SalutesSalutes Black History Black History MonthMonth

JJOUROURNALNALW I S C O N S I N ’ S L A R G E S T A F R I C A N A M E R I C A N N E W S P A P E R

CCThe MilwaukeeOMMUNITYOMMUNITYVOL. XL Number 31 February 22, 2017 www.communityjournal.net 25 Cents BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGEPAIDMILWAUKEE, WISCONSINPERMIT NO. 4668INSIDE: Our annual Black History Salute

HOMEGROWNHOMEGROWNBLACK HEROESBLACK HEROESAND SHEROESAND SHEROES

More photos and Pulse about Daddy/Daughter Dance on page 2

The African American Chamber ofCommerce of Wisconsin (“AA-CCW”) announced the appointmentrecently of Attorney Avery L.Goodrich Jr. as Interim President andCEO. The appointment follows thedeparture of Dr. Eve Hall who is thenew President and CEO of the Mil-waukee Urban League.

Avery is returning to the AACCWafter serving on its Board of Direc-

tors for six years where he held thepositions of vice chair and legalcounsel. He brings with him directknowledge of the Chamber’s opera-tions and long term goals, includingthe growth of African American busi-ness owners, professionals and entre-preneurs, and the Chamber as aself-reliant business organization.

“We are excited to have Averyback who we know through his years

as a board member to be a talentedand trusted leader,” said CliftonPhelps, Chairman of AACCW’sBoard of Directors.

“I am honored to take on this roleand look forward to developingstrategic alliances with corporations,government and the philanthropiccommunity in Wisconsin.

“Our hope is to accelerate thegrowth of African American business

owners, professionals and entrepre-neurs through action oriented pro-grams and community engagement,”said Attorney Goodrich.

The AACCW retained the servicesof a local nonprofit executive searchfirm and Chamber member who hasbegun the process of working withthe Board of Directors as we work to-gether to secure our next President

(continued on page 2)

Incumbents Hill and Evers winrespective spring primary races

Despite a challenge from threelocal attorneys, incumbent Milwau-kee Municipal Court Judge ValerieHill easily won her primary elec-tion Tuesday during a voting daythat saw an expected big drop invoter turnout.

In another important race on thestate level, incumbent state Super-intendent of Public InstructionTony Evers also easily won his pri-mary election and will face educa-tion reformer Lowell Holtz.

Hill, 53, a former public defenderand circuit court commissionerwho has sat on the Branch 1 seatsince her election in 2004, collectednearly 50% of the vote. She willface-off against William Crowley,a staff attorney with DisabilityRights Wisconsin, in the April 4general election.

Brian Michel, an attorney with

the Legal Aid Society, is consider-ing a recount for second place. As-sistant City Attorney Kail Deckerfinished in fourth place.

Hill has drawn criticism from heropponents who have complainedabout her stern demeanor. Hill re-

portedly said her approach is mis-understood, adding she is simplytrying to be efficient with courttime.

Seeking his third four-year term,Evers, 65, garnered 69% of the voteTuesday. Holtz, a retired Whitnall

School District superintendent, col-lected 23%.

John Humphries, a former Do-dgeville administrator-turned part-time consultant who had attractedthe support of several Black law-makers and education activists,could only muster seven percent ofthe state’s votes, finishing third.

The April 4 face-off reportedlywill be a contest between opposingideologies on education and howWisconsin children (especially mi-nority children in Milwaukee andthe southeast part of the state) aretaught in the classroom.

Evers represents the status-quo:public education, and is beingbacked by Democrats and teachersunions.

Holtz represents pro-choice ad-vocates and Common Core oppo-nents who are backed byRepublicans.

Fourteenth Annual Daddy/Daughter Dance

African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin announces interim president and CEO

ACLU challenges MPD’s unconstitutionalStop-and-Frisk program

The American Civil LibertiesUnion (the ACLU) of Wisconsin, andthe law firm of Covington & Burlingfiled a class-action lawsuit Wednes-day against the city of Milwaukeeover its police department’s vaststop-and-frisk program.

The department targets tens ofthousands of people without reason-able suspicion of criminal activity,the legal requirement for a policestop, making the program unconsti-tutional, the lawsuit says.

The department’s repeated viola-tions of Milwaukeeans’ constitu-tional rights are driven by racialprofiling, with preliminary datashowing significant disparities be-tween police stop rates for Whitepeople and for Black and Latino peo-ple.

“For the last decade, the Milwau-kee Police Department has pursued anaggressive and unconstitutional policing strategy that treats people of coloras suspects for no good reason, stopping innocent men, women, and childrenas they try to go about their daily lives,” said Jason Williamson, senior staffattorney with the ACLU’s Criminal Law Reform Project. “This approachforces tens of thousands to live under suspicion every time they step outside.”

Charles Collins, one of the lawsuit’s six plaintiffs and the target of a policestop without reasonable suspicion, is a Black military veteran who has livedin Milwaukee for 55 years. “If I’m going out, I’m always looking over myshoulder even though I’ve done nothing wrong,” said Collins.

Between 2007 and 2015, the Milwaukee Police Department almost tripledtheir traffic and pedestrian stops, from around 66,000 to around 196,000, fol-lowing the launch of the unlawful stop-and-frisk program in 2008.

“The Milwaukee Police Department has prioritized widespread, unconsti-tutional stop-and-frisk practices over its relationship with communities ofcolor in this city,” said Karyn Rotker, senior staff attorney at the ACLU ofWisconsin.

“By routinely stopping thousands of people who have done nothing wrong,the department has undermined its relationship with Milwaukee residents andcreated a profound lack of trust in those communities—which compromisesthe department's ability to investigate crimes.”

In 2011, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found that Milwaukee police wereseven times more likely to stop Black drivers than white drivers, and fivetimes more likely to stop Hispanic drivers than white drivers. According tothe ACLU’s preliminary analysis of records from a Milwaukee police data-base on stops, Black (non-Hispanic) people were the targets of 72 percent ofstops from 2010 through 2012 when they made up 34 percent of the city’spopulation.

The department conducts far more stops and frisks in the parts of Milwau-kee that are predominantly Black or Latino than in other areas.

“The department’s own records raise a red flag that unlawful stop-and-friskin Milwaukee is a dragnet that results in racial profiling,” said Nusrat Choud-hury, senior staff attorney of the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program.

“But the city can keep all communities safe without trampling on people’srights. In New York City, crime rates continued to fall even after a similarprogram was ended following a federal court ruling that it violated the law.”

The lawsuit filed today seeks reforms that safeguard constitutional rightsby promoting bias-free and evidence-based policing, transparency, and police

Organization says department conducted searches without reasonablesuspicion and based on racial profiling

“For the lasteight years, theMilwaukee PoliceDepartment hassubjected tens ofthousands ofinnocent people tounconstitutionalstops and frisks,disrupting theirdaily lives becausethey are Black orLatino.”

(continued on page 9)

Compiled by MCJ Staff

Judge Valerie Hill Tony Evers

ELECTION WATCH 2017ELECTION WATCH 2017

Ralph Hollmon Thelma Sias Larry Waters

Sold-out event draws 1,000 fathers and daughters at North Division High School

The Milwaukee Community Journal February 22, 2017 Page 2

and CEO. Our plan is to have our new President and CEO in place by lateSpring.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone about our Break-fast of Champions on Tuesday, May 9th, 2017. This is the Chamber’s AnnualGala event that celebrates the accomplishments of business owners and strate-gic partners of the Chamber.

In conclusion, we are happy to announce our excitement about the nextphase for the African American Chamber of Commerce and look forward tointroducing everyone to our new leader.

(continued from page 1)

AACCW announces interim president and CEO

PULSEPULSE OF THEOF THE COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

Photos and question by Yvonne Kemp

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:QUESTION OF THE WEEK:“Is the Daddy/Daughter Dance a“Is the Daddy/Daughter Dance agreat event for fathers to bondgreat event for fathers to bond

with their daughters? why or whywith their daughters? why or whynot?not?

See more photos in the Weekend Edition. Photoson this page and front page by Yvonne Kemp

“(The)Daddy/Daugh-ter dance is agreat event be-cause this isour yearlyprom. It’s abonding timeto treat ourdaughters likeprincesses.”

“This is a wonderful event that my daughters havelabeled a family tradition. They start reminding me inDecember every year.”

“Yes, this is agreat way for fa-thers to spendtime with theirdaughters. A lot offathers wish theyhad this opportu-nity to bond withtheir daughter.‘Date nite withdad!’”

“I believe thisevent is goodbecause a fa-thers relation-ship with hisdaughter isone of themost importantrelationshipsfor a younggirl.”

Tracy Dent anddaughter AzariaGiboney (age 10)

Antonio Ricksand daughtersAydrian (age 1)and Aydin Ricks(age 6)

Ruben Hopkins and daughters (left to right) AshiraHopkins (15), Amaira Hopkins (9) and Kyla Hopkins

Niyoktwan Winston anddaughters (left to right)Sanya Winston (1),Makenzie Fifer (2) andAngel Mack (6)

The Milwaukee Community Journal February 22, 2017 Page 3

PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVESURBAN My URBAN My DIALOGUE...DIALOGUE...By Torre “ToeJoe” Johnson

Our children needus to step up!

Let us rewind and remember the times we protected our chil-dren, when we were not afraid to discipline them and embracethem. Remember the times when our children’s lives camefirst.

Remember when we would give our lives for theirs. Thosetimes seem to be slipping into yesterday.

Today our children are being abandoned by the thousands,forced to raise themselves. They are being forced to walk un-protected. They are being forced to face life as if their birthswere a mistake or poor decision.

We then point at them, echoing that they are the future as ifthat’s encouraging to those who are struggling to just achieveidentities. We echo to those trying to break free from societiescommunity prisons.

We must step up and accept the village concept. We muststop holding on to our own as if they will not be affected by ig-noring the others. We must accept some fault by changing ourbehavior as responsible adults. We must began doing what’sright in order to protect and earn the elder respect we deserveagain.

Unfortunately, most do not desire or give our children achance to have a life. Most do not have the opportunity to love,live and dream. We hear people telling us how we should dealwith our own and to be afraid of them as if they are concernedabout their well-being. They talk about our children as if theyare not our own.

They talk as if we are not responsible for their growth, as ifwhat many of them are doing we haven’t done first.

Let’s work together towards what seems to be a black youthcurse. Let’s rewind back towards love. Our children need us allto step up. If only we can do this with love and action. It is ourduty because we as well were once considered the future.What happened? Peace.

--Torre m. Johnson Sr., President of XMENUNITED

MILLENNIALMILLENNIALMAGICMAGICBy Paishance Welch

Frozen foodmarket catersto Millennials

Have you ever heard someone insist that when you grocery shop, it’s bestthat you do your shopping on the perimeter of the store? How likely are youto do that? Is it an impossible task? Per the Executive Office of Health andHuman Services, the freshest and best foods are generally located around theoutside aisles (or perimeter) of every grocery store. This known fact is onethat processed food companies are very familiar with, and they are comingtogether to do something about it.

It is no secret that millennials have a repugnant attitude towards frozenfoods. Millennials are sharp, proactive, and a little less carefree than yourother generations.

The best people to market TV dinners, frozen foods, and processed foodsto are empty nesters and older people who would rather pay for convenience.Researchers have proposed the idea that in fear of the lifestyle that is com-monly associated with frozen food eaters, millennials are constantly converg-ing to services and choices that offer a more healthier benefit.

In an effort to target millennials, Big Food companies aim to makeprocessed foods “cool again”. An analysis by Moscow found that the top 25U.S. food and beverage companies have lost an equivalent of $18 billion inmarket share since 2009. What does that mean? That means that sales aredropping. The hope and anticipation of increasing the sales again are sky highbut these big-name companies will have to cater to the interests of the mil-lennials in order for that to happen.

As a millennial, flocking to the more healthy and creative side of food iswhat we prefer. This preference includes buying individual ingredients, sea-sonings and sides to conquer our appetite. Choosing nutrition and health overconvenience is our thing. These new trends are what the big companies arelooking to incorporate in their product. Their goal is to include an emphasison health and wellness and fresh and high quality ingredients.

So, when you are out grocery shopping, try doing it the millennial way. Al-though, being able to proceed with something with little effort or difficultycan be an enticing concept to take advantage of, taking time out to thoroughlyanalyze your health, and most of all your well-being can be a life altering ex-perience.

The true voter fraud is theID law that prevents someof our elders from voting

A staffer at the Community Journal and his spousevoted at a polling location on the far Northwest SideTuesday and witnessed TRUE voter fraud!

In front of them were a woman and, they assumed,her mother at a table to receive their ballots. Aftergiving her name, the elderly woman handed one ofthe poll workers her driver’s license. It was an oldone without her photo.

The poll worker then told the elderly voter that sheneeded a photo ID in order to vote. The youngerwoman told the poll worker the older woman hadn’tdriven in years, thus did not renew her license,which would have had her photograph.

The embarrassed poll worker explained that theywere instructed to enforce a state law requiringphoto identification for voting in Wisconsin.

The voter ID law was originally passed in 2011 andsigned into law by Gov. Walker.

The law was placed on hold after the 2012 primarydue to several court challenges. State officials an-nounced the law would take effect following the April7, 2015 election.

The staffer said as he and his wife went to vote,they saw that the woman, who was using a cane,had sat down and waited as poll workers called—they assumed—voting officials for instructions thatwould resolve the matter.

We and the staffer wonder if the woman was al-lowed to vote and if there were similar scenarios tak-ing place around the city: elderly voters who couldn’tvote because they did not have the proper photo ID.

This, in our opinion, is the real, true fraud. It is

fraud perpetrated by the Republican controlled statelegislature that created a law for a problem (voterfraud) that didn’t exist.

Their need to control and dominate both the As-sembly and Senate legislature to push laws for a fewprivileged entities (i.e. corporations and wealthy indi-viduals) at the expense of the freedoms of the many(the poor, working poor, middle class, minorities, stu-dents and—yes—the elderly, the most dependablevoting block in the state and nation) wouldn’t allowthem to sit back and consider the consequences oftheir action…or maybe they did.

Our president has complained repeatedly therewas voter fraud in the November 8 elections, addinghe would have won the popular vote (which he lostby millions of votes) if it hadn’t been for fraud (whichhe has yet to prove). He even went so far as to pre-dict fraud before the election took place. Obviouslyhe was setting up his excuses for a defeat that didn’thappen.

There was no voter fraud Tuesday or last Novem-ber. If there was, it was miniscule at best. No, theTRUE FRAUD took place six years ago in Madisonand other states when the legislature passed a dubi-ous and unnecessary law that disenfranchised mil-lions of voters whose only crime was beingminorities, immigrants (legal ones), students and ourelderly.

A subculture of povertyA high school graduate will earn about $900,000 in his or her lifetime,

which is about how much an uncoordinated 6’11”, 275 lb. professional bas-ketball player will make in one month if he is lucky enough to be one of the450 athletes in the NBA.

An individual with an associate’s degree will earn about $1.2 million intheir lifetime while a man with a bachelor’s degree will bank over $1.6 mil-lion. (A woman will earn slightly less since those who control the purse stingsdon’t value them as much, the exception being those with government jobs.)

In case you’re bad at math, that means a person who can make it through12 years of school—public or private, and I assume homeschooling—couldconceivably be a millionaire if they never spent a dime of their earnings.

There was a time when younger folks didn’t have to be sold on the valueof education. It was ingrained in us as a weapon and a tool to break the chainsof economic slavery and illiteracy.

It was valued by both Black middle class and lower income, but even moreso by the poor whose parents and grandparents migrated from the oppressiveand segregated south where they were denied educational opportunities, andthus full inclusion in society.

What made that communal paradigm unique was that until 1970, Milwau-kee’s legalized system of apartheid forced all Black folks, regardless of eco-nomic and social status, to co-habitat. As such, Black Milwaukee’s successstories lived next door, providing positive examples and a subculture to em-ulate.

There were distinctions—successful, middle class Black professionals livedmore so on the fringes of the community, their lawns were manicured andtheir homes had bookshelves—but they shared most other commonalities, in-

cluding a skin color that set off like an alarm anytime any of them crossedracial boundaries or sought upward mobility in corporate Milwaukee.

In a twist of fate and irony that cultural paradigm fell apart with the end of“legal segregation” and the school desegregation farce of 1976 and the city’sscheme to tear down our Black business district. Those interrelated calamitiessignaled the end of that cultural paradigm, along with the introduction of anew welfare state that destroyed nuclear families just as the job market wentsour.

Before the smoke cleared, Milwaukee had two Black communities. Oneseeking upward mobility through education and the other “taught” not to.

It has been suggested that this phenomena is by design; that the welfarestate (government) and poverty industry created this scenario to insure jobsfor the “educated” Whites who benefit from its perpetuation.

That scheme only works if you can create, through policies and programsa subculture of poverty.

The victim/pawns of this conspiracy must hate themselves, have low selfesteem, see their value only through procreation, and hate or fear the educa-tional system that would otherwise free them.

As a result of their educational apathy, their children start school at a dis-advantage because they know fewer words, colors or numbers (although theycan dance and recite the lyrics of the latest Snoop Doggy Dud song).

Studies have shown that middle class and educated parents provide theirchildren with an educational base to spring from when they enter school.

Most low-income children (based on free lunch applications) need HeadStart and pre-school programs and many still never catch up.

While middle class parents (children brought up in two parent families havean advantage as well) buy their infant children educational toys, the childrenof the poor, single parent households buy their children expensive shoes, ac-tion figures and White Barbie and Ken dolls (further ingraining a sense oflow self esteem—if you can figure that out).

