COMMUNITY VOL. XXXIX Number 51 July 22, 2015
The Milwaukee
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The Blues Were Alright at the Garfield Avenue Brewers Host Annual Negro League Tribute Game Blues, Jazz, Gospel and Arts Festival
The community descended on West Garfield Avenue for the 18th Annual Garfield Avenue Blues, Jazz, Gospel and Arts Festival in the Bronzeville neighborhood Saturday. From Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to North 7th Street, families and individuals partook in the music, food and festivities of this popular summer event.
TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR...
James Beckum (on the left) and Gilbert Hernandez Black (on the right next to Beckum) throw out the first pitch(s) before the Negro League Tribute Game at Miller Park Saturday between the Milwaukee Brewers (wearing the uniform of the Negro League Milwaukee Bears) and the Pittsburg Pirates (wearing the uniform of the Negro League Pittsburg Crawfords). Beckum is one of the founders of the Beckum-Stapleton Little League, the longest-running inner-city baseball program in the country.
PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY
Gilbert Hernandez Black and James Beckum sign autographs during the first 45 minutes of the game on the Field Level Concourse near home plate.
Photos and question by Yvonne Kemp
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
“Looking back on your life, what made you decide to make baseball your career?” RAY B. KNOX: “Baseball was the best thing going for Black (base) ball players we got to travel and play the game we loved and we also got to see places and do things we would not ordinarily do!” REGGIE HOWARD: “As a young child my father and uncle loved baseball. I was fortunate to meet Negro League players from different teams, managers and traveling secretaries which gave me the opportunity to become the visiting team batboy. The rest is history. I eventually became a player for the Indianapolis Clowns.” W. JAMES COBBIN: “Being a baseball player was decided for me at the age of six. At the age of 15, I played under an assumed name so I could play with the Kneww Bow Indians. Baseball was then and became my whole life.”
Photos of Garfield Days Blues Festival and Negro League Day at Miller Park by Yvonne Kemp
Beckum and Hernandez Black participated in the induction ceremony into the Yesterday’s Negro League Hall of Fame. At the Mother Kathryn Daniels Center (MKDC) located at 3500 W. Mother Daniels Way on the grounds of Milwaukee’s Holy Redeemer Church (COGIC). With the two inductees are past inductees (left to right): Dennis Biddle, Lonnie Harris, William McCrary, Reggie Howard, Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, Hernandez Black, Beckum, Ray B. Knox, and W. James Cobbin
GILBERT HERNANDEZ BLACK: “When I was in junior high school, I used to play hooky from school so I could watch the New York Giants play and the Negro League players at the Polo Grounds. I was lucky enough to see Satchel Paige and other Negro League and Major League players play.”
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THE PULSE
The Milwaukee Community Journal July 22, 2015 Page 2
The WHO•WHAT•WHERE• WHEN of YOUR Community!
F o r m e r l y
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C o m m u n i t y
Engineering interns from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s Regional Interns in Science and Engineering program (RISE) visit the new Irgens Partners 17 story 833 East Michigan construction project led by Prism Technical. Parents interested in having their child learn about careers in real-estate and construction should contact Prism at info@prismtechnical.com or 414.847.0990
DeVougas Elected Chair of City of Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission
The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP today announced that Steven M. DeVougas, an attorney in the firm's Product Liability Practice Steven M. DeVougas Group, has been elected to a one-year term as chair of the City of Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. DeVougas was appointed to the board as a commissioner in September 2013. The Board of the Fire and Police Commission is a civilian body which oversees and prescribes general policies, standards, and rules in the Milwaukee Fire Department and the Milwaukee Police Department. In addition to policy matters and employment functions, the commission decides citizen complaints against Fire or Police employees. The commission is comprised of seven part-time citizen board members, and a full-time professional staff led by an executive director. DeVougas joined Quarles & Brady in March 2015. He focuses his practice in the areas of litigation, product liability, and toxic tort. His litigation strategies have resulted in favorable settlements, obtaining judgment, and winning decisions at the state and federal court level. In addition to the Fire and Police Commission, DeVougas is actively involved with numerous organizations throughout the community, including the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic. He received his law degree from Marquette University Law School and his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan.
Be The Change Milwaukee Presents Charlie Westbrook’s “Process To Success” Basketball Camp II, BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
Charlie Westbrook is taking time out of his busy training schedule to facilitate a comprehensive basketball camp for kids ages 7-15. The camp is currently in session until July 24th at the Fitzsimonds Boys and Girls club located at 3400 W. North Avenue. If you missed out on registering your child for this session, there will be a second camp in August. Please visit charlie1westbrook.com to sign up. There is a $10 registration fee and the camp is FREE! Charlie created the camp as a way to use his gifts and talents to give back to the community and share his knowledge and expertise with Charlie Westbrook inner city kids. Charlie is community oriented and passionate about the city of Milwaukee. He is a Riverside graduate and a proud Boys & Girls club success story who continues to work with youth organizations to use his skills and talents to give back to his hometown. Charlie has a vested interest in making sure that kids in his community have an exemplary role model to look up to and he strives to be just that. Charlie has had a successful career as both a college and professional basketball player. Charlie attended the University of South Dakota at Vermillion and went on to accept a spot on the Orlando Magic Summer League team. Charlie was a break out star in summer league in 2012, and at the end he had a difficult choice between three NBA training camps and playing overseas. Charlie decided to broaden his horizons and took a position with Tezenis in Verona, Italy where he led his team into the first series of the playoffs. Charlie then returned home and was briefly signed with the Miami Heat's training camp. He went on to sign with Toulon, France and had an outstanding season. Charlie has a competitive spirit on the court and is a passionate player. His stats speak for themselves as he continues to be a star player in D-League, camp and overseas. Charlie is consistent, both on and off the court, and a solid contender with great local ties to the community. Charlie desires to use basketball to reach kids by teaching them the game that he enjoys, along with mentoring, life skills, and great sportsmanship, which are all qualities that translate to leading a great life off the court as well. The final day of the camp is autograph day. The camp participants will get to meet and greet with other professional basketball players, receive mentoring from them and enjoy and autograph session. Don’t miss pout on this great opportunity, be sure to visit charlie1westbrook.com to learn more about Charlie Westbrook and to register your child today!--Article By Allegra Walls
H a p p e n i n g s
NAACP Milwaukee – Who Really Cares: Back Yard BBQ & Resource Fair
During the event there will be free food, giveaways, music, spoken word and vendors
NAACP Milwaukee Branch will be hosting Who Really Cares: Back Yard BBQ & Resource Fair on Saturday, July 25, 2015 from 12pm to 4pm. The event, which will be held at Washington Park near the Band Shell, will help the community learn about the different job opportunities and resources available in the Milwaukee area, as well as give the community a chance to come together in a positive manner. During the event there will be free food, giveaways, music, spoken word and vendors. Music will by DJ DOC B from V-100 and The Terry Sims band. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights organization. Founded in 1909 by a multi-cultural group of civil rights advocates, the NAACP has stayed true to its mission of promoting and maintaining civil rights for all people. From its inception, the NAACP has worked hard to end practices such as segregation, lynching, employment discrimination, police misconduct, discrimination in schools and voting discrimination. The Milwaukee Branch was founded in 1924.
