Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper Digital Edition Issue January 12, 2023

Dr. Denita Ball sworn in as first female African American Sheriff

Dr. Denita R. Ball was sworn in on Friday, January 6, 2023, as the 66th Sheriff of Milwaukee County. She is the first female sheriff in Milwaukee County and the first African American female sheriff in Wisconsin. The historic community ceremony took place at the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center, 750 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr. The Honorable Chief Justice Mary Triggiano swore in Dr. Ball as the new Milwaukee County Sheriff.

Anna Marie Hodges sworn in as Clerk of Circuit Court

Anna Marie Hodges was sworn in as the Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court on Thursday, January 5, 2023, at the Rotunda of the Milwaukee County Courthouse. She made history as the first African American female elected to this office. The Honorable Judge Maxine Aldridge White administered the oath of office.

Photos by Yvonne Kemp

Photos by Yvonne Kemp

Damar Hamlin could be released from a Buffalo hospital in the next day or two

A week after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing the Cincinnati Bengals, doctors are hoping Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is healthy enough to be released from a Buffalo hospital within 24 to 48 hours, Michael Hughes, senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Kaleida Health, told CNN on Tuesday, January 10, 2023.

Doctors are finishing tests and are identifying possible causes of the event, including whether there were any pre-existing conditions that played a role in Hamlin’s January 2 cardiac arrest.

“Hamlin is going through a series of testing and evaluation today,” