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Milwaukee's Community Schools Focus On Communication - WPR
Kyla Calvert Mason
January 11, 2017
In most cities across the country, so-called community schools are campuses that house services like health clinics and day care centers that can remove barriers to learning. It’s an approach that’s credited for the jump in Cincinnati’s high school graduation rate from 50 to 80 percent.
But Milwaukee is taking a slightly different approach. To improve attendance, graduation and student achievement, Milwaukee’s community schools are turning inward and focusing on getting people to talk to each other. In both approaches, the goal is to figure out the needs of each school environment and then meet those needs.
Six schools across the city are part of the Milwaukee Public Schools Community School pilot program. The program pays for a community school coordinator in each school to organize efforts to identify and address student needs on each campus.
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James Madison Academic Campus on the city’s northwest side was one of the first four pilot schools last year.
In the high school, the hallways are quiet during classes and to Gregory Ogunbowale, that sounds like progress. When he became the school’s principal four years ago, fights broke out regularly in chaotic halls full of students who should have been in class.
“We have about 500 students in our cafeteria every morning, when they come to school we’re playing our soft music, I’m moving and dancing to it. They’re making fun of me, and hose kids are not going to fight,” he said. “In the morning when I first got here, before 9 o’clock, we’re talking about six, seven fights.”
The peace and quiet is the biggest change junior Elliyah Lock has noticed since James Madison became a community school last year.
“We still have our little moments when we have fights, but from freshman year where we had fights almost every day, every week, it’s tremendously changed,” she said.
She said she thinks everything started to change when teachers and administrators turned to students for solutions
“You just get picked out, where they’d pull us aside and they’d ask you, A: what goes on. Or one of the students that did get into a fight, they actually sit down and talk to leadership, VFC – VFC is like a violence free zone – so we go there to talk about problems, too.”
Talking, or communicating more, is a big part of what it means to be a community school in Milwaukee. It starts with a meeting, called a community conversation that brings students, teachers, parents, staff and outside partners together to answer questions about what they all want to see their school become, what obstacles exist and how they think the obstacles can be overcome.
As the community school coordinator, it’s Samantha Garrett’s job to find themes in their responses and identify priorities all of those stakeholders can agree on. The three priorities on campus now: communication, programs and partnership, and climate and culture.
Next, she makes sure all of the school’s groups, committees and partners understand the community’s goals for the school and are working toward them together.
“Conversations happen over here, conversations happen over there, but then there wasn’t anybody to connect the two, but they’re talking about the same ideas,” Garrett said. “So my job is to sit in those meetings and say, ‘Let’s work together to do that so we can be bigger, better, stronger together.’”
James Madison has after-school tutoring services, a parent resource center, academic programs focused on finance and health career pathways. Some resources have been on campus for years. But with everyone communicating, Lock knows about a lot more programs than she did when she came to James Madison as a freshman.
“We have more opportunities where we can do stuff to help us with college,” Lock said. “There’s also other after-school programs that helps kids, if you want to swim you can swim, if you want to come and study, you can study here.”
For Garrett, Lock’s awareness of what’s going on and available in the school is what her work’s all about. If the students don’t know what’s offered, then the offerings don’t matter.
“Young people in our building aren’t just kids that are here for us to shepherd through four years without ever talking to them,” Garrett said. “That they feel like decisions get made in the school building that are reflective of them.”
Staff are more plugged in, too. Inside a classroom off one of those quiet hallways on a fall Tuesday morning, English department teachers were meeting to layout common lesson plans.
Across the hall, counselor Ellen Makowski was helping students complete college applications.
“I think before people were doing a lot of really good things in isolation, and I think now we’re finding out more about what other people are doing and how we can support that,” Makowski said. “A lot of these kids are out of an English class. We’re working with those teachers. They know where the kids are and what they’re working on. We’ll try to make sure they make up the work they missed.”
Elsewhere in the school, a parent course on helping their freshmen start high school on the right foot and eighth graders from around the city were touring the building, seeing if James Madison was the high school they’d like to attend next year.
That’s something Lock said didn’t happen when she first enrolled at the school she’s at James Madison because it’s her neighborhood school and the easiest option for her family. It’s still an option for students to attend their neighborhood school like Lock did, but students can also opt to submit an application to attend any other high school in the city.
“I think that’s a good thing because I want our school to expand as much as possible like educational wise and student wise as well,” Lock said.
The campus is in its second year of operating as a community school and is still ranked on its state report card as “Fails to Meet Expectations.” Much of the data the report card is based on is from two years ago, but even though principal Ogunbowale is happy more students and partners are being drawn to the school, he knows there’s still a lot of work to do.
“Academically, we’re inching up, we are not there, but we are inching up. Attendance is improving. We started empowering teachers. Now the kids are here, you can’t just look at them anymore, we have to teach them something,” he said.
This is the last year pilot funding from United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County will pay for community school coordinators at the district’s community schools. The group is partnering with the school district to raise money to keep the staff in place and spread what they’re learning about what works to other schools around the city.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

created: January 11, 2017

author: Kyla Calvert Mason


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Milwaukee's Teen Birth Rate Drops To Historic Low - WPR
Kyla Calvert Mason
October 28, 2016
Milwaukee’s birth rate for teens between ages 15 and 17 has reached an all-time low, according to data released by the city Friday.
In 2015, there were 18.1 babies born for every 1,000 females ages 15 to 17 living in the city. That is down from 2014 when there were 23.9 newborns for every 1,000 females in the same age group, according to data from the Milwaukee Health Department.
Back in 2012, Milwaukee reached it’s goal of 30 or fewer births per 1,000 girls between ages 15 and 17. Now, the city has a goal of reaching 15 births per 1,000 for 15- to 17-year-old girls by 2023, according to the city’s press release.
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The city’s teen birth rate has declined 65 percent since 2006, compared to a 54 percent decline across the United States. In that time, births to African-American teens dropped 64 percent and those to Hispanic teens dropped nearly 73 percent.
In 2006, the city’s baseline year, there were 52 babies for every 1,000 teenage girls, according to the data provided by the city.
The decline will have long-term benefits for the city in areas from public safety to maternal health, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said.
“Because we know that children born to teen mothers are more likely to become teen mothers themselves, and we know that teen mothers are more likely to drop out of high school prior to graduation,” Barrett said.
The community and city see an impact economically when teens become parents because many drop out of school, said Betsy Brenner, co-chair of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County’s teen pregnancy prevention committee.
But Brenner said the biggest benefits of declining rates are seen in the teenagers themselves.
“These are kids that deserve the right to live their adult lives the way that they choose and have the full range of options available to them,” she said. “It’s hard to do that when you have an infant at home. Now, we know that these are young people that can go forward and really live the life that they want to live.”
Teen births in the city remain higher among African-American and Hispanic girls. But births among those groups have also declined fastest.
The decrease in birth rate can be attributed to increased education, a public awareness strategy aimed at teaching teens about how becoming pregnant can negatively affect youth and encouraging parents to talk to their children about sex and pregnancy, according to the release.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: October 28, 2016

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


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New Report Highlights Achievement Gap In Southeastern Wisconsin School Districts - WPR
Ross Terrell
December 16, 2016
A report released Friday by the Milwaukee-based Public Policy Forum showed enrollment in southeastern Wisconsin’s school districts dropped by more than 3,500 students compared to last year. That was a decrease of a little more than one percent.
One of the forum’s senior researchers, Joe Yeado, said there are multiple factors that contributed to that decline.
“Part of that is a shift in public schools students moving to charter schools, so nondistrict schools,” Yeado said. “And then a larger part is that there are just fewer school aged children in the state of Wisconsin.”
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Yeado said the decline follows common population swings and the state is just in a lull period.
Despite the drop in enrollment, schools reported a 95 percent attendance rate which was an increase from last year.
The report also showed students of color made up nearly 43 percent of the population in southeastern Wisconsin school districts. However, large achievement gaps between white, black and Hispanic students still existed despite the increase in diversity.
Hispanic and African-American students trailed their white classmates on state math and English tests by larger margins than state averages. Yeado said issues that effect the achievement gap must be detected early.
“Causes of the achievement gap could take up hours of conversation,” he said. “They tend to start early in a child’s academic career and tend to be magnified as time goes on.”
Black third grade students in the region were behind their white peers in math by an average of nearly 47 points compared to the state average of 41.
Hispanic third grade students trailed white students in the same category by nearly 33 points compared to the state average of 29.
Yeado said there is a sign positive sign that the achievement gap could be reduced in the future.
“We see all seven counties have an increase in their per-people revenue,” he said. “So there’s more funding going to these schools. That’s a good thing for being able to implement strategies and measures that would help close the achievement gap.”
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

created: December 16, 2016

author: Ross Terrell


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Milwaukee Police Release Body Cam Footage Of Sterling Brown Arrest, Youth Drowning Risks And Prevention, How To Maintain Sibling Relationships In Adulthood - WPR
May 24 2018
A new report covers the latest data on youth drowning and details ways we can prevent it. We talk to the director of the study for more information. We also discuss how to maintain sibling relationships as you move through adulthood and we take a look at a top news story.
The Milwaukee Police Department released body cam footage Wednesday of the tasing and arrest of Milwaukee Bucks rookie, Sterling Brown. At the time, police justified the use of force by arguing that Brown was combative. However, in light of the release of the footage, Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales issued a public apology and officers have been disciplined over the incident. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett also expressed his anger over the arrest. We speak with Eugene Kane about what happened and get his thoughts.
With Memorial Day just around the corner, many families across the nation will kick off summer with a trip to the beach. Whether it’s a pond, river, or lake, there’s a lot of fun to be had playing in and around the water, but there’s also an element of danger. According to a new report, an estimated one-thousand children fatally drown in a single year, and many more end up in the hospital because of drowning scares. In addition, the majority of these incidents happen in open water, versus places like swimming pools or bathtubs. The report’s lead author discusses keeping kids and teens safe this summer on the open water, and how to best prevent drownings from happening.
For some, having a sibling can mean having a built-in best friend. But  family dynamics are tricky, and maintaining a healthy sibling relationship can be messy and challenging. We talk to the writer of the book on adult sibling relationships about what we should keep in mind with our siblings.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.


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Why Swearing Might Be A Good Thing, Giving Students Tools To Avoid Conflict - WPR
Feb 8 2017
We find out why swearing can be a good response in some cases, and why certain types of words are considered strong language across different languages and cultures. And we learn about an innovative program in Milwaukee that helps young people avoid conflict and confrontation.
Swearing may not be considered polite, but it may be a more important part of our language and culture than we realize. A professor of cognitive science explains what we can learn about ourselves, and our brains, by studying swearing.
A Marquette University program that helps students with behavioral problems is credited with dramatically reducing the number of suspensions at several Milwaukee alternative schools. Last year, more than 90 percent of students in the Peace Works program decreased their suspensions compared to their previous school. More than three-quarters of the students had no suspensions at all after a year in the program. The Peace Works coordinator explains how the program is working.
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Professors Begin Researching How Voter ID Played A Role In Turnout - WPR
Ross Terrell
November 15, 2016
Professors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are researching the effect the state’s new voter ID laws had on turnout in this year’s presidential election.
Milwaukee city officials pointed to the laws as the reason 41,000 fewer people participated in this year’s presidential election compared to 2012.
Students at UW-Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will be the first to take part in a survey about their participation in the 2016 election. In order to determine why there was a large drop in turnout, researchers need to find out people’s true reasons for not voting, Kenneth Mayer, a political science professor at UW-Madison, said.
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“Basically, at this point, claims about what happened by simply looking at the number of voters is just not based on the right information,” said Mayer, the lead researcher for the study.
He said they hope to be able to sort through all the reasons behind Wisconsin’s near 20-year low turnout.
“There are a lot of different things that might have been going on,” Mayer said. “The goal here is to understand what happened. To collect rigorous and empirical data about what exactly was going on.”
The second phase of the study will be a mail survey in January to people in Dane and Milwaukee counties who were registered to vote but didn’t, Mayer said.
The study was funded by a $44,000 grant from the Dane County Clerk’s Office and about $25,000 from UW-Madison Chancellor’s Office.
Mayer said the research team hopes to have final results by August.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

created: November 15, 2016


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Report Outlines How Best To Feed Students When School Is Out - WPR
Shamane Mills
June 13, 2018
A national group working to reduce hunger says states need to do more to feed students when school is out for the summer.
The Food Research & Action Center says states are backsliding on progress made in feeding low-income children through summer meal programs run by schools, private nonprofits and local government agencies.
A report released Wednesday shows significant growth from 2011-2015. However, since then there’s been a decline: 5 percent in 2016, followed by a much smaller drop of a half percent in 2017.
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The average daily participation in federally-funded summer meal programs in Wisconsin dropped 1.7 percent from July 2016 compared to July 2017, according to the report. That’s despite an increase in the number of sites serving meals.
“A lot of people associate schools as being the front line of (these meal sites) but the summer food service program is designed so that anyone can be a sponsor. So we reach out to the church communities, YMCAs and places where people are in the summer months,” said Thomas McCarthy, spokesman for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
“We are continually putting in effort to try and locate sponsors. And we care deeply about trying to make sure there is not a drop off in summer months for students who need access to these meals,” McCarthy said.
Summer meal sites around the country frequently combine educational programming with meals to promote continuous learning and prevent summer learning loss, or “summer slide.”
“Kids need summer meals and summer programs,” said Crystal FitzSimons, director of school and out-of-school time programs for the Food Research & Action Center.
“The great thing about the summer nutrition programs is that most of them are served in tandem with some kind of educational enrichment activity that keeps kids active, engaged and learning in the summer,” she said.
According to DPI, Wisconsin served 2.8 million summer meals at 888 sites in 2016 operated by 217 sponsoring organizations.
That compares to the more than 26 million children who eat school lunch every day when school is in session; about half of those students qualify for and eat free and reduced-price meals, DPI says.
Summer meal programs are focused on low-income children but the U.S. Department of Agriculture allows free meals to anyone 18 years old or younger. People up to 26 years old who are enrolled in an educational program for those with physical or mental disabilities may also receive meals.
“They’re trying to take a little bit of the stigma out of essentially what amounts to poor kids line up over here to be fed,” said McCarthy. “I don’t think anybody wants to see that so they’re looking for creative solutions to that.”
Continuing student meals once school ends has been a concern for all states.
In summer, some states were able to provide summer meals to nearly half of those who receive free and reduced-price lunch during the school year; other states served less than 5 percent. Wisconsin fed summer meals to about 15 percent of those eligible for free and reduced-price lunches in 2016-17.
In order to expand access, the report recommends federal, state, and local government and private sources provide more funding for summer programming to help low-income children. The Food Research & Action Center also suggests Congress increase the number of communities eligible to participate in summer nutrition programs by easing paperwork requirements.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

author: Shamane Mills


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Schimel: No Charges Planned In Alleged Youth Prison Abuse Cases - WPR
Laurel White
December 20, 2016
Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel said Tuesday his office has no current plans to file charges in cases of alleged inmate abuse at the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth prisons.
Schimel said earlier this week the state has the power to file charges but, on Tuesday, he said his office has no filings in the works.
The attorney general said his office will sit back and let the FBI continue its investigation of the facilities, where there have been alleged incidents of child neglect and sexual assault.
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“We’re not aware of any ongoing allegations of abuse,” Schimel said. “So that’s a positive and that leaves me not feeling great time pressure on this.”
The FBI took over the state’s investigation of Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake about nine months ago. Schimel said his office will step in and provide assistance if necessary.
As for now, he said he’s not sure where the FBI is at in its investigation.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

created: December 20, 2016

author: Laurel White


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State Awards Nearly $2.4M To Select Counties, Tribes For Opioid Treatment - WPR
Danielle Kaeding
May 31, 2018
The state has awarded 17 counties and four tribes around $2.4 million for opioid treatment. Wisconsin health officials say the long-term goal is to reduce the number of deaths and hospitalizations statewide.
The money comes from a two-year $15.2 million grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Around 900 people received help through last year’s grants, said Paul Krupski, opioid initiatives director with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
He said this funding round aims to improve access to medication-assisted treatment.
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“Medication-assisted treatment is an evidence-based approach to treat opioid use disorder, so making sure that’s available and it is available along with the counseling services, the recovery and peer support services … is super important to promoting long-term recovery,” he said.
County and tribal governments that received awards were ranked based on the number of overdoses, deaths or difficulties accessing treatment. Krupski hopes the funding will improve treatment options across the state and save lives.
Krupski said counties and tribes can use the money to provide treatment with medications like methadone, buprenorphine products and naltrexone.
“The long-term goal is seeing a reduction in opioid-related deaths. That’s something that unfortunately we continue to see an increase in the last several years,” he said.
Wisconsin saw a record 883 overdose deaths last year, according to the state.
Douglas County Health and Human Services received a $75,000 grant for opioid treatment.
Douglas County Health and Human Services Deputy Director Dave Longsdorf said the county plans to use the funds for opioid detox, inpatient treatment and medication-assisted treatment. Longsdorf said they’ll work with the Lake Superior Community Health Center in Superior to offer Suboxone, a buprenorphine product that reduces symptoms of addiction and withdrawal.
“We will have a small amount set aside to assist people in paying for it if they meet income eligibility standards,” he said. “However, medical assistance and private insurance will typically pay for that.”
He said the county may provide case management or fund transportation costs in order to improve access to medication-assisted treatment. In addition, Longsdorf said the money could potentially fund inpatient treatment for 17 people at residential care facilities for up to 30 days.
“Consumers that are at those programs receive one-on-one counseling. They receive group counseling. They kind of navigate support groups that are available, and they really spend that entire time working on getting through at least the early stages of their addiction,” said Longsdorf.
Longsdorf said the county has long struggled to overcome barriers to inpatient treatment, including a lack of coverage under medical assistance. He said medical assistance is often not accepted for outpatient services as well. He noted nearby Minnesota providers tend to offer services to their residents because of Wisconsin’s lower Medicaid reimbursement rate.
Wisconsin’s reimbursement rate prompted the Human Development Center (HDC) in Douglas County to end its substance abuse and behavioral health services at the end of last year and migrate those services to the Lake Superior Community Health Center in Superior, according to Betsy Byler, director of outpatient, behavioral health and substance abuse services with the Lake Superior Community Health Center. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services raised reimbursement rates for mental health and substance abuse disorder services this year, but the increase fell short of covering costs that would allow providers like HDC to continue offering those services.
Byler said they’ve been able to continue behavioral health and substance abuse services at the Lake Superior Community Health Center, which takes advantage of an enhanced Medicaid reimbursement rate. The move has meant a more robust service offering for clients at the center that includes access to medication-assisted treatment.
“This area, in terms of Douglas County, has been really underserved in that area so it’s a really big deal to have this program in general,” she said. “In the past, clients have had to travel to Ashland or into Minnesota past Duluth down towards the cities or Brainerd in order to get medication to help with their recovery for opioid addiction.”
St. Croix, Brown, Dane and La Crosse counties are among other governments that received grants. In addition, the Bad River and Lac du Flambeau tribes along with the Ho-Chunk Nation and Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians also received funding for opioid treatment.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