North Division Alumni Association to hold Old School Jam July 25 At Wisconsin African American Women’s Center
Come and support North Division High School's Alumni Association's OLD SCHOOL JAM, and Membership Drive on Sat., July 25, 6pm at the WAAW Center 3020 W. Vliet St., $15 advance, $20 at the door. Call 414-933-1652 for tickets. Also, if you are interested in what is going on with public education and specifically, North Div. come to Community Brainstorming on Saturday, July 25, 9:00am at St. Matthews Church, 2944 N. 9th St. Michael Bonds, president of the school board, Sen. Nakiya Harris and others will be available to answer questions.
PERSPECTIVES
The Milwaukee Community Journal July 22, 2015 Page 3
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “HOW CAN YOU
TAKE THE MEDIA SERIOUSLY WHEN IT SAYS CAITLYN (FORMERLY BRUCE) JENNER LOOKS BEAUTIFUL BUT SERENA WILLIAMS LOOKS LIKE A MAN!”--COMEDIAN D.L. HUGHLEY
“Can I get a Hallelujah!”
A “Sermon”on Race In America
SIGNIFYIN’ By Mikel Kweku Osei Holt
Every blue moon, an article, commentary or speech crosses my desk that is worthy of serving as a guest column for Signifyin’. The following ‘sermon’ presented by John Metta more than adequately meets that criteria, particularly given events of the past few months. What follows is the text of a “sermon” presented as a “congregational reflection” to an all White audience at the Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ last month.--Mikel Holt
A couple weeks ago, I was debating what I was going to talk about in this sermon; I had great reservations talking about the one topic that I think about every single day. Then, a terrorist massacred nine innocent people in a church that I went to, in a city that I still think of as home. At that point, I knew that despite any misgivings, I needed to talk about race. You see, I don’t talk about race with White people. To illustrate why, I'll tell a story: It was probably about 15 years ago when a conversation took place between my aunt, who is White and lives in New York State, and my sister, who is Black and lives in North Carolina. This conversation can be distilled to a single sentence, said by my Black sister: “The only difference between people in the North and people in the South is that down here, at least people are honest about being racist.” There was a lot more to that conversation, obviously, but I suggest that it can be distilled into that one sentence because it has been, by my White aunt. Over a decade later, this sentence is still what she talks about. It has become the single most important aspect of my aunt’s relationship with my Black family. She is still hurt by the suggestion that people in New York, that she, a northerner, a liberal, a good person who has Black family members, is a racist. This perfectly illustrates why I don’t talk about race with White people. Even — or rather, especially — my own family. I love my aunt. She’s actually my favorite aunt, and believe me, I have a lot of awesome aunts to choose from. But the facts are actually quite in my sister’s favor on this one. New York State is one of the most segregated states in the country. Buf-
THE MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY JOURNAL
falo, New York, where my aunt lives, has one of the 10 most segregated school systems in the country. The racial inequality of the area she inhabits is so bad that it has been the subject of reports by the Civil Rights Action Network and the NAACP. Those, however, are facts that my aunt does not need to know. She does not need to live with the racial segregation and oppression of her home. As a white person with upward mobility, she has continued to improve her situation. She moved out of the area I grew up in– she moved to an area with better schools. She doesn't have to experience racism, and so it is not real to her. Nor does it dawn on her that the very fact that she moved away from an increasingly Black neighborhood to live in a White suburb might itself be an aspect of racism. She doesn't need to realize that “better schools” exclusively means “whiter schools.” I don’t talk about race with White people because I have so often seen it go nowhere. When I was younger, I thought it was because all white people are racist. Recently, I've begun to understand that it’s more nuanced than that. To understand, you have to know that Black people think in terms of Black people. We don't see a shooting of an innocent Black child in another state as something separate from us because we know viscerally that it could be our child, our parent, or us, that is shot. The shooting of Walter Scott (killed by a White police officer after being stopped for a traffic offense; the officer has been indicted) in North Charleston (South Carolina) resonated with me because Walter Scott was portrayed in the media as a deadbeat and a criminal — but when you look at the facts about the actual man, he was nearly indistinguishable from my own father. Black people think in terms of “we” because we live in a society where the social and political structures interact with us as Black people. White people do not think in terms of “we.” White people have the privilege to interact with the social and political structures of our society as individuals. You are “you,” I am “one of them.” Whites are often not directly affected by racial oppression even in their
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own community, so what does not affect them locally has little chance of affecting them regionally or nationally. They have no need, nor often any real desire, to think in terms of a group. They are supported by the system, and so are mostly unaffected by it. What they are affected by are attacks on their own character. To my aunt, the suggestion that “people in the North are racist” is an attack on her as a racist. She is unable to differentiate her participation within a racist system (upwardly mobile, not racially profiled, able to move to White suburbs, etc.) from an accusation that she, individually, is a racist. Without being able to make that differentiation, White people in general decide to vigorously defend their own personal non-racism, or point out that it doesn't exist because they don't see it. The result of this is an incessantly repeating argument where a Black person says: “Racism still exists. It is real,” and a white person who argues: “You're wrong, I'm not racist at all. I don't even see any racism.” My aunt’s immediate response is not “that is wrong, we should do better.” No, her response is self-protection: “That’s not my fault, I didn't do anything. You are wrong.” Racism is not slavery. As President Obama said, it’s not avoiding the use of the word “nigger.” Racism is not
white water fountains and the back of the bus. Martin Luther King did not end racism. Racism is a cop severing the spine of an innocent man. It is a 12-yearold child being shot for playing with a toy gun in a state where it is legal to openly carry firearms. But racism is even more subtle than that. It’s more nuanced. Racism is the fact that “White” means “normal” and that anything else is different. Racism is our acceptance of an all white “Lord of the Rings” cast because of “historical accuracy,” ignoring the fact that this is a world with an entirely fictionalized history. Even when we make stuff up, we want it to be white. And racism is the fact that we all accept that it is white. Benedict Cumberbatch playing Khan in Star Trek. Khan, who is from India. Is there anyone Whiter than Benedict Cumberbatch? What? They needed a “less racial” cast because they already had the Black Uhura character? That is racism. Once you let yourself see it, it’s there all the time. Black children learn this when their parents give them “The Talk.” When they are sat down at the age of five or so and told that their best friend’s father is not sick, and not in a bad mood — he just doesn't want his son playing with you. Black children grow up early to live in The Matrix. We're not given a choice of the red or blue pill. Most
Message to the Black Community and the Black Leadership:
white people, like my aunt, never have to choose. The system was made for White people, so White people don't have to think about living in it. Living every single day with institutionalized racism and then having to argue its very existence, is tiring, and saddening, and angering. Yet if we express any emotion while talking about it, we’re “tone policed,” told we're being angry. In fact, a key element in any racial argument in America is the “Angry Black person,” and racial discussions shut down when that person speaks. The Angry Black person invalidates any arguments about racism because they are “just being overly sensitive,” or “too emotional,” or “playing the race card.” Or even worse, we're told that we are being racist (Does any intelligent person actually believe a systematically oppressed demographic has the ability to oppress those in power?) But here is the irony, here’s the thing that all the angry Black people know, and no calmly debating White people want to admit: The entire discussion of race in America centers around the protection of White feelings. Ask any Black person and they'll tell you the same thing. The reality of thousands of innocent people raped, shot, imprisoned, and systematically disenfranchised are less important than the suggestion that a single White person might be complicit in a
racist system. This is the country we live in. Millions of Black lives are valued less than a single White person’s hurt feelings. White people and Black people are not having a discussion about race. Black people, thinking as a group, are talking about living in a racist system. White people, thinking as individuals, refuse to talk about “I, racist” and instead protect their own individual and personal goodness. In doing so, they reject the existence of racism. But arguing about personal nonracism is missing the point. Despite what the Charleston Massacre makes things look like, people are dying not because individuals are racist, but because individuals are helping support a racist system by wanting to protect their own nonracist self-beliefs. People are dying because we are supporting a racist system that justifies White people killing Black people. We see this in how one Muslim killer is Islamic terror; how one Mexican thief points to the need for border security; in one innocent, unarmed Black man shot in the back by a cop, then sullied in the media as a thug and criminal. And in the way a white racist in a state that still flies the confederate flag is seen as “troubling” and “un-
(continued on page 8)
WE NEEDA PARADIGM SHIFT!