You can pick theses kids out of the crowd, they are the pre-school childrenwith diamond earrings, expensive outfits they will grow out of in a month,and tablets with games that teach them to steal cars, out run the police andkill neighbors for points.

That is an indictment of the mindset of their parents (or parent) who havebeen socialized into a culture that limits their worldview and their aspirations.

Obviously, I don’t mean all lower income, single parents or their children.Many see through this scheme, and are motivated to use the educational sys-tem to advance themselves and instill those values in their children.

Most of Milwaukee’s Black leadership and community activists came outof that archetype. I was a single parent, although I was brought up in a two-parent family that was so keen on education that my mother and I graduatedfrom college, together!

But many others are not so blessed. They are pawns without realizing it.Poverty pimps and even the educracy have a vested interest in their not es-caping the new plantation. As pawns they are not told that if they reach the

THETHEMILWAUKEEMILWAUKEECOMMUNITYCOMMUNITYJOURNALJOURNALPublished twice weekly,Wednesday & Friday3612 North Martin LutherKing Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212Phone: 414-265-5300 (Advertising and Administration) • 414-265-6647 (Editorial) • Website: communityjournal.net • Email: Editorial@communi-tyjournal.net/Advertising@communityjournal.net

Opinion and comments expressed on the Perspectives page do not nec-essarily reflect the views of the publisher or management of the MCJ. Let-ters and “other perspectives” are accepted but may be edited for contentand length.

MCJ STAFF:Patricia O’Flynn -PattilloPublisher, CEORobert J. ThomasAssoc. PublisherTodd Thomas, Vice Pres.Mikel Holt, Assoc. PublisherThomas E. Mitchell, Jr., EditorTeretha Martin, Technical Consultant/Webmaster

Billing Dept./Publisher’sAdmin. Assist.Colleen Newsom,Classified AdvertisingJimmy V. Johnson, Sales Rep.CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Richard G. Carter, Fr. CarlDiederichs, Rev. Joe McLinPHOTOGRAPHER: Yvonne Kemp

SIGNIFYIN’SIGNIFYIN’By Mikel Kwaku Oshi Holt

(continued on page 8)(continued on page 9)

MCJ EDITORIALMCJ EDITORIAL

The Milwaukee Community Journal February 22, 2017 Page 4

VOICES@communityjournal.net

The title of this revealing book byauthor Ramona Bridges speaks tohow too many of us view life. It isour judgement, our mis-understand-ings, that make people affected, asRamona Bridges succinctly de-scribes, feel they’ve trespassed.Trespassed against self, trespassedagainst family, against the law andagainst society.

“Forgive Me My Trespasses” en-courages us to journey with a profes-sional who succeeded for years, as asocial worker, a caregiver of devel-opmentally disabled adults and as aadvocate mentor for youngsters inthe LGBT community, fighting tounderstand themselves.

By everyone’s account, RamonaBridges was a conscientious Chris-tian woman successfully overcomingthe “proverbial strikes” life some-times brings.

Author Bridges was a woman,Black, climbing the societal ladder toprofessional independence and eco-nomic solvency. She was lesbian,from a conservative family, and shehad mental health issues. With all ofthat, Ramona managed to keep theballs in the air until her medicinebegan to fail her; and instead of seek-

ing help right away, she did as manyof us do. She worked, she pressed onwith the challenges of her job. Shegrappled with family issues, manyunresolved and then one day every-thing began to unravel.

“Forgive Me My Trespasses” isparticularly significant today becauseour communities are dealing withstratified levels of dysfunction andthese dysfunctions are playing out ininnumerable ways. Ways that inces-santly are leading some families toestrangement.

Anger, depression, drug addictionand alcoholism are often the pre-cur-sors that spiral into homelessness andultimately incarcerations. Veteranswith post traumatic stress syndromes,children are prescribed Ritalin andother anxiety-reduction drugs forhyper-activity and anti-social behav-ior. They are the faces of mentalhealth concerns.

Asked which was the most devas-tating strike leading to her personaljourney of loss, lack and devastation,author, Bridges said, “ it’s impossibleto single out one thing. Mentalhealth, homelessness, incarceration,are all related. They are by-productsof a system that has failed many of

us. And the issues are exacerbated inBlack communities because the re-sources and dollars to prevent thedownward spiral are often extremelylimited or in many cases non-exis-tent.

Yet mental health issues have nocolor, nor does sexual orientation orhomelessness nor criminal justice.We are often unfairly and dispropor-tionately affected, but these are NOTuniquely Black issues, the author re-minds us

Milwaukee remembers well thestory of Donte Hamilton and hisnight of sleeping on a park bench,when the officers told him to moveon, and he allegedly questioned. Therest is history. Donte Hamilton didnot experience another homelessnight. Unforgivably, he was takenfrom the park bench to the countymorgue. He is said to have had men-tal health issues.

The story is repeated in manycities throughout the country. Somestates, some cities, are increasinglyacknowledging the crisis. Othercities are in complete denial, leavingthe crisis to shelters or under-bridge-cardboard communities that are dis-mantled on a moments notice as anuisance to society. The issue is a nobrainer.

While Congress and the presentadministration work to dismantleObama-care or the Affordable CareAct, President Obama had promotedconverting old motels into permanenthousing units. And the new Secre-tary, Tom Price and Secretary BenCarson, may be stressing reductions.This, while Veterans Services ischampioned to be a major initiativeof the new administration. Some50% of the homeless are vets whospiraled into addictions and home-lessness after returning from the suc-cessive middle-east militarycampaigns. We must never forget.

Author Ramona Bridges explainsshe needed help. Her job over-whelmed her. Her bills were mount-ing. She found her brother and hadto call 911 who confirmed his death.She crashed, losing everything, herjob, her apartment. She was livingwherever she could for months; inher car, a motel, parking lots, parkbenches.

This led to the police arrest. Totaltrauma, while severely paranoid forlack of medicines. Statistically chem-ically imbalanced, an issue of mentalhealth. And most devastating was

being picked up, roughed up by a po-liceman, whom she’d been taught torespect. Then being thrown into thepolice car for “loitering,” for tres-passing!

She had no prior offenses. Shewas sick and afraid; and homelessand not wanting to share her circum-stances with family. She was lovedbut she did not know how her condi-tion would affect them, so she de-cided to travel that road alone.

Today, Ramona Bridges is a pas-sionate advocate for people who havelived her experience.

She hopes to recruit new advo-cates, as well. In the introduction of“Forgive Me My Trespasses” sheshares she hopes the book will edu-cate and inspire the homeless andmentally ill individuals to live theirdreams and help them to navigateAmerica’s healthcare and law en-forcement systems.

She also hopes to educate law en-forcement professionals on respond-ing to the needs of homeless andmentally ill citizens.

She reminded, “health profession-als receive training for six or moreyears, to be credentialed.

Most police departments give twodays in training about mental health.There’s no way, they can be profi-

cient in what mental health looks likenor the appropriate behavior for var-ious mental health markers, in twodays. A better approach may be in-creasing the number of trained policeprofessionals.”

Imagine the fear. Policemen mayno longer be viewed as “helpers orfriends” in ethnic communities.We’ve witnessed racial profiling, thedeath of citizens at the hands of offi-cers, far too often. Newscasts showthe deaths on television and they aretoo often Black. The number ofWhites killed at the hands of officersare rare. Sensitivity to the myriad ofproblems is necessary and “ForgiveMe My Trespasses” reminds us allthat the downward spiral is fast, furi-ous and debilitating.

Book tours and signing tours areon-going for author Ramona Bridges.Police departments, mental health fa-cilities and social service agencies,and LGBT organizations can benefitfrom “Forgive Me My Trespasses”.Contact her at: www.ramonabuilds-bridges.com

Since publishing the book, Ms.Bridges has visited a number of citiesand consulted with even more statemental health professionals. Out-standing programs are growing incities like Los Angeles where they

created mobile showers for thehomeless. And San Antonio andAustin, Texas where they are isolat-ing acres for tiny homes. They are700 square feet or less houses thatcreate safe communities and aremore affordable.

“Seattle, Washington and Portland,Oregon are Northwest hot-spot citiesthat are addressing the issue of home-lessness and mental health. “Theyunderstand the connection betweenthe two”, she shared.

Author Ramona Bridges continuesher tours and “Forgive Me My Tres-passes” is being digitized so that it isE-book compatible. Order todaythrough Amazon.com.

“Forgive Me My Trespasses” is amust read. It defies all stereotypesabout mental health and homeless-ness, pushing the card for police andcommunity training about symptomsand behavior.

Last but not least, “Forgive Me MyTrespasses” reminds us that uncleJoe or Aunt Sarah, whom we’veoften laughed about and ignored areour loved ones. And we want forthem what Ramona needed, re-sources and a way to get back ontrack. A way to continue to succeedand achieve and contribute. Andtoday Ramona does.

RELIGIONRELIGION

Families served by:Northwest Funeral Chapel

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Fax: (414) 462-9937

Racine800 Barker St.

Racine, WI 53402Telephone: (262) 637-6400

Fax: (262) 637-6416

J.C. Frazier, Funeral Director

Hall, JosephineAge 89 yrs. February 9, 2017. Funeral serv-ices will be held on Monday, February 20,2017 at 11AM at Morris Cathedral Life Cen-ter 9619 W. Lisbon Ave. Visitation Monday10AM at the CHURCH until time of services.The family is served by:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave.(414)462-6020

Brooks, BillyAge 57 yrs. February 10, 2017. Funeral serv-ices will be held on Monday, February 20,2017 at 11AM. Visitation Monday 10AM untiltime of services at:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave.(414)462-6020

Boyette, CharlesAge 49 yrs. February 8, 2017. Funeral serv-ices will be held on Monday, February 20,2017 at 1PM. Visitation Monday 12 Noonuntil time of services at:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave.(414)462-6020

Edwards, CroshianAge 19 yrs. February 12, 2017

Edwards, TrajanAge 17 yrs. February 14, 2017Funeral services will be held on Tuesday,February 21, 2017 at 11AM at Parklawn As-sembly of God 3725 N. Sherman Blvd. Visi-tation Tuesday 10AM at the CHURCH untiltime of services. The family is served by:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave.(414)462-6020

Riser, SharonAge 70 yrs. February 13, 2017. Funeral serv-ices will be held on Wednesday, February22, 2017 at 12 Noon at Siloah LutheranChurch 3721 N. 21st St. Visitation Wednes-day 11AM at the CHURCH until time of serv-ices. The family is served by:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave.(414)462-6020

Suarez, CarmenAge 63 yrs. February 12, 2017. Funeral serv-ices will be held on Friday, February 24,2017 at 11AM. Visitation Friday 10AM untiltime of services at:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave.(414)462-6020

Torrey, HattieAge 67 yrs. February 10, 2017. Funeral serv-ices will be held on Friday, February 24,2017 at 1PM. Visitation Friday 12 Noon untiltime of services at:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave.(414)462-6020

Wade, RalphAge 65 yrs. February 14, 2017. A MemorialService will be held on Saturday, February25, 2017 at All Saints Catholic Church 4051N. 25th St. The family is served by:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave.(414)462-6020

Watson, Langston T.Age 29 yrs. February 3, 2017. Funeral serv-ices will be held on Saturday, February 25,2017 at Abundant Faith Church Integrity7830 W. Goodhope Rd. Visitation Saturday10AM at the CHURCH until time of services.The family is served by:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave.(414)462-6020

Religious Bookshelf

‘FORGIVE ME MY TRESPASSES” BY. RAMONA BRIDGES, As told to Ifalade Tashia Asanti

The Milwaukee Community Journal February 22, 2017 Page 5

BLACK HISTORYBLACK HISTORYSpecial Section to the Milwaukee Community Journal

Additional stories will follow inthe MCJ about legends who havemade history and how you shouldread and embrace them.

Their lives and contributions allhelped to make our country a better

country. In journalism, science, medicine,

mathematics, education, pastoring,civil rights and human rights, music,entertainment, social work and everyarea, we are recorded and respected.

Locally, the same is true and otherlocal history makers will be high-lighted during the rest of the month,but today we acknowledge threemajor contributors who still live.

Their lives continue to impact ourlives, daily, and their contributionsare far-reaching for Milwaukee resi-dents today and in the years to come.

Corporate mobility and upwardmobility is a major initiative directlyassociated with the civil rights move-ment and the woman’s movement ofthe 60’s and 70’s.

Before that time, a limited numberof Black men and woman were beingconsidered for major corporate posi-tions. Clerical jobs or foremen, col-lectors, mail clerks and couriers jobsslowly began to open for people ofcolor as diversity and inclusion be-came HR (human resources) requi-

sites.With college degrees and training

in management and leadership, Blackgraduates began flooding job fairs.With executive pressure from Presi-dent Lyndon Johnson, with his GreatSociety focus, corporations began toconsider “diversity” as a workablecorporate initiative and a nationalplatform for improving the racialplaying field.

Sports giants and athletes, success-ful entertainers, a burgeoning busi-ness-community, including theproliferation of Black newspapers,

and an influx for talented educators,attorneys, physicians and socialworkers soon led to identifiable mid-dle-class minority communities allover the country,

With that, came corporate deci-sions to court this economic demo-graphic as a unique, impactful,financial market.

Black actors, models, commer-cials, promotions and public relationsbecame more than an initiative.Black America became a distinctmarket, sought and secured throughdirect messages for loyalty and com-

pany identification. Black Americahad dollars and influence.

This era soon introduced sales andpublic relations giants from MillerBrewing Company like ThomasShropshire, Obrie Smith and JimThompson and Larry Waters.

Each played a significant role inmaking Miller Brewery a commonname in African American home.

Larry Waters is one of those histor-ical players. Before and during theMillerCoors merger, Larry Waters

Saluting 3 Homegrown Heroes of Black History

“Until the lion writes his own story, the tail of the hunt will always glorify the hunter!”--African Proverb

Larry Waters Thelma Sias Ralph Hollmon

(continued on page 6)

Black History Month is celebratedevery year. Black History is beingmade daily, you are part. Your life,that of your family members, are all apart of Black History.

As you share your many family stories or look tobooks and museums for more knowledge about who weare, as a people, unquestionably the contributions ofAfrican Americans have been note-worthy since ourfirst embarkment on these United States shores.

The Milwaukee Community Journal February 22, 2017 Page 6

was working with all of the major or-ganizations of color, including theNational Urban League, the NAACP, the Black Press of America,NNPA, the National Black Journal-ists Association, the Thurgood Mar-shall Fund, plus hundreds of localevents, including Summerfest andsimilar programs in cities throughoutthe country,

With thirty four years of service,Waters was the Senior Director ofCommunity Commerce and Partner-ships which helped build scholar-ships, employment opportunities, jobdevelopment and community devel-opment strategies..

In Milwaukee, Larry Waters hasbeen on innumerable boards includ-ing 100 Black Men of Milwaukeeand sponsored a plethora of activi-ties, including African World Festi-val, the Dr. Terence N. ThomasMemorial Scholarship Fund, the Mil-waukee Symphony, and notably, theMilwaukee Urban League, where hechaired many years, helping bringthe league to increased prominencethrough their annual Black and WhiteBall.

Now celebrating its 34th anniver-sary, the Black and White Ball hasbeen the principal fund-raising eventthat has kept the League fiscallysound, and able to continue to reachmore and more Milwaukeeans.

Waters has kept his local NAACPBranch, in Waukesha, viable, havingheld multiple offices that brought thebranch into state and national promi-nence.

He was recently acknowledged bythe Milwaukee Urban League forhaving been one of the primary cor-porate sponsors that led to the burn-ing of the mortgage of the NorthAvenue Urban League local office.

He, along with other members ofthe Board, including Thelma Sias ofWe Energies, Inc., share the mort-gage burning photograph that freedRalph Hollmon, Urban League Pres-ident, another Black History Hero, of

the weighted responsibility of clear-ing outstanding debt before his retire-ment.

It is appropriate to honor thesethree people during Black HistoryMonth, 2017. For the three haveworked together so often in issues af-fecting Milwaukee.

They have often been pulled to actin advocacy roles, as corporate rep-resentatives, as residents, withunique interests and explicit experi-ences that model the African Ameri-can community. We are grateful andapplaud all three.

Larry retired from MillerCoors in2013, and continues to guide theThurgood Marshall College Fund asthe Director of Innovation and Entre-preneurship for Opportunity FundingCorporation.

He is a major consultant and Boardmember of the Dr. Terence N.Thomas Fund, that has graduatedover 60 students, retained from theirfreshman academic year. Larry is ac-tive in the Milwaukee Boulee' andAlpha Phi Alpha undergrad chapterthat supports Black males, on an on-going basis.

He is married to his wife, Adrienne(nee White), and they are committedparents to their son, Noah, who isstudying to become a physician; a de-cision made in his pre-teen years.

Thelma Sias retired from WE En-ergies in January 2017. She began inWE Energies after graduating fromClarke Atlanta University.

Working her way up the corporateladder, Sias has been a corporateleader who brought the heart and soulof the Black community to the exec-utive tables of WE Energies for manyyears.

Thelma’s touch as Board member,advocate, communicator, attendeeand sensitive corporate leader are far-reaching.

Organizations like Alverno Uni-versity, Mt. Mary College, Commu-nity Advocates, the MilwaukeeUrban League, Sojourner TruthHouse, the House of Peace, the Mil-

waukee NAACP, the MilwaukeeYWCA, Pearls for Teen Girls, theMilwaukee Brewers CommunityFoundation, the Milwaukee AfricanAmerican Chamber of Commerce,Creative Marketing, the Dr. TerenceN. Thomas Memorial ScholarshipFund, the Milwaukee Repertory The-atre and the Milwaukee Bucks Arena,are all tentacles that Thelma Siasbrought to the We Energies table.

She was the principal communica-tor when the utility was moving tocost-effective energy production,along with discussions about thedowntown streetcar and its costs tothe We Energies company.

Always a hard worker in local andnational elections; and a delegate tothe Democratic Conventions, fromPresident Bill Clinton, through Pres-ident Barack Obama and the most re-cent Hillary Clinton campaigns,Thelma took seriously the right tovote and the importance of respectingthe struggles about which her parentshad often spoken, as she grew up.

We all watched for her during thenational conventions for we weresure to see her on national televisionreassuring Milwaukee that Thelmawas on the electoral case.

We learned, even more this cam-paign season, about the importanceof the electoral college, for HillaryClinton won the popular vote but lostthe electoral college vote. Thelma al-ways shone in the Wisconsin elec-toral college.

She knew her community and sheenthusiastically cast her vote, everyfour years.

Her Inaugural gowns were alwaysthe topic of discussions and many ofus listened to hear accountings ofwhat President Obama, in particular,was like.

We wanted to hear more andThelma always enjoyed sharing herview. A view we trusted.

Community service organizationsloved Thelma. She was often calledupon to speak during Black HistoryMonth, or guide a fund-raising event,

or encourage a teen-girls event. And we all remember her work

with United Way and the appeal toreduce teen pregnancies as well asthe campaign to reduce infant-cribdeaths.

Thelma Sias has been a phenome-nal Vice President of Community Af-fairs for WE Energies, a role thatawaits the same sensitive expertisewithin the community.

While we’ve not been informedabout the person who succeedsThelma Sias, we remind We Energiesthat Thelma was an advocate and aforever emissary for the corporation.

Loyalty was her breast plate, truthwas her virtue in representing the mi-nority community in her role of VicePresident.

A title she earned through bridgingthe corporate goals and building rap-port and respect within the commu-nity. She always exceled.

Thelma’s job-portfolio touched somany that it will take months to graspthe breadth of her Vice President’srole, however, the community ex-pects no less and demands continuedsensitivity.

WE Energies, the merged utility,represents 98% of residents of thecity of Milwaukee as the dominantelectric and gas-heating provider.Milwaukee’s Black community is42% of that city demographic. Wemust be respected and we must berepresented, equitably at the corpo-rate table.

Thelma Sias, we thank you. Youare a Black History Hero. We shallalways remember and congratulateyou by keeping your advocacy, yoursensitivity, your committed love ofMilwaukee alive.

Thelma and her husband Stephenare the model couple for giving andsharing with the community. You are

Black History heroes.Ralph Hollmon retired from the

Milwaukee Urban League on De-cember 31, 2016.

He leaves the League with themortgage paid in full, with the out-reach programs exceeding any pred-ecessors including even WesleyScott, the President of the Leagueduring Milwaukee’s great migrationinflux, in the 60’s to the 80’s.

A superb innovator and a consci-entious organizer, Ralph has ex-panded the reach of programs forchoice schools, using the NewCovenant Baptist Church as a facil-ity.

Hollmon worked to make remedialeducation and parental choice a pin-nacle of education to increase grad-uation rates from the central city. Hisleadership still resonnates.

Three Homegrown Heroes of Black History(continued from page 5)

(continued on page 7)

A couplewho sharesit all: Kids,college andcareer goals By Kathy Quirk

Three years ago, Amber andJared Anderson drove to Drake Uni-versity in Iowa and back in one dayto hear well-known scientist and ed-ucator Neil deGrasse Tyson speak.

That’s one indication of how passionate the An-dersons are about teaching science. The coupleare now seniors in the School of Education at theUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Married with two children, the couple juggleswork, family and classes as they prepare to be-come teachers.

The Andersons are among 23 students currentlybenefitting from UWM’s innovative Life Impact pro-gram, which provides support to UWM studentswho are parents.

The financial support has been a big help, espe-cially after Amber’s financial aid ran out. “I don’tknow how I would have been able to finish this yearwithout that program,” she said.

But the Life Impact staff also helps them in deal-ing with other issues, she said. “They’re really likea second family. You walk into that office and theyhelp you keep your perspective; they encourageyou and offer guidance. They understand whatyou’re going through.”

“They are an amazing couple,” said Natalie Rein-bold, program manager and life coach in the LifeImpact office. “I see a hardworking family strugglingto provide a brighter future for themselves and theirown children, while also striving to provide a betterpublic school opportunity to the children of Milwau-kee.”

Amber Anderson’s decision to become a scienceteacher was crystallized by hearing Tyson speakpassionately about the need for science literacy inAmerica.

“That was really, for me, a personal tipping point,because I was really unsure of what subject Iwanted to teach,” Amber said. “Jared was dead seton science from the beginning, but I was a little un-sure.”

The Andersons, who both graduate in May, spentsome time after completing high school in 2007 infinding their career paths.

“I was the general manager of a store and hadworked as a cable technician, but I was findingnone of those jobs gave me fulfillment,” said Jared.

“We wanted our jobs to be meaningful,” saidAmber, “so we could look forward to going to workand making a difference.”

The birth of their son, Wesley, in February 2012motivated them to make a concrete plan. “Weshare a lot of the same values and interests, sothat’s how we ended up sharing a major, a car andthe same school schedule,” said Amber.

Their days – and nights – are busy with class-work during the day and children in the evenings.Wesley is 4, and his sister, Bay, is 1. Jared alsoworks part-time as a tutor through the SPARK EarlyLiteracy program with the Boys & Girls Clubs ofGreater Milwaukee).

Family is important to them and they wanted theirchildren to be close in age, but adding one morechild while they were still in school has had moreimpact than they anticipated.

“We often find ourselves not even starting home-work until 9 or so,” added Jared. “We’ve stayed upuntil 4 a.m., just to get up at 6 with the kids to getthem to school. That’s almost the routine, ratherthan the exception.”

Faculty and staff at UWM have been incrediblysupportive, both agree. Senior academic adviserAndrea Azarian was a big factor in their decision tocome to UWM, Amber said. “She was so unbeliev-ably helpful from day one.”

Jared lauds professor Craig Berg and senior lec-turer Ray Scolavino in the MACSTEP 2.0 scienceeducation program for their academic support.“They’re knowledgeable, they make science veryunderstandable; they show you how you can makea difference as a teacher and how you go aboutteaching science,” Jared said.

In addition to all the other support, the Life Impactprogram has helped them connect with other stu-dent parents.

“It’s nice to have a group of people you know aregoing through the same thing you are,” said Jared.

When they graduate, the Andersons are planningto look for positions in urban schools. “One of thereasons we chose UWM was because of its em-phasis on culturally relevant teaching and urbaneducation. A lot of education programs don’t focuson that enough,” said Amber.

Teaching science is one of their goals, but likeTyson they also want to teach children to think crit-ically and find their own paths, said Amber.

“We’re interested in educating kids to be well-rounded individuals, helping them discover theirown strengths and weaknesses and improvingtheir logical thinking. Science is a great medium forthat.”

ADVERTORIAL•ADVERTORIAL•ADVERTORIAL•ADVERTORIAL•ADVERTORIAL•

The Milwaukee Community Journal February 22, 2017 Page 7

Homegrown Heroes of Black HistoryRalph Hollmon has been recognized by the Na-

tional Urban League for creating a spectacularYoung Professionals, Inc, the Urban League Aux-iliary and numerous annual work developmentluncheons, community advocacy and election-ed-ucation symposiums, that brought the broadercommunity and the African American communitytogether for dialogue and actuation.

Ralph Hollman has proven himself a Black His-tory Hero who continues to support the League andconsult for other elected offices and corporatefirms presently…again, enriching and enhancingthe communications, so necessary in this polariz-ing environment, so apparent during the past pres-idential campaign.

Today, our Black History Hero is anticipating

his public Retirement Party, February 23. Call theMilwaukee Urban League to get further informa-tion if you would like to say thank you Ralph.

With his wife, Margaret, a tenured MPS teach-ing professional, they have guided their immediatefamily and their extended family, bringing stabilityand purpose to both.

And this week, we received our first letter forthe annual Black and White Ball, June 10, 2017,where he continues to guide Dr. Eve Hall, the newPresident of the Milwaukee Urban League, ensur-ing that the League continues to prosper. Sponsor-ships can be secured by calling the League today.

The new Milwaukee County African AmericanAffairs position was recently advertised in theMCJ for qualified candidates.

The Director will interface with the County Ex-ecutive on the issues and concerns directly affect-ing the African American community.

Ralph Hollmon was invited to participate on theselection committee that will be reviewing appli-cants for the new post.

Ralph is welcomed as a community representa-tive, for he has focused on the many issues of theBlack community for years.

Ralph knows the racial deterrents as much as heknows the solutions. He is a respected social serv-ice professional, a dedicated, trusted advocate whocollaborates and listens. This new role, with asimilar position from the City of Milwaukee,should bring a face, a direct contact to the estab-lishment that filters to the community.

Top Black History Monthscholarship programs forAfrican American students

Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- Every year, many companies and or-ganizations give away scholarships to African American students as a wayof celebrating and honoring Black History month. Some of these programshave come and gone, while others have been very consistent throughoutthe years. Here's a list of the programs that are open this February:

#1 - Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship: This program is for mi-nority high school students in the United States. In addition to a financialgrant, the foundation also provides its scholars with mentoring and lead-ership development opportunities, and internships. Apply now atwww.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/03/jackie-robinson-foundation-schol-arship.html

#2 - Fund II Foundation United Negro College Fund (UNCF) STEMScholars Program: This program is open to African American studentspursuing careers in the STEM fields - science, technology, engineeringand mathematics. The Scholars Program includes scholarships, intern-ships, mentoring and other tools to help African American students reachtheir goals. Apply now at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2017/01/fund-ii-foundation-uncf-stem-scholars-program.html

#3 - National Association of Black Journalists Scholarships: Thesescholarships are offered to African American students interested in a ca-reer in journalism. The scholarship is for high school students and under-graduate college students who are planning to enroll or currently enrolledin college full-time and majoring in journalism. Apply now at www.schol-arship-sonline.org/2014/05/nabj-national-association-black-journalists-scholarships.html

#4 - Regions Riding Forward Black History Month Scholarship: Thisscholarship is awarded each year to high school students and college stu-dents. Interested students may apply by writing an essay about African-Americans who have inspired them. Regions Bank awards 32 scholarshipseach year, two in each region where the bank has branches. Apply now atwww.scholarshipsonline.org/2014/01/regions-riding-forward-black-his-tory.html

#5 - Jerry Malloy Negro Baseball League Scholarship: This program isopen to high school seniors who plan to attend college and work towardsa college degree. Two scholarships will be awarded to the students whowrite the most compelling essay on a topic pertaining to Negro Leaguebaseball. Apply now at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/12/sabr-jerry-malloy-negro-baseball-league-scholarship.html

#6 - Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) Scholarships: These scholarships areoffered to outstanding black high-school seniors who are interested in pur-suing careers in technology. High-school seniors of African descent mayapply (for example, African American, Caribbean, African, etc). Applynow at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2015/04/blacks-at-microsoft-bam-scholarships.html

For more 2017 scholarships, visit www.ScholarshipsOnline.org

(continued from page 6)

(TriceEdneywire.com) - CorettaScott King died on January 30, 2006.Yet her legacy is very much alive asa coalition builder, a strategist and amoral voice that confronted detrac-tors but insisted upon non-violent ap-proaches, such as dialogue, protestsand economic boycotts with the endgoal of peaceful reconciliation.

In their own analysis 60-era civilrights leaders used to refer to a Zeit-geist, the spirit of the times, which di-vine dimension that summonsleaders exactly when needed most.

That certainly describes the timingof human rights activist Coretta ScottKing who is experiencing a resur-gence as people take a fresh look atthose who successfully moved them-selves and others forward through the

heavy thicket of discrimination suchas the leading ladies in the wonderfulnew film, Hidden Figures.

A second look at King's legacyshould focus on but go beyond herwell known decades ordeal of suc-cessfully lobbying to make King'sbirthday a national holiday and build-ing the Dr. Martin Luther King Cen-ter for Social Change in Atlanta.Tourists from around the role visitthis site, where her crypt and that ofDr. King are located near EbenezerBaptist church where Dr. Kingpreached and was funeralized.

Coretta King certainly shouldcome to mind as millions gathered inWashington and in sister citiesaround the world last week to mountan overwhelming rebuke to President

Donald Trump's anti-human rightscampaign and his denigration ofwomen, minorities, immigrants andthe physically challenged. Her namewas scrawled on home-made signsscattered throughout.

It is appropriate that we rememberher appeal to women and her globalhuman rights efforts.

That was the capstone of King's 38year mission as she shifted from civilrights to a more global inclusivehuman rights agenda after the assas-sination of her husband, Dr. MartinLuther King Jr in 1968. A favoriteslogan was: "Women, if the soul ofthe nation is to be saved, I believethat you must become its soul."

In 1977, President Jimmy Carterappointed her a nonvoting delegate to

the 32nd General Assembly of theUnited Nations, where she advocatedfor more international focus on thehuman rights of women. That sameyear in Houston, she served as Com-missioner on the InternationalWomen's Year Conference where shecreated quite a stir over her supportfor gay rights, an unpopular issue atthe time.

In her memoir she tells how sheopposed the various women's groupsat the Conference who were advocat-ing a constitutional ban on same-sexmarriage.

"I feel that gay and lesbian peoplehave families and their familiesshould have legal protection, whetherby marriage or civil union. I believeunequivocally that discrimination be-

cause of sexual orientation is wrongand unacceptable in a democracy thatprotects the human rights of all itscitizens."

In the historic 1963 March onWashington-which catapulted Dr.King to fame--women, however,were not allowed to march with theleaders or give a major address. Butwithout a doubt King, would haveplayed a supportive role in theWomen's march as did her daughter,Bernice King.

King was a spokeswoman for so-cial justice causes, both large andsmall, writing a syndicated news col-umn on issues from gun violence, toenvironmental racism, to apartheid inSouth Africa. She was rarely missing

World renowned African Ameircan ball point pen artist,Bill Dotson teams up with company to produce limitededition Barack Obama commemorative collection

Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- BillDotson has received worldwide acclaimfor his brilliant work. From contracts fornational sporting events to internationalcommissions of famous world leaders,Dotson has been heavily sought after forhis unique ability to capture the under-lying essence of these transient mo-ments in history.

He is renowned for his interactive ex-hibitions and masterclasses, where hedemonstrates his exceptional ballpointpen technique.

Unique in form, he developed this ec-centric style while recuperating in the hospital from a serious injury. Able tomove only his wrist, he spent his time doodling on letter correspondencepaper.

These small circular motions would later mature into the distinct craftshipof which he would become known.

It was only fitting that he devote his time, energy, and expertise into creat-ing this masterpiece of one of the greatest presidents and most influentialworld leaders of all time.

Appropriately entitled "Life", "Liberty", and "Happiness", the three worksdraw inspiration from our inalieble rights and the strides President Obamahas arduously taken to champion these values.

"I was very excited about the oppor-tunity of having this collection distrib-uted," Dotson said. "I know a lot offamilies have wanted a momento to re-member this historic period. This is myway of giving back."

The company Dotson's company, Bama Momma,

has the sole goal is to provide theAfrican American community with ahigh quality but affordable keepsake ofthis monumental period.

In order to pursue this momentous en-deavor, they will be partnering with or-

ganizations (newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV) and individualproprietors (bloggers, journalists, social media Influencers) in a cross promo-tion throughout Black History Month.

In return for advertising, they will direct 50% of all proceeds from thoseadvertisements back to your organization. They will provide you with a per-sonalized promotional code (or phrase) which can be used by your contentviewers to receive half off on all purchases. This code will also allow us toeffectively track orders and promptly issue payments back to your organiza-tion.

They will also be offering extreme discounts for bulk orders. This will be(continued on page 8)

Remembering CorettaScott King Among Those WhoMoved Us ForwardBy Barbara Reynolds

Dr. Barbara Reynolds

(continued on page 8)

The Milwaukee Community Journal February 22, 2017 Page 8

Fresh foods are not necessarily right off the grill or stove. Fresh foods arenot preserved in any way. They are sourced locally and can keep their nutri-tional value and flavor while being thoughtfully prepared that very day.

Belonging to a growing consumer class that has some of the world’s biggestand best-known companies struggling to change their business is not justmagic, it’s Millennial Magic! When it’s all said and done, the status of yourhealth and the longevity of your life outweigh convenience any day.

--Paishance Welch, Millennial Magic!

(continued from page 3)

Frozen foodmarket catersto Millennials

beneficial to vendors, organizations who will be hosting large events, andvarious other fundraising initiatives.

For bulk orders, they can provide shipping anywhere in the continentalUnited States. Depending on location, they can also offer personal deliveryand assist with unloading and stocking.

Individuals who assist in initiating bulk order sales during this cross pro-motional period will also be entitled to 25% of proceeds from those sales.

The Product Focused on longevity, their 16" x 20" prints are manufactured in the USA

with high grade material. A supportive backing board is included for addi-tional strength. To prevent scratches and general wear, each of our prints comeenclosed it a protective cellophane sleeve.

(continued from page 7)

Ball point pen artist teams up with company to produce limited editionObama commemorativecollection

in action."Sometimes you win, just by showing up," she said, often referring to her

role as a ministry of presence.King believed that it is citizen action that is crucial to the making of a pres-

ident. She often said that Ronald Reagan did not warm to the idea of a Dr.King holiday until the movement created a groundswell for it with three mil-lion signatures, marches and years of lobbying Congress. He signed it onNovember 20, 1983.

In recent weeks several black leaders have been publicly scourged for meet-ing with President Trump through his transition stage. King, however, wouldhave been knocking on his door, as she did with all the other presidents inher heyday. And she would not have been there for photo-ops or "selfies."As a seasoned coalition building she would have prepared a well- craftedagenda, which called upon Trump to govern as president of all Americans.

In past years, King's influence was mammoth in the shaping of the politicallandscape. She successfully campaigned to elect scores of liberals to politicaloffice, worked with Carter in the selection of federal judges and threw herweight against those who stood in the way of voting rights.

Typical of her role is how she confronted and helped block Alabama U.S.Senator Jeff Sessions who in 1985 was vying for a federal judgeship. Ses-sions, who was called "brilliant," by Trump is his choice for U.S. AttorneyGeneral. In a recently surfaced 10-page letter to the Senate Judiciary Com-mittee, King had called him "lacking in judgement and temperament whowould irreparably harm the work the movement had done to seize a slice ofdemocracy for disenfranchised blacks."

King opposed Sessions for his 1985 attempt to prosecute three civil rightsactivists from Marion, Alabama for voter fraud - accusations that were laterproved unmerited. Her opposition to Sessions ran deep because she grew upright outside of Marion which before the movement launched its successfulvoter rights drive were unable to counter terrorizing attacks om their livesand property. Civil rights activists fear that Sessions will not hold law en-forcement officials accountable for the episodic incidents of unarmed blackmen being murdered, as was done under the Obama administration.

In the battle to stop Sessions and others who seemed primed to push backadvances in human rights, Coretta would not have panicked. In her memoir,she said, "Struggle is a never-ending process and freedom is never really won.You earn it and win it in every generation."

And so it goes.Rev. Dr. Barbara A. Reynolds is the author of seven books. Her latest is

the Life, the Love and the Legacy of Coretta Scott King. Dr. Reynolds canbe reached at Reynew@aol.com

(continued from page 7)

RememberingCoretta Scott King

Ten ImportantAfrican AmericanSites You MightNot KnowNational Parks CommemorateAfrican American History Month

From the bustling streets of Manhattan to thequiet wilderness of the Sierra Nevada Mountains,the National Park Service preserves many pivotal,but lesser known, sites related to the African Amer-ican experience.

These places are among the dozens of nationalparks that convey stories of soldiers, educators, mu-sicians, entrepreneurs, and freed slaves who blazedtrails for all to follow.

During African American History Month, the Na-tional Park Service will laud their accomplishmentsat hundreds of special events throughout the coun-try, including festivals, concerts, panel discussions,author lectures, guided walks, and ranger programs.

“Tourists and teachers alike are familiar with na-tional parks dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr., Harriett Tubman, Frederick Douglass, George

Washington Carver, the Little Rock Nine, and theTuskegee Airmen, just to name a few,” said ActingNational Park Service Director Michael T.Reynolds.

“Most know about the great leaders and momen-tous events associated with the Civil Rights Move-ment and African American history. However,national parks also introduce us to others who madean impact.

Some of them purposely set out to make a differ-ence, others were just going about their lives, buteach made a lasting contribution that deserves aspotlight.”

Consider discovering one of these ten importantAfrican American sites.

African American Burial Ground NationalMonument in New York

This sacred space preserves the remains of hun-dreds of African Americans. From about the 1690suntil 1794, both free and enslaved Africans wereburied in a 6.6-acre site in Lower Manhattan, out-side the boundaries of the settlement of New Ams-terdam, later known as New York.

It is estimated that at one time, as many as 15,000African Americans — many of them slaves — wereburied here. Lost to history, the grounds were redis-covered in 1991 by workers preparing to constructa federal office building.

Biscayne National Park in FloridaOutdoor enthusiasts can thank Lancelot Jones for

providing opportunities to boat, snorkel, camp,watch wildlife, or simply relax in this park that pro-tects aquamarine waters and fish-bejeweled coralreefs. Born in 1898, Jones spent almost all of his 99years living on his family’s land on Porky Key inBiscayne Bay.

He was an extremely successful farmer and fish-ing guide who turned down a fortune from develop-ers seeking to build resorts and refineries on hisland.

He instead sold it to the National Park Service in1970 in order to protect its natural beauty. For manyyears, Jones greeted park visitors and school groupsand shared facts and stories about the area.

Fort Davis National Historic Site in TexasA key post in the defense system of western

Texas, Fort Davis played a major role in the historyof the Southwest. From 1854 until 1891, troops sta-tioned at the post protected mail coaches, settlers,and travelers.

In 1866, a law granted African American soldiersthe opportunity to serve in the peacetime army forthe first time and Buffalo Soldier regiments servedat Fort Davis from 1867 to 1885.

They surmounted the obstacles of harsh livingconditions, difficult duty, and racial prejudice, andgained a reputation of dedication and bravery.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park inWest Virginia

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The Milwaukee Community Journal February 22, 2017 Page 9

accountability. These reforms includean end to the Milwaukee Police De-partment’s practice of conductingstops and frisks without reasonablesuspicion, as well as its practice ofstopping people based on their raceor ethnicity.

The lawsuit also seeks improvedtraining, supervision, and monitoringof officers who conduct stops andfrisks, and the collection and semian-nual release to the public of data onall stops and frisks to permit furtheranalysis for evidence of constitu-tional violations.

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other side of the board, (which repre-sents a degree), they will be morphedinto a queen.

Thus our most important task is tobreak the cycle of poverty, to reestab-lish education as the template, thepassport as Malcolm X described it.Young mothers—middle aged andold ones like Janet Jackson—shouldbe encouraged to educate themselvesso they will stress the importance ofeducation to their children. And theycan start the second after conception.

Eloise Anderson is fond of sayingchildren in first to third grade learnto read, and from fourth grade onthey read to learn. But true educationstarts before school.

Women are the first teachers, andmust embrace that fact if their chil-dren are to succeed. It starts withparental motivation, teaching and apartnership with the school system.

The financial implication I cited isbut half of the equation. Education—particularly an appreciation and lovefor reading—opens the doors to theuniverse.

People often praise me for myunique knowledge of history and po-litical interpretation. I read…every-day…anything that I run across.

My children saw me readingeveryday. I have an extensive librarythat includes everything from earlyAfrican antiquity to the mating habitsof panda bears. When my face isn’tin a newspaper or book, I’m scanningthe Internet to “empower” myself.For that is the source of all power.Knowledge.

Education defines us. It is not onlylinked to economics, but cultural em-powerment.

Learning to count, read and writeis only part of what education pro-vides. Some will suggest the greatestbenefit is obtaining critical thinkingabilities.

As Albert Einstein once opined,“Education is not the learning offacts, it’s rather the training of themind to think.”

How important is it to outthink theenemy when you are outgunned andoutmanned? How can you achieve inspite of it?

My grandfather was educationallyilliterate, but was economically se-cure because he had business andpeople sense.

One of his favorite saying was that“education only teaches you how tospell experience.” That philosophyworked for him, but he too stressedthe importance of education as a

foundation for achievement and at-tainment.

Grandpa came to Milwaukee fromthe deeper than Deep South armedwith a strong work ethic, determina-tion and a cultural foundation fromwhich to build an empire.

He recognized that the further youcan get away from ignorance, thecloser you can get to intellectual en-richment. Of course, being educateddoesn’t necessarily make you smart,but it provides you with armoragainst ignorance and a shieldagainst exploitation.

But far too many in our commu-nity are standing naked before theworld.

For a variety of reasons (not theleast of which is parental apathy, ig-norance and low self esteem) a sig-nificant percentage of our extendedfamily stands under the shadow ofslavery without realizing it.

Many of the high school dropoutsand illiterates will find “employ-ment” in the underground workforce,with futures shortened by prisonstays or death. Drugs represent thelargest employer in Milwaukee, withsubsidiaries that include sex traffick-ing, property theft and violentcrimes.

A large parentage of our extendedfamily will find “employment” withUncle Sam, who steps in as a surro-gate father for a generation of chil-dren without a sperm donor in thehome to provide leadership, eco-nomic stability and spiritual guid-ance…Minister Louis Farrakhanonce said welfare (by whatever

name) spelled backwards is “farewell” to human dignity and self de-termination.

A more incredulous byproduct isthat it cements a culture of poverty,which breeds (no pun intended) gen-erational dependence and self-hatred.

And as our society becomes moretechnologically advanced, education(having a paper) becomes even moreimportant.

