes to create a mural on the South Side that features the Milwaukee Homies.
“People see murals all the time, but the cool thing would be being able to see yourself and all your homies on the wall,” he said.
Herrada said the project has helped him form deeper relationships.
“I’ve been blessed to meet a lot of really cool people working on this project,” he said. “They feel connected to it, and I feel connected to my community when I create them.”

created: January 16, 2024

author: Edgar Mendez


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53442863935_48634b9f2e_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 15, 2024


text:
53442889165_c207034bab_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 15, 2024


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53444685219_658cb42796_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 15, 2024


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53444777985_d9f14a6f99_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 15, 2024


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Milwaukee County banned Section 8 housing voucher discrimination, but landlords still do it | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jonmaesha Beltran / Wisconsin Watch
January 17, 2024
Jasmine Varela forgot she applied for a housing choice voucher until a letter arrived in 2023. After languishing on a waitlist for 14 years, she learned the city of Milwaukee’s housing authority would finally issue her a Section 8 voucher. She thought the rent subsidy would help her provide a better life to her four children.
“I was excited because I thought I was going to get a nice house, more rooms for my kids and a better neighborhood,” she recalled.
The news only kicked off a new challenge: trying to find a landlord who would accept the voucher before it expired in 120 days. The 36-year-old Walgreens employee found few willing landlords and few resources to help her pay upfront fees, such as the first month’s rent and security deposit. She went on to submit 50 rental applications, spending $1,275.
Feeling desperate about 90 days into her quest, she put aside her pride and asked family for help.
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She hoped to find a house closer to her children’s South Side Milwaukee school, but eventually found just one landlord, across town in Old North Milwaukee, who would accept the voucher and work with her credit history. Her mother worried about safety in the neighborhood, but Varela felt she had no choice but to sign the lease before her voucher would expire on Jan. 28.
South Side Milwaukee landlords she encountered weren’t willing to accept voucher aid, Varela said, adding that several doubted they would pass inspections required by the program.
Section 8, the federal government’s largest low-income housing subsidy program, serves 2.3 million households nationwide, including more than 16,500 people in Milwaukee County in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
It aims to broaden housing access for participants, but renters and housing advocates say landlords outside of historically disinvested neighborhoods rarely rent to people with vouchers — one of many factors limiting opportunities in Milwaukee and nationwide, particularly people of color.
Milwaukee County in 2018 banned landlords from categorically rejecting recipients of housing assistance. More than five years later the county’s Office of Corporation Counsel, which is supposed to enforce the protections, says it has yet to receive a verified complaint of such discrimination.
That’s not for a lack of discrimination, a Wisconsin Watch investigation found.
Some landlords continue to explicitly reject Section 8 applicants — even saying so in public listings. Four Section 8 renters told Wisconsin Watch no one informed them about the protections or how to file a complaint.
Milwaukee County and the city of Milwaukee operate separate housing agencies that distribute Section 8 vouchers, with the majority coming through the city. Only the county’s authority mentions the 2018 protections in information packets meant to help renters navigate the program. Neither packet says how to report income-based discrimination to the county.
“If families with vouchers don’t know that they have protections, it is the responsibility of the housing authority to tell them,” said Philip Tegeler, executive director of the Poverty and Race Research Action Council, a civil rights law and policy organization based in Washington, D.C.
West Allis operates the only additional housing authority in Milwaukee County that distributes  Section 8 vouchers. Its information packet notes protections against income-based discrimination, but it instructs renters to file complaints to a city agency rather than with the county. The city in 2022 received just three housing discrimination complaints — none of which prompted enforcement, its officials said.
Milwaukee County Chief Corporation Counsel Margaret Daun told Wisconsin Watch her office questions whether the county has legal authority to enforce the ordinance.
“Our office remains concerned that individual Section 8 discrimination enforcement actions rarely result in the immediate help that is needed by the person seeking housing,” she said in an email.
Wisconsin Watch also found:
“Some people are in situations where they’re like, ‘I don’t have time to file a complaint. I’m in this hamster wheel right now trying to find a place,’” said Kori Schneider Peragine, former senior administrator for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council.
Ebony Donald applied for a voucher after moving to Milwaukee from Danville, Illinois, in August 2022. She secured it within two months through the city’s lottery system.
The 39-year-old attended an orientation where she received a briefing packet and a list of landlords known to accept vouchers. She wanted to live on the city’s South Side, which she considered quieter and with more opportunities to rent a house.
But Donald found her voucher carried a stigma: the perception of Section 8 recipients as  “messy” and irresponsible renters, she said.
Donald said she didn’t try to hide her income status. It was one of the first things she told landlords about herself. In some cases landlords explicitly told her they didn’t like dealing with Section 8, she said.
“The next thing you know, it goes down the drain,” she said. “Once I tell them that I have Section 8, I don’t even get a response back.”
She never thought to file a discrimination complaint because no one told her about county protections, she told Wisconsin Watch.
Donald’s Section 8 journey proved particularly chaotic.
Once she received her voucher she and her five children applied for an apartment at the renovated Community Within the Corridor, a mixed-use affordable housing complex at the former Briggs and Stratton industrial site on Milwaukee’s North Side. She moved in when it opened in February 2023.
But a month later she and her children were among more than 150 residents evacuated following the detection of high levels of trichloroethylene, a cancer-causing chemical. Donald’s family spent two months living in a hotel as she looked for another landlord who would accept her voucher.
When Donald did find willing landlords, virtually all options sat in high-poverty areas of town — like the Black-majority North Side or west of Holton Street, where she finally settled.
Voucher recipients of color are more likely to live in “minority-concentrated” neighborhoods than other low-income renters of color and less likely to live in “high-opportunity” neighborhoods, according to a 2019 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis of the country’s 50 largest metro areas.
Throughout the Milwaukee metro area, 85% of families of color holding vouchers lived in minority-concentrated neighborhoods — areas where just 38% of rental units were considered voucher-affordable, the analysis found.
Latasha Sills said she spent two and a half years waiting on a voucher the city of Milwaukee issued in fall 2022. But while searching for a rental for herself and two children, she felt her options were limited.
She could search only within the city. Renting elsewhere in Milwaukee County would have required transferring a voucher to the county housing division — or to West Allis’ authority, if she sought to live there.
Nearly 20 Milwaukee landlords refused to accept her voucher, particularly on the East Side, Sills said.
“It’s really, really hard to get into with a housing voucher,” she said. “That’s where the majority of the landlords were telling me no.”
But she accomplished her goal before the year ended, finding a three-bedroom rental near a bus stop on Milwaukee’s North Side.
Congress established Section 8 of the 1974 Housing and Community Development Act to help people who make little money afford rentals outside of traditional public housing. Renter participants pay 30% of their monthly income to a landlord, leaving the program to pay the difference.
Half a century later, voucher recipients are routinely locked out of middle-income and upper-income neighborhoods.
That reality has been called a “mask for racial discrimination,” considering that the majority of  U.S. voucher recipients are people of color, including in Milwaukee County, where most people with vouchers are Black.
Landlord participation in Section 8 has dipped nationwide due to financial constraints, bureaucratic issues and stigma, HUD found in 2018.
Landlords may avoid participating in Section 8 due to “a few bad apples” with vouchers and a high demand for scarce housing that makes it easier to reject voucher recipients in favor of someone else, said Sam Stair, owner of S2 Real Estate, where he owns 620 apartment units and manages 200 units in primarily low-income Milwaukee neighborhoods.
Stair, who has rented to voucher recipients since 2006, holds a place on the Milwaukee Autonomous Tenants Union’s “Wall of Shame.” The advocacy group calls him a slumlord with dilapidated properties. He acknowledges the title, saying it’s due to his status as a large landlord who has evicted tenants who don’t pay.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination against potential buyers or renters along a range of characteristics — including race, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability. It does not ban income-based discrimination, but laws in Wisconsin and 21 other  states do to various degrees.
However, income-based protections in Wisconsin’s Open Housing Act still allow landlords to  refuse vouchers, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 1995.
Section 8 subsidies do not count as a protected “lawful source of income,” the court ruled after a Dane County woman sued a landlord who refused to accept her voucher. Considering vouchers as a source of income would require landlords to participate in a federal program meant to be voluntary, the court wrote.
The ruling left local governments, including Milwaukee and Dane counties and the city of Madison, to enact protections for voucher recipients.
Housing discrimination complaints submitted to Madison’s Department of Civil Rights have increased in the past three years, said Byron Bishop, the department’s equal opportunities division manager. Many complaints have involved Section 8, he said, but the department did not have a breakdown of that data.
Marina Dimitrijevic spearheaded Milwaukee County’s 2018 effort to protect recipients of “rental or housing assistance” status under its fair housing law.
“It’s not OK to place in an ad — or even in a conversation with someone — that if your source of income for your family has public assistance attached to it that I can’t rent to you or you need not apply,” Dimitrijevic, a county supervisor at the time, said during a 2018 meeting.
Dimitrijevic, now on Milwaukee’s Common Council, declined an interview request.
The Rental Property Association of Wisconsin did not oppose the ordinance, but it didn’t see a need for it, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported in 2018. Some landlords complained Section 8 participation came with limitations, like requirements to enter into one-year leases rather than renting month-to-month. They also shared perceptions that voucher recipients weren’t held accountable for damaging property.
Dimitrijevic said Section 8 could benefit landlords by guaranteeing government payments.
“The government generally has a good record of paying their bills. It’s not perfect, but it’s a backed-up source of income that otherwise might not be there,” she said in 2018.
Housing agencies in Milwaukee County say they tell clients to report discrimination. While reporting this story, however, Wisconsin Watch did not come across a participating renter who knew about county voucher protections.
Sills figured landlords who refused her voucher must have a reason. Maybe they were slumlords or scammers, she recalled thinking.
“If they don’t accept it, well, then that’s not the place for us,” Sills said she told herself.
Increased awareness alone might not lead to a flood of discrimination complaints, advocates say.
Filing a complaint does little to help someone find housing during a stressful and time-limited process, said Tegeler of the Poverty and Race Research Action Council. Proactive testing of landlord policies — with people posing as prospective renters — would more likely spark compliance, he added.
The Rental Property Association of Wisconsin informs private landlords that writing “no Section 8” in rental ads violates fair housing laws. The association also holds meetings where housing authority officials explain the benefits of participating, said Dawn Anastasi, an association board member.
But Wisconsin Watch found Craigslist ads saying owners would not accept Section 8.
Regina Garrett said she didn’t know about Milwaukee County’s protections while searching for voucher-friendly housing on the website Tenant Screening Plus LLC, which promises to help first-time renters and people with poor credit or past evictions find homes in Greater Milwaukee.
Many website listings discouraged Section 8 renters from applying.
Tenant Screening Plus LLC representatives didn’t respond to Wisconsin Watch’s requests for comment.
Garrett and her three children couldn’t find a landlord who would rent to her within 120 days and lost her city of Milwaukee voucher in September. She moved back in with her mother and plans to reapply.
City Section 8 participants starting this year can ask for a 130-day lease-signing deadline extension with no questions asked, said Kenneth Barbeau, chief operating officer for the city housing authority. An additional 30-day extension is available under certain circumstances.
Daun, the county chief corporation counsel, told Wisconsin Watch her office is assessing its power to enforce the income discrimination ban.
Daun told county officials in July she previously advised that enforcement actions  — such as levying fines or suing landlords  — appeared “dubious” under state law. That’s because home rule legislative authority in Wisconsin doesn’t extend to counties as it does to cities.
The lingering uncertainty surrounding the ordinance surprised Tristan Pettit, a landlord-tenant law attorney.
“You’d think they would have figured that out before the ordinance was enacted,” he said.
Milwaukee County officials are evaluating ways to increase landlord participation in Section 8. Its supervisors on Wednesday are expected to review a Housing Division report that will make recommendations and answer questions surrounding enforcement authority.
Any plans to add investigators and attorneys to beef up enforcement could prove challenging, said Supervisor Shawn Rolland, who was among those who ordered the report.
“We will see what we can pull off knowing the financial constraints that the county faces as well,” he said.
The report will focus solely on the county Housing Division and won’t consider programs in the city of Milwaukee or West Allis, said Connor Goggans, the division’s senior real estate project manager.
Each housing authority across the county operates differently — with unique constraints on resources. That makes it difficult to create shared strategies for expanding voucher options across the county, Goggans said.
West Allis, for instance, offers landlords a $300 incentive to lease with new voucher participants. The county housing authority last November received $1.8 million from HUD to assist voucher participants with first-month rent, moving costs and security deposits.
“If there was more funding available for us to add more housing navigation and more landlord engagement services to our teams, we would see a much different world, and our participants would see much better access to units,” said Damir Dijdic, director of supportive housing for Milwaukee County.
The City of Milwaukee lacks funds for landlord incentives, Barbeau said.
But the city recently hired a coordinator to educate new landlords on the benefits of accepting vouchers and created “opportunity neighborhoods” where they increased voucher payment amounts in certain locations.
The Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council coordinated a pilot project called Opportunity MKE to understand how families with vouchers can attain housing in higher-income areas. Increased financial assistance helped 28 of 148 participating families lease in high-opportunity neighborhoods.
Milwaukee housing advocates generally support incentivizing landlords to participate in Section 8, but they say incentives alone won’t get people housed. They also worry about the messages incentives send about renters who rely on vouchers.
“We don’t incentivize housing providers renting to any other protected class of people,” said Erika Sanders, president and CEO of the fair housing council. “What I hope incentives do not do is somehow perpetuate the myth that voucher holders are troublesome tenants.”
Milwaukee County residents can report fair housing violations through the county’s Fraud Hotline at 414-933-7283 or hotline@4securemail.com.
Hotline complaints are transferred to the county’s corporation counsel, said Jennifer Folliard, director of audits in the county comptroller office.
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Fair Housing Council offers assistance on filing complaints. Call 414-278-1240 or fill out a form at this link.
The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
This article first appeared on Wisconsin Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

created: January 17, 2024

author: Jonmaesha Beltran / Wisconsin Watch


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Ebony-Donald | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 17, 2024


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Need help surviving the winter blues? Here are resources to improve your mental health | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Trisha Young
January 17, 2024
You made it through the holidays, but now you’re in the thick of winter when those cold, dreary days may seem to last forever.
According to the American Psychological Association, or APA, it’s common for many people to feel greater amounts of fatigue and depression this time of year.
The APA attributes these feelings to a decrease in daylight hours and colder weather.
On top of feelings of depression, many people may be dealing with financial stress from the holidays along with higher winter energy bills.
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From practicing yoga to going outdoors, here’s how you can manage your mental health this winter season.
Psychologists have found that meditation, mindfulness and yoga can be helpful ways to take a step back and breathe when you’re feeling out of sorts.
Yoga can also help you stay active and healthy in the cold months.
Milwaukee has lots to offer when it comes to these holistic approaches for little to no money:
Milwaukee Community Yoga has free yoga every Thursday at 6 p.m. at Society of Friends, 3224 N. Gordon Place. The group focuses on beginning and intermediate poses and is good for all levels. Bring your own mat! More information here.
Riverwest Yogashala, located at 731 E. Locust St., has a variety of classes for all skill levels and age ranges. Suggested donations for classes range from $8 to $25, but pay what you can is also encouraged. More information here.
Core El Centro offers services from yoga to holistic approach healing. The organization is located at 130 W. Bruce St., Third Floor.  This business serves Spanish speakers. More information here.
Embody Yoga, located at 4650 N. Port Washington Road, Suite 160, offers classes for all levels. More information here.
MKE Social Yoga has yoga classes for all levels. Classes take place all over Milwaukee, from the historic Miller brewing caves to the beach. More information here.
Milwaukee- Free Online Guided Meditation takes place every Saturday and various other days online at 8:45 p.m. and is always free. More information here.
Mindfulness Community of Milwaukee offers multiple free meditation and mindfulness classes daily. More information here.
Meditate Milwaukee offers free meditation at Sojourner Family Peace Center, 619 W. Walnut St., every first Sunday at 2:30 p.m. More information here.
Shambhala Milwaukee, located at 2344 N. Oakland Ave., offers many meditation classes both in person and online for free. Check out their Heart of Recovery Group tailored for people in 12 Step programs. More information here.
Milwaukee Recreation: Winter Community Wellness offers a variety of programs that can help you stay active and healthy this winter. More information here.
Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services offers resources for all ages, including a 24-hour crisis line at (414) 257-7222. More information here.
For a comprehensive list of available mental health resources and services, including LGBTQ+ services, check out this list compiled by the City of Milwaukee here.
Healthy MKE recently launched a mental health and substance use care resource guide, which is available in five languages. Here you can easily find providers, tools and directories for mental health and substance use care  throughout Milwaukee County. More information here.
Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center offers resources and tools with a focus on Native and traditional methods of healing as well as behavioral health. More information here.
Muslim Community & Health Center has various behavioral health services. More information here.
Pathfinders is an organization that supports homeless and runaway children. It also offers mental health services alongside housing assistance. More information here.
Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers has long served Milwaukee’s South Side for most health needs, and provides comprehensive mental health care. More information here.
Vivent Health offers resources such as behavioral health services, a food pantry, needle exchange and help with housing needs. More information here.
Call IMPACT 211 at 2-1-1 for assistance with food, housing or mental health.
You can also visit in-reach sites Monday, Wednesday and Friday to speak to a housing/shelter navigator at the following locations:
Repairers of the Breach
This refuge and resource center is located at 1335 W. Vliet St. and has in-reach hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. More information here.
St. Ben’s
This IMPACT 211 center is located at 930 W. State St., and is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. More information here.
If you or a loved one are in crisis or thinking about suicide, you can call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

author: Trisha Young


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53410566149_a13c89be09_h | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 16, 2024


