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Post From Community: Author bringing indigenous wisdom to Greater Milwaukee Foundation event | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
June 15, 2022
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.
June 24 ‘A Milwaukee for All’ convening aims to shift mindsets about philanthropy
With its continuing “A Milwaukee for All” educational series, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation is inviting everyone to think beyond traditional forms of philanthropy and imagine new ways of building and healing community together. Through these action-oriented events, the Foundation and participants learn from experts and each other about effective practices for creating an equitable, inclusive and thriving world for all.
The next installment in the series will explore how money can be used to heal past and present harms, and features Edgar Villanueva, author of “Decolonizing Wealth – Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance.” Villanueva will join Ellen Gilligan, Foundation president and CEO, to discuss ways to connect, relate and belong; actionable steps everyone can take; and how philanthropy is about the love of all. The event will take place virtually from 9-10:30 a.m., Friday, June 24.
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A roundtable discussion with local panelists will follow the dialogue. Participants include Nancy Hernandez, president of the Hispanic Collaborative; Naryan Leazer, financial advisor at IronwoodDrive Financial Group and Foundation Board member; Tony Shields, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Philanthropy Network; Joanna Brooks, founder and owner of Embody Yoga; and Dylani Herath, vice president of engineering at Greenwood.
Villanueva is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe, an activist and founder of Liberated Capital and the Decolonizing Wealth Project. Through his work, he aims to help the world heal from colonization by centering the voices of the underserved and underrepresented, who are often communities of color. By sharing his experience and expertise, he hopes to inspire everyone to become healers and take tangible measures toward change. His mission directly feeds into the Foundation’s commitment to racial equity and inclusion.
Learn how you can use your story to heal, discover your medicine and become a decolonizer by registering for this free event at greatermilwaukeefoundation.org/amfa2022.
Then join us again this fall to hear from Tonya Allen, president of the McKnight Foundation. Allen’s work strives toward a just, abundant and equitable future where people and planet thrive. Save the date for 9-10:30 a.m., Friday, Oct. 28.
About the Greater Milwaukee Foundation
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is Wisconsin’s largest community foundation and was among the first established in the world. For more than a century, the Foundation has been at the heart of the civic community, helping donors achieve the greatest philanthropic impact, elevating the work of changemakers across neighborhoods, and bringing people and organizations together to help our region thrive. Racial equity is the Foundation’s North Star, guiding its investments and strategies for social and economic change. Leveraging generations of community knowledge, cross-sector partnerships and more than $1 billion in financial assets, the Foundation is committed to reimagining philanthropy, recentering communities and remaking systems to transform our region into a Milwaukee for all.

author: Greater Milwaukee Foundation


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Decolonizing-Wealth-2.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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June 14, 2022

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Name *


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Granville BID program gives supervisors the tools to lead | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
June 15, 2022
Jose Salinas is a line leader at MPE, a contract manufacturer, but soon he’ll be a second-shift supervisor.
In the meantime, he’s doing what he can to gain more knowledge and become a better leader. Since late February, he’s been participating in a supervisory workshop.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned here that I won’t forget is leadership is influence,” Salinas said. “I had never heard that term before, and it definitely put a different perspective in my mind.”
The supervisory workshop was hosted by the Granville Business Improvement District in partnership with the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Program, part of a national network that helps small and midsize manufacturers. The workshop is part of the business improvement district’s mission to grow Granville.
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“We have a huge manufacturing base in our BID,” Mary Hoehne, the executive director of the Granville BID, said. “Because we’re so manufacturing driven, I try to bring programming directly for the manufacturers, because the manufacturers are our heart and soul.”
According to Hoehne, one of the main reasons people quit their jobs is because of their supervisors. If supervisors are trained, they can better support employees at entry-level positions, she said. They are more likely to make more money and stay with their current company, she added.
“I call this incumbent workforce training,” Hoehne said. “And the purpose of it is to create jobs and to create opportunity.”
The workshop was eight weeks and consisted of four-hour sessions. This year, the class was taught by Ed Egan of Double E Workplace Solutions. The lessons varied, but the goal is to teach participants how to be better leaders through collaboration, communication and camaraderie by offering different perspectives and working together.
Matt Evans is a supervisor at Athea Laboratories, where he holds a team huddle every morning at the firm that makes private-label chemicals. The workshop has taught him how to take different approaches to the huddles to make them more engaging.
One thing he’s started doing is sharing the daily reports with his team. The team compares slow days to busy ones and together they work on finding different solutions.
Egan takes a hands-on approach to the class by getting the class involved in various activities. It’s not all just PowerPoint presentations, Chris Marquardt of Western Building Products, said.
During the first week, the class played Rock Paper Scissors, and in week six, they made a straw tower. Another time, they had to lower a helium stick to the ground – the stick tends to “float up” due to the pressure of everyone’s fingers underneath it and the team must work together to lower it successfully.
Sometimes they’re silly activities, Marquardt said, but they give the class a chance to step out of the supervisor mindset, gain a different perspective and learn from each other.
“It puts you in different shoes” Salinas said. “If you’ve been in a supervisor position for quite some time, maybe sometimes you tend to forget about the different mindsets around the place. Being here, it puts you in a regular employee situation. It takes you out of that supervisory mindset so you can understand how other employees might see things.”
Tom Chirafisi, who also works for Western Building Products, implemented the Rock Paper Scissors exercise during his team huddle after seeing how successful it was during the workshop.
“For that two minutes, three minutes, whatever it was, the same approach happened at work,” he said. “Everyone was smiling; everyone was engaged; everyone was paying attention.”
The exercise demonstrated that work does not always have to be serious.
“At the end of the day, all we’re doing is making doors,” Chirafisi said. “We’re producing work together and the focus was ‘Yes, we can be serious’ but at the same time we can have that fun and joy.”
For more information on current or future workshops visit the Granville BID website or Facebook page. Manufacturers can also email Mary Hoehne at mary@granvillebusiness.org.

author: Ana Martinez-Ortiz


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52000244226_3f550fc56f_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
June 14, 2022

author: Dwayne Burtin


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52014327760_cba982aea4_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
June 14, 2022


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Post From Community: Heidi Anderson-Isaacson Named Vice President for Student Development and Success at Alverno College | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Kelly Cole
June 15, 2022
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.
Heidi Anderson-Isaacson, Ed.D., has been named vice president for Student Development and Success.
Anderson-Isaacson has served as interim dean for the last two years, leading the department’s adaptive planning through the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also led the development of a visionary plan for student retention and on-time graduation.
“Heidi has brought a tremendous focus on building programs and pathways to promote student success in her time as interim dean,” said Alverno College President Andrea Lee, IHM, Ph.D. “Her experience, creative thinking, and student-centeredness have helped to foster collaborative engagement across departments to help advance student success. I look forward to continue working with Heidi and her team to even better support and serve Alverno students.”
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“I am excited to continue to work with a team committed to supporting our students from their transition to college to degree completion and beyond,” said Anderson-Isaacson. “Alverno’s innovative approach to education is exactly what today’s student is looking for, and the opportunity to work and learn with such a diverse community energizes me each and every day.”
Anderson-Isaacson brings extensive experience in residential life, student development and success, and conduct and compliance. Prior to Alverno, she served as interim director of residence life at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. In her new role, Anderson-Isaacson will oversee the college’s Student Development and Success department, as well as Residence Life, Student Activities & Leadership, Campus Safety, the International and Intercultural Center, Counseling and Health Services, and Athletics. She will also serve as a member of the college’s executive leadership team, which reports directly to the president and is charged with implementing Alverno’s strategic plan.
Anderson-Isaacson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minn. She also earned a Doctor of Education from the University of St. Thomas, where her research focused on the retention and success of students facing significant barriers to degree completion.
About Alverno College
Founded in 1887 by the School Sisters of St. Francis, Alverno College promotes the academic, personal and professional development of its students in a collaborative and inclusive environment. Undergraduate programs for women are offered in more than 60 areas of study, and graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology, school psychology, music therapy, music and liturgy, and business are open to women and men.
A leader in higher education innovation, Alverno has earned international accolades for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, which emphasizes hands-on experience and develops in-demand skills. The college, Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, ranks among the top schools in the Midwest for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and innovation by U.S. News & World Report. For two years, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education named Alverno the country’s most inspiring college.
Based in Milwaukee, Wis., Alverno College is a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college.