You need an associate’s degree tobe a cop or firefighter these days. Atwo-year degree has become the low-est standard for employment for agrowing number of entry-level jobs.And it’s not unusual to find collegeeducated folks seeking jobs that youonly needed a GED for previously.

The alternative is the trades, whereyou can actually make as much ormore money than a peer withmedium education—associate de-gree.

But again, you’re talking about aneducational foundation. You needbasic math skills for most internshipsin the trades, and you better be moreprepared than the White person seek-ing the job, both because of nepotismand racism. That paradigm hasn’tchanged since WWII. It is still easierfor a White high school dropout toget a job over a Black graduate—with a bachelor’s degree.

And I haven’t even touched on theother elephant in the room. In fact,make that Dumbo and Dopebo:drugs and criminal records.

Drugs are rampant in the Blackcommunity, and more addictive thanKool Aid and Flaming Hots. You

don’t hear of heroin overdoses as youdo in the suburbs, but crack contin-ues to be a problem, and marijuana isas open as…well…grass. Fact of thematter is it’s as hard to find a youngbrother or sisters who hasn’t usedweed, as it is to find a virgin.

I’m not a prude. In fact, I’m for thelegalization of marijuana. But untilthat happens, somebody needs to ex-plain to our millennials that it’s notpart of some rites of passage, andtraces of it in your system will blockemployment opportunities, no matterwhat your educational attainment.

I know a young man who can’tkeep his gas tank full, but won’t giveup weed. He says he “gotta have myweed.” It relaxes him, he said, takesaway the stress, the burdens of theday.

Hey, young blood, try meditation,herbal tea, or a good woman.

I linked many job seekers to em-

ployment opportunities only to learnthey didn’t secure the job becausethey flunked the drug test! Give mea break. If you’re going to use it, con-trol it. Don’t let it control you.

I could have written this columnanytime, because the issue would beas relevant tomorrow as it is today, orwould have been yesterday. But it’sespecially relevant now because it isBlack History Month and we shouldgive serious consideration to the his-tory we are making for our tomor-row. Should it read that the FreedomTrain was derailed because the con-ductor didn’t have a degree in engi-neering?

Our ancestors fought so we couldsit at the lunch counter. Today, theCivil Rights Movement must focuson our ability to read the menu, andhave a job to pay for the meal.

Hotep.

ACLUchallenges MPD’s Stop-and-Friskprogram

Signifyin’Signifyin’(continued from page 3)

The Milwaukee Community Journal February 22, 2017 Page 10

Storer College, a historically black college that operateduntil 1955, celebrates its 150th anniversary this year witha series of programs and special events. Following theCivil War, philanthropist John Storer gave a generous do-nation to establish a freedmen's school. Frederick Douglasswas one of the school’s trustees and delivered a memorableoration on the subject of John Brown here in 1881. By theend of the 19th century, the promise of freedom and equal-ity for blacks was in jeopardy. To combat injustices, Dr.W.E.B. Du Bois and other leading African Americans cre-ated the Niagara Movement, which held its second confer-ence on the campus of Storer College in 1906. The NiagaraMovement was a forerunner of the National Associationfor the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Today,the National Park Service continues the college's educa-tional mission by using part of the school’s campus as atraining facility.

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in MissouriThough the park’s most recognizable feature is the

iconic St. Louis Gateway Arch, it is also home to the ma-jestic Old Courthouse which serves as the park’s visitorcenter. The Old Courthouse was the site of the Dred ScottTrial. In 1847, a slave, Dred Scott, sued for his freedom.Although he was originally granted his freedom, aftermany appeals the case went to the Supreme Court. Thehigh court’s decision stated that slaves were property, andas such, had no right to sue. The Dred Scott Decision wasa contributing factor in the start of the Civil War.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park inAlaska

Arriving in May of 1899, the Buffalo Soldiers of the24th Infantry fought a war on two fronts: protecting thecommunity of Skagway while facing discrimination fromthe people they served. During the gold rush, boomtownspopped up on the edges of "the Last Frontier." Skagway inSoutheast Alaska was an important port on the route to thegold fields. It was considered a lawless community swarm-ing with gold hungry stampeders. Early Skagway was de-scribed as "little better than a hell on earth" and "about theroughest place in the world." As a result, the United StatesArmy sent troops to Alaska to bring law and order and pro-tect people and property.

Natchez National Historical Park in MississippiThe historic sites maintained by the park and the sur-

rounding preservation district give visitors an opportunityto understand the region's social, political, and economicdevelopment, particularly pre-and-post Civil War. Theyprovide insight into the region's commercial and agricul-tural history, especially in relation to the Mississippi River,slavery, and cotton. One of the historic houses belonged toWilliam Johnson, an African American who was freedfrom slavery in 1820 at the age of 11. Johnson was a barberwho eventually owned several barber shops, rental prop-

erty, a farm, timberland, and slaves. He also kept an exten-sive diary from 1835-1851 which detailed everyday life inNatchez.

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park inMassachusetts

In the mid-19th century, the whaling industry turnedNew Bedford into a bustling, cosmopolitan seaport com-munity, and one of the richest and most diverse cities inthe world. During the 1840’s and 1860’s New Bedford be-came a haven for slaves seeking freedom because of its op-portunities for employment presented by the whalingindustry, a large Quaker population and free population ofcolor, and a coastal trading system that provided escapingslaves the chance to hide on vessels heading to New Bed-ford from southern ports. Once in New Bedford, some es-caped slaves hopped on boats heading to Alaska to betterguarantee their chance at freedom. The most famous pas-senger on the Underground Railroad to arrive in New Bed-ford was Frederick Douglass. Born a slave in Maryland,he quickly rose to prominence as an abolitionist and anti-slavery speaker after his arrival in New Bedford.

Nicodemus National Historic Site in KansasThis park preserves the remnants of a town established

by African Americans during the period of reconstructionfollowing the Civil War. It is the oldest and only remainingAfrican American settlement west of the Mississippi River.Kansas was seen as a "promised land" for formerly en-slaved African Americans, many of whom headed westlooking for a new life after the Civil War. Nicodemus rep-resents the involvement of African Americans in the west-ward expansion and settlement of the Great Plains. Fivehistoric buildings in the town are physical expressions ofthe five pillars of the African American community -church, self-government, education, home, and business.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in Cali-fornia

In 1903, the Buffalo Soldiers completed the first usableroad into Giant Forest and the first trail to the top of Mt.Whitney (the tallest peak in the contiguous United States).Their leader, Colonel Charles Young, broke ground literallyand figuratively in the park that year. Young, the thirdAfrican American graduate of the U.S. military academyat West Point, was the first African-American superintend-ent of a national park. In addition to protecting the parkfrom poachers, wildfires, and timber thieves, Young wasinstructed to extend the wagon road. Breaking the sluggishpattern of previous military administrations, Young pouredhis energy into the project and by mid-August wagonswere entering the mountain-top forest for the first time.Still not content, Young and his men extended the road tothe base of the famous Moro Rock. During that summer,Young and his troops built as much road as the combinedresults of the three previous summers.

In addition to visiting national parks in person, the Na-tional Park Service has many other ways for people todelve deeper into African American history. Learn more atwww.nps.gov/aahistory. Additional resources include a se-ries of 41 travel itineraries related to African American His-tory and 24 Teaching with Historic Places lesson plans aswell as the Network to Freedom which recognizes sites,programs and facilities associated with the UndergroundRailroad.

Ten ImportantAfrican AmericanSites You Might NotKnow(continued from page 8)

MCJSPORTSMarquette overtakes Xavier

Maquette’sHaanif

Cheathammovesaround

Xavier SeanO’Mara

Golden Eagles player MarkusHoward is congratulated byCoach Steve Wojciechowskiafter scoring 34 points in thegame against Xavier. After thegame, Howard was namedFreshman of the Week in theBig East Conference.

Marquette playerand Milwaukeenative Duane Wil-son reaching for arebound duringMU’s gameagainst St. John’s,which the GoldenEagles also won.--All photos byBill Tennessen

For For 40 YEARS40 YEARS , the , the MILWAUKEEMILWAUKEECOMMUNITY JOURNALCOMMUNITY JOURNAL hashasconsistently informed,consistently informed,analysed and entertainedanalysed and entertainedreaders. For readers. For 40 YEARS40 YEARS , the, theCOMMUNITY JOURNAL COMMUNITY JOURNAL hashasprovided a voice to theprovided a voice to thecommunity, providing edcommunity, providing ed --ucational opportunities toucational opportunities tostudents. We have kept thestudents. We have kept thecommunity’s faith, stayedcommunity’s faith, stayedthe course, and kept ourthe course, and kept ourfinger on the pulse of ourfinger on the pulse of ourcommunity for community for 4040YEARS.YEARS. ..Your ..Your MilwaukeeMilwaukeeCommunity Journal!Community Journal!

The Milwaukee Community Journal February 22, 2017 Page 11

The Milwaukee Community Journal February 22, 2017 Page 12