Brothers and Sisters, we must begin to push hard to achieve a real paradigm shift if we are going to have a shot at addressing the issues facing the Black community in America. We are going to have to take a truly sober approach that is void of any one philosophy, ideology, and/or theory that in order to promote and/or establish unity within the Black community. By paradigm shift, I mean a fundamental change in how our ancestors and the Black community will be represented and by whom. I am not talking about some superficial description of unity where all Black people are all doing the same thing at the same time. That’s unrealistic. The unity to which I refer is one of functionality, where representatives (leadership) from all segments of the community are working together around a common and collective agenda and doing business on behalf of the Black community. We cannot otherwise compete, let alone win. LET ME SAY IT AGAIN – WITHOUT FUNCTIONAL UNITY AMONGST THE BLACK COMMUNITY, WE CANT WIN! WE MUST HAVE A PARADIGM SHIFT. What could we possibly could be waiting for when you consider the state of the Black community? Where is the energy to unify the Black community or is that impossible? We must wake up to our reality and stop looking at television. We must look at our job situation; our finances; our families; our neighborhoods, etc. and then we will see the real story. I have been screaming about the ramifications and the perpetual undermining of real Black progress by the disturbing imbalance of wealth and income disparities, coupled with the mass incarceration of Black men at epidemic proportions. While there is limited individual and isolated economic growth amongst some Blacks, as a group, both locally and nationally, the Black community is losing significant social-economic ground and the sad reality is that there is nothing in place now to defend and possibly stop this decline. In addition, we now find ourselves in an environment with the following: • Shrinking public resources, specifically in the areas of our greatest needs (i.e. health, education, social services, economics, etc.); • Significantly diminished public opinion against the use of public policy and resources to correct the legacy of slavery (i.e. many previous ”affirmative action” gains are being challenged in court today); • The Black community appears to be more disunited and too politically weak to mount any real challenge in spite of the fact that Blacks hold political positions; • There is little or no evidence of any movement that is directly connected to the civil rights and/or political movement the 60s and 70s; • The Black community lacks the very little organizational capacity to challenge many of the issues facing them; • Media blitz of Black inferiority and the exaggeration of Black problems which cement the self-fulfillment prophecy. Many Black and non-Black Americans now believe this is “the way it is;” • As a result of chattel slavery, Jim Crowism, and now the powerful industrial prison complex, along with a number of systems that reflect numerous structural deficiencies, the Black community remains very emotionally sick without the aid of any therapy, counseling, and reparations; and • Few have championed a campaign against our cultural crisis, which continues to be weakened by self-destructive and abnormal behavior that is now being modeled by so-called Black entertainers and adopted by our youth. This abnormal behavior has become normal for so many Black citizens that our collective immune system (culture) is under attack.
I asked you where is the organized effort to address the issues facing the Black community (i.e. mass incarceration of Black men; failed education system; demise of the Black family; increased growth of families and individuals living at or near poverty, etc.). There is none. Why? I contend that too many Blacks, even those that are better educated, don’t know what time it is. They don’t know their history, so they can’t know what’s going on. Unless something is done now, the future of the Black community in America will be forever and permanently damaged. No excuse is good enough for our community not making the paradigm shift that is needed to save ourselves . Yes, this is going to be difficult because Black people have all of the individual and collective challenges that any other group has. No one is immune to the challenges of life. Blacks have their share of good and bad within just like every other group. However, in spite of the fact that we have our own life issues, we still must overcome them and initiate a movement to support change for the future. Brothers and sisters, I’m no motivational writer or speaker, but it is my hope and prayer that you become motivated to follow this call to action which is motivated by faith and facts. Some have equated organizing our community to “herding cats.” So I’m asking our Black leaders to support me in creating a cooperative leadership that takes into account our aggregated talents and strengths and minimizes our faults and weaknesses; a leadership that will serve with dignity and honor the future Black people; a paradigm shift that will BREAK THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CHAINS THAT KEEP US FROM BELIEVING THAT WE CAN DO THIS (BLACK INFERIORITY). WE MUST KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR HISTORY AND THE MIND THAT HAS MADE US THEIR ENEMY. Since the 15th century (past 600 years), Europeans have steadfastly held the belief that it is their divine right to rule and govern African peoples, ad infinitum. Africa will forever be defined as the Dark Continent and its people as cannibals, savages, uncivilized, backward and primitive, devoid of knowledge and culture, with evil traits and desires. Nothing could be further from the truth because Africa is the “Mother of Civilization” and has a recorded history of nearly 100,000 years with Africans being pioneers of science, religion, chemistry, mathematics, education, astrology, philosophy, architecture, agriculture, medicine, government, etc. When you don’t know your history you become a victim of the media and educational blitz of white supremacy and black inferiority, which is maintained through their education and religious systems. The primary weapon used by white supremacists to perpetuate and maintain the myth/big lie of European supremacy and white privilege, invincibility, and to maintain the myth/big lie of Black inferiority and nothingness is education (miseducation). The secondary weapon Europeans have used to perpetuate and maintain the big lie is through religion. Ask yourself, if you were the devil/big lie, where would you hide? Religion is the perfect vehicle, because once religion becomes an acceptable tradition, a lie can then be covered within the spirituality of a tradition making it virtually impossible for anyone to question the validity of what’s (continued on page 8)
RELIGION
The Milwaukee Community Journal July 22, 2015 Page 4
Experts Encourage Milwaukee Area Families to Bring Back the Sunday Dinner New Effort Benefits Area Seniors and Meals on Wheels
Herb Beighley from the North Milwaukee County area is on a mission to see more families share sit-down Sunday dinners with their senior loved ones. The reason? New research shows that 50 percent of surveyed families living near senior relatives feel they do not share enough meals with older loved ones, losing an important family connection.* “For seniors, it’s not what’s on their plate that matters most at mealtime – it’s who is at the table with them,” said Beighley, owner of the local Home Instead Senior Care® office. “When seniors share meals with a companion, they have a better mealtime experience – both nutritionally and emotionally.” Almost 75 percent of the people surveyed said they only sit down for a family meal with senior loved ones for special occasions, events or holidays. They say a big part of the problem is time – both not having enough of it and conflicting schedules. To encourage families to make time for these meals,
Huge Annual Rummage Sale
One of the best Rummage sales is back! Huge deals and great finds will be featured at the “2015 Shop ‘til You Drop” Rummage Sale on Saturday, August 1, 2015 from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the corner of 55th & Burleigh Street in Milwaukee. Shoppers who love a good sale always enjoy Transformation Temple Christian Church's annual Shop 'till You Drop Rummage Sale and Barbecue and so will you! TTemple is known for its excellence in ministry and that