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5 things to know and do the weekend of Jan. 19 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
January 19, 2024
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Every Friday, Ministreets Christian Urban Outreach Mission meets at the statue on 9th Place and West Lincoln Avenue in Kosciuszko Park to provide homeless people on Milwaukee’s South Side with food and other necessities. The next meet-up is at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19. Volunteers are welcome to attend. More information here.
Gallery Night MKE will kick off at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19 in the Walker’s Point neighborhood. A second day of gallery events is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20. Attendees can explore local art, galleries, and more. Hours may vary by location. Check out the list of gallery participants. More information here.
From 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19, the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, 930 W. Historic Mitchell St., will show the movie, “Black Cloud.” Youth activities will be provided, so feel free to bring your kids.  More information here.
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The Grohmann Museum will kick off an exhibition called “Patterns of Meaning: The Art of Industry by Cory Bonnet” at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19 at 1000 N. Broadway. The exhibition will honor steel workers who have worked to build the modern world. It will feature 22 pieces, including paintings, chandeliers and other artifacts. More information here.
Eco Families Sustainability Learning Group aims to teach individuals how to create eco-friendly environments. From 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, individuals will learn how to make eco-friendly cleaning products instead of using products with harsh chemicals. The event will take place at The Table, 5305 W. Capitol Drive. More information here.

created: January 19, 2024


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53470944900_dada9f9946_k-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 18, 2024

created: January 18, 2024


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Ron Smith
January 18, 2024


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In their own words: Milwaukee County youth commissioners reflect on their first year of service | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
January 19, 2024
The Milwaukee County Youth Commission ended its first year back in operation with high praise from county officials.
“We need creativity, we need innovation, and we need truth-telling – all of which are very unique gifts that these particular bright, young people have really brought to the table,” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said.
Crowley made his comments during the final meeting of 2023 of the Milwaukee County Youth Commission.
Crowley, along with Milwaukee County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson, worked to re-establish the commission after a nearly 20-year absence.
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The main goal of the commission is to represent youths from each district of the county, as well as the county as a whole, and address their specific needs.
NNS sat down with the two youths who served as co-chairs of the commission, Aaron Lee and Mia Moore. They shared their reflections on the past year, on Milwaukee as a whole and discussed  criminal justice issues affecting youths.
Over the course of the year, commissioners met monthly, developed the structure and regulations for the commission and made recommendations about policy and budgetary issues to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors.
While Moore is continuing on to a second year as co-chair, Lee is ending his service on the commission and plans to attend college.
Devin Blake is the criminal justice reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. His position is funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, which plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

author: Devin Blake


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Dwayne Burtin
January 18, 2024

author: Dwayne Burtin


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Aaron-Lee-5 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
January 18, 2024


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aaron | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
January 18, 2024


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mia | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
January 18, 2024


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Mia-Moore-2-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
January 18, 2024


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5 things to know and do the week of Jan. 22 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
January 22, 2024
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Attend a discussion for queer Black, Indigenous and people of color about challenges, goals and more from  6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 22 at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, 315 W. Court St. Snacks will be provided. More information here.
Mikey Cody Apollo, a Milwaukee-based Black queer writer, will lead a free workshop on writing raps, short stories and poems about places of comfort. The session will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 22 at Mitchell Street Arts, 710 W. Historic Mitchell St. Bring a pen, a notebook or an electronic device to type on. A $5 suggested donation is encouraged. More information here.
Teens 14 and up with special needs are invited to attend a presentation by the Wisconsin Youth Health Transition Initiative. The presentation will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday Jan. 25 at 540 S. First St. The event will explore how to transition to adult life after receiving pediatric care.  Registration must be completed by Monday, Jan. 22.  More information here.
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Join the Urban Ecology Center from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 4023 W. Galena St. for a family-friendly game night. There will be a variety of games to play and attendees can feel free to bring their own. Refreshments will also be provided. Click here to register. More information here.
Let your voice be heard at an open house hosted by the City of Milwaukee from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 4830 W. Fond du Lac Ave. The purpose is to discuss an action plan for making Milwaukee’s streets safer and reducing traffic deaths by 2037. More information here.  From the archives: Traffic-calming poles part of Milwaukee’s efforts to combat reckless driving

created: January 22, 2024


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53155193949_c1fb851c4f_k-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 20, 2024

created: January 20, 2024


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New program gives MPS students a head start on careers ‘that don’t even exist yet’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
January 23, 2024
At just 14, Ezmee Gutierrez is starting her high school career learning essential life skills while also preparing for the world of work.
Ezmee is among the first class of students from Bay View High school to participate in the 3DE by JA innovation pilot program.
Facilitated by Junior Achievement, the program helps Milwaukee Public Schools students connect their high school curriculum to relevant career and life-readiness skills.
The goal is to help high school students develop the skills and experience to succeed in future careers.
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“This is about preparing our students not just for the diploma, but for a future that they’re ready to embrace,” said Willie Jude ll, the executive director of the Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation. “Our educators are preparing our students for careers that don’t even exist yet.”
In November, Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, in collaboration with Milwaukee Public Schools, or MPS, announced a million-dollar investment in the 3DE program at Bay View and Marshall high schools.
3DE was established in Atlanta in 2015 and now operates in 26 cities.
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to make smart academic and economic choices.
“This is a golden opportunity, a change in our curriculum, basically, an innovative way to educate young people for the world of work …,” said MPS Superintendent Keith Posley.
MPS teachers and business partners from various backgrounds work alongside students to help them find  solutions to real-word business challenges.
Students work on case studies that emphasize such skills as collaboration, communication, creativity/innovation and self-direction.
Despite only being in her freshman year, Ezmee is certain she wants to pursue a college education. She’s considering studying real estate or psychology.
“Either way, I am learning skills that will help me in my future because I need to be able to speak and communicate well,” she said. “Taking these classes is helping build my confidence and organization skills.”
According to a 3DE impact statement, school districts nationwide have seen decreased absenteeism, higher college enrollment and improved proficiency in reading and math.
“We aim to achieve similar results in Milwaukee, providing students with skills to navigate towards a successful future,” said Michael Frohna, regional director of 3DE for Junior Achievement of Wisconsin.
So far, Bay View and Marshall high school freshmen are the only students involved in the 3DE program for the 2023–2024 school year.
Each subsequent year, one grade level will be added until students at all grade levels at the two high schools are participating in the program.
Junior Achievement will work with MPS to expand the program to at least two other Milwaukee high schools.
According to Frohna, the expected investment for the first two years of 3DE will be just over $1 million. The pilot program has received $250,000 in funding from We Energies Foundation, $160,000 from MPS Foundation, and $25,000 from PwC
More information here.