author: Kelly Cole


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June 14, 2022


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Post from the Community: Milwaukee Black Theater Festival Returns | August 10-14 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andy Nelson
June 15, 2022
The Milwaukee Black Theater Festival Returns Bigger Than Ever with Events Across the City
Black Arts MKE presents week-long celebration showcasing our city’s strong and growing Black performing arts and culture scene
MILWAUKEE (June 15, 2022) – Black Arts MKE is proud to present the third annual Milwaukee Black Theater Festival, returning to venues across the city from August 10-14. The week-long celebration of Black arts and culture features free and ticketed events throughout each day, including full-production and staged reading plays, an R&B and Gospel fundraiser concert, spoken word and dance performances, and talk-back and panel discussions. This year’s theme is The Black Family: Generations Speak!, presented by generations of Black artists, includes events for the entire family, acknowledges community challenges, and encourages everyone to come together now to celebrate Black theater, healing, and unity.
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“For the first time, the festival will be held across multiple venues, in an effort to expose more of the city to rich cross-disciplinary artistic and cultural activity produced by Milwaukee-based Black artists,” says Cory Nettles, Board Chair. “We’re proud to produce Milwaukee Black Theater Festival to share more of our stories and put a spotlight on emerging young Black playwrights and professional theater organizations, including Bronzeville Arts Ensemble and Lights! Camera! Soul!.” Expanded venues include Marcus Performing Arts Center, St. Ann Center Indaba Community Band Shell, Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, and The Table Vocational Center.
Access the Festival Digital Program here or visit blackartsmke.org.
Milwaukee Black Theater Festival events include:
“We’re honoring the Black Family during the third year of the Milwaukee Black Theater Festival which provides an opportunity to tell stories which entertain us while sharing our history, exploring our challenges, uniting our generations, and celebrating our beauty!,” adds Sheri Williams Pannell, co-founder Milwaukee Black Theatre Festival and Bronzeville Arts Ensemble producing artistic director. “
This festival would not be possible without the generous support of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), Wisconsin Humanities, The Black Seed, National Endowment for the Arts and BMO Harris Bank.
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ABOUT BLACK ARTS MKE
Black Arts MKE’s mission is to increase the availability and quality of African American arts and culture.  We collaborate with over 100 local artists and arts organizations annually to bring to our community renowned and original performance arts works by African American authors, playwrights, poets, musicians, and composers.  Our community outreach programs serve over 15,000 underserved schools, youth and their families including Youth Performing Arts Camp.  Black Arts MKE’s annual signature performance – Black Nativity by Langston Hughes is a holiday musical favorite in Milwaukee featuring an all-black, MKE-based cast.  We’re a recipient of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, NEA Grant for Arts Projects and The Black Seed national awards. Black Arts MKE is a producing theatre with World Premier Wisconsin.  We are a proud Member Group of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) and Resident Group at the Marcus Performing Arts Center.  Black Arts MKE is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation.

author: Andy Nelson


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BAMKE22-MBTF-presenterlogo.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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June 15, 2022


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Post From Community: Lincoln Creek Greenway Summit to be held | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
David Thomas
June 15, 2022
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
On Saturday, June 25, from 9 am to 4 pm, community stakeholders and residents will gather at Havenwoods State Forest to discuss the state and future of the Lincoln Creek Greenway.  Wisconsin DNR Secretary Preston Cole will welcome participants.  A list of 14 participating organizations is below.
The Lincoln Creek Greenway runs for six miles through Milwaukee’s northwest side from Havenwoods to Lincoln Park.  In its current state, it is characterized by neglect, inaccessibility, and illegal trash dumping.  The organizers hope to bring together stakeholders and community advocates to focus on revitalizing and renewing the Lincoln Creek Greenway.  This initiative is inspired in part by the success of the Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition, a grass-roots effort that recently celebrated a 15-year anniversary.
If you want to be part of this effort, you can join in using this registration link: https://bit.ly/LincolnSummit2022.  Advance registration is required.
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This 1-day conference is organized by Nearby Nature Milwaukee, an environmental justice initiative focused on Milwaukee’s northwest side, to build healthier communities by connecting to nature.
More details on the event can be found at this link:
https://nearbynaturemke.org/lincoln-creek-greenway-summit/
The agenda for the day includes a morning of presentations and an afternoon of breakout discussion sessions.
Partial list of participating organizations:
Nearby Nature Milwaukee, Northwest Side CDC, WDNR-Havenwoods State Forest, Milwaukee Water Commons, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, River Revitalization Foundation, Friends of Lincoln Park, Friends of Havenwoods, Century City Triangle Neighborhood Association, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Great Lakes, Wild Indigo, Milwaukee County Parks.
This event is supported in part by the Fund for Lake Michigan, The Nature Conservancy, The Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Bader Philanthropies.
For more information, contact:
Summit Organizer, Leena Le, leena@nearbynaturemke.org, 414-335-4151.
Nearby Nature Project Coordinator, David Thomas, david@nearbynaturemke.org,
414-810-2286

author: David Thomas


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Horiz-banner.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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June 15, 2022


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Like a boss: Entrepreneur Shayla Burtin explains how to keep employees | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
June 16, 2022
Editor’s note: Shayla Burtin is the sister of Deputy Editor Dwayne Burtin, who played no role in the selection or editing of this story.
Shayla Burtin was feeling burnt out.
She had been working in human resources for 20 years and after experiencing another layoff, she knew she wanted a job with more security.
In 2017, she launched her own business, Yes, I Can Help You, which she took full time in 2019. The business helps small businesses and entrepreneurs with the administrative side of their operations.
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“I help them transform their business operations so their business can run without them,” she said. “They can have the freedom and flexibility that they desired when they got started.”
Currently, she has two long-term clients but works with  entrepreneurs on a short-term basis. As an entrepreneur herself, Burtin knows what her clients are going through.
“A lot of the issues and problems they’re discovering, I’ve also had to deal with and had to figure out a solution to,” Burtin said. “I’m able to help them based off the things that I’ve learned and the mistakes that I’ve made.”
Burtin’s work with clients varies. One topic she often covers is how to retain employees. All companies experience turnover —  some more than others due to low pay, burnout and more, she said.
“I’ve always noticed that there’s a bit of a disconnect between the employees and the management staff,” she said. “The leadership are focused on growing the business and bringing in money and taking care of any customers, but your employees are the ones working with your customers. If you don’t take care of your employee, then they’re not going to take care of your customers.”
Some of her clients believe they lose employees because the pay isn’t high enough, Burtin said.
“Showing appreciation and recognizing your team members is really big,” she said. “People want to know they’re doing a good job and sometimes it’s as simple as saying ‘thank you.’ ”
Let employees know how their work contributed to the company, recognize them publicly or give them a gift, Burtin said. She recommended reading “The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace” by Gary Chapman and Paul White.
“Somebody may want a verbal recognition. Someone else may want a monetary gift. Someone else may want face time with the CEO,” she said. “The biggest thing you can do is ask them what they want, because they won’t be shy to tell you what they want.”
Jéneen Perkins is the founder and CEO of Éclat Enterprises, a small accounting firm in Butler that provides accounting and tax services. Perkins met Burtin through a networking group on Facebook in 2019.
With Burtin’s help, Perkins created an employee handbook, received a 360 degree review from her team and more. She also read the “Five Languages” book and implemented some of the lessons she learned in her workplace.
During the pandemic, Perkins sent her employees lunch through Uber Eats, another time she gave them spring baskets, and once she shared Audible credits with them. At least twice a month, she makes a concerted effort to tell them words of affirmation and repeat the compliments she’s heard from clients.
“It’s just a matter of trying to switch it up and showing how you appreciate them,” she said. “I’m trying to do things that I remember that I loved when I was an employee for somebody else as well as trying to do some of the things in this book.”
“Increasing or retaining your employees starts with the hiring process,” Burtin said.
Business owners sometimes hire the first person to fill the position. Take the time to pick the right person — someone who enjoys the work they’re doing, she said.
This process includes having a formal interview process and posting the job in multiple places to diversify the candidate pool.
Once the right person is hired, the period that comes after is equally important, Burtin said.
A new employee still has other opportunities and can leave, she said. The manager should take the time to go over expectations, introduce them to the team, take them to lunch and so on. In short, make a good impression.
In one instance, Burtin was helping to hire for a position and many of the candidates expressed the desire for opportunities to learn new skills and take on additional work.
Training the people already on staff and promoting them is a win-win for the business, Burtin said.
Some business owners have trust issues, she noted, adding that they think the person they hire is going to steal their secrets and start their own company or they don’t think the employee will work as hard as they will.
“The business owner is going to give 200%. They eat, sleep and drink their business,” she said. “But the people that you hire, if they like you, if they like the work you do and they believe in your vision, they will champion your business.”
Encourage employees to take initiative, she said, and they will be invested in the business.
“Trust that your team wants to do good work; sometimes they’ll make a mistake and that’s OK,” she said. “Mistakes are going to happen. Be careful how you respond to those mistakes.”
Under Burtin’s guidance, Perkins has tried to delegate more to her team instead of taking everything on herself. Sometimes it works out.  Sometimes it doesn’t, Perkins said, but it’s about trust.
Perkins said that when she notices an employee’s work is slipping, she first checks in to see if they are overwhelmed. She’ll also look over the instructions she gave and make sure everything is clear.
“I tell them all the time: We’re in the continuous-improvement business, not necessarily the accounting business” Perkins said. “Sometimes we make mistakes, but the good thing about working for me is I always take the hit.”
It’s important to work with employees to discuss their needs, Burtin said. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of companies began working remotely, and some employees prefer it, she said. Working together, employers and employees can figure out a work model that fits both of their needs.
Employees want to work, but they want their personal lives, too, Burtin said. She recommended that both the employee and employer take a vacation, adding that managers should lead by example.
“I feel that when you take time away, you actually become more productive,” she said. “When you’re working under so much stress, you aren’t working at your full capacity. When you take that time away, you’re refreshed, you have more energy and when you come back, you’ll have a clearer mind.”
In the end, it all goes back to establishing a good relationship, Burtin said. Treat employees well, show them opportunities to make decisions, give them space to take initiative and in turn, employers will have business that flourishes.


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Dwayne Burtin
June 14, 2022


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5 things to know and do the weekend of June 17 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
June 17, 2022
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.
This Friday, and the third Friday of every month, is Bounce Milwaukee’s monthly pinball tournament. This month’s tournament starts at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 17 at Bounce Milwaukee, located at 2801 S. 5th Court.
Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers hosts this free community wellness event with food and activities including bike fitting, kid’s activities, Zumba and salsa instruction and a chance to pick up a free bike helmet. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 at Kosciuszko (Kozy) Park, located at South 9th Street and West Lincoln Avenue.
Learn about positive changes to the streets and in the neighborhood, including a DIY skatepark. The tour starts at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, June 17 at the intersection of South 9th Street and West National Avenue. More information here.
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Support Black vendors at this market, organized by MKE Black, from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 at the Deer District, located at 1133 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Download the MKE Black app to learn more about what is available through Black-owned businesses in Milwaukee.
Make a mini-garden in a jar with the family at this neighborhood gathering at the Westlawn Community Garden. The event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 at 6301 W. Custer Ave.
We’ve compiled a list of things to do all weekend for Juneteenth here.

author: Sam Woods


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Dwayne Burtin
June 16, 2022


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Here’s how and where to celebrate Juneteenth this year in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
June 17, 2022
Juneteenth is an annual national holiday on June 19 celebrating the anniversary of when the last Black people enslaved in the United States learned of their emancipation in 1865. Since 1971, Milwaukee has celebrated this holiday with parades, local food and vendors, historical talks, panels and more.
You can learn more about the history of Juneteenth here.
Here’s how you can celebrate Juneteenth in Milwaukee this weekend.
Fondy Farmers Market honors Juneteenth
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Kick off a weekend of citywide celebration at the Fondy Farmers Market with food and entertainment from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 220 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
More information here. This event is free to attend.
Father’s Day + Juneteenth Celebration
The Milwaukee Diaper Mission and community partners will be giving away free diapers as well as providing music and snacks at this family-friendly gathering from noon to 4 p.m. at Butterfly Park, located at 3717 W. Meinecke Ave.
More information and a full list of partners here. This event is free to attend.
IPAMA Juneteenth Celebration
The Institute for the Preservation of African American Music and Arts, or IPAMA, hosts this community breakfast to honor individuals and organizations throughout Milwaukee for community service and scholarship funds, as well as Milwaukee’s artists and musicians. The breakfast is from 9 a.m. to noon at 3200 W. Hampton Ave.
More information and $35 tickets here.
Black Diaspora Symphony Orchestra of Milwaukee Juneteenth Concert: A Walk Through History
The Black Diaspora Symphony Orchestra of Milwaukee will present five pieces of music, including “Exodus from Extinction,” a new composition by Autumn Maria Reed making its world premiere at this concert. The concert runs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Washington Park, 4599 W. Lloyd St.
A pre-concert lecture will be held at the beer garden, 5531 West North Ave., from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. discussing the five pieces of music.
More information here. This event is free to attend. READ: More than music: How the Black Diaspora Symphony Orchestra plans to serve the community
The 51st Annual Juneteenth Parade and Festival
The annual Juneteenth parade and festival is back, hosted by the Northcott Neighborhood House. The parade will run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. starting from North 14th Street and West Atkinson Avenue and will travel to West Locust Avenue and North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
The festival will follow the parade starting at 11 a.m. with vendors selling food and clothing, accompanied by live music, poetry and dancing in the streets until 4 p.m.
More information here. This event is free to attend.
Juneteenth at America’s Black Holocaust Museum
Near the parade and festival, America’s Black Holocaust Museum is hosting a day of free indoor and outdoor activities. Visit the newly reopened museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 401 W. North Ave.
More information here. This event is free to attend.
Juneteenth Day Celebration at Alice’s Garden
Join Alice’s Garden Urban Farm for an afternoon of “libations, labyrinth walks, conversations, presentations, Kujichagulia Producers Cooperative Market and a celebration of freedom!” This celebration lasts from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 2136 N. 21st St. More information here. This event is free to attend.


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Dwayne Burtin
June 16, 2022


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From the archives: Single black fathers fight ‘deadbeat Dad’ stereotype | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
R. Khaleeq Sattaar El II
June 18, 2022
Editor’s note: In honor of Father’s Day, we are republishing this article from 2019.
Every Tuesday and Thursday, Jay Hinson Sr. wakes his 16-year-old son, Jay Jr., and gets ready for work while his son prepares for school.
Depending on the day, Hinson will take his son to either Amateur Athletic Union  basketball practice or to his personal trainer for strength and conditioning training. Work is never far from his mind as he makes sure he finishes his projects so he can be ready for his son. His schedule is tight.
“We are always on the move. But wherever he goes, I always travel with him,”  said Hinson, who  has had sole custody of his son since he was 6.
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Helping fathers play a role in their children’s lives has emerged as a local and national concern over the years. The number of single-father households has increased from less than 300,000 in 1960, to over 2.6 million in 2011, according to a report by the Pew Research Center. Black fathers are the most likely to be the heads of single father households, edging out both white and Hispanic fathers, the report says.
As the parent with sole custody, Hinson is responsible for his son’s physical needs as well as making any legal decisions on his behalf. The younger Hinson spends time with his mother Mondays and Wednesdays and every other weekend at her residence in Greenfield.
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Growing up without a two-parent household presents many challenges, some that the elder Hinson has personal experience with.
“We have a problem in our community,” Hinson said. “My parents were divorced. My father has always been in my life, but I have a lot of friends whose fathers weren’t in their lives.
“They grew up with single mothers. I always knew when I had a child, whether I was married or not married, there wasn’t going to be an instance of this generational situation of being a deadbeat black father.”
As an African American man raising a son in Milwaukee, Hinson makes sure his son understands how to navigate the roadblocks he may face in Milwaukee.
“Young black men have to be raised with a little more structure,” he said. “There has to be a little more discipline, just in the matter of what they expect, because a lot of times we have to work twice as hard to levy up to our counterparts.”
Hinson says fathering one child is a separate job in itself, and being a dad to multiple children might be even harder.
About 24 million children in America live without their biological father, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And there have been numerous local and national efforts to improve these statistics.
For example, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, has a national initiative to keep biological fathers in the home. HUD has acknowledged what is called “the father factor,’’ which shows the negative effects of absent fathers.
Children without fathers in the home have a greater risk of poverty, are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, are more likely to drop out of high school and more likely to go to prison, according to HUD officials.
Nkozi Knight currently supports six children. Now in a relationship, Knight has spent time as a single black father raising children in Milwaukee.
“I was a single parent at one time, so I know what it’s like,” Knight said. “I see the value of having another person there to help you. When you have a son, a lot of times he is going to look for his mother.”
Knight learned how to parent through the ups and downs of supporting a family.
“I put their needs before my own, and I make sure they have everything they need in order to be successful,” Knight said. “It’s about growing up as a parent and realizing that your actions have consequences good or bad. I want to make sure that everything I do is for the betterment of my family and my children.”
In 2005, the City of Milwaukee created the Fatherhood Initiative to help fathers with the different challenges they may face.
Dennis Walton, former executive director of the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative, left the organization because he felt there was a stigma surrounding the poor quality of fatherhood in the black community.
“The Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative has done a lot of great work,” Walton said. “In my capacity, I was able to help thousands of men. The challenges were that we were primarily focusing on black men. And that’s fine because a lot of black men have challenges with the issue of fatherhood. But as I started to go deeper, I realized that it wasn’t just black fathers.”
During his tenure as executive director, Walton helped Hispanic, Arab, Caucasian as well as African American men in their quest to be good fathers.
Walton said many men are working to overcome different barriers, including help with employment, child support, financial literacy, re-entering civilian life after a stint in prison and obtaining driver’s licenses.
He quickly realized that issues of fatherhood were not solely in the black community.
“It became unfair to stigmatize black men as being the only men having challenges as fathers,” Walton said.
Walton recently created his own organization, Made Men Worldwide, to continue the work he started with the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative.
“Our work is to help uplift men and improve their circumstances so they can become the strength they want and need to be for their families,” Walton says. “We decided to go beyond the local community, both nationally and internationally, to mobilize fathers, but to also restore communities through the restoration of fathers.”
Hinson routinely receives admiration for the time and effort he puts into raising his son, something that has always made him uncomfortable.
“The proof is in my engagement with my son,” he said. “I don’t do that for anyone to pat me on the back. People feel like they have to champion you. Like no! I am his father. What else should I be doing?”
Outside labels mean little to Hinson. He knows who he is.
“I don’t want people to have to say I’m a good dad. I’m just a Dad. Period.”
Blake Ruppe contributed to this report.