the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation® will donate $1 to Meals on Wheels America (up to $20,000 total through July 31, 2015) for each person that commits to regularly scheduling family dinners at SundayDinnerPledge.com. Pledging to have a sit-down dinner with loved ones will help to ensure other seniors will have a quality meal through the Meals on Wheels program. “We hope families will make the pledge to either revive or begin new mealtime traditions with their senior loved ones,” Beighley said. “This small commitment can have a big impact on a senior’s well-being.” To help families across the country host their own Sunday dinner, Home Instead Senior Care has partnered with celebrity chef and mother of four Melissa d’Arabian to develop easy, nutritious recipes. Additional resources include tips for how to involve seniors in meal planning and preparation, pre- and postdinner activities and meal plans for healthy, inexpensive meals that all generations can enjoy. For these free resources and more information on how you can bring back the Sunday dinner and reconnect with your senior loved ones, visit www.SundayDinnerPledge.com or call Home Instead Senior Care at 414-259-9820. * Home Instead, Inc. completed surveys with a random sample of 1,000 households in U.S. and Canada between February 10 and 15, 2015. Participants were 50 percent male and 50 percent female, with 900 households in U.S. and 100 in Canada. excellence is shown in every event including this one. You can shop, stop, eat and shop some more. Items featured include baby items, men's, women's and children's clothing, including the popular “Sunday’s Best” section, home furnishings, books, housewares and more. You will definitely “Shop ‘til You Drop” at this grand rummage event. Join Pastor Ripton A. Stewart and their Men's & Women's ministries and "Shop 'til You Drop" at Transformation Temple Christian Church, 5418 W. Burleigh Street (55th & Burleigh) in Milwaukee. The best rummage in town! For more information contact Transformation Temple’s administrative office at (414) 393-WORD (9673.
Summer gospel concert at Ebenezer Church Aug. 15
On Saturday, August 15, at 6:30 p.m., Ebenezer Church will hold a summer “It Is Well” Con- Joshua Miller cert. Ebenezer is located at 3132 N. MLK Drive. Special guest performer will be Joshua J. Cheryl McCrary Miller. Also performing will be Cheryl McGrary and Heirborn Band. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $10; $15 at the door. Individuals 17 years of age and under will be admitted free. There will be VIP seating/refreshments will be provided for a cost of $20. Door will open at 6 p.m. There will be door prizes, and free parking will also be available. For more information go to withoutdistractionrelationship.c om or call 708-745-4393.
Northwest Funeral Chapel, Inc.’s J.C. Frazier recognized for 25 years service
J.C. Frazier
During the 134th Annual Convention of the Wisconsin Funeral Directors’ Association in Green Bay, J C Frazier of Northwest Funeral Chapel was recognized for his 25 years of service as a Licensed Funeral Director. Frazier has served on the Funeral Director Examining Board, Milwaukee Area Technical College Funeral Service Advisory Board and has represented local funeral directors before the Wisconsin State legislature. Additionally, he has trained a number of Funeral Service Apprentices who have gone on to become Licensed Funeral Directors. Frazier’s funeral service career started after his retirement from the U.S. Army. His training and professional growth came under the auspices of Ernestine O’Bee and William Ford, both of whom had served over fifty years as Licensed Funeral Directors. Frazier guided the transition of O’Bee Funeral Home to Northwest Funeral Chapel and since 1993, he and his staff have served over 400 families annually throughout Milwaukee and its surrounding communities. The establishment of the Northwest Family Activity and Events Center on Good Hope Road and the Northwest Cremation Services on Fondulac Ave demonstrates his continual efforts toward “setting new standards for funeral services in our community.
In Loving Memory Quality Service... a tenured tradition sincere concern at your time of need.
Earnestine O’Bee-Founder
Offering pre-need, at need and after-care services to families in Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and other communities throughout our state.
Hamilton, Charles L. Sr. Age 91 yrs. July 18, 2015. Beloved father of Ethel L. (Andrew)Key, Estrellia Parker, Jamon Hamilton Sr., Charles L. Hamilton Jr., Rosalyn H. McElvain, Katherine J. Davis, Lamont F. (Lavon)Hamilton and Brett J.(Geneva)Hamilton. Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 27 at 11AM. Visitation Monday 10AM until time of services at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020 Patterson, Connell L. Jr. Age 50 yrs. July 18, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, July 29 at 11AM. Visitation Tuesday 3-7PM(Family hr. 6-7PM) at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020 Wilks, James W. Age 82 yrs. July 16, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, July 21 at 11AM. Visitation Tuesday 10AM until time of services at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020 Mallette, Robert L. III Age 37 yrs. July 14, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Thursday 1PM. Visitation Thursday 12 Noon until time of services at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020
J.C. Frazier, Funeral Director
Sumlin, Robert L. Jr. Age 67 yrs. July 19, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 25 at 11AM at Zion Rock Baptist Church 10230 W. Fond du Lac Ave. Visitation Friday 3-6PM(Family hr. 6-7PM) at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020 Patterson, Connell L. Jr. Age 50 yrs. July 18, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, July 29 at 11AM. Visitation Tuesday 3-7PM(Family hr. 6-7PM) at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020 Davis, John S. Jr. Former Robert Fulton Junior High School principal, passed on Sunday, July 19 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 90 years old. Beloved father of John Davis III, Patricia Williams-France and Sharon(Gregory)Patterson. Loving grandfather of Norris Williams Jr., Nia(David)Harris, Mallory Davis, Katherine Smith and Eliot Patterson. Further survived by 4 great-grandchildren, a host of nephews, nieces and other loving relatives and friends. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2015 at 11AM at New Hope Baptist Church 2433 W. Roosevelt Dr. Instate Saturday 10AM at the CHURCH until time of services. Visitation Friday 37PM(Family will receive guest from 6-7PM) at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020
Meatheney, Louis R. Age 55 yrs. July 13, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 24 at 5PM. Visitation Friday 4PM until time of services at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020
Families served by:
Northwest Funeral Chapel O’Bee, Ford & Frazier
Milwaukee 6630 W. Hampton Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53218 Telephone: (414) 462-6020 Fax: (414) 462-9937
Racine 800 Barker St. Racine, WI 53402 Telephone: (262) 637-6400 Fax: (262) 637-6416
The Milwaukee Community Journal July 22, 2015 Page 5
Remembering Brother Taki Raton
Prominent community Black men from a wide-range of professions, backgrounds and spiritual beliefs came together recently at 3500 W. Sherman Blvd to remember and reflect on their friend, mentor, and teacher Taki S. Raton who died suddenly almost two weeks ago. Among the those pictured and who spoke at the memorial service was Community Journal Editor Thomas Mitchell, Jr. (far right seated front), who recalled his friend, who was a contributor to the newspaper and its Perspectives page commenting on issues and examining them from a cultural and historic perspective. Funeral services were held Wednesday evening at Golden Gate Funeral Home. (Photo courtesy of Facebook)
Services set for Velma D. Dye-Lock
Services will be held for Velma D. Dye-Lock, wife of Frank Lock, on July 31, 2015 at Golden Gate Funeral Home, 5665 N. Teutonia Ave. Viewing will be 11until 12 noon, at which time the service will start.