created: January 23, 2024

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


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53337493102_652ba55ef9_k-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 22, 2024


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Milwaukee nursery provides free child care for parents in crisis | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
January 24, 2024
Winter, with its snowstorms and subzero temperatures, can cause added stress.
That can be especially difficult for families in crisis with young children.
And that’s where La Causa Crisis Nursery & Respite Center steps in.
Located in Walker’s Point at 522 W. Walker St., the center is a 12-bed shelter that provides free child care for children up to age 12. Children can stay for a few hours to up to three days when their families face a crisis.
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A crisis can include homelessness, medical issues, domestic violence and other emergencies.
“They made me feel welcome and that the kids were well taken care of when they were there,” said Sonya Benford, a Milwaukee mother of five who used the crisis nursery’s services in 2023.
The crisis nursery and respite center is open 24 hours, seven days a week and has been a community resource for over 30 years.
La Causa Inc., the crisis nursery’s parent nonprofit, headquartered at 413 W. Scott St., has served Milwaukee’s South Side for over 50 years.
The center seeks to prevent child abuse and neglect and to help families by relieving some stress, said Karl Schoendorf, director of La Causa Crisis Nursery & Respite Center.
When Benford felt really stressed and sleep-deprived last spring, she took a family member’s recommendation to bring her four youngest children to the crisis nursery for about a day.
“From that first visit, I was able to see that they are genuine people that are looking to help people, and so I felt confident enough and comfortable to trust to be able to leave the kids there,” she said.
Most clients who use the crisis nursery are from the Milwaukee area and over 95% live below the poverty line, Schoendorf said.
“Poverty is a big stressor in folks’ lives, and then when anything else goes wrong, it just exacerbates it,”he said.
After operating at limited capacity in recent years because of COVID-19, the crisis nursery served more than 470 children and provided more than 1,600 overnight stays in 2023.
Staff work eight-hour shifts in the building that La Causa built about 10 years ago. They make sure kids get meals, baths, playtime and transportation to school.
Eileen Lozada, a child care worker at the center, loves working with the kids and recommends the center to overwhelmed parents.
“Even when I wasn’t even working here, I was giving out pamphlets,” she said.
Benford brought her three youngest kids back to the crisis nursery before she had surgery last year, and she said they were excited to return.
“I didn’t have to worry about getting up, and you know, struggling to put them in a tub, getting their stuff together and cooking,” she said.
To use the crisis nursery’s services, a parent can call 414-902-1620 or visit the nursery location.
Calling and scheduling ahead, if possible, is advised in case the center is at capacity.
The center does not accept foster children or children over 12. View more on its policies here.
Parents can also request respite care for their children once a month to deal with ongoing stress instead of a crisis.
La Causa’s crisis nursery hosts fundraisers throughout the year to support its operations, including an annual summer gala.
It accepts donations of money, household supplies, diapers and more.
TMJ4’s Community Baby Shower donation drive through Jan. 31 also contributes to the crisis nursery.
Find mental health resources to beat the winter blues here.
Find warming centers here.
Call IMPACT 211 at 2-1-1 for assistance with food,  housing or mental health or the Milwaukee County Crisis Line at 414-257-7222 for help with a mental health crisis.
The City of Milwaukee Health Department has more community resources for emergencies here.

created: January 24, 2024


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53472553440_28248190f5_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 23, 2024


