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Vol. 32 No. 49 • Thurs., Dec. 5, 2013 - Wed., Dec. 11, 2013 • An NCON Publication Serving The Milwaukee Area • 65¢
The disappearing American promise: Honest work, honest wage
By: Raina J. Johnson Special to The Milwaukee Times
Earlier this year, in his State of the Union address, President Obama called to raise the minimum wage: “Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour. We should be able to get that done. This single step would raise the income of millions of working families. It could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank; rent or eviction; scraping by or finally getting ahead.” Elected officials and a nation full of hard-working Americans, primarily in the fast food, retail and home and health care industries have responded to the call. A Democratic senator from Iowa, Tom Harkin,
chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and Representative George Miller (D-CA) introduced the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by the year of 2015. Workers in the fast food and retail industries from all across the country are urging elected officials to raise the federal minimum wage which stands at $7.25 an hour. The last increase to the federal minimum wage occurred in 2009 when it went up from $6.55 to $7.25; before that, the minimum wage was stuck at $5.15 an hour for ten years. As President Obama said in his speech, “We know our economy is stronger when we reward an honest day’s work with honest wages. (Continued on pg. 2)
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Kathie Walker, lead organizer at MICAH (Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope), is pictured here speaking before state lawmakers on the high cost of low wages.
An evening of elegance and grace: The Class of 2013 Debutantes
Photos By Yvonne Kemp
The 40th Annual Alpha Kapa Alpha Debutante Cotillion was held at the Milwaukee Pfister Hotel on Saturday, November 30, 2013. This event was sponsored by the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. See page 2 for the full list of Debutantes.
The Christian Business and Professional Alliance held their 33rd Annual Debutante Cotillion on Friday, November 29, 2013 at the Milwaukee Hilton Hotel. See page 2 for the full list of Debutantes.
Mt. Zion Church Outreach Ministry Community Dinner and Fashion Share For more than a decade, the congregation at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 2207 N. Second St., has hosted their annual Thanksgiving Day Outreach Ministry Community Dinner and Fashion Share on Thanksgiving Day to pray, fellowship, eat and share some of their blessings with less fortunate individuals. Last Thursday was no exception, and everyone who participated was greeted in the stairwell to the fellowship hall with the wonderful aroma of oven roasted turkey, cornbread dressing, macaroni, green salad and a wide assortment of desserts and beverages where everything was in abundance. After dinner, door prizes were presented to the lucky individuals recognized by raffle tickets. School supplies were given to students and individuals in need of gently used clothing. They were allowed to select items from several tables stacked with a tremendous assortment of men’s pants, ladies dresses, shirts, and shoes donated by members of Mt. Zion. Pictured here are Thanksgiving Day Program Chairperson Lynda Guyton and Bertha Lipsey, Chairperson of the Mission Society. Rev. Dr. Louis Sibley, III, is pastor. For more from this event see page 12.
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