author: Danielle Kaeding


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State Elections Officials Offer Voter ID Reminder - WPR
Chuck Quirmbach
November 1, 2016
The Wisconsin Elections Commission is reminding residents that they still have time to obtain an acceptable photo ID for voting free of charge before the Nov. 8 election.
A federal judge in Madison recently ordered the state to better publicize the photo ID requirement in effect for next Tuesday’s election, and to “patch up” problems with the law.
Elections Commission Administrator Michael Haas urged people without an accepted ID like a driver’s license to visit a Division of Motor Vehicles office.
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“Just bring whatever identifying documents you have like a birth certificate and proof of your current address. But If you do not have those documents, DMV will still give you a document you can use to vote on Nov. 8,” Haas said.
Haas also pointed out that those who show up to vote on Election Day without a photo ID can still cast a provisional ballot that’ll be counted if they bring an acceptable ID to the local clerk’s office by Nov. 11.
At a Monday news conference in Milwaukee,  Anita Johnson of the group Citizen Action Wisconsin urged those without IDs to try to resolve any problems by next Monday. Johnson is state coordinator of a group called VoteRiders, which helps people obtain voting identification. She urged people to  bring identifying documents to a state DMV office as soon possible, and begin the ID petition process.
“Do not be afraid of the IDPP process,” Johnson said. “It is only an identification process that identifies you in case you don’t have all of your documents like a birth certificate.”
Johnson said that in recent weeks, she’s seen some improvement in training of DMV  staff, but said a woman she helped Monday at a DMV office had to wait two hours before workers would give the woman a photo ID.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

created: November 1, 2016

author: Chuck Quirmbach


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UW System Drops 2-Year School Application Fees For Fall - WPR
June 7, 2018
The University of Wisconsin System is waiving application fees to its two-year schools for the fall semester.
System President Ray Cross told regents during a meeting Thursday at UW-Milwaukee that the move is designed to reassure students who may be uncertain about applying to a two-year school as the system merges those campuses with its four-year institutions.
Cross said UW officials recognize the uncertainty and realize students may be delaying applications.
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“As with any organization going through significant structural change, a decline in sales, or in this case enrollments, is usually expected at first,” said Cross, adding that all two-year schools are open and students should apply.
He said the fee waiver began Thursday and will continue until Sept. 7.
The regents in November approved Cross’ plan to make the 13 two-year schools branch campuses of seven nearby four-year schools. The four-year institutions are slated to take control of the smaller schools July 1.
Regents also decided Thursday to consider changes in how it handles personnel files across campuses, aiming to close sexual harassment reporting gaps as part of a request from Gov. Scott Walker.
Regents called for administration to create policies that would make personnel files of current and former UW employees available during the hiring process.
The move comes after a Stevens Point Journal report revealed a former UW-Stevens Point assistant dean was hired at UW-Eau Claire despite an investigation that found he sexually harassed a woman.
Drew Peterson is the Regent Vice President and introduced the resolution.
“The end result must make sure that employee misconduct at one UW system institution cannot be hidden as they seek to work somewhere else within our system,” he said.
Still, some regents like Mike Jones had reservations about what unsubstantiated harassment claims could do to someone during the hiring process.
“You would effectively be destroying someone’s career,” Jones said. “So I support what we’re trying to do — share information — I’m just not sure this does it.”
The resolution is asking for policies that would have schools document sexual harassment allegations in personnel files; determine whether job applicants have been accused of sexual harassment; and develop procedures when providing references for UW employees accused of sexual harassment.
System officials will incorporate the changes into a policy. Regents are expected to vote on the policy in August.
The Board of Regents are also set to approve an increase in student fees, and room and board costs at four-year campuses Friday. The increases are included in the proposed budget for the upcoming 2018-19 academic year.
The budget would raise student fees at campuses statewide by an average of $33 and $118 for room and board. Some students say there should be more transparency over why increases are being proposed, including Scott Holmes, student government association president at UW-Superior.
“Every student has bills that they have to take care of,” he said. “Whether it’s books or, you know, just the basic fees that are going up or room and board or whether you live on-campus or not. Everything goes up and it just makes it more of a challenge.”
At UW-Milwaukee, student fees and room and board would increase by 1.5 percent to $11.80 and $63 per semester respectively, said Alyssa Molinski, president of the student body. While frustrating, she said the increases were reasonable.
“The reasoning behind the increases are understandable because for segregated fees the money is going to our transportation services like our Milwaukee County Transit System bus pass … A lot of people use it to get to school,” she said. “We also have a lot of money in the increase that’s going to student health.”
Student fees would increase $191 at UW-Platteville to fund debt service and costs related to the Williams Fieldhouse expansion. UW-Eau Claire would see the largest increase of $298 for room and board, which is due mostly to new or renovated residence halls.
Two-year campuses wouldn’t be affected by the increases. UW-Marinette wants a $9 increase to offset depleted reserves. UW-Marathon County and UW-Marinette want to increase room rates by $65 and $227 respectively. UW-Marathon County wants a $56 increase for meal plans.
A UW System spokesman said in an email that tuition remains frozen for students for the sixth year in a row. The majority of the increases would pay for debt service and student initiatives. It would also pay for 2 percent pay raises for UW employees — the largest pay bump for workers in a decade.
Editor’s note: This story was last updated at 6:38 p.m. Thursday, June 7, 2018. Olivia Shalaby contributed to this report. Wisconsin Public Radio is a service of the University of Wisconsin-Extension and the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.


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Walker: State Could Fund New Youth Prison In Milwaukee County - WPR
December 5, 2016
Gov. Scott Walker says he’s open to having the state help pay for a new juvenile corrections center in Milwaukee County.
The state’s two secure juvenile facilities share a campus north of Wausau. Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls have been under criminal investigation for allegations of prisoner abuse and child neglect.
Milwaukee’s youth offenders housed at the troubled Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake juvenile detention centers are more than 200 miles from home.
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Milwaukee County officials want to keep juvenile offenders closer to home which would make it easier for families to visit.
Chris Abele is the county executive. He said a new facility in the county wouldn’t lead to extra costs.
“Taxpayers and citizens should know transitioning a facility from Lincoln Hills down to here is not going to come with a big additional tax levy cost at the county,” Abele said. “We’re already paying for the kids, in fact we could probably do it more efficiently here.”
Abele said the county pays about $300 a day for each minor living at the facility near Wausau.
The Journal Sentinel reports the Republican governor said the county would be responsible for the cost of operating a new facility. Counties receive state aid to help pay for the cost of juvenile corrections.
Abele said a new correction center would not only be cheaper but could also help reduce recidivism rates by housing more serious offenders separately and offering more job training and education programs
Any state funding for a new juvenile center would need support from Republicans who control the state Legislature.
Abele said having a youth correction facility in the county would be ideal. But the management responsibilities have yet to be determined.
“We’ve talked to the state about different models of management here and it’s not certain yet on who would do the day to day managing,” Abele said. “But I will say there’s no scenario in which the sheriff would be managing it.”
The Milwaukee County Jail is run by the sheriff’s office. Four people, including an infant, have died at the jail since April.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to include original reporting from WPR.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

created: December 5, 2016


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Wisconsin Plan Seeks To Cut Achievement Gap In Half - WPR
Kyla Calvert Mason
April 28, 2017
Under a new accountability plan released Friday, Wisconsin schools would face the ambitious goal of cutting the state’s racial and economic gaps in test scores and graduation rates by half over the next six years.
Reaching that goal will require rapid improvements.
African-American and Hispanic students, English learners and those from low-income households would have to make 3 and 4 percentage point test score gains every year.
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Black students have averaged 1 percentage point increases per year recently.
State schools Superintendent Tony Evers said the goals are ambitious, but the state can now turn to communities to determine how best to support schools.
It’s a model he said is working elsewhere.
“This is a different day, this isn’t listening to Washington telling us how we’re going to solve this problem,” Evers said. “It’s going to be turning this on its head and really engaging people in the community to really make these changes.”
But CJ Szafir with the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty said Wisconsin’s method for drawing up the state plan should have included active participation from legislators.
“Dictating what the state’s going to do to turn around low-performing schools or how to spend federal dollars, they’re actually taking more of a role in the policy-making process,” Szafir said.
The draft plan is the first Wisconsin has drawn up under a new federal education law requiring states to develop their own systems for identifying and turning around low-performing schools.
The public can comment on the plan through Friday, June 30. The Legislature and Gov. Scott Walker will also review the plan before it’s submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Education in September.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.