Popular ESPN Radio Sports Talk Show Host Steve Haywood passes
Steve Haywood (pictured at left talking to a Milwaukee Bucks fan during a Bucks game at the BMO Harris Bradley Center), a fixture in Milwaukee sports radio scene since the 1990s, died Sunday at St. Luke’s Hospital after a long illness. He was 48. Haywood was the host of “That Being Said,” and co-host of “The Game” with Bill Johnson, both shows aired on Milwaukee’s ESPN Radio. Haywood was a graduate of Milwaukee Tech High school (1985), and was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (1991). Haywood covered a number of major events, including the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 2002 and the NBA All-Star Game in 2003. Funeral arrangements are still pending. Source-FOX6News (Photo by Bill Tennessen)
Y&E
The Milwaukee Community Journal July 22, 2015 Page 6
YOUTH & EDUCATION
John S. Davis, Jr.
Legendary Black educator John S. Davis, Jr. dies; former Robert Fulton principal changed lives
John S. Davis, Jr., former Robert T. Fulton Junior High School principal, passed on Sunday, July 19 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 90 years old. Davis was born to educators John and Lillian Davis on December 14, 1924 in Patterson, Louisiana, he and his siblings witnessed dedication to educational excellence. He began his learning through his parents, the Louisiana educational system followed by earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in elementary education at Grambling State University (former Grambling Negro Normal College). Upon graduation, he taught history, science and biology at the high school in Homer, LA. Soon after, he met and married the love of his life Dorothy Walker. Davis attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor where he received his Masters of Science Degree in Administration. His life journey led him to Milwaukee where he became a sixth grade teacher at Garfield Elementary School for 13 years before Central Office offered him the position of Supervisor of Federal Projects for the Milwaukee Public School System (MPS). After holding that position for two years, the social unrest of the 60’s required his return to a more hands on participation in the MPS school district. He was appointed to Palmer elementary School in 1967 where he served as the second African-American principal in Milwaukee. Shortly after arriving at Palmer, he was reassigned to Robert Fulton Junior High School where he had a stellar career that spanned from 1968 to 1984. Davis was a faithful member of the Canaan Baptist Church in Milwaukee, WI for 49 years before moving to Louisiana in 2005. While living there, he served as deacon at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Homer, LA from 2005 until his health failed in 2014. At that time, Davis returned to Milwaukee to be closer to his family and united with a new church. His new pastor, Rev. Dr. Archie Ivy from the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church was a former Fulton teacher. Ivy stated, “Mr. Davis was a great leader and administrator. He had an excellent relationship with his students and faculty”. He further shared, “Mr. Davis was very professional. I watched him and learned how to be a principal.” Ivy later became the principal of North Division High School. Davis was very active in the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He also served his country with honor and distinction in World War II as a United States Marine. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 57 years, Dorothy; his parents, John and Lillian Davis; his brothers Frank, Clarence and Winfred Davis; sister Leonez Davis; Mother-in-law Lizzie Blackmon. His memory will forever be cherished by his family. His children, John III, Patricia Williams-France, Sharon (Gregory) Patterson, all of Milwaukee, WI; Five grandchildren, Norris Williams, Jr., Nia ( David) Harris, Mallory Davis, all of Milwaukee, WI; four great-grandchildren, all of Milwaukee, WI; and a host of family and friends. Visitation will be held Friday from 4-6 p.m. followed by family hour at Northwest Funeral Chapel, 6630 W. Hampton Ave. Visitation will be held from 10-11 a.m. Saturday at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 2433 W. Roosevelt Drive, followed by a service celebrating his life
City of Milwaukee Health Department Announces Dates and Locations for 15th Annual Back-to-School Health Fairs Health fairs to be held Aug. 7 at North Division High School and Aug. 14 at Bradley Tech High School
With school season already around the corner, Mayor Tom Barrett and the City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) have announced that the City’s 15th annual Back-to-School Health Fairs will be held Friday, Aug. 7, at North Division High School (1011 W. Center St.) and Friday, Aug. 14, at Bradley Tech High School (700 S. 4th St.). Both events will run from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. “Our annual Back-to-School Health Fairs offer families an opportunity to get their children ready for a healthy school year,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “We are thankful to our generous sponsors for their support and to all the organizations providing services and resources at both fairs.” The health fairs are presented by the City of Milwaukee Health Department and United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County in partnership with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Children’s Community Health Plan, United Healthcare, Molina Healthcare, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, MHS Health Wisconsin, and Milwaukee Urban League. Services at each fair include school-required vaccinations, lead testing, vision and dental screenings. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, a BadgerCare HMO, will also bring Green Bay Packers legend LeRoy Butler as one of the special guests to the 15th annual health fairs. “Each year we serve thousands of children at both health fairs,” said Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker. “Ensuring that families have access to required vaccinations and health screenings is essential to keeping schools and our community healthy year round.” Free backpacks and school supplies will be provided to children with an up-to-date shot record, or those who receive vaccinations and lead testing at the fairs. Children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to receive gifts and services. For more information, call (414) 286-3521 or visit www.milwaukee.gov/health.