author: R. Khaleeq Sattaar El II


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FATHERHOOD1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 23, 2019

author: Adam Carr


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 23, 2019


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5 things to know and do this week in Milwaukee: June 20 to June 24 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
June 20, 2022
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.
An in-person open house to provide feedback on recommendations for building-design requirements in the Bronzeville Zoning Overlay takes place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22 at America’s Black Holocaust Museum, 401 W. North Ave.. The overlay’s goal is “to make sure future development supports the growth of Bronzeville as a cultural and entertainment destination that highlights African-American arts and culture.”
Mario “The Poet” Willis, the Milwaukee Public Library’s new poet laureate, will be inaugurated from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 23 at the Milwaukee Central Library, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave. More information here. Register here. The event will take place in the Richard E. and Lucille Krug Rare Books Room.
The Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center is putting on free yoga sessions for young people ages 13 to 17 in Mitchell Park this Thursday and every Thursday through Aug. 25. Each session runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Mitchell Park, 524 S. Layton Blvd. More information here.
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The Summit Players Theatre, a statewide traveling theater group, brings Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” to Three Bridges Park from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. on Friday, June 24 at Three Bridges Park, located at 610 S. 35th St. More information here.
Dreamers of Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization supporting undocumented students, is looking for mentors and mentees for its mentorship program. The application deadline is Friday, June 24. More information and applications here. Reach out to dreamersofwisconsin@gmail.com with questions.


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Dwayne Burtin
June 19, 2022


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Post from the Community: Dominican Center to Host Fundraising Luncheon | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Christina Chronister
June 20, 2022
The Dominican Center (DC), a nonprofit dedicated to working with residents and partners in Milwaukee’s Amani neighborhood to build a better future for the community, will host “Green & Growing,” a fundraising event in celebration of past, present and a growing future. The event will also pay tribute to several community members and organizations that have been an integral part of DC and the Amani neighborhood.
As the first in-person fundraiser DC has hosted since 2019, the celebration will provide the community a chance to learn about DC and its founders, as well as hear DC’s success stories and meet members of the Amani community. DC serves 3,000 families each year in the resident-identified priority areas of neighborhood safety, housing and economic development, and education and family well-being. All proceeds from “Green & Growing” will directly support these families.
“It is exciting to have a chance to be together again and celebrate the work of the Dominican Center,” said DC Board President and Event Chair Connie Kordsmeier. “We look forward to a lovey afternoon raising money that will help the Dominican Center continue to fulfill the mission of working with Amani residents and partners to build a better future.”
Founded in 1995 as an urban ministry program to learn more about the women in the community, today the Dominican Center serves as a convening organization, connecting more than 30 nonprofits to the community to serve all Amani residents. DC offers a broad range of programs such as GED and HSED preparation classes and offers support and resources to Amani residents, the neighborhood organization Amani United and Amani youth organizations. DC is also a partner in the Amani Block by Block initiative, which aims to revitalize all 130 blocks in Amani and serve as a template for other neighborhoods to enact community change.
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DC welcomed Executive Director Maricha Harris in September, and since taking on the role she has lead staff, volunteers and community leaders to expand their capacity to serve residents in the neighborhood. She has fostered new partnerships to strengthen resident engagement, voting education and has brought more resources and events into Amani. Currently, she’s busy kicking off work on the Beta Blocks with the Block by Block initiative, working with both local and national partners to close the digital divide in Amani and bring reliable Wifi to the neighborhood, and prepping for summer activities including mobile food pantries and a sale of plants grown in DC’s hydroponics lab.
“We are so grateful for all the people, funders, companies and fellow nonprofit organizations that support our work. We can’t accomplish our goals alone,” said Harris. “It truly takes collaboration to realize change. This event is an exciting opportunity for us to celebrate our work, and it’s also an opportunity for people to support our organization.”
The event will feature an awards ceremony recognizing individuals and organizations woven into the fabric of the Dominican Center and the Amani neighborhood. Awardees will be recognized in two categories: In the Spirit of the Founders (The Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa; former DC tutor Sr. Mary Menke, CSA – posthumous; and Amani pharmacist Dr. Lester Carter – posthumous) and Continuing the Legacy (Shelley Mathews of FullCircle26, Inc., DC’s hydroponics partner, and Wesley Landry “Mr. Wes” of Dominican Center). Award winners will be gifted a framed original piece representing their contribution to DC and the Amani neighborhood, created by artist Allision Westbrook, who grew up in the Amani neighborhood.
Additionally, the event includes an online silent auction that opened on June 16. Tickets for the event are still available. To register for both, visit www.DominicanCenter.Givesmart.com.
About the Dominican Center
The Dominican Center in the Amani neighborhood works with Amani residents and partners to build a better future. Founded in 1995, the Dominican Center began as an urban ministry program to learn more about the women in the neighborhood and has since evolved to serve all Amani residents and respond to the changing needs of the community. Today, DC serves as the community anchor for the White House Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, Building Neighborhood Capacity Program and is the lead community partner for the US Department of Justice’s Innovations of Community Based Crime Reduction grant for Amani.
Please contact Christina Chronister at the Dominican Center for additional information at
(414) 444-9930 or by email at christina@dominican-center.org

author: Christina Chronister


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MPS and most schools will continue to offer free lunches next school year | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
June 21, 2022
Milwaukee Public Schools and most private and charter schools in Milwaukee will continue to provide free meals to students despite federal funding for nationwide free meals expiring on June 30.
A majority of children in Milwaukee attend schools in which all students qualify for free breakfast and lunch through the Community Eligibility Provision, which serves low-income families.
If you attend a private or charter school and want to confirm if your school is eligible, you will need to contact your individual school to inquire if it is applying.
Applications must be submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction by June 30. An MPS spokesman confirmed that MPS, the largest school district in the state, has applied and the state Department of Public Instruction has confirmed that MPS is covered.
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From now to the beginning of the next school year, MPS will provide summer meals to students 18 and younger at the times and locations listed here. Drop-ins are welcomed and there are no application or sign-up requirements.
For other meal sites operating in the summer, text your ZIP code to 898-211 or dial 2-1-1.
You can also visit meal site maps operated by the Hunger Task Force here, and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin here.


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Ricardo Pimentel
June 21, 2022

author: Ricardo Pimentel


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29316557760_219e2384a0_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
June 20, 2022


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Journey House’s youth athletics programs return after two-year hiatus caused by COVID | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
June 22, 2022
After two years without baseball, football and other summer athletic programs at Journey House due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the youth leagues are up and running this year or will be soon.
Michele Bria, the longtime CEO at Journey House, a South Side nonprofit located in the Clarke Square neighborhood, said the organization expects to engage several hundred youths this summer in what leaders describe as “outdoor classrooms.”
“These programs are about education first and foremost,” said Bria, adding that participants are expected to have a library card, write a book report and be responsible in school. “How you behave in school is just as important as how you behave on the field.”
About 180 youths participate in the center’s Felix Mantilla Little League, which plays its games at Baran Park, 2600 S. Chase Ave.
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Martin Weddle, director of youth programs at Journey House, located at 2110 W. Scott St., said football programming will begin on July 11 with a free two-week clinic.
During that clinic, which will be held at the nearby Journey House Packers Stadium at Mitchell Park, youths will gain fundamental-skills training, conditioning, life skills among other benefits.
“The only thing participants need is 32 ounces of water and athletic apparel,” Weddle said.
Registration is open for the program, which serves third through eighth graders and is part of the Wisconsin All-American Youth Football League, or AAYFL. The first official practice is scheduled for Aug. 1.
Weddle said youth athletic programs at Journey House focus on six core components, each highlighted during a weekly theme. One is education and athletics while another is character and life skills.
In terms of building character and life skills, Weddle said it includes creating a culture of accountability and teaching children how to address challenges such as anxiety and trauma.
“If you’re stressed out and enduring trauma it’s hard for you to go to the field and perform,” he said. “We have adopted this culture of peace and stress management and teach breathing practices that help.”
One of the people helping youths master such techniques is LouRawls Burnett, a SKY meditation, yoga instructor and basketball coach at Journey House. Burnett said SKY is a breathing technique that helps bring the body to meditation.
“Breathing can affect our decisions, our thoughts and our actions,” said Burnett, who first came to Journey House to participate in programs when he was 12 years old.
In addition to the football and baseball leagues, Journey House also plans to host a soccer and lacrosse clinic this summer, youth pompom camp in July and a dance camp in August. It is also recruiting youths to participate in a weekly Meditation, Agility, Speed and Strength, or MASS, camp.
With the exception of a basketball program that ran during the school year in partnership with Longfellow School, which is adjoined to Journey House, all formal athletic programs were shut down in 2020 and 2021. This necessitated a big recruitment push this year to get youths reengaged.
“I’ve traveled to over 25 area schools, distributed 3,500 flyers and held 18 parent orientation meetings,” Weddle said.
The ultimate goal of the athletic programs is to support the organization’s mission to end generational poverty, Bria said. Sports accomplishes this by helping youths learn strong values and building their character.
“Then whatever career pathway you choose, you’re passionate about and committed and more likely to be successful,” she said. “Athletics is a great way to move towards high performance.”
How to participate
You can register for all summer programs at Journey House here.