text:
Work Begins To Fix, Tear Down Blighted Properties In Sherman Park Neighborhood - WPR
Chuck Quirmbach
September 15, 2016
A work crew trained by Milwaukee’s Northcott Neighborhood House carefully took off  the roof of an abandoned home near North 40th and West Center streets on Milwaukee’s north side Wednesday.
The home is one of roughly 200 city-owned and 300 privately-owned foreclosed and blighted properties in the Sherman Park neighborhood Gov. Scott Walker has vowed to tear down or fix.
Protests in August rocked the north side neighborhood after an African-American Milwaukee police officer shot and killed Sylville Smith, an African-American man law enforcement have said fled a traffic stop and turned toward the officer with a gun in hand when shot. During the demonstrations, residents and community leaders called attention to the area’s poverty.
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Since then, Walker has promised $4.5 million to increase job creation and clean up abandoned homes in the Sherman Park area through state and local initiatives.
Northcott Executive Director Mac Weddle says he’s confident a lot of the properties can be fixed up or torn down.
“Nothing’s impossible,” Weddle said. “We’re making a difference. The change has been happening. Now, it’s even getting stronger and better.”
Neighborhood resident Camille Mays said she was glad to see the house come down. She called it an eyesore
“Every time I leave my block or walk or drive away, I had to pass that up,” Mays said. “So, I’m happy. I’m overjoyed to see the improvement in the community.”
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said he believes more businesses and homeowners will move in if abandoned properties are addressed.
The land from the home torn down Wednesday may become a parking lot for a church across the street, Barrett said. The mayor said he believes more businesses and homeowners will move in if abandoned properties are addressed.
Barrett is still talking with Walker’s administration about how to use the $2 million the state has promised for the properties effort.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

created: September 15, 2016


text:
'30 Americans' Showcases Black Artists' Experiences | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
Bonnie North,
Published July 2, 2013 at 6:48 PM CDT

created: Published July 2, 2013 at 6:48 PM CDT

author: Bonnie North,


text:
Activist, Poet, Wisconsin Poet Laureate: All In A Day's Work | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
Bonnie North
Published January 21, 2019 at 11:50 AM CST

author: Bonnie North


text:
Baseball Is Still A Popular Sport In The Black Community But Needs More Representation | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published October 15, 2018 at 5:00 AM CDT

author: WUWM 89.7 FM |


text:
Changes to the GED Tests: A Double-Edged Sword? | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Published June 25, 2013 at 1:23 PM CDT

created: Published June 25, 2013 at 1:23 PM CDT

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


text:
Church Group Works to Overcome Racial Divide | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Published June 3, 2013 at 5:56 PM CDT

created: Published June 3, 2013 at 5:56 PM CDT


text:
City Leaders Look For Ways To End Homelessness In Milwaukee | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published November 29, 2018 at 5:00 AM CST


text:
Early Voting For Midterm Elections Begins In Milwaukee | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published September 24, 2018 at 5:28 PM CDT


text:
Essay: The Badger State's Junk Food Debate | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Published June 6, 2013 at 12:57 PM CDT

created: Published June 6, 2013 at 12:57 PM CDT


text:
Experts Discuss Education Standards in Milwaukee | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Published August 1, 2013 at 3:15 PM CDT

created: Published August 1, 2013 at 3:15 PM CDT


text:
Getting More Men to the Doctor: What's in the Way | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Published June 21, 2013 at 4:12 PM CDT

created: Published June 21, 2013 at 4:12 PM CDT


text:
Good Nutrition Takes Center Stage…Literally | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
Bonnie North
Published July 12, 2013 at 5:51 PM CDT

created: Published July 12, 2013 at 5:51 PM CDT


text:
Hip-Hop & Health: A Conversation About Healthy Living In Milwaukee | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published August 23, 2018 at 5:00 AM CDT


text:
Interim Superintendent Has High Hopes For MPS, Others Have High Hopes For Him | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published August 29, 2018 at 5:00 AM CDT


text:
Location is a Big Factor of the Wealth Gap | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Published August 9, 2013 at 11:29 AM CDT


text:
Looking For ACA Health Insurance For 2019? Here's What To Expect | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
Alison Kodjak
Published October 31, 2018 at 3:51 PM CDT

author: Alison Kodjak


text:
Making Student-to-Student Connections Could Reduce School Violence | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM
Published May 14, 2013 at 7:16 PM CDT

created: Published May 14, 2013 at 7:16 PM CDT

author: WUWM 89.7 FM


text:
Milwaukee Aldermen Approve Stop-And-Frisk Settlement | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published July 10, 2018 at 6:18 PM CDT

created: Published July 10, 2018 at 6:18 PM CDT


text:
Milwaukee Coalition Calls For Closure Of Downtown State Prison | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published August 3, 2018 at 2:55 PM CDT

created: Published August 3, 2018 at 2:55 PM CDT


text:
Milwaukee Common Council Rejects Mayor's Pick For Fire And Police Commission | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published August 1, 2018 at 10:38 AM CDT


text:
Milwaukee Dentist Laments City's Lack of Dental Care Access | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Published June 27, 2013 at 1:57 PM CDT

created: Published June 27, 2013 at 1:57 PM CDT


text:
Milwaukee Fellows Initiative Pushes For The Success Of Young Black Men | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published September 4, 2018 at 5:00 AM CDT


text:
Milwaukee Greenhouses Remain Full Of Life After Growing Power Disbands | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
Susan Bence
Published October 23, 2018 at 1:43 PM CDT

author: Susan Bence


text:
Milwaukee Health Department Headaches Seem Never-Ending | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published November 30, 2018 at 6:00 AM CST


text:
Milwaukee Latino Voter Turnout Has Been Relatively Low In Recent Years | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published November 2, 2018 at 6:13 PM CDT


text:
Milwaukee Likely Has Largest Rohingya Refugee Community In US | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published January 4, 2019 at 5:00 AM CST


text:
Milwaukee Model Symposium Looks At Intersection Of Art & Criminal Justice | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
Bonnie North
Published November 3, 2018 at 10:15 AM CDT


text:
Milwaukee Police Chief Addresses Gun Violence Spike, Improving Community Relations | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published August 21, 2018 at 12:17 PM CDT


text:
Milwaukee Receives Grant To Help Public Housing Residents With Employment Needs | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published July 26, 2018 at 9:00 AM CDT

created: Published July 26, 2018 at 9:00 AM CDT


text:
Milwaukee Residents Voice Ideas For Housing Juvenile Offenders | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published December 13, 2018 at 12:00 AM CST


text:
Poverty, Race & Milwaukee: Unpacking New U.S. Census Estimates | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published September 18, 2018 at 9:56 AM CDT


text:
Remembering Devah Pager And Her Work | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Published November 12, 2018 at 10:11 AM CST


text:
Report Analyzes MPS' Charter School Funding Process | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published August 22, 2018 at 10:35 AM CDT


text:
Report: Poor Victims Could Pay More for Domestic Violence Counseling | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Published June 6, 2013 at 12:42 PM CDT

created: Published June 6, 2013 at 12:42 PM CDT


text:
Series Of Events At Marquette Will Look At Interconnectivity Of Race, Trauma & Recovery | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Published September 20, 2018 at 2:03 PM CDT


text:
Sexually Transmitted Infections Are Soaring In Milwaukee | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
Joy Powers
Published August 17, 2018 at 1:49 PM CDT

author: Joy Powers


text:
Study Says Women Of Color Are Not Adequately Served By Catholic Hospitals | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
LaToya Dennis
Published October 17, 2018 at 9:00 AM CDT

author: LaToya Dennis


text:
Summit Promotes Brotherhood Among Young Men Of Color In Milwaukee | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published November 30, 2018 at 12:31 PM CST


text:
Suspensions Are Down In U.S. Schools But Large Racial Gaps Remain | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
Anya Kamenetz
Published December 17, 2018 at 2:52 PM CST

author: Anya Kamenetz


text:
Vincent High School Students Shine At Wisconsin State Fair Sheep Show | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published August 10, 2018 at 5:00 AM CDT


text:
Voces de la Frontera Finds Workers' Rights, Immigration Reform Linked | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Published July 17, 2013 at 4:41 PM CDT

created: Published July 17, 2013 at 4:41 PM CDT


text:
What One Milwaukee College Is Doing To Help Low-Income Women Enter STEM Fields | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
WUWM 89.7 FM |
Published November 14, 2018 at 9:31 AM CST


text:
What Parents Want in Afterschool Programs | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Published May 22, 2013 at 2:58 PM CDT

created: Published May 22, 2013 at 2:58 PM CDT


text:
Why Millions Of Kids Can't Read And What Better Teaching Can Do About It | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
APM Reports |
Published January 2, 2019 at 5:00 AM CST

author: APM Reports |


text: Sisters read bedtime stories on Facebook Live so kids can fall asleep to a story each night - ABC News


text:
US charter schools put growing numbers in racial isolation | AP News
IVAN MORENO, LARRY FENN and MICHAEL MELIA


text:
Milwaukee Bucks: Kyle Korver chooses Black Lives Matter for jersey
| Jul 12, 2020


text:
Amazon facility planned for former JCPenney warehouse in Wauwatosa
Alex Zank
Apr 22, 2020 3:09 pm

author: Alex Zank


text:
BizTimes Milwaukee seeks nominations for Nonprofit Excellence Awards
Andrew Weiland
Jul 19, 2019 11:02 am

author: Andrew Weiland


text:
Metro Milwaukee employers less optimistic on hiring heading into 2020
Arthur Thomas
Dec 10, 2019 11:39 am

author: Arthur Thomas


text:
New nonprofit to focus on growing, retaining African American leadership in Milwaukee
Lauren Anderson
Nov 15, 2019 11:12 am

author: Lauren Anderson


text:
Now: Big projects bringing more jobs to Kenosha
Alex Zank
Jan 20, 2020 4:00 am


text:
State Building Commission approves $15.2 million for Milwaukee County juvenile justice center plan
Lauren Anderson
Mar 3, 2020 1:55 pm


text:
Study: Milwaukee ranks among 10 best Midwestern cities for women in STEM
Maredithe Meyer
Mar 5, 2020 1:38 pm

author: Maredithe Meyer


text:
COMMENTARY: Dear Black People: Coronavirus Will Kill You | BlackPressUSA
This article was written by Nsenga K Burton
March 19, 2020


text:
For People of Color, Gentrification is More a Curse than a Blessing | BlackPressUSA
NEXT
February 19, 2020

created: February 19, 2020

author: NEXT


text:
New Painted Bike Lanes, Curb Extensions Installed To Make Milwaukee Avenue Safer For Cyclists, Pedestrians