MPS' year-round schools are back in session Aug. 3
Back-to-school events set for July 23, 24; students should be in school on Day One and every day to stay on track for college and career success
School begins August 3 for the 11 MPS schools using a year-round calendar. To help ensure students ready to get back into classrooms, the MPSoperated schools on the calendar are hosting two back-to-school events. The Milwaukee Public Schools year-round back-to-school events are: • Thursday, July 23 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at MPS' Nathaniel Hawthorne School, 6945 N. 41st Street, Milwaukee 53209, just south of Brown Deer Park near 41st and Good Hope • Friday, July 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at MPS' Alliance School, 850 W. Walnut Street, Milwaukee 53205, just north of downtown and east of I43 Families will have the opportunity to win backpacks and school supplies and the events include games, treats and roller skating. Limited seats are still available for the 2015-16 school year at many MPS schools and families will also have the opportunity to enroll at the events. Children enrolled in Milwaukee Public Schools' year-round schools should be in school all day, every day - starting with "Day One," the very first day of school. Research shows that students who increase attendance
Students and educators at MPS' Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary School, which uses the yearround calendar. also increase their academic success. The 10 MPS-operated year-round (K4-5) MPS schools on the year-round calendar schools are: • Frances Brock Starms Early calendar have a shorter summer • The Alliance School of Milwau- Childhood Center (K3-K5) break but longer fall, winter and kee (9-12) • Frances Brock Starms Discovery spring breaks. Students spend the • Community High School (9-12) Learning Center (1-8) same number of days in school. Lim• Congress School (K4-8) • Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifeited seats are still open in some year• Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary long Learning (K4-12) round schools. School (K4-5) Photo: Students and educators at Interested families may enroll at • Ralph H. Metcalfe School (K4-8) MPS' Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementhe back-to-school events or at • River Trail School (K4-8) tary School, which uses the yearmpsmke.com/enrollMPS. • Silver Spring Elementary School round calendar
Give the Kids a Real Time Out This Summer Season Wisconsin offers summer fun – from one end of the state to the other
MADISON--From waterparks to arts and culture, summer festivals and more, a world of fun awaits your family in Wisconsin. This summer, give your kids the “time out” of their lives! Splashtastic Fun! Looking to make a splash in your summer? Families don’t have to search any farther than Wisconsin’s premier destinations! Condé Nast Traveler rated the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells one of “The World’s Coolest Indoor Water Parks” in 2014. The Timber Ridge Lodge at Grand Geneva in Lake Geneva is home to the signature 50,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor aquatic wonderland, Moose Mountain Falls, and Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboyan offers a year-round indoor waterpark and mini-golf course, along with relaxing strolls on their lakeshore trails. Summer Arts & Culture! Wisconsin is brimming with arts and culture for the whole family. At the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, travelers can explore 12 art galleries in 99,000 square feet of space – even the restrooms are a work of art! Fun in the form of history and heritage awaits at Milwaukee Public Museum’s new permanent exhibition: Crossroads of Civilization, which explores how the ancient civilizations of Africa, Europe and Asia came together to form an epicenter of complex culture. Travelers can also find a world of rich Hispanic heritage at Latino Arts, Inc., Milwaukee’s only gallery dedicated to showcasing the work of Hispanic and Latin American artists. Wisconsin Fests are the Best! Wisconsin has a long-time reputation for holding fantastic festivals throughout the summer. Nearly everywhere you look around the state, you’ll find a family-friendly festival – the perfect summer time out! Art Fair on the Square July 11-12, 2014 With more than 450 artists from across the United States, Art Fair on the Square is one of the largest and most popular juried art fairs in the Midwest, attracting more than 200,000 to Madison’s bustling Capitol Square. Big Top Parade and Circus Celebration July 25, 2015 The city of Baraboo, hometown of the Ringling Brothers, honors its rich circus roots each summer with an elaborate Circus Celebration Day on the streets of its historic downtown. Enjoy dazzling circus-themed performances, antique circus wagons, walking tours, live music, fun-filled children’s activities, a farmers market and the Big Top Parade. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh July 20 – 26, 2015
Don’t miss the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration featuring more than10,000 airplanes on display and in the air! Join more than 500,000 visitors from 60 countries at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh to celebrate the past, present and future of flight. African World Festival August 1, 2015 (continued on page 7)
Madison’s Art Fair on the Square. (Photo courtesy of travelwisconsin.com)
KALEIDOSCOPE
The Milwaukee Community Journal July 22, 2015 Page 7
the MCJ lifestyle & entertainment section
SISTA SPEAK...SPEAK LORD! Sonya M. Bowman
Zelda Corona
Tara R. Pulley
ACCEPTANCE TIDAL FLOW
The ebb and flow in all of our lives is going the way that it is supposed to go.
We run ourselves ragged when we cease to go with the direction of the tide. Many rough waters will flow our way, but it is in the way that we choose to respond that is important.
I have learned that it becomes counterproductive to resist vs. accepting what is.
We can surely use that energy for more positive means in helping us ride the waves. I recall a man once saying to the stormy waters: “Peace Be Still!” and the waters instantly became calm. We need to speak peace into
our own situations and rest assured. Sonya M. Bowman “It Is What It Is”
ACCEPT ME
I am I Do not change me nor put me down Accept me for what I am No...you need not agree with me But Accept me for I am total in being
I have my faults I have my guilt But that is who I am Perfect I will never be Allow me to be uninhibited Do not pressure me into feeling what I do not feel Accept me when I am flying high As I have Accepted you when you were flying high Do not put me down.....nor make me feel unhappy about me I am I and I like being what I am ME Tara R Pulley "Keeping it Real"
OUT OF CONTROL
How do I embrace the transition? How do I become comfortable with my new role? How do I change from child to caregiver? How do I learn patience when there is frustration? How do I care for the one who always cared for me? How do I balance a tilting scale? I DON'T... God will contend with what concerns me! Zelda Corona Vision Represents Faith!
21st Annual MLK Back to School Festival set for Aug. 8
The King Advisory Inc. will hold the 21st annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Back to School Festival August 8, 2015, at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 1531 W. Vliet St. The event will start at 11:30 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. The purpose of the festival is to connect businesses and the community in order to enhance education for healthy Future leaders. Schools supplies are still needed to make the event a complete success, as are volunteers. Those interested in donating supplies or volunteering can call Nori Carter at 414-975-0584,
Manty Ellis
Manty Ellis and the Jazz Foundation of Milwaukee
A Fundraising concert for the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts
Hear Manty Ellis, one of Milwaukee’s great jazz legends, along with some of best and brightest talents on today’s jazz scene, including Eric Schoor on tenor sax, Billy Johnson on bass, and Victor Campbell on drums. Now re-named the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, the Jazz Gallery has been reborn, featuring art exhibitions, jazz and experimental music, urban poetry and performance. We are raising funds to improve the venue with new flooring, stage lighting and a built in sound system. SUNDAY, July 26, 7:00 PM at the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts 926 East Center Street $10.00 donation is requested
Exposure Associates will present, “At Last: The Best of Etta James, her story, her music, her dance, August 27th at The Hamilton, 823 East Hamilton Street. The retrospective on James will be performed by Andera Riley. Also performing will be the Vertial Essence Dance Company. The event is being sponsored by Exposure Magazine. There will be a networking and wine tasting session starting at 7:30 p.m. The Tribute to Etta James will start at 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 888-807-4777.