author: Edgar Mendez


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52147603620_86161fe80a_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
June 21, 2022

author: Ron Smith


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‘I just wanted it to taste good’: Milwaukee baker sells allergen-free cookie and brownie mixes nationwide | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
June 23, 2022
All Nubian Simmons wanted was to have dessert like everyone else. But her severe wheat and dairy allergy made that next to impossible.
So she started baking for herself.
First, it was so she could enjoy foods she liked. Then it was for others. Now her baked goods line, The Pink Bakery, sells allergen-free cookie and brownie mixes nationwide.
“When we would go out, my siblings and mom would have brownies, ice cream and crème brûlée, and I would get orange slices,” Simmons said. “Sad little orange slices. There was nothing on the market to satisfy my pallet.”
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With no experience, she started baking. It took her five years to perfect her allergen-free desserts.
“I just wanted it to taste good,” she said.
She enlisted her  mother and siblings to be her taste testers.
“Someone once said her treats taste like failure,” said her mom, Janice Simmons. “And they do. For five years we were tasting desserts. I got burnt out on chocolate.”
During her summers in high school, Simmons’s mother would send her to engineer camp at Marquette University.
“Everything goes back to engineering,” she said. “To make a good substitute, you have to understand that sugar tears down a structure, but flour supports a structure.”
Simmons, 42, lived in Memphis, Tennessee, where she ran a bakery serving allergy-free goods before moving home to Milwaukee.
Returning to Milwaukee
She was inspired to launch her line when St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis asked her to provide baked goods for an event it was throwing.
Simmons meant for The Pink Bakery to launch in Memphis, but life had other plans. She’d found a space to build a manufacturing facility but said things went wrong and then COVID hit. Her mom encouraged her to come home.
“When I left Milwaukee, it wasn’t a good place for Black people,” she said. “I have been pleasantly surprised at the love and support I’ve received since being back.”
She returned to Milwaukee in August 2020 and found her ideal space for a manufacturing facility on the Near West Side.
And she continues to remember the people she serves.
“I think everyone I’ve baked for has been special in their way,” Simmons said. “I remember baking a birthday cake for twins who were turning 5 and because of their allergies they’d never had a cake before.”
She recalled a time when a restaurant accidentally put a regular noodle in her food, and she lost her hearing for a month.
“It was the chef’s first day and an honest mistake,” she said. “But something so small did a lot of damage.”
Janice Simmons said it’s important to listen to your children.
“Before we even knew of her dairy allergy, she would shy away from it and pull the cheese off of her pizza,” she said. “Kids know when something is not right with their bodies even if they don’t know how to say it. You have to listen.”
For more information
Orders can be placed at thepinkbakery.com.
For ingredient information, call (844) 336-4937.

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


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51959219299_d8a1d3ed81_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
June 22, 2022


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Ron Smith
June 22, 2022


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Post From Community: Gardening in Urban Spaces | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
david snell
June 23, 2022
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.
(For families) Spend an evening getting your hands dirty in the raised-bed gardens at Washington Park. With a green thumb guide from the Urban Ecology Center, you’ll learn about garden bed care, help tend the gardens and enjoy some of the summer gifts from the gardens themselves. Learn the skills to tend your own container garden in the future.
$50 to $60.  See website for registration.
For questions about this program, please contact Augie Rodenbeck at arodenbeck@urbanecologycenter.org.
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Registration is required for this event and will close 24 hours prior to event start time.

author: david snell


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281879137_10160248801948698_852499840160274907_n.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
June 21, 2022


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Post From Community: Grown Up Summer Camp at Riverside Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
david snell
June 23, 2022
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.
Sunday, July 17, 2022
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(For adults 21+) Summer Camp isn’t just for kids at the Urban Ecology Center! Join us and New Belgium Brewery for an afternoon of camp merriment and recreation. Rock climbing, paddling on the river, arts and crafts, yard games, team based challenges, and beer tasting! Bring your friends and make some new ones! Must be 21 or older to participate.
$50 -$60.  See website for registration.
For questions about this program, please contact Chris Steinkamp at csteinkamp@urbanecologycenter.org.
Registration is required for this event.


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June 21, 2022


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Post From Community: Milwaukee Public Library receives AmeriCorps grant to support youth literacy and out-of-school S.T.E.A.M. Learning | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Eileen Force Cahill
June 23, 2022
Milwaukee Public Library has announced it is the recipient of nearly $1.5 million in funding from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and community volunteerism. The funding, which is being awarded to the Library through the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation, will be used to launch a new program, MPL AmeriCorps, and support 20 full-time members who will teach information and literacy lessons to 4-10 grade students in Milwaukee area schools and facilitate book-based and STEAM activities in MPL branch libraries for youth of all ages.
Funding will be provided for three years: $432,000 in 2022-2023; $453,600 for 2023-2024; and $476,280 for 2024-2025.  Recruitment is underway for the 20 members who, over an 11-month term of service, will serve in schools, libraries and youth-serving community organizations to help young people develop a love of reading, increase information literacy, and build relationships that help bridge the gap between in-and out-of-school learning. Members will teach standard-aligned classes, lead after-school activities at branch libraries, and support MPL’s Summer Reading Program. MPL AmeriCorps members will also be eligible for $6,495 each upon completion of service for education costs or to pay down student debt.
said Library Director Joan Johnson.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson said.
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MPL gratefully acknowledges the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation, with generous support from Herb Kohl Philanthropies, American Family Institute and the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. This project was also made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  Special thanks also to partners in the Milwaukee area schools, including Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and Seton Catholic Schools. Additional partners are being finalized.
said Ryan Daniels, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation.
Information sessions are being scheduled for people interested in applying to be part of the team. Dates and times, links and contact information are available at mpl.org/AmeriCorps.
About Milwaukee Public Library
Milwaukee Public Library is an anchor institution that helps build healthy families and vibrant neighborhoods – the foundation of a strong Milwaukee.  Since 1878, Milwaukee Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for residents of Milwaukee and beyond. With 13 locations, and more than three million items in circulation, MPL offers free access to a rich collection of materials both physical and digital, access to technology, classes, exhibitions, programming and more.  From toddlers to scholars, MPL serves more than one million patrons who come through its doors annually and many more around the globe who use its resources at www.mpl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, MPL relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support Milwaukee Public Library at mpl.org

author: Eileen Force Cahill


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Post From Community: Siebert Lutheran Foundation Awards $1.8 Million in Grants | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Kalyani Grasso
June 23, 2022
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
The Siebert Lutheran Foundation’s Board of Directors approved $1.8 million in grant funding to thirty Lutheran and Lutheran-affiliated nonprofit organizations in Wisconsin. These nonprofits, churches, and schools are affiliated with WELS, LC-MS, and ELCA denominations and align with Siebert’s three funding priorities: Growing the Body of Christ, Educating while Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Serving as the Hands and Feet of Christ.
Among the grants made this spring is a $300,000 grant to the Center for Urban Teaching (CfUT) to increase the pipeline of high-performing urban teachers in response to the teacher shortage that has been exacerbated by the pandemic. CfUT is the largest known program of its kind in the country, with a proven model to address this critical issue. Its programs are specifically geared at providing teachers and leaders to schools in Milwaukee’s most underserved neighborhoods. The majority of CfUT’s partner schools serve students who are at least 80% minority with 80% of students living in poverty.
“The need for quality teachers and leaders is real, and the future of our children depends on our combined efforts to fulfill this need. This support will allow CfUT to expand the ranks of the 375 teachers and leaders currently serving over 25,000 scholars in Milwaukee,” said CfUT’s Executive Director, Krysta DeBoer. “This will ensure every child in our city has access to a top-notch education.”
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“The opportunities to create impact within our communities have never been greater,” said Charlotte John-Gomez, Siebert Lutheran Foundation’s President. “Siebert’s grantee partners continue to persevere and innovate through uncertainty. We look forward to seeing the positive impact Siebert’s grant funding has on the community this year and in years to come.”
Siebert Lutheran Foundation is a private independent foundation whose mission is to maximize collaboration, relationships, and funding to strengthen and grow organizations in the Lutheran Christian community that share the Gospel, educate children and youth, and serve the needs of its neighbors. The foundation was initially established as a trust in 1952 by the late Albert F. Siebert, founder of the Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation. The trust was created to enable Mr. Siebert’s entire interest in the company to be left to “advance the Lutheran church” after his death.  When the family sold the company in 1976, the foundation received its major capital infusion of $35 million and was established as an independent private foundation.
In 2019, Siebert launched a new initiative, Siebert Serves, to help Christians maximize their life’s impact through customized philanthropy management services ranging from one-time grantmaking to long-term disbursement of donor assets. This is an opportunity for others to partner with Siebert to increase donors’ and the foundation’s collective impact. In 2021, Siebert granted $4.5 million to 100 organizations and ended the year with $134 million in total assets. The Foundation has awarded $145 million since 1976.
For more information, visit www.siebertfoundation.org.  A complete listing of spring 2022 grants is available on this website in the section titled “Impact Stories.”

author: Kalyani Grasso


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Post From Community: Summer Stars | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
UWM Manfred Olson Planetarium
June 23, 2022
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.
Find popular summer constellations in the night sky and learn the stories behind them, such as the Big Bear, Hercules, and the Summer Triangle. This program is appropriate for ages 4 and up and includes an indoor stargazing session of the night sky free of light pollution.
For questions about this event, please email planetarium@uwm.edu.
Due to the confined space of the planetarium, we strongly recommend that our visitors wear masks when visiting the planetarium, regardless of vaccination status.
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author: UWM Manfred Olson Planetarium


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5 things to know and do the weekend of June 24 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
June 24, 2022
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.
Latino Arts’ new exhibition “The Big Idea IX: Visual Voices” is a celebration of the tenacity of developing artists throughout southeastern Wisconsin since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. The exhibition is open from June 24 through Aug. 19. The opening reception runs from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 24 at Latino Arts, 1028 S. 9th St.
Maranta Plant Shop is hosting a weekly flea market with local vendors every Saturday through Sept. 24 at its location in the Harambee neighborhood. The market runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 25 at 1739 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. More information here. Vendor sign up here.
Creatives, community leaders or business owners of color are invited to this periodic brunch with resources related to a theme. This Sunday’s theme is fashion, and the brunch will run from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 26 at 900 S. 5th St. More information here.
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This birthday party for the kids includes free food, cake and ice cream as well as gift cards for those who get the COVID-19 vaccination. The party takes place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 25 at the Oasis Lounge, 3120 W. Villard Ave.
Join a discussion on the current state and the future of the Lincoln Creek Greenway. The event will take place at Havenswood State Forest, 6141 N Hopkins St., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 25. You can register here. Find the latest information here. Nearby Nature Milwaukee is organizing the event.
Join Northwest Side CDC, Clean Wisconsin and community volunteers as they dig a rain garden and plant native flowers to help capture stormwater at Green Tech Station, 4101 N. 31st St. Participants will be eligible for a free rain barrel or rain garden to be installed at their homes, though some restrictions apply. The event is from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 25. Lunch will be provided. RSVP by calling or emailing Sarah Bregant at 414-444-8200, x.8104, or sarah.b@nwscdc.org


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Ron Smith
June 23, 2022


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Among Wisconsin’s jobless, Black applicants half as likely as whites to receive pandemic aid | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jacob Resneck / Wisconsin Watch
June 26, 2022
A federal audit has uncovered what researchers into Wisconsin’s unemployment insurance system have long suspected: People of color are less likely to receive jobless compensation than their white counterparts.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development previously told Wisconsin Watch that it lacked data to know whether its systems might favor some groups over others, such as producing different outcomes around racial lines.
But a June report by the Government Accountability Office — a nonpartisan watchdog that reports to Congress — found that Wisconsin was among the slowest to begin paying federal pandemic unemployment relief, and whites received compensation at twice the rate of Black claimants. Native American and Hispanic applicants were also less likely than white claimants to receive help.
The report examined how Wisconsin and four other states — Arizona, Louisiana, New York and North Dakota — implemented Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). Congress created the program in 2020 to aid self-employed and part-time workers who lost work but wouldn’t otherwise qualify for regular compensation. It has paid out at least $131 billion nationwide.
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The Wisconsin data covered January 2020 through April 2021, when the state’s unemployment insurance system buckled under a pandemic stress test, leaving many jobless residents to miss bill payments, rack up credit card debt, face eviction — and even homelessness.
The pandemic struck after Wisconsin’s Republican-led Legislature spent years toughening rules for accessing unemployment benefits — in the name of reducing fraud — and leaders in both parties failed to upgrade antiquated computer systems that cannot answer phones and print compensation checks at the same time.
It took Wisconsin two months to begin distributing PUA following Congressional approval. DWD reported making its first payments on May 21, 2020, but paid fewer than 1,000 claimants by the month’s end, according to the GAO.
Only North Dakota (34.8%) granted a lower percentage of overall claims compared to Wisconsin (38.1%). The two states also saw the most severe racial disparities in payouts, the audit found.
In Wisconsin, 43.3% of white claimants received PUA payments, compared to 21.9% of Black claimants, 24.8% of Hispanic claimants, 27.2% of Native American claimants and 41.8% of Asian claimants.
The figures add to a lengthy list of racial disparities in Wisconsin, which has some of the country’s starkest inequities in education, public health, housing, criminal justice and income.
People should receive unemployment benefits based on need and not “because of the color of their skin,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh told Wisconsin Watch. “We have to be equal across the board.”
He says the Labor Department welcomes the audit and is looking into its recommendations.
“One of the things that we’re doing, quite honestly, is acknowledging and identifying the challenges that we see in the system,” he added.
One of those recommendations is for President Joe Biden’s administration to study what happened in the early months of the pandemic to help states avoid future snafus.
The Labor Department agreed with a GAO recommendation to advise Congress on future options to help unemployed freelancers and other contingent workers. It partially agreed with the audit’s call to examine the reasons for racial disparities in pandemic aid, but expressed concern that doing so would distract from other efforts to improve equity.
DWD officials told auditors that they could not explain Wisconsin’s racial inequities in disbursing federal pandemic relief.
“Officials stated that their IT system does not capture the reason for denial of claims, and that they would need to examine each PUA application manually,” the report said.
But the GAO identified language barriers in Wisconsin and other states for claimants who don’t speak English. The PUA online application was only available in English, forcing those needing translation help to phone call centers that were overwhelmed early in the pandemic.
Late last week, DWD announced a $3 million “UI Navigator” partnership with United Migrant Opportunity Services to boost aid access to migrant and seasonal farmworkers workers, non-English speakers and other workers who face persistent poverty and inequality. The federal Labor Department is funding the partnership, along with similar new programs in six other states.
“The Department of Workforce Development strives to make Wisconsin a fair and just place for all people to live and work. This includes eliminating racial and ethnic disparities while advancing equity and economic opportunity through workforce development,” Jennifer Sereno, a DWD spokesperson, said in a statement that called PUA “a new federal program with entirely distinct eligibility criteria.”
Sereno added: “Disparate access to information, technology, documentation, and challenges with validating applicant information can affect the implementation and outcomes of support programs.”
Critics of Wisconsin’s approach to unemployment insurance have warned of such barriers for years.
Madison attorney Victor Forberger has represented dozens jobless clients struggling to receive unemployment aid — even before the pandemic. He said Wisconsin’s complex claims filing process might explain some inequities.
“The claim filing process in Wisconsin is incredibly difficult,” he told Wisconsin Watch. “It’s set up as a bunch of hoops and obstacles that people have to jump through.”
DWD in late 2020 announced a plan to simplify application language, which Forberger says falls short. And it recently updated its online claimant portal that allows people to submit documents online instead of mailing or faxing them.
The agency says it also aims to ease filing for people without internet access. DWD has also taken initial steps to update its 1970s-area IT system, but doing so is expected to take years and cost about $90 million.
Forberger said the federal government requires state unemployment systems to avoid discriminating against people with disabilities, people of color and those who don’t speak English.
“And the feds need to start enforcing those requirements, and they’ve not been enforcing those requirements nearly to the extent that they need to,” he said.
The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with 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.

author: Jacob Resneck / Wisconsin Watch


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Dwayne Burtin
June 23, 2022

author: Dwayne Burtin


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Dwayne Burtin
June 23, 2022


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Dwayne Burtin
June 23, 2022


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5 things to know and do this week in Milwaukee: June 27 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
June 27, 2022
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.
Bring your bicycle for minor repairs such as new inner tubes or brake adjustments, free of charge, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, June 27 outside the Mitchell Street Branch of the Milwaukee Public Library, 906 W. Historic Mitchell St.  Mechanics from the Wisconsin Bike Federation will provide tips and tricks to keep your bike in good condition. In case of inclement weather, the program will be canceled. Presented in English and Spanish.
Housing survey training for Lindsay Heights residents will take place from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday, June 28 at the Innovation Wellness Commons, 1617 W. North Ave. Residents will be compensated for their time at $15 per hour. The event is sponsored by Walnut Way Conservation Corp and Milwaukee Community Land Trust. Register here. For more information, call Cassandra Flagg at 414-477-4482.
Learn all about bats and how to install bat houses in your backyard at this family-friendly event for ages 6 and up. The talk runs from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 29 at Hawthorn Glen Outdoor Education Center, 1130 N. 60th St.
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Burnham Playfield has been renovated and will be reopening. The ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 29 at 1755 S. 32nd St. More information on the renovations, as well as the ceremony, can be found here.
Watch this free webinar via Zoom if you’re interested in buying a home. The discussion, which takes place from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 29, will walk you through the home-purchase process, guided by a homeownership specialist, a Realtor, a lender and the City of Milwaukee.  You will learn the steps to buying a new home or a fixer-upper and about local resources available. Register here. Hosted by Take Root Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Public Library invites you to come to Washington Park Playground, 1859 N. 40 St. (across the street from the Washington Park Branch), for story time, featuring books, songs, rhymes, and bubbles. The event begins at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 28. In case of inclement weather, the program may move inside the library.


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Ron Smith
June 25, 2022


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Ron Smith
June 25, 2022


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Ron Smith
June 25, 2022


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Ron Smith
June 25, 2022


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Advocates for voters with disabilities express angst over case that’s before Wisconsin Supreme Court | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
June 28, 2022
Disability rights activists in Wisconsin are concerned that a case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court will disenfranchise voters who cannot cast their ballots unassisted.
In past elections, voters with certain disabilities that prevented them from physically dropping off their own ballots into drop boxes could be assisted in doing that, typically by family members or caregivers. But a lower court ruling in January said voters must deliver their own ballots.
The case is now before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, with a ruling expected by the end of June or early July.
Under the current ruling, cities and towns around Wisconsin cannot use ballot drop boxes, and people casting absentee ballots in the state must cast their own ballot unassisted.
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Disability rights activists say the ruling will deter and prevent voters with certain disabilities from casting their ballots.
Barbara Beckert, director of the Milwaukee office of Disability Rights Wisconsin, a nonprofit that advocates for people with disabilities in the state, said the rules present a barrier for those with disabilities who cannot use their hands or feet.
“Many people with disabilities and older adults have to rely on someone else to help them with this,” Beckert said. “This will make it difficult if not impossible to return that ballot for them.”
Luke Berg, deputy counsel at the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, the conservative legal group that’s suing for these rules changes, said that state law is not being followed by the Wisconsin Election Commission. The commission’s enforcement of rules has been inadequate, he said, as it issues guidance on voting operations but none of the guidance is binding.
Berg said there are exceptions in state law that allow different options for people with disabilities.
“If there’s a gap, that needs to be addressed by the Legislature,” Berg said. “It doesn’t warrant changing the rule for everyone statewide. That shouldn’t be the solution.”
Voters with disabilities worried
Ivan Israel Lopez, 30, has been voting since he was 18. He was born with cerebral palsy and his speaking abilities are limited, as is his mobility. He gets around on a motorized wheelchair because he cannot use his hand or feet to accomplish things without assistance.
Like voting.
In past elections, his father, Francisco Lopez Sr., helped the South Side resident, actually taking him to the polls, helping him sign his “x” to a form and then doing whatever needed to be done for Ivan to vote.
But the elder Lopez died in August 2020. And now his mother, Monica Lopez, who has been active in advocating for people with special needs, fears her son will be unable to vote. She’s unsure if she will be able to get him to the polls.
So they tried to fill out a form requesting an absentee ballot, but Monica Lopez said they had difficulty understanding how to complete it.
Now that voters must personally deliver an absentee ballot, she is unsure if even that avenue is available to her son.
“Maybe he’s not going to vote unless they give him assistance,” Monica Lopez said, as Ivan listened and nodded his head. “Although he knows his rights, he needs help” to vote.
Monica Lopez explained, as she held up a soft drink with a straw for Ivan to sip, that she and her husband instilled in all five of their children the importance of voting.
“All of my kids, first thing after they turned 18, we taught them to know their right to vote,” she said. “It is not only our right, it is our obligation.”
Monica Lopez is the former president and a current board member of Alianza Latino Aplicando Soluciones, or ALAS, which translates in English to Latino Alliance Applying Solutions.
William Crowley, 35, is a self-professed “diehard” voter. The East Side resident participates in every election he can. In previous years, he would use an absentee ballot and have someone else drop it in the mailbox for him — a necessity, since he can’t do it himself.
Crowley also is a supervising attorney with Disability Rights Wisconsin. He uses a motorized wheelchair to get around.
In April, Crowley decided he didn’t want to risk his vote being discounted — after Wisconsin’s courts prohibited voters from having someone else deliver their ballot and stopped use of ballot drop boxes — so he went to his polling place to vote in person.
When he arrived, however, the wheelchair lift at the polling place wasn’t working. Workers at the polling place were able to bring his ballot curbside and allow him to vote that way, but it would have been a lot simpler to have someone help him mail it from home.
“I just want to have my voice heard in how things are run,” Crowley said. “Particularly when you get down to the local level, your vote really does matter with such slim margins. It could really affect not just my own life but the lives of many people.”
Patrick Gill, a 54-year-old who lives near North 86Street and West Bradley Road, can’t write on his own. His arms shake too much. A brain injury sustained 10 years ago has made it difficult to control his limbs. Gill also uses a wheelchair.
“My mind is still there,” Gill said. “I just need help writing.”
Gill said he tries to remain politically informed and likes to stay involved in the community. He thinks people should be able to assist disabled voters with their ballots.
“Every vote counts,” he said.
Resources you can use
The Disability Rights Wisconsin hotline can be reached at 844-347-8683.
Beckert encourages people with disabilities to reach out to their municipal clerk now and ask for disability accommodations.
That information can be found on the My Voter Info page of MyVote Wisconsin’s website. In Milwaukee, the executive director of the Election Commission is Claire Woodall-Vogg. Her office can be reached at 414-286-3491 or emailed at voterinfo@milwaukee.gov It is located in City Hall, 200 E. Wells St., Room 501.
Brian Peters, independent living services assistant program director with Independence First, a disability care organization in the city, encouraged voters with disabilities to follow the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition to get updates on the situation.

author: Matt Martinez


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Ron Smith
June 26, 2022


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Post From Community: American Family Insurance office opens in renovated building in the Near West Side | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Anna Story / Mueller Communications
June 28, 2022
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.
Following extensive renovations to a formerly vacant commercial space, Allen & Associates, Inc. American Family Insurance Agency is opening its doors in the Near West Side at 800 N 27th Street.
Since purchasing the building in January 2012, Melissa Allen, owner of Allen & Associates, Inc. and president of Maures Development Group, LLC, has invested $1 million to transform the once defunct condo development into a 16-unit apartment building and commercial space, creating a productive business and asset to the community and contributing to the positive development and momentum on the 27th Street corridor.
Allen is known for her work as a real estate developer. Through Maures Development, she has contributed over $100 million of investment to Milwaukee neighborhoods. Allen was formerly a resident and homeowner in the Near West Side neighborhood, with two of her children having
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been cared for at Penfield Children’s Center. She’s continuing to give back to her neighborhood through economic development and insurance.
“The Near West Side is a welcoming place for entrepreneurs and business owners, and an ideal place to expand my expertise beyond real estate development and into insurance,” said Allen. “This is an opportunity to create a more equitable distribution of wealth and incite further investment in a vibrant, transforming community.”
Allen sees this new business venture as an opportunity to address equity and make crucial resources such as insurance accessible to individuals and businesses who have historically been excluded or ignored. By bringing an insurance agency into the community, Allen aims to protect the existing assets of residents and businesses and uplift them as they work to accomplish goals such as homeownership, building a business or starting a family.
Throughout the renovation process, Allen utilized a number of small business resources available to entrepreneurs in the Near West Side, including a Brew City Match award, a grant from BID #10, and Storefront Improvement Program (SIP) funds from Near West Side Partners’
Choice Neighborhood Initiative program. The City of Milwaukee has also been a valued partner, contributing funding for the space’s white box, façade and signage.
“Investment in the community by entrepreneurs like Melissa brings resources, opportunity, and economic growth to the neighborhood,” said Keith Stanley, executive director of Near West Side Partners. “Allen & Associates, Inc. is an exciting development and an example of the great things happening in the Near West Side. This is exactly the kind of project and small business that Near West Side Partners is proud to help support.”
Allen is hosting a Meet and Greet event on Tuesday, June 28 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the new space (800 N 27th Street) to celebrate the redevelopment project and the agency’s soft opening. Regular office hours will be established in the coming weeks, as well as a satellite space in Sherman Phoenix. Allen & Associates, Inc. will continue to operate in its Menomonee Falls location at N89W16416 Main Street.
Near West Side Partners, Inc. is a non-profit organization with a mission to revitalize and sustain the Near West Side as a thriving business and residential corridor, through collaborative efforts to promote commercial corridor development, improved housing, unified neighborhood identity and branding, and greater safety for residents and businesses. Near West Side Partners, Inc. is an organization of businesses and civic leaders from throughout the Near West Side, including the organization’s five anchor institutions – Advocate Aurora Health, Harley-Davidson, Marquette University, MolsonCoors and Potawatomi Business Development Corp.
Allen & Associates, Inc. American Family Insurance Agency offers dependable auto, home, business, health and life insurance, as well as other insurance products. With unique backgrounds, training and experience, the team is prepared to help meet the insurance needs of the community. Learn more at the Allen & Associates, Inc. website.