October 28, 2019
LOGAN SQUARE — A stretch of Logan Square’s Milwaukee Avenue now has painted bike lanes and new curb extensions thanks to a city effort to make one of the city’s busiest bike routes more safe.
The green painted bike lanes and curb extensions, sometimes referred to as pedestrian bump-outs, were added to Milwaukee Avenue between Sacramento and California avenues last week.
The project took crews about a week to complete, according to Susan Hofer, spokesman for the Chicago Department of Transportation.
Neighbors on social media largely cheered the project, saying the upgrades were “much-needed.”
“Always happy to see updates that make my bike commute safer. Of course further up Milwaukee is still filled with potholes and you can hardly see the bike lane,” neighbor Micaela Preskill said. Preskill bikes Milwaukee Avenue three or four times a week to get to her job Downtown.
Dave Scheidt, who lives at Milwaukee and California avenues, called the upgrades “great.”
“[I] cross that street every day and I think having clearly marked bike lanes and is helpful for everyone. It’s so dangerous over there traffic-wise so it’s better than nothing,” Scheidt said.
But some neighbors said the infrastructure upgrades aren’t enough to keep cyclists and pedestrians safe. They said the city should consider barriers and more education around cyclist safety, among other things.
“I appreciate the effort from the city but as others have stated the paint alone is useless without enforcement. Would love to have seen bike lanes protected between parking and the sidewalk,” one neighbor wrote on Twitter.
Another wrote: “Looks great! But like so many bike lanes I’m assuming many drivers will still park and drive on it regardless. Flexible bollards are quickly destroyed and rarely replaced. I wish paint like this went along with signage letting drivers know it’s illegal to obstruct the bike lanes.”
Hofer said the Logan Square project is part of a larger plan to improve safety along Milwaukee Avenue, one of the busiest roads for cyclists in the city.
“We’re looking for new opportunities along Milwaukee for next year,” she said.
The Logan Square project was estimated to cost $75,000.
Do stories like this matter to you? Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

created: October 28, 2019


text:
Outsourcing classes to an online program may hurt student learning - Chalkbeat
Matt Barnum | May 20, 2019, 6:36pm UTC Updated: May 21, 2019, 5:15pm UTC
May 20, 2019, 6:36pm UTC


text:
A day without school: What life looks like across America when children stay home - Chalkbeat
Chalkbeat Staff | March 18, 2020, 3:15am UTC
March 18, 2020, 3:15am UTC


text:
Dems 2020 convention: Buzz at DNC winter meeting is it's Milwaukee's to lose - Chicago Sun-Times
Lynn Sweet
The Hardest-Working Paper in America |

Sunday, May 26, 2024

author: Lynn Sweet


text:
Challenges that black-owned businesses face during Coronavirus - Milwaukee Community Journal
MKE Community Journal
March 27, 2020
It is no news that the coronavirus crisis has disproportionately hurt small businesses. As top elected officials finally decide on how to provide financial relief for small businesses, and how much assistance the government will allocate to them, those who were most affected by the immediate economic and social effects of the Coronavirus have been black-owned businesses.
So how can black-owned businesses put their business in a more secure position to stay strong and recover faster once the crisis subsides? Martin Ekechukwu, a serial entrepreneur and Co-founder of WHTWRKS, a marketing company that works with small business brands and prepares them for international expansion and 10x growth, recommends these strategies to help black-owned businesses recover faster.
Additionally, on Tuesday, March 31st, from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (EST), Martin, alongside Fallon Ukpe (Zeal Capital Partners) and Owen May (MD Global Partners), will be hosting a free virtual fireside chat about what businesses can do to manage through the Coronavirus crisis.

author: MKE Community Journal


text:
Coalition to Protest Trump in Milwaukee - Milwaukee Community Journal
MKE Community Journal
January 3, 2020
The Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention is leading the charge to protest President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Panther Arena on January 14, 2020. The Coalition is asking people to show up around approximately 5PM, with marching set to start at 7PM when the rally inside the arena commences. More details are forthcoming. The most up to date information can be found on our Facebook page @MarchOnTheDNC2020.
Ryan Hamann, one of the protest organizers & a leader of the Coalition to March on the DNC and Freedom Road Socialist Organization, explains that the purpose of this protest rally is to demonstrate that the people reject Trump and everything he represents.
“Trump is a racist, sexist, bigoted warmonger. He has ordered family separation, caged children, promoted violence against immigrants & Muslims, and out-right denies the existence of climate change,” Hamann said. “Trump is anti-people to the core, and the people of Milwaukee will make it known that he is not welcome here.”
The last time Trump was in Wisconsin, he made sure to discredit the struggles of the dairy farmers who have experienced tremendous losses as a result of his trade war with China. Before that, Trump visited the state to celebrate another disastrous event ushered in by former Governor Scott Walker: the groundbreaking at the Foxconn site in Mount Pleasant.
Those interested in participating in this protest or joining the Coalition to March on the DNC may contact their official Facebook page, send an email to [email protected], or call Ryan Hamann at (920) 385-3503 or Tom Burke at (773) 844-3612.

created: January 3, 2020


text:
Hip-Hop Week MKE ready to roll next week - Milwaukee Community Journal
MKE Community Journal
August 14, 2019
for 2019 will feature a celebration of old and new school Hip-Hop culture during the week of , all with a focus on how Hip-Hop has the power to transform communities through the lens of financial literacy, health/wellness and civic engagement.
, founder of Hip-Hop Week MKE, said the official City of Milwaukee event will offer a wide array of activities and entertainment in this, its second year.
“Milwaukee has made history as the first city in America ever to create an official ‘Hip-Hop Week’ focusing on the power of Hip-Hop to help transform urban communities,” Alderman Rainey said. “I invite the entire city to check out the many great events and performances next week that will touch on strengthening the community from a business and health standpoint, to a financial and political standpoint and beyond.”
For this year’s Hip-Hop Week MKE,  has enlisted the expertise of Hip-Hop media and branding entrepreneur and the creator of The Source magazine,
“Dave Mays started The Source magazine out of his Harvard dorm room in 1988 as a single-page newsletter, and during the 1990s, The Source grew into the #1 selling music magazine on newsstands in the world, and was famously dubbed the ‘Bible of Hip-Hop’ by Public Enemy’s Chuck D,” Alderman Rainey said. “He also created the first awards show dedicated to Hip-Hop, The Source Awards, which set rating records on the UPN and BET television networks.”
“I am truly humbled and honored to be able to partner with Dave Mays for Hip-Hop Week MKE,” the alderman said.
Events include:  which features an exhibit of the world’s largest collection of Hip-Hop artifacts and memorabilia along with three nights of live music events, including an opening night performance by female rapper , and a closing night show starring , and the  honoring legends including , , , , and , along with Milwaukee’s own  from ,  and others.
The week will also feature daily Hip-Hop-powered community engagement activities including  with keynote speaker Brad “Scarface” Jordan, who is the first major Hip-Hop artist ever to run for public office (City Council in Houston); “Healthy Bars: A Hip-Hop Conversation On Health & Fitness” hosted by Stic Man of Dead Prez, and “A Hip-Hop Seminar On Financial Literacy & Real Estate” organized by DJ Envy, co-host of the popular morning show “The Breakfast Club.”
Hip-Hop Week MKE is sponsored by The City of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Bucks, The Sherman Phoenix, Alderman Rainey, 88Nine Radio, Summerfest, The Rave/Eagles Club, Ascension, MorganDezine, The Cooperage and the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Please go to  for additional details on Hip-Hop Week MKE.