Give the Kids a Real Time Out This Summer Season
(continued from page 6) Celebrate African-American culture with an array of music, dance and ethnic foods at Henry W. Maeir Festival Park. Enjoy a fantastic lineup of the best in gospel, R&B, old-school hip-hop and jazz on four stages. With entertainment, delicious fare, shopping, cultural offerings and a children’s village, the festival links tradition with contemporary lifestyles. Wisconsin State Fair August 6 – 16, 2015 The Wisconsin State Fair presented by US Cellular provides plenty of family-friendly entertainment. As the state’s largest agricultural showcase, guests can enjoy mouthwatering food like the Fair’s famous cream puffs, free entertainment and live music on 30 stages, educational programs and fun contests. Tune in to your favorite urban and gospels stations in Chicago for a chance to win family-of-four passes, cream puffs and more! The Great Taste of the Midwest
August 8, 2015 The Great Taste of the Midwest features more than 150 of the Midwest’s finest craft brewers at beautiful Olin Park, overlooking Lake Monona in Madison. Mexican Fiesta August 21 – 23, 2015 Spice up your summer with Mexican Fiesta. The festival offers three days of fun, food, music and culture. This year the festival’s cultural pavilion will feature more than 100 artisans from Mexico. Other event highlights include live entertainment, a marketplace, cultural programming and plenty of delicious traditional Mexican cuisine. Travelers looking for year-round Wisconsin getaway ideas, travel planning, events and free guides can discover their own fun by visiting TravelWisconsin.com on desktop, tablet or mobile devices. You can also choose to “Like” us at Facebook.com/TravelWisconsin or follow along on Twitter at Twitter.com/TravelWI and Instagram at TravelWisconsin.
GOLDENTIMES LILLIE HOWARD
TURNS 100!
Lillie Howard (Pictured at right) turned 100 years of age July 17, 2015. Family, relatives and friends descended on Milwaukee to help her celebrate the century milestone. Howard was born and raised in Alabama. She came to Milwaukee in 1959 and worked for several families as a house keeper, before later becoming a hair dresser. A great support system for her family and friends, Howard did not have children of her own, but raised and nurtured the children of her extended family and friends. Children Lillie Howard who she helped raise were given the necessary skills and reinforcement of their parents’ teachings when ever they were around her. Known as a strong-willed person with a lot of her positivity, caring, humor, and old school firmness and standards, Howard is an exceptional role model for all people who she touches. Even now, Howard is, amazingly, taking care of her younger sister. Howard has traveled around the United States and abroad. She belives the secret of her longevity is to love and treat people with dignity and respect. She also believes all people--regardless of age or circumstance-- should be treated as individuals and should feel empowered to have choice and control over their own lives by finding a reason to laugh every day, which brings longevity.
BIRD LIFE, BLACK LIVES & SUPERHEROES This weekend’s Gallery Night & Day at Ayzha Fine Arts will spotlight birds brought
back from the brink of extinction, the black-lives-matter movement in Baltimore, superheroes of comic book lore and some exquisite portraits in oil. Gallery Night will run from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 24, and Gallery Day will run from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 25. We unveil new works during the quarterly event, which is free, and the artists are on hand to talk about their creations. Minocqua artist Sharon Reilly has done a series of Asian-style watercolors on once endangered birds. Sharon, an art instructor, has worked as a wildlife biologist. Her specialty was avian wildlife. Paintings from her bird series will be unveiled Friday. Milwaukee photographer Brandy Bond has shot some of the angst and anger bubbling on the streets of Baltimore, one of the many American cities where often fatal police action caught on camera has sparked community outrage. Her photographs will be on exhibit. She will also show a video of the protests. José DeHoyos, an artist in residence at Ayzha Fine Arts, will show off his playful side with paintings of comic-book heroes, such as Superman and Spiderman. Milwaukee portrait artist Milton Lacy will have some of his fine works on exhibit. Finally, works by Dominique Whitehurst and new pieces by gallery artists Kevin Boatright and Francis Annan Affotey will be on display. Annan, whose repertoire includes fabric art, will show off colorful bow ties he created. On Gallery Night & Day, art patrons hop from gallery to gallery in Milwaukee. But if you’re not in a hopping mood, you can feel free to stay put at Ayzha Fine Arts. Artist talks will take place between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 and 3 p.m. Saturday. Refreshments will be served both days.
The Milwaukee Community Journal July 22, 2015 Page 8
A “Sermon”on Race In America
(continued from page 3) nerving.” In the way people “can't understand why he would do such a thing.” A white person smoking pot is a “hippie” and a Black person doing it is a “criminal.” It’s evident in the “schoolto-prison pipeline” and the fact that there are close to 20 people of color in prison for every white person. There’s a headline from The Independent that sums this up quite nicely: “Charleston shooting: Black and Muslim killers are ‘terrorists’ and ‘thugs’. Why are white shooters called ‘mentally ill’?” Did you catch that? It’s beautifully subtle. This is an article talking specifically about the different way we treat people of color in this nation and even in this article’s headline, the white people are “shooters” and the Black and Muslim people are “killers.” Even when we're talking about racism, we're using racist language to make people of color look dangerous and make White people come out as not so bad. Just let that sink in for a minute, then ask yourself why Black people are angry when they talk about race. The reality of America is that White people are fundamentally good, and so when a white person commits a crime, it is a sign that they, as an individual, are bad. Their actions as a person are not indicative of any broader social construct. Even the fact that America has a growing number of violent hate groups, populated mostly by white men, and that nearly ALL serial killers are white men can not shadow the fundamental truth of white male goodness. In fact, we like White serial killers so much, we make mini-series about them. People of color, especially Black people (but boy we can talk about “The Mexicans” in this community) are seen as fundamentally bad. There might be a good one — and we are always quick to point them out to our friends, show them off as our Academy Award for “Best Non-Racist in a White Role” — but when we see a bad one, it’s just proof that the rest are, as a rule, bad. This, all of this, expectation, treatment, thought, the underlying social system that puts White in the position of Normal and good, and Black in the position of “other” and “bad,” all of this, is racism. And White people, every single one of you, are complicit in this racism because you benefit directly from it. This is why I don't like the (Bible) story of the “Good Samaritan.” Everyone likes to think of themselves as the person who sees someone beaten and bloodied and helps him out. That’s too easy. If I could re-write that story, I'd rewrite it from the perspective of Black America. What if the person wasn't beaten and bloody? What if it wasn't so obvious? What if they were just systematically challenged in a thousand small ways that actually made it easier for you to succeed in life? Would you be so quick to help then? Or would you, like most White people, stay silent and let it happen? Here’s what I want to say to you: Racism is so deeply embedded in this country not because of the racist rightwing radicals who practice it openly, it exists because of the silence and hurt feelings of liberal America. That’s what I want to say, but really, I can’t. I can't say that because I've spent my life not talking about race to White people. In a big way, it’s my fault. Racism exists because I, as a Black person, don’t challenge you to look at it. Racism exists because I, not you, am silent. But I’m caught in the perfect “Catch 22,” because when I start pointing out racism, I become the “Angry Black Person,” and the discussion shuts down again. So I'm stuck. All the Black voices in the world speaking about racism all the time do not move White people to think about it– but one White John Stewart talking about Charleston has a whole lot of White people talking about it. That’s the world we live in. Black people can't change it while White people are silent and deaf to our words. White people are in a position of power in this country because of racism. The question is: Are they brave enough to use that power to speak against the system that gave it to them? So I'm asking you to help me. Notice this. Speak up. Don't let it slide. Don’t stand watching in silence. Help build a world where it never gets to the point where the Samaritan has to see someone bloodied and broken. As for me, I will no longer be silent. I’m going to try to speak kindly, and softly, but that’s gonna’ be hard. Because it’s getting harder and harder for me to think about the protection of White people’s feelings when White people don't seem to care at all about the loss of so many Black lives.
WE NEEDA PARADIGM SHIFT!
(continued from page 3) being taught or question the lie. The Black man in America has received a double dose of emotional and psychological damage due to nearly 400 years of chattel slavery and Jim Crow terrorism, which produced a natural desire to be educated by a corrupted education system and a civil rights movement that produced the ultimate emulation. Malcom X once said, “Anyone who takes their children to the oppressor to be educated is a fool.” Isn’t this exactly what Blacks have done in America? So what were we taught? We were taught a Europeancentered education instead if an African-centered education and the result is a stronger belief in white supremacy. Black history, which most of us don’t know, is our connection to our ancestors. As a people, we must examine how we got here and what these journeys looked like. We must examine how we survived and what that means to us today. We must also come to know that while we have a big role to play in the self-determination of Black people both individually and collectively, we have been victimized in the worse way possible and now we carry the burden of a “victim’s guilt.” Knowing your true history is the only real anecdote for alleviating victim’s guilt and, if we are unable or unwilling to begin this pursuit, at least we should resist anything that could institutionalize our children who are being traumatized daily. Sometimes the message is outright white supremacy (there are thousands of these messages) and you, by default, must represent Black inferiority. Example: If you say that “white is right”, then, by default you are saying black is inferior. Sometimes the message is outright Black inferiority and there are thousands of these messages, which, by default, infer white supremacy. Example: if you say that you need a good education to get out of the hood then by default you are saying better educated people live in superior neighborhoods and white people are frequently better educated. It becomes extremely hard to overcome the barrage of white supremacy and Black inferiority messages when you don’t have an independent education and religious source. The paradigm shift must directly address the legacy of slavery (structural racism) and the culture of failure. The paradigm shift must involve a strong and massive effort to de-Europeanize, de-mystify, detoxify, and debrainwashing our subconscious minds and the rebuild a sense of Black pride (say it loud, I’m Black and I’m proud). I’m not talking about a song; I’m talking about a movement towards self-valuation and the pursuit of knowledge, restoration of the Black heritage and addressing our collective hurt and pain (therapy) which includes:
• Celebrating Excellence in the Black Community This is why the Black communication tools are so critical (i.e. Black radio, newspapers, TV, etc.) so that we can promote and market the good that is taking place in our community; • Support Black Cultural Organizations and Culturally Enriched Events – We must rally around and elevate our Black cultural organizations. The strengths or weaknesses of these organizations reflect the position of their community. Neighborhood festivals, music concerts, poetry, spoken word, barbeques, parades, etc. must be expanded and increased because all of them provide to the masses of Black people a sense of pride and comfort especially when there is an 24/7 bombardment of negative stereotypes of Black inferiority. • Black Education Studies – We must have Black studies for children in our schools but more importantly, we must have an independent pathway for adults to study Black issues beginning with formal classes; book clubs; study groups; conferences, expert lectures, and group counseling for the hurt and pain that Blacks have been told to get over with. • Address Structural Racism, Discrimination, and Bias – Working with all of our civil rights organizations (i.e. NAACP, NAN, etc.) to address structural racism and negative media stereotypes. Today individual racism is very hard to prove because you must uncover what’s in the person’s heart. However, institutions don’t have hearts but they reflect the climate and culture of its leadership and in addition to the racist outcomes that the institutions demonstrate, if there is obvious bias within the institution and amongst its leadership, this is must be challenged. The paradigm shift for the Black community is a new approach to leadership. Unfortunately, as part of the massive programming of white supremacy and, by default, Black inferiority, Blacks have downright rejected or have not supported Black leadership. As part of our experience in America, we have been encouraged to suspect Black leadership. Black leaders have not been able to work with each other. This has existed since we’ve been in this country. When we have supported Black leadership, it is because white media has approved them and we are made to believe its okay to accept them. Black leadership must be independent and not beholding to anyone except the needs of the Black community. I personally question anyone that calls himself a leader of Black people and isn’t prepared to speak out against oppression of Black people. Even, the human body is designed with leadership (we have a body with feelings and emotions but it is our head that is responsible for leading the body).
FIRST PERSON
By The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998, which represents Milwauikee County Bus Drivers
Union representing Milwaukee County bus drivers explains why they and M.C.T.S. don’t have a contract
The (Milwaukee) County Executive (Chris Abele) wanted to sell the Downtown Transit Center property to Developer Rick Barrett for $500, while O’Donnell Park price tag was $13,000,000, which was rejected by the County Board. The county executive also insists that Park East’s property still be sold to developers for $1. With recent Corporative Council’s report on a potential 17.5 million dollar surplus (May 21, 2015 County Board meeting report), it appears that there is some room for negotiation with the bus drivers/mechanics union. The eight percent raise that M.C.T.S. (Milwaukee County Transit System) says it is offering employees, is nothing but smoke and mirrors. What they are not telling the public is that our health insurance premiums would sky-rocket. They would force us to pay for co-insurance (unknown amount) and the addition of part-time drivers would take away work from full-time drivers, lowering their average wage. Part-time workers would not be contributing to the pension plan, thus reducing pension contributions and putting strain on the Pension Fund. It would also force drivers to work longer (in years) to obtain a reasonable pension. All drivers and mechanics want a FAIR deal, nothing more, nothing less. The reasoning of the bargaining unit for M.C.T.S. of not going to arbitration is absurd. They insist that a third party would not understand the complexity of our system, while the real reason is that if they went to arbitration, they would lose! We invite M.C.T.S. to sit with us and bargain in good faith without arbitrations. We also invite the riding public to contact their County Supervisor at 414-278-4222 and ask them to bring the sides back together, to end this stalemate. The Company’s proposal offers a “Lenient Plan” that we (ATU Local 998) do not totally agree with, unless the following changes are made: • Tweak the Part-Time employees • Negotiate a four-year contract offered by the County Executive.
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The Milwaukee Community Journal July 22, 2015 Page 9
The Milwaukee Community Journal July 22, 2015 Page 10