author: Anna Story / Mueller Communications


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Milwaukee County supervisors split on community participation in addressing housing crisis | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
June 29, 2022
The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors approved a measure last week that would give $19 million in American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds to expand housing and energy assistance.
But discussions on a proposed subcommittee on Thursday revealed divisions on giving the community a more direct role to address issues of housing equity.
Supervisors failed to reach agreement on a proposal to create a subcommittee that would be partially made up of community members to focus on housing insecurity and to develop housing eviction prevention strategies while ensuring racial equity.
The proposed subcommittee would have been tasked with providing strategy and budget recommendations to the supervisors.
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Included on the subcommittee would have been the chair of the Health Equity, Human Needs and Strategic Planning Committee; two housing subject-matter experts; at least one individual who had been served with an eviction notice; and at least one individual who had experienced homelessness or other housing challenges.
“I am disappointed by the result of vote. This proposal was brought forward by the community,” said Supervisor Sequanna Taylor, lead author of the proposal. “As elected officials, we need to ensure that the will of the people can impact how Milwaukee County allocates funds. Having community members serve on subcommittees and provide recommendations to the board would do just that.”
Other board members argued that the subcommittee would place a burden on an already overtasked system.
“This group will be held back by the slowness of government,” said Supervisor Shawn Rolland, the chair of the Health Equity, Human Needs and Strategic Planning committee. “The public is already welcomed and encouraged to attend committee meetings where these things are discussed. There is no need for the work it will take to have a separate subcommittee.”
But Supervisor Ryan Clancy raised concerns about how the public participates.
“The last time the public was able to speak at a committee meeting, they had to wait five hours and were only allotted two minutes to speak,” he said. “That’s not sufficient.”
Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson agreed that his office does not have the bandwidth to house a new subcommittee.
“I understand that it will be more work for us all to add this subcommittee, but when it comes to the well-being of our constituents, we are here to work,” Taylor said.
The issue of resident involvement has also been raised regarding how to spend the City of Milwaukee’s ARPA funds.
Community groups, including the African American Roundtable, have pushed for greater resident involvement. In May, the group hosted a rally calling for participatory budgeting.
“We no longer should allow decisions to be made top-down, they need to be made bottom-up,” Angela Harris, an educator in the Milwaukee Public Schools, said during an African American Roundtable rally in May.
After a lengthy debate about the value of the proposed ordinance change, nine supervisors voted for the proposal while nine voted against it.
“Voting against this proposal is not voting against housing,” Rolland said “The board does a lot for housing, and we’ve taking a major step today.”
Voting for the proposal were Supervisors Taylor, Marcelia Nicholson, Clancy, Steven Shea, Priscilla Coggs, Willie Johnson Jr., Juan Miguel Martinez, Peter Burgelis and Sheldon Wasserman.
Voting against: Supervisors Rolland, Felesia Martin, Dyango Zerpa, Kathleen Vincent, Anthony Staskunas,  Deanna Alexander, Steve Taylor, Patti Logsdon and Liz Sumner.
For more information
You can find the full meeting here and keep up with other county meetings here.


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Ron Smith
June 25, 2022


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NNS Spotlight: At 17, she became an author. And she’s still soaring. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
June 30, 2022
At 17, Daija Thompson was deeply involved in her faith and had a family full of love and care.
And, still, she despaired over the choices other 17-year-olds were making.
What followed was “Discovering Your Identity: Affirmation, Declaration & Vision,” a book that made the Washington Heights resident a rarity – a teen author.
Thompson, now 19, grew up participating in the Greater Faith Outreach Ministries and, from there, the first-generation author said she was able to discover her own identity and publish her book at 17 in July 2020.
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Her quest began with her own confusion during her high school years when suicidal people came to her for help. “I come from a home of love and affection. I never had to experience neglect, pain or mental abuse,” Thompson said.
Thompson wrote the book so, she said, readers could let God’s affirmations in Scripture help define their identities instead of their circumstances. The 107-page book is a guide to discovering identity through God’s word.
So how does a teenager write a book?
Thompson wrote hers in four months. She felt it was urgent for her to publish it quickly as COVID-19 surged and people were isolated at home stewing in what were, for many, stressful situations.
She said she wanted something published so people could retrieve words that might help any time they needed it.
“This word that God is giving me to speak could ultimately change their lives,” Thompson said.
Her mother, Monae Ellis, helped conduct surveys asking people, “Who are you?” Responses contained general answers they weren’t looking for such as being a mother, entrepreneur, etc.
“That’s not who you are, that’s what you do,” Ellis said.
People aren’t defined by that, Thompson said.
“The things God says that you are, then that’s what we are. You are beautiful. You are royalty, You are smart!” she said.
Thompson uses Scripture to back up the affirmations in the book. Affirmations are words that affect your life in positive ways.
Thompson aspired to attend Spelman College, a historically Black liberal arts college for women in Atlanta, Georgia.
She gave up that dream, spending weary nights typing five pages a day into Google Docs and researching publishing companies.
There was a problem, however. No one she knew had knowledge about how to publish books.
Her research led Thompson to the self-publishing platform, Amazon Kindle Direct. According to its website, authors can get up to 70% of royalties.
The platform took care of publishing and shipping the paperback books, so Thompson didn’t have to worry about that.
To engage readers, Thompson spent $500 on pens, custom bookmarks and shirts with the affirmations in the book on it.
She used friends and family in photo shoots to model her apparel for the book. Her readers could order directly from her through Instagram and Facebook. Then she would ship it out herself.
Author copies were $3.18 each from Amazon Kindle Direct, so, Thompson, by this time a Marquette University student, bought 150 copies to sell herself. She took trips to hair care services and malls to promote the book.
For professional editing, her grandmother, Yolonda Thompson, pitched in by directing her granddaughter to a reading intervention specialist at Chicago Public Schools, Shalonda Johnson.
Johnson said she thought Daija was well ahead of her time and was coachable.
“I have met with and read many books from many different authors, most of which have been much older than Daija, but she was different. Her book was different. I appreciated her wisdom,” Johnson said.
At one point, Johnson was conducting Zoom and FaceTime calls with Thompson from the hospital because she was giving birth to a fragile baby at 24 weeks. They managed, however, to make the fixes they wanted in the book.
According to Thompson, the book has sold in 11 states and in Jamaica.
“I was very thrilled that she had the foresight to recognize the things that young ladies should be attuned to, to make themselves positive young ladies,” said the author’s grandmother, Yolanda Thompson.
Ellis said she feels blessed that she was able to help her daughter become an author.
Daija Thompson used one more event in her life for inspiration. In the Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith organization, she once sang behind gospel singer Marvin Sapp and met gospel artists Kierra Sheard and Todd Dulaney, who was her biggest inspiration.
Dulaney told her how he gave up his baseball career to do God’s work. Thompson felt she was in a similar situation and that it was her moment to stay in Milwaukee to help her community. And so she did.
Thompson is now a financial advocate for the Mental Health Emergency Center, a county facility at 1525 N. 12th St. set to open in September. She said she intends on publishing another book, “Financial Wellness 101,” in the fall and retiring at 30.
“Work now and enjoy later.” That’s what Thompson said she needs to execute to achieve several streams of income to be a millionaire.
In June, Thompson attained her license to be a real estate agent. By the end of the year, she hopes to start an Airbnb business.
She is now helping three other girls write their own books.
“I knew people were inspired by that,” Thompson said.
For more information
You can order copies of Thompson’s book on Amazon.

author: Chesnie Wardell


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Ron Smith
June 26, 2022


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5 things to know and do the weekend of July 1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
July 1, 2022
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.
1. Sacred Garden Open Mic: Friday, July 1
Poets, musicians, people with something to say and those who appreciate performing arts are welcome to attend. The event starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 1 at Arts @ Large, 1105 S. 5th St.  Food and drink are provided. This event is for those ages 15 and older. READ: Poets take ‘soapbox therapy’ to Sherman Park
2. “We Locked In MKE”: Friday, July 1
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As part of an effort to address rising levels of violence involving youths, community partners have organized “We Locked In MKE.” This overnight event is aimed at youth ages 13 through 17 and features food, music, entertainment, resources and more. The event runs from 8 p.m. on Friday, July 1 to 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 2 at the Northwest YMCA, 9050 N. Swan Ave. For more information, email welockedinmke@gmail.com.
3. Fred Boswell, Jr. live: Saturday, July 2
Drummer, producer, songwriter, recording artist and Milwaukee High School of the Arts alum Fred Boswell, Jr. comes home. See him live from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 2 at the Jazz Estate, 2423 N. Murray Ave. Tickets here.
4. Listening party and donation drive: Saturday, July 2
Bring non-perishables and hygiene products to donate at this donation drive. Additionally, local emerging musicians can get their music played by donating to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. The event starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 2 at 1717 S. 12th St.
5. See Me Because portrait exhibition: Ongoing until Sept. 25
See how Milwaukee’s young people of color see themselves and portray complex narratives about their identities. This is an annual initiative organized by Art Start to aid Milwaukee youths of color in telling their own stories through custom portraits. The exhibition is ongoing through Sept. 25 at the Harbor View Plaza, 600 E. Greenfield Ave.

author: Sam Woods