text:
Meet Santana Lee Who Is literally All4Kidz - Milwaukee Community Journal
MKE Community Journal
August 19, 2019


text:
MPS Enrollment Bus Coming to a Neighborhood Near You - Milwaukee Community Journal
MKE Community Journal
June 26, 2018
Interim Superintendent Dr. Keith Posley will lead an innovative effort to bring educational options to the community. In June and July, the district will send enrollment buses throughout the city to enroll children for the 2018-19 school year. Milwaukee families will be able to learn about the quality educational options for their children and enroll students from the comfort and convenience of their own neighborhood. On June 27 at 10 a.m., Dr. Posley invites the community to join him, MPS Board Members, school leaders, representatives from the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA), families, and community leaders as they come together to kickoff the district’s enrollment bus campaign.
WHEN
Wednesday, June 27 at 10 a.m.
WHERE
Wick Field
5225 W. Vliet Street, Milwaukee, WI 53208
Enrollment is vital to the success of Milwaukee Public Schools and the success of the education of our young people in Milwaukee. Interim Superintendent Dr. Posley has made this a priority of his administration. “It is critical that we better engage with the families and communities of our city. We have 160 school options in MPS and serve more than 77,000 students,” said Posley. “There are many quality educational options to choose from in our schools. We want families to be able to easily enroll to start their children on a path to success.”
Enrollment buses will be staffed by dozens of trained MPS canvassers. These canvassers are experts on the enrollment process and will be able to walk through the process with families face-to-face. Families will receive enrollment and school information, along with information about transportation, Head Start services, bilingual education, and special education services.
For a list of stops in your MPS region, or to fill out an online enrollment application for the fall, visit our website mpsmke.com/enroll


text:
New Pre-Apprenticeship Programs Now Available in Milwaukee - Milwaukee Community Journal
MKE Community Journal
February 11, 2019
The newly approved programs provide Milwaukee residents with job training opportunities.
MILWAUKEE — The Wisconsin Apprenticeship Advisory Council, who advises the Department of Workforce Development (DWD)-Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards (BAS) on matters involving the Wisconsin Apprenticeship System, certified three pre-apprenticeship programs during their quarterly meeting Tuesday.
The three new programs include:
“I’m grateful for the collaboration that’s been done to secure an additional pipeline to employment for Milwaukee residents,” said Wisconsin State Senator Lena Taylor (4th District, Milwaukee – D). “This program is an importantcomponent of the work we’ve done to create additional opportunities for our community.”
Certified pre-apprenticeship programs are developed to assist participants in gaining the skills and education needed before starting a registered apprenticeship. The Wisconsin Apprenticeship Advisory Council approves all certified pre- apprenticeship programs to ensure that the program meets the needs of employers using registered apprenticeship to train employees.
“Registered apprenticeships are a win-win for Wisconsin’s workers and employers,” said Secretary-designee Caleb Frostman. “When a company invests in registered apprenticeship, not only apprentices earning while they learn, the company is also creating a return on its investment.”
DWD’s RA program, which was created in 1911 and has served as a national model for generations, annually provides value-added training for as many as 12,000 apprentices and 2,500 employers across the state in over 200 occupations.
For more information about Wisconsin Registered Apprenticeship visit WisconsinApprenticeship.org.
The Northcott Neighborhood House Arborist Pre-Apprenticeship program will train participants in basic arborist job duties and organic gardening job duties to create an additional pipeline to the arborist and organic vegetable farm manager registered apprenticeships. Upon completion, participants will have the opportunity to pursue employment and credit toward an arborist apprenticeship with private arborist companies as well as the City of Milwaukee-Forestry Division. The Love and Faith Arborist Pre-Apprenticeship is supported by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources and the State of Wisconsin Arborist Apprenticeship Committee.
The Community Relations-Social Development Commission (SDC) Community Pre-Apprenticeship’s training includes the ServSafe Food Protection Manager curriculum in preparation to complete the ServSafe manager’s exam. Participants will learn the skills necessary to work in the restaurant industry by entering a cook/chef registered apprenticeship. Participants will have on-the-job training to apply newly learned culinary skills in a commercial kitchen setting in SDC’s nutritional services facility which prepares, packages and distributes over 6,000 meals and snacks for children in daycare centers and schools everyday across Milwaukee County. In addition to culinary skills, participants will also receive work readiness, financial literacy and diversity training. SDC offers a construction pre-apprenticeship program as well.
Social Development Inc. Hands-On Construction Pre-Apprenticeship training includes classroom and on-the-job training on smaller construction sites. Participants will receive general construction education, solar panel installation experience and financial and conflict resolution training.
###

created: February 11, 2019


text:
PORCH LIFE: A Unity Project - Milwaukee Community Journal
Tina Nixon
September 2, 2019
Porch Life: I remember growing up on the 3800 block of Florist Avenue and in the summers, we would congregate on various porches. We changed porches until we found the right one, finally settling on one belonging to the Tyler Family. We laughed, fought, ate and did homework all on the porch, after it got too dark to be to far away from the house.
It was a way of life, a way to extend the night with friends, and a place of security, which is why the ideal of “porch life” was perfect for the title of a neighborhood imitative. On Friday August 30, the 8900 block of Hampton Avenue was the site of Porch Life, an evening of storytelling and spoken word in open mic setting.  This was final installment in a Unity Project hosted by Tina Nixon, a humanitarian, author and poet. The settling was beautiful as the words “Porch Life” was illuminated across the front yard of the hosting residence, with people of all ages scattered around the lawn to listen to those with the microphone. Some rapped, told stories or simply told us who they were, an in light o fall the violence lately it was great to see such a peaceful event take place. Thank you to Mrs. Nixon and all who participated.

created: September 2, 2019

author: Tina Nixon


text:
UW-Milwaukee to voluntarily discontinue ad campaign depicting its students wearing yellow police crime tape - Milwaukee Community Journal
MKE Community Journal
August 27, 2019
By Thomas E. Mitchell, Jr.
Responding to criticism from Milwaukee’s Black community on social media and Black talk radio, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will discontinue a controversial ad campaign depicting university students of color wearing yellow police crime scene tape.
“It was never anyone’s intent to offend or diminish the impact of violence in our community,” read a statement released Monday from the university, after news of the ads first broke on Sunday. “We recognize now that the approach was inappropriate, and we sincerely apologize. We are removing the ads from circulation and will not use them again.”
In the ad, a smiling Black student holds what appears to be a notebook and papers. Around her neck—draped like a scarf—is yellow “Do Not Cross” police tape. The tag-line in the ad reads: “Take a course you’ll never forget.”
The ad was part of a series created by UWM’s Helen Bader School of Social Welfare to encourage students to enroll in the school’s introductory criminal justice class.
According to the university’s statement, the ad series included students of different races and ethnicities, and police tape was used as a prop in an effort to add interest to the photos. The students the school worked with on the ad agreed with the approach.
The community became aware of the ad campaign earlier in the week via a Facebook post, showing what is known as a “cling ad” attached to a window inside the UWM Student Union. The campus exterior is showing behind it. The controversial ad reportedly went up last Friday.
“A Black woman with police tape around her neck for advertisement, huh?” asked the woman who, it is believed, initially posted the photo on her Facebook page. “Who thought this would be a good idea, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee? Please explain. This needs to come down.
On Facebook Sunday and on a morning drive talk show on radio station WNOV AM, hosted by Michelle Bryant on Monday, community residents blasted the university for the ad, calling it everything from “a hot mess” and “bad optics,” to “poor taste” and an “incredibly bad idea.” “Another Facebook respondent called it, “a no (non) verbal insult” to the Black community.


text:
What’s dead, what’s likely to become law in Wisconsin
Associated Press

author: Associated Press


text: New Neighbors Keep Walking Their Dogs On Howard's Campus. Students Say It's Disrespectful | DCist


text: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service 12th Anniversary Celebration RSVP


text:
Solar seen as bright career path at Illinois community colleges | Energy News Network