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This couple wanted to learn about youth homelessness. So they spent a week living outside. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
January 25, 2024
In November, when temperatures began to drop, Christal and Jarvis West left the comfort of their Milwaukee home to spend a week sleeping outside to raise awareness about youths without housing.
The Wests are community stakeholders with ties to Amani United, a neighborhood group that focuses on community involvement to improve safety and economic opportunities for the community.
Jarvis West is a former president of the group, and Christal is an ambassador for the group.
Christal West said she learned about a national sleep-out campaign last year to raise awareness about youth homelessness by Covenant House, a national organization that provides support for young people facing homelessness and who are survivors of human trafficking.
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She noticed none of the participating organizations were in Wisconsin and decided to participate.
“The point of the national sleep out is to bring awareness to youth homelessness, so I thought it was defeating the purpose if no one here participated,” she said.
“So, when I reached out, I asked if there is a way we can do one and if somebody could do it in Milwaukee.”
The couple set up camp across the street from the Dominican Center at 2470 W. Locust St. for several nights and across from Mission of Christ Lutheran Church at 912 E. Center St. for a few more nights.
In addition to raising awareness, the Wests spent the week connecting with people and highlighting Milwaukee organizations that provide services to those struggling with homelessness.
“I’ve met a series of young people who are all experiencing homelessness for a series of reasons,” Christal West said. “Some of them are leaving unsafe home lives. Some of them are struggling with mental illness. And many are struggling out of fear of judgment from family and friends.”
Christal West said she’s learned that there are significantly more young people experiencing homelessness in Milwaukee than many people understand.
An estimated 15,000 young people experience homelessness in Milwaukee each year, according to the Pathfinders, which offers services for youths in crisis.
And a 2023 NNS article revealed many youths who are homeless go uncounted.
On the first night of the sleep out, the couple invited the Amani Youth Council to sit with them and share thoughts on youth homelessness.
“Sometimes young people are living on the streets because parents can be judgmental and it makes you afraid to ask for help,” said Envyanna Scott, a member of the youth council. “Young people need people they can trust and go to when they are struggling.”
The Wests wanted to be in a place where they could be vulnerable and talk and connect with young people experiencing homelessness, Christal West said.
“We heard stories from people just passing by who had or were experiencing homelessness and you would never know,” she said. “Gaining that understanding so we could share it was important for us.”
In addition to connecting with people, the couple collected donations of clothing and winter gear that they gave out .
And they taught people skills that would help them survive the cold if they were ever without housing, like how to start a fire, how to cook outside and how to use things like trash cans to stay warm.
The couple sought to highlight the Milwaukee groups already serving young people, although they may not all specialize in youth homelessness.
“There are amazing diamonds in this city that are already working to help young people,” Christal West said. “When talking to people, we constantly mentioned the Dominican Center, COA Youth & Family Centers, African American Breastfeeding Network, Running Rebels, Pathfinders, Mission of Christ, and all the different places.”
The Wests are hopeful that the time they spent sleeping outside was able to help someone.
They hope to continue to be involved in future discussions about ending youth homelessness in Milwaukee.
“We wanted to be able to share space with people, and we did that by just talking to them,” Christal West said.

created: January 25, 2024


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53473987371_aa48d7b906_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 24, 2024


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5 things to know and do the weekend of Jan. 26 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
January 26, 2024
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Grace Weber’s Music Lab will have a teen open mic from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26 at Radio Milwaukee Studios, 220 E. Pittsburgh Ave. Interested teens will be able to showcase their talents by singing, rapping and more. The event’s theme is “Music and Entrepreneurship.” Sam Guyton will be the special guest and will perform and discuss his life as an entrepreneur. Click here to RSVP your teen. More information here.
Denizen MKE is a new business in the Near West Side neighborhood that serves as an event venue. Residents from the neighborhood will gather from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26 at 4227 W. Vliet St. to celebrate its opening and socialize. Food and a cash bar will be available. Click here to RSVP.  More information here.
Iglesia Nueva Vida Universal will host a movie night for family and friends from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26 at 2064 S. 14th St. Tickets are $5 and will include popcorn and soda. More information here.
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Mystic Phoenix Art Studio invites you to enjoy a morning of art and meditation from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 5305 W. Capitol Drive. All materials will be provided and regardless of your art skills, everyone is welcome. More information here.
Business owners are invited to the 12th annual MKE Business Now Entrepreneurship Summit from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27 at Martin Luther King Jr. School, 3275 N. Third St. There will be workshops, vendors and more to ensure that you have what you need to help your business flourish. More information here.

created: January 26, 2024


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53481605031_bf55cb44aa_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 25, 2024


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5 things to know and do the week of Jan. 29 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
January 29, 2024
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
From 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 29, the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County will be at the Milwaukee Public Library Zablocki Branch, 3501 W. Oklahoma Ave., to help you register to vote and learn more about how the voting process works. More information here.
The 30th Street Corridor has restored 24 homes in the Garden Homes neighborhood, 11 of which are historic homes. You’re invited to welcome the new residents from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 29 at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 2433 W. Roosevelt Drive. Dinner will be served. To RSVP, call 414-509-5115 or email chawnett@thecorridor-mke.org. More information here.
Latino Arts is showcasing an exhibit with art from Mexico and First Nation Tribes from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. through Friday, Feb. 23 at 1028 S. Ninth St. The exhibit is free and open to the public. A $1 donation is encouraged. More information here.
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Join VIPMKE and Pepperpot on MLK for its weekly karaoke night from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 2215 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. It will be a night filled with music and Jamaican food available for purchase. Entry is free. More information here.
Beginning Thursday, Feb. 1, VIA Community Development Corp. will be celebrating its 11th annual “Phobruary.” Milwaukee residents are encouraged  to support restaurants in the Silver City neighborhood by purchasing a Vietnamese dish called Pho. Each location will have a QR code to scan for a giveaway. Up to six winners can win a $25 gift card. Click here to view participating businesses and menu specials.  From the archives: PHOTOS: What ‘Phobruary’ looks like in 2021

created: January 29, 2024


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53483943237_67efbc5bb5_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 27, 2024

created: January 27, 2024


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Here’s how to weigh in on design alternatives for North Sherman Boulevard | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
January 30, 2024
The community is invited to weigh in on possible designs for a two-mile stretch of North Sherman Boulevard from West North Avenue to West Capitol Drive.
The second public meeting for the North Sherman Boulevard Project is scheduled from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club, 3000 N. Sherman Blvd.
The City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Department of Transportation and design firms are collaborating to improve the Sherman Boulevard corridor’s overall design and safety.
Residents can attend the open-house style meeting any time during the two-hour window to view exhibit boards of four potential design alternatives for the roadway, talk with the project’s designers and give feedback on the options.
“I think one of the biggest things that we need to push is the urgency in that we will be deciding on an alternative in the next couple months, so we need to hear from the public now,” said Alyssa Tapia, public involvement and community engagement specialist with the project.
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The project team held its first public meeting in August, and community members gave feedback that was used in creating the design alternatives that will be presented at this week’s meeting.
“We got a sense at that first meeting of what were some of the biggest concerns that stakeholders had, general consensus of what they hoped the roadway would accomplish, specifically things like reckless driving and speeds,” Tapia said.
The design alternatives and information presented at the meeting will be posted afterward on the project’s website and Social Pinpoint, according to Tapia.
You can get in touch with the North Sherman Boulevard Project’s public involvement team by contacting 262-853-0350 or at shermanblvd@milwaukee.gov. You can also sign up to receive email updates.
In the event of inclement weather, the meeting will be rescheduled.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

created: January 30, 2024


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53168345162_236f9fcf2a_k-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 29, 2024


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Tobacco compliance checks show progress in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
January 31, 2024
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.
Tobacco law compliance checks conducted last weekend by the Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network (WAATPN) and Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention & Poverty Network (WTPPN) as part of the Wisconsin Wins Programs last weekend revealed that just 8% of attempts by minors to purchase tobacco resulted in illegal sales. This total is a major decrease compared to the overall sales rate in 2023 of 33% for checks conducted by those groups.
“We think this weekend’s checks are a positive sign that more retailers understand the importance of not selling tobacco to anyone under the age of 21,” said Dr. Steven Tipton, who oversees the Wisconsin Wins Program for the WAATPN & WTPPN. “We hope this positive momentum continues.”
Overall, the state of Wisconsin has experienced an increase in illegal sales of tobacco to minors. Underage tobacco and vape sales increased to 13.6% in 2023, compared to 11.9% in 2022, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
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The WAATPN and WTPPN have worked closely with retailers to provide free training on federal and local laws related to tobacco sales, provided free signage and other support. They have also worked closely with the Milwaukee Police Department and Food and Drug Administration to ensure that retailers who sell to minors are held accountable.
Youth participants in the Wisconsin Wins Program describe the experience as rewarding.
“My experience was amazing. I was a part of something wonderful that is meant to keep young people like me away from tobacco and from potentially developing a lifelong and deadly addiction,” said a 17-year-old Wins participant.
Another Wins participant called the experience eye-opening.
“Even the fact that we have been able to purchase tobacco is proof that the tobacco industry is harming my peers and my community,” she said. “It is my belief and the belief of many others that candy and fruit flavored tobacco products were created to appeal to underage customers.”
Retailers can access free, state-approved training to help their employees avoid underage sales at www.witobaccocheck.org. Tobacco users ready to quit can call 1-800-QUIT NOW (784-8669) or text “READY” to 200-400 for free help. Youths who are looking for free support to quit vaping can text VAPEFREE to 873373.

created: January 31, 2024


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tpcp-tobacco21-poster-horizontal | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
January 31, 2024


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What do you think about the traffic-calming measures in Milwaukee? Residents speak out | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
February 1, 2024
Some Milwaukee residents are frustrated over traffic- calming measures implemented by the city in recent years, based on neighborhood chatter and online discussions.
“Sometimes you get stuck at an intersection for three or four lights because one person is turning left and you can’t pass on the right side,” said Ray Davis, who lives in Milwaukee’s Lincoln Village neighborhood.
Davis and others are frustrated that curb extensions, traffic-calming poles, roundabouts and other engineering changes narrowed the streets and bogged down traffic but haven’t stopped reckless driving.
The changes are all aspects of Vision Zero, an initiative adopted last year in Milwaukee that aims to eliminate driving deaths by 2037. Milwaukee has been plagued for years by reckless driving-related deaths and injuries and unsafe driving in general.
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Christina Russo, who lives on the far South Side near West Layton Avenue, said the changes hurt good drivers.
“Most of these measures only work to slow law-abiding drivers, which can cause more congestion and ultimately makes inpatient folks more impatient,” Russo said.
Some residents said they are frustrated by the changes in traffic patterns and the lack of information shared about them.
City Engineer Kevin Muhs said the reason for the changes is to slow people down.
“The goal of traffic-calming projects and improvements is to create safer driving by lowering speeds, which highly correlates with whether someone is killed,” Muhs said.
Muhs said concrete bump outs and curb extensions, two of the most visible changes, are meant to stop drivers from making a highly risky maneuver.
“Passing someone on the right is dangerous for pedestrians and other cars and allows people to reach high speeds in heavy traffic,” he said.
In 2023, 491 curb extensions were installed at different locations in Milwaukee, compared to 211 in 2022 and 63 in 2021, according to data provided by the City of Milwaukee.
Another measure that has drawn the ire of some residents and praise from others are speed humps, commonly referred to as “speed bumps.”
“The speed bumps are working on [West] Pierce,” said      Julio Guerrero, a former political organizer in Milwaukee. “Before that, it was fast and furious on that street.”
Angalee Jacobs, a tax preparer in Milwaukee who often travels on West Greenfield and West Lincoln avenues, said the speed bumps are hard to see at night and after snow falls — a lesson her son learned the hard way recently.
“My son hit a speed bump that wasn’t visible at night and blew his motor,” said a frustrated Jacobs. “So, if the purpose is to do damage, it works as it should.”
One of the more confusing changes for residents was implemented in June on West Lapham Boulevard from South Sixth Street to South Cesar Chavez Drive.
Traffic-calming poles installed there reduced the boulevard from four to two lanes, moving parking spots to what had been the outside driving lane and converting the parking spots into bike lanes.
“People still don’t care,” said Olga Otero, who lives on Lapham Boulevard. “They park and drive in the bike lane.”
That engineering change resulted in a reduction in speed (25 miles per hour compared to 30 before) and fewer drivers going 10 miles per hour over the speed limit (3% to 0%), according to sample speed data provided by the City of Milwaukee.
Jessica Wineberg, policy director for Vision Zero, said a key element of the plan is to prioritize safety over speed.
“Cars going very fast hurt people. We need to retrofit our roads so that drivers, our neighbors, our children and our friends are all safe,” Wineberg said.
Celia Jackson, a volunteer for the Coalition for Safe Driving MKE, said the main problem with the traffic- calming changes is the lack of communication about them to residents.
“When people don’t have a good understanding about why things are being put into place, that’s a lost opportunity to educate people about how the changes help to calm the traffic,” Jackson said.
She said she’s spoken to many residents about the measures, including bikers, pedestrians and drivers who are happy with them, while others are frustrated.
“I think people could have a better appreciation of the work that’s being done if they have a better understanding of it,” she said.
Muhs said criticism about the lack of information being shared with residents is fair, and that the city is working to grow the capacity at the Department of Public Works to improve communication.
“Yes, absolutely we need to communicate more to the public about where the changes are going to go and when and why,” Muhs said.
Wineberg said funding for Vision Zero will allow for the hiring of a second staff person who will focus on education and a youth ambassador.
The city held open house meetings last week to discuss Vision Zero at the Office of African American Affairs, 4830 W. Fond du Lac Ave., and the Mitchell Street Library, 906 W. Historic Mitchell St.
Muhs said that while the city begins work to help drivers and others understand the traffic changes, the traffic-calming measures will continue.
Plans this year include the installation of raised crosswalks at about 20 schools and more of what residents are already seeing.
“We’re not planning to slow down here. We’re going to keep moving on more traffic calming projects,” Muhs said.
Regardless of the changes, Wineberg said, the community still faces the challenge of preventing deaths from reckless driving.
“Those are the types of tragedies we want to stop,” she said. “It’s worth it to have to give a little time to get where you’re going if it saves lives.”

created: February 1, 2024


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53472429734_e6ac52b3e1_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 31, 2024


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53481686852_f98cd10a3d_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
January 31, 2024


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5 things to know and do the weekend of Feb. 2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
February 2, 2024
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Every first Friday of the month, the Milwaukee Parks Foundation and Milwaukee County sponsor a walk through a city park. Attending the walks will allow you to enjoy nature and connect with others. The next walk will begin at noon on Friday, Feb. 2 at Jackson Park, 3500 W. Forest Home Ave. Be aware of inclement conditions such as mud or ice. More information here.
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. To teach teens about the importance of healthy relationships, the Youth Empowerment Project will hold a gathering for Native teens from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 930 W. Historic Mitchell St. Participating teens will play games, eat lunch, and complete a craft activity. More information here.
The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network will offer hands-on CPR training on Saturday, Feb. 3 at Gee’s Clippers, 2200 N. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. To register and hear varying session times, call      414-777-7700. More information here.
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Artist Andy Lira-Landa invites you to a free mosaic workshop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3 at Milwaukee Christian Center, 807 S. 14th St. Each mosaic design will also contribute to the landscape of the Muskego Way neighborhood. More information here.
Gather a team of four to six people to participate in Black History Trivia Night at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3 at Company Brewing, 735 E. Center St. You will be tested on a variety of topics, including historical facts, pop culture and more. This event is meant to create unity and appreciation for cultural heritage. More information here.

created: February 2, 2024


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53499045164_405957a5fd_b-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
February 1, 2024


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Meet the Common Council candidates who want to represent District 7 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
February 2, 2024
Four candidates seeking to represent District 7 on the Milwaukee Common Council will participate in a forum on Saturday, Feb. 3.
The forum will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Embassy Center MKE, 3725 N. Sherman Blvd.
All candidates in the district’s primary race are scheduled to attend.
They include Jessica Currie, founder of the nonprofit, Missionary Currie for Women and Children Inc.; Kenneth Hughes, a local business owner; DiAndre Jackson, a former Master Lock employee who is active with United Auto Workers; and Randy Jones, founder of the nonprofit, Staying On Track Inc. and a member of the City of Milwaukee Safety and Civic Commission.
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Current District 7 Ald. Khalif Rainey, who has represented the district since 2016, is not seeking re-election.
The forum is being organized by Corridor Neighborhoods Collaborative, a partnership between Sherman Park Community Association, Dominican Center, Amani United, Century City Tri-Angle Neighborhood Association and Northwest Side Community Development Corporation.
District 7 residents will moderate a 45 to 60 minute formal conversation followed by questions from the audience, said Christina Chronister, communications specialist at Dominican Center.
“We anticipate important topics like reckless driving being discussed, but it is an opportunity for residents to see what candidates will bring to the table as an alderperson,” Dominican Center Executive Director Maricha Harris said.
District 7 includes Roosevelt Grove, Sunset Heights, Grasslyn Manor, St. Joseph’s, Sherman Park, Lincoln Creek, Wahl Park and Amani.
The spring primary for local elections is on Tuesday, Feb. 20, with early voting starting Tuesday, Feb. 6. The general election is April 2.
Find more information on the forum at Sherman Park Community Association’s website.


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53502437052_f075873305_h | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
February 1, 2024


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5 things to know and do the week of Feb. 5 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
February 5, 2024
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Each month, City on a Hill offers a free foot care clinic that will assist you in taking care of your feet. Toenail trimming, diabetic foot maintenance and other services are provided. The next session is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 2224 W. Kilbourn Ave. More information here.
The Milwaukee Police Department District 5 will hold its monthly crime and safety meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at the Milwaukee Public Library Atkinson Branch, 1960 W. Atkinson Ave. Law enforcement officers will share any neighborhood updates and residents are welcome to give their input. More information here.
Spend a moment chatting with book enthusiasts about a book of your choice, then enjoy reading it in silence. The “Quiet Book Club,” will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8 at The Table, 5305 W. Capitol Drive. Tea and refreshments will be served. More information here.
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Urbanize Finance will hold a free financial literacy workshop to help you manage your money. It will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 1109 W. Historic Mitchell St. To RSVP, email iamandah@urbanizefinance.org. More information here.
Come experience a night filled with music, vendors and more from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8 at Freight 38, 838 S. First St. The event will be free until 10:30 p.m. Afterward, admission will be $10. Click here to purchase tickets.  If you’re interested in becoming a vendor, call 414- 841-4523. More information here.

created: February 5, 2024


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53345973507_97e7190cbf_b-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
February 4, 2024

created: February 4, 2024


text:
53503380043_8922abd6cf_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
February 4, 2024