February 11, 2019
There was an energy about the 11 students gathered on a sunny December Saturday outside a South Side Chicago construction shop.
Today, they’d put on their work gloves and protective glasses and put to the test all that they had learned in the introductory solar-energy course they’d taken at Olive-Harvey Community College. Today, they would construct an eight-panel, self-ballasted array that, if connected to an energy grid, would produce 2.3 kilowatts of power.
“At 2.3, it won’t power someone’s home, but it might be the size of a system that fits on someone’s rooftop or residential house,” said Robert Hattier, a business representative for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134. But this system would both come to life and get broken down in a span of about four hours, when all the parts would be carted back into storage until another round of students is ready to learn the process.
Hattier, along with other IBEW-affiliated electricians, was tasked last semester with teaching one of the first community college-level solar classes funded by the Future Energy Jobs Act. The majority of the students enrolled in the program at Olive-Harvey were recruited by environmental justice group People for Community Recovery and live in Chicago’s Altgeld Gardens public housing complex. Other students learned of the program through Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School.
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Solar and green jobs are rising around Chicago’s ‘toxic doughnut’
Advocates believe the 2016 energy law and dropping prices for solar installations can help make Illinois a leader in solar energy — and that schools are a key place to start. The Illinois Solar Schools program funded by the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation introduces K-12 students to solar energy; meanwhile, funding under FEJA has made the training more accessible to a population who could benefit more immediately from the job opportunities: community college students, especially residents of low-income regions like Chicago’s South Side.
“One of the primary missions of the local community college system is to prepare students for both jobs of today and jobs of the future,” said Matt Berry, a spokesman for the Illinois Community College Board, which approves of solar classes that are for academic credit. Because of increasing demand for renewable energy, teaching those trades at the community college level is becoming increasingly important.
As one of the Olive-Harvey students recruited from Altgeld Gardens, Sanavia Pickett received a stipend that included money for transportation to attend the class. That’s because one of FEJA’s goals is to provide solar jobs and training in low-income areas.
The 31-year-old said she wants to learn about solar energy in order to prepare herself to work abroad somewhere in Africa, likely Nigeria, where she said she wants “to help build.”
“It’s like seeing your family, from a distance, struggle. And you’re over here, living good, right? You see that, and you want to help,” Pickett said of her plan to learn more about solar energy, study nursing and then apply those skills abroad.
Pickett and other students said they were especially excited about building the array. “I’ve been begging for it,” Pickett said, a smile cracking across her face.
On build day, several of the students expressed similar glee as Hattier and Tracy Hall, a retired electrician and IBEW 134 member who co-taught the class, delegated responsibilities.
“Help out, young man, help out!” 39-year-old student Rufus Davidson said playfully, while a few of his classmates guided one of the panels to the base of the array.
Many of the students said they wanted to pursue a career in solar energy, or at least apply to the IBEW’s pre-apprenticeship program and see where that went.
“It’s interesting because it’s something I want to do in the future,” 22-year-old Jae’Lyn Ross, hovering over a stack of PV panels, said of the opportunity to put together an array.
Solar energy made its way into Illinois classrooms years ago. Through programs like Illinois Solar Schools, begun in 2006 by ComEd’s Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, hundreds of K-12 institutions have installed solar panels for the purpose of getting youths excited about science, technology, engineering and math — and about renewable energy.
“The whole point, really, is that the kids can see the technology,” said Gabriela Martin, the foundation’s energy program director.
But at community colleges, the demand for solar education is more urgent because those students tend to be seeking jobs. Thus, even prior to FEJA’s passage, several community colleges across Illinois have taken up the mission.
The College of Lake County in Grayslake has earned accolades for its eco-friendly offerings; its science building, said sustainability manager David Husemoller, boasts 187 photovoltaic panels that can supply 56.1 kW of power — and the community college plans to install more. The point, Husemoller said, is not just erecting the panels. “We’re helping students to think about the world in terms of sustainability.”
He said the College of Lake County’s solar system serves as a lesson in green energy for people outside of the school, as well.
“[Schools with solar programs] are teaching the students, and they’re teaching their parents,” he said, adding that when institutions like schools are outfitted with solar panels, community leaders and voters also can benefit from the knowledge of renewable energy’s advantages. “When we hear the bad news about climate change, we don’t need to get all upset about it; we can say, ‘hey, let’s do something about it.’”
There are three Illinois community colleges currently offering course credit in solar technology and through which the students earn certificates, according to the Illinois Community College Board. Meanwhile, there are seven that have programs in “renewable/sustainable energy technology.”
The College of Lake County, for instance, offers an alternative energy technologies certificate — which, according to the school’s website, is intended for students seeking “entry-level positions as technicians working on installation of solar, wind or geothermal energy technologies.”
That school, plus 38 others, are members of the Illinois Green Economy Network, which advocates that community colleges teach all sources of renewable energy. It sees community colleges as paving the way for cities to adapt to a changing climate and energy market.
Community colleges are providing “renewable energy education for multiple stakeholders to update the workforce and advance [the] deployment of innovative technologies,” the group says on its website. That means schools like Kankakee Community College, which offers a solar-photovoltaic certificate and specialization track, are adding programs to help train that workforce.
In Olive-Harvey’s case, funding for an introductory solar course was a result of a wave of investment in solar energy thanks to FEJA’s Solar Craft Apprenticeship Program. The class at Olive-Harvey was the first of its kind for the program.
The program, which received $3 million in 2017 and will receive another $3 million in 2021 and again in 2025, aims to encourage people from low-income and diverse communities to pursue careers in solar through the IBEW’s pre-apprenticeship program.
To get into the pre-apprenticeship program, the students will still have to undergo the application process, Hattier said. But the class will give interested students a “leg up.”
The Olive-Harvey program hasn’t come without kinks. Two days before the students made their way to Calumet Park to build the solar array, IBEW Renewable Energy Fund chief Harry Ohde pleaded with the students during their final on-campus class to get their driver’s licenses so that they could apply for the pre-apprenticeship program, for which registration officially began Dec. 17.
After pulling some strings, Ohde told the class, he was able to get a five-month extension for students without a driver’s license to get one and then apply for the program. Electricians must have a license because their work typically requires contracting across a broad geographical area, Hattier told the class.
“I know it seems like a big hurdle here, but that’s something that’s going to be universal in all the building trades,” he said.
Students said in interviews that the class hadn’t been informed that they needed a driver’s license to apply for the pre-apprenticeship until days earlier.
Reduced access to driver’s licenses is a common barrier to employment in low-income communities and communities of color, according to research from the Employment and Training Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. There are a number of reasons for this, including a cycle of ticket debt and license suspension and reduced state funding for driver’s education courses offered in high school.
Despite the driver’s license complication, many of the Olive-Harvey students said they would apply for the pre-apprenticeship, either on Dec. 17 or at a later date.
On the last day of on-campus instruction, Hattier told the students that going into solar would pay off because of how quickly the industry was growing. Illinois would see an influx of solar jobs at the start of 2019, he said. “It’s going to be thousands of jobs.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the funder of the Illinois Solar Schools program.


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How the Bankruptcy System Is Failing Black Americans
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author: Paul Kiel with Hannah Fresques


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Barnestorming - Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin
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		A Texas Lawsuit Being Heard This Week Could Mean Life Or Death For The ACA - KFF Health News
Julie Rovner
September 4, 2018
Wednesday is looking like yet another pivotal day in the life-or-death saga that has marked the history of the Affordable Care Act.
In a Texas courtroom, a group of Republican attorneys general, led by Texas’ Ken Paxton, are set to face off against a group of Democratic attorneys general, led by California’s Xavier Becerra, in a lawsuit aimed at striking down the federal health law. The Republicans say that when Congress eliminated the penalty for not having health insurance as part of last year’s tax bill, lawmakers rendered the entire health law unconstitutional. The Democrats argue that’s not the case.
But first, the sides will argue before U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, whether the health law should be put on hold while the case is litigated. The GOP plaintiffs are seeking a “preliminary injunction” on the law.
Ending the health law, even temporarily, “would wreak havoc in our health care system,” said Becerra in a call with reporters last week. “And we don’t believe Americans are ready to see that their children are no longer able to see a doctor or that they cannot get treated for a preexisting health condition.”
Here are five questions and answers to help understand the case, Texas v. U.S.
1. What is this suit about?
In February, 18 GOP attorneys general and two GOP governors filed the suit in federal district court in the Northern District of Texas. They argue that because the Supreme Court upheld the ACA in 2012 by saying its requirement to carry insurance was a legitimate use of Congress’ taxing power, eliminating the tax penalty for failure to have health insurance makes the entire law unconstitutional.
“Texans have known all along that Obamacare is unlawful and a divided Supreme Court’s approval rested solely on the flimsy support of Congress’ authority to tax,” Paxton said in a statement when the suit was filed. “Congress has now kicked that flimsy support from beneath the law.”
The lawsuit asks the judge to prohibit the federal government “from implementing, regulating, enforcing, or otherwise acting under the authority of the ACA.”
2. Why are Democratic attorneys general defending the law?
The defendant in the case is technically the Trump administration. But in June, the administration announced it would not fully defend the law in court.
The Justice Department, in its filing in the case, did not agree with the plaintiffs that eliminating the tax penalty should require that the entire law be struck down. But it did say that without the tax, the provisions of the law requiring insurance companies to sell to people with preexisting conditions and not charge them more should fall, beginning Jan. 1, 2019. That is when the tax penalty goes away.
The Republican attorneys general say they still believe the entire law should be invalidated, but if that does not happen, they would accept the elimination of the preexisting condition protections.
The Democratic attorneys general applied to “intervene” in the case to defend the law in its entirety. They say they needed to step forward to protect the health and well-being of their residents. The judge granted them that status on May 16.
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3. What would happen if the judge grants a preliminary injunction?
The GOP plaintiffs say the law needs to be stopped immediately, “both because individuals will make insurance decisions during fall open-enrollment periods and because the States cannot turn their employee insurance plans and Medicaid operations on a dime,” according to their brief.
But setting aside the ACA while the case proceeds “would throw the entire [health] system into chaos,” Becerra said. That’s because the ACA made major changes not just to the insurance market for individuals, but also to Medicare, Medicaid and the employer insurance market.
Even in 2012, when the Supreme Court was considering the constitutionality of the law before much of it had taken effect, some analysts from both parties predicted that finding the law unconstitutional could have serious repercussions for the Medicare program and the rest of the health care system.
In practice, however, even if Judge O’Connor were to rule in favor of the Republicans’ request to stop the law’s enforcement immediately, the decision could be quickly appealed up the line, including, if necessary, before the Supreme Court.
4. Is this case purely Republicans versus Democrats?
The case is largely partisan — with Republicans who oppose the health law arguing for its cancellation and Democrats who support it fighting to keep it in place.
But a friend-of-the-court brief filed by five law professors who disagree on the merits of the ACA said that, regardless, both the GOP states and the Justice Department are wrong to conclude that eliminating the tax penalty should result in the entire law being thrown out.
In this case, “Congress itself has essentially eliminated the provision in question and left the rest of a statute standing,” so courts do not need to guess whether lawmakers intended for the rest of the law to remain, they wrote.
5. What is Congress doing about this?
Technically, Congress is watching the case just as everyone else is. But Republicans in particular, while they mostly oppose the health law, are aware that the provisions protecting people with preexisting conditions are by far the most popular part of the ACA. And Democrats are already using the issue to hammer opponents in the upcoming midterm elections.
Last month, 10 GOP senators introduced legislation they said would maintain the ACA’s preexisting condition protections in the event the lawsuit succeeds.
“This legislation is a common-sense solution that guarantees Americans with preexisting conditions will have health care coverage, regardless of how our judicial system rules on the future of Obamacare,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), the bill’s lead sponsor, in a statement.
Critics, however, were quick to point out that the bill doesn’t actually offer the same protections that are embodied in the ACA. While the health law requires coverage for all conditions without extra premiums, the GOP bill would require that insurers sell to people with preexisting conditions, but not that those policies actually cover those conditions.
Julie Rovner: jrovner@kff.org,
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created: September 4, 2018

author: Julie Rovner


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Michael Rosen and Jeffrey Sommers: To address African American poverty, Milwaukee must support union rights
Michael Rosen and Jeffrey Sommers | guest columnists
Dec 12, 2019


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Attention Playwrights: Milwaukee Nonprofit Seeks Plays About Black Culture | Madison365
Robert Chappell
Sep 7, 2018

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Black-owned Developer Gets Nod for $41 Million South Madison Project | Madison365
Robert Chappell
Nov 15, 2019


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Sí Se Puede 2019: Wisconsin’s Most Powerful Latinos | Madison365
Henry Sanders
Aug 24, 2019

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Eighth Grader MLK Speech Winner Blows Listeners Away with her Powerful Message of Dr. King’s Legacy - Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper
January 26, 2019
By Rhea Riley
Janiya Williams is grade 7-8th first place winner of the MPS Dr. King speech contest. (Picture by Rhea Riley)
Janiya Williams, eighth grader, is the 1st place winner of the 2018-2019 We Energies speech portion of the MPS Martin Luther King Jr. contest, and she joined host Faithe Colas on There is Always Something Good to Talk About to discuss her inspirational speech and future ambitions as an activist.
The MPS contest was divided into three different contest submissions: Art, Writing and Speech. The annual contest was open to students from K-12th grade. Each grade level was allotted one entry under four minutes in which students would deliver their self-written speech. The theme for the speeches was centered around the legacy of Dr. King and how his work relates to their lives.
Williams is one of 4,000 MPS students who submitted material for the contest. The competition had several rounds to get to their final winners, an initial submission deadline, followed by preliminaries and a final round where each grade level had five speakers compete for first place.
Williams’ speech addressed the many issues including black stereotypes, police brutality, black excellence and pride, and more:
“I see the news and I flinch black kids are getting shot down for sleeping on a bench. I can’t breathe just like I can’t believe why these parents have to grieve. From Eric to Trayvon everything has gone wrong all because we forget that we were all made equal. Made as one so why can’t we just find the strength to just put down the guns. Equal, all of gods people put on this earth as brothers and sisters misses and misters, unalarmed, unharmed and unarmed,” she stated in her speech.
First place plaque for winners of the MPS Speech contest. (Picture by Rhea Riley)
Her powerful words were fueled by the frustration she felt over the massive amount of police brutality in her community and nationally. Specifically, the death of Trayvon Martin and the lack of change that has ensued since.
“I just started to get fed up with it and realized that since no one else is going to say something [then] I guess I’m going to have to say it for them,” said Williams about the spark that drove her to start her passionate speech for this competition.
Using the platform of the contest, Williams shared how she felt about many social justice issues that plague the black community and the lessons she learned from Dr. King. Similar to Dr. King, Williams success didn’t come without hardships. Janiya has entered the speech contest twice before winning this time.
“She was very discouraged because she did lose, but I said no, we are going to try again,” said Williams’ mother Olivia Rhodes. “Your winning season is going to come, so don’t quit.”
Williams admitted from being discouraged to share her writings and poetry with her peers, fearing that no one was listening because she was just a kid. Williams also stated she has faced forms of bullying for her activism and supportive household. Williams comes from a two-parent household—a type of family dynamic many children in Milwaukee don’t often have—leaving her as a target. However, Rhodes reassures her daughter to not stop sharing her words.
Eventually Williams resilience paid off, and she now wants to encourage her peers to not be deterred.
“I want to tell the kids out there that if you have something to say then say it and don’t be afraid because someone will listen.”
Contest winners were honored on Jan. 20 at an award ceremony at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. The award ceremony was a part of Milwaukee’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration and first place winners were able to perform their winning speeches.
The multitalented student skilled in singing, poetry and even praise dancing doesn’t plan on stopping soon. Stating that she wants to continue writing and pursuing a future in activism Williams wants to continue in Dr. Kings footsteps spreading his message of peace and non-violence.
“He didn’t just want change for black people, he wanted change as a whole,” said Williams. “He just wanted to be heard and I want to be heard because I have a lot to say.”

created: January 26, 2019


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Milwaukee Bucks and the Andis Foundation Partner to Host Six ‘Barbershop Mondays’ with Safe & Sound - Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper
February 2, 2019
By Nyesha Stone
Sterling Brown spent time with Milwaukee youth on his off day. (Picture provided by Andis Foundation)
Barbershops are a social hub in the Black community that not only provide confidence through a fresh haircut, but life lessons as well. It’s a space built on community and conversation, which is why the Andis Foundation and Milwaukee Bucks have partnered together to host six “Barbershop Mondays” with Safe & Sound.
“This is an opportunity for organizations to really reach out and help the community,” said Laura Andis, a family owner of the Andis Foundation. The Andis Foundation is a non-profit that was established in 2015 with a mission to build strong families, support the youth and to create a vibrant community to live in.
Men from the community made time in their day to speak with young Black men in the city. (Picture provide by the Andis Foundation)
Barbershop Mondays is going against the norm and opening up barbershops on a Monday to provide resources to males 16-23 years of age. These events are to show young men that you can own your own business and be successful in the hair industry, or any industry, right here in your hometown.
The events will be held either in existing barbershops or organizations where “pop-up barbershops” will be created—bottom line, the goal is to have a forum for conversation. The boys and men will be offered a free haircut, free food and maybe a visit from some Bucks’ players.
A Black’s man’s smile is hardly seen in the media, but Barbershop Mondays is changing the narrative. (Picture by the Andis Foundation)
So far, two events have been held, with one of the events being held on a Thursday to fit into Bucks’ player Sterling Brown’s schedule.
The remaining four events are still to be determined:
February 4 – Location TBD due to weather
March 18 – Silver Spring Center with Player/s
March 25 – Racine – TBD
April 8 – TBD
Andis said these young men have a lot of questions and they’re looking for advice and resources to help them figure out what they want to do with their lives, and Barbershop Mondays is providing them with what they need.
A free haircut and real conversation was the basis of this event. (Picture provided by the Andis Foundation)
“[Barbershop Mondays is] building a strong basis for development, said Andis.
To find out more about the Andis Foundation, visit their site at andis.org.

created: February 2, 2019


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Alverno College to Host Its First Annual Girls Summit in Response to New Report - Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper
February 16, 2019
By Nyesha Stone
Marley Dias
Every few years Alverno College produces The Alverno Report: The Status of Girls in Wisconsin, which contains data detailing how the girls in our state are doing. This year’s 2018-2019 report showed a number of things, but the overall data showed Wisconsin girls are experiencing some troubling patterns, according to a press release.
The data shows what many of us already know, girls are more prone to things such as sex trafficking, bullying (including cyberbullying), abuse, depression and self-harming behaviors. According to the report, in 2017, most of the sex offenses committed were against girls, 4,501 female victims vs. 790 male victims. This is a troubling number, but the point of the report, which comes out every four years, is to pull the data together to bring awareness, said Jodi Eastberg the Executive Director of the Alverno College Research Center for Women and Girls.
“I care deeply about improving the lives of girls,” she said about the importance of doing these reports. “The more we can do to create healthy environments for girls and women, the better off we’ll be.”
Jodi Eastberg
By bringing awareness to these issues, Eastberg hopes this encourages policy makers, organizations, community leaders and individuals to help fix the issues are young women and girls are facing.
The report shows that girls are more likely to be bullied or abused than their male counterparts, and it also states that girls are more likely to drink alcohol and smoke weed.
And although all Wisconsin girls are more prone to these issues, girls of color are even more vulnerable. In Wisconsin, 47.4 percent of Black girls, or 1 in 5, are living in poverty, which be the cause behind the issues facing these young women.
According to Eastberg, “there are a lot of ways to improve these girls’ lives.”
Eastberg and her team decided to do something a little different this year, and are having their first annual Girls Summit, as a result of the report.
The summit is for girls in 5th grade and older. The event will start with a panel of girls discussing their experiences, then the event will break into smaller sessions. Eastberg is proud to announce their Keynote speaker: 14-year-old Marley Dias.
Dias is the of #1000BlackGirlBooks, which is an international movement to collect and donate children’s books that feature Black girls as the lead character. She’s also the author of Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!, the former Editor in Residence of her own digital ‘zine Marley Mag on Elle.com, which has over 7 billion media impressions.
“Our hope is she inspires all of us to take action,” Eastberg said about Dias.
The first 200 people to sign up for the summit will get a free book written by Dias. But there is one thing that Eastberg wants to make clear about the report: the girls aren’t doing all bad.
The report states that teen pregnancy has declined, and the rate of smoking has declined. So, although it’s important to take notice of the bad things affecting our girls, just make sure to see the good things as well.
The Girls Summit will take place on March 23 from 8:30 am to 4:30 p.m. at Alverno College Sister Joel Read Center.
To see the full report, visit www.alverno.edu/statusofgirls and to register for the summit, visit https://www.alverno.edu/research/girlssummit.php
The Alverno Report: The Status of Girls in Wisconsin

created: February 16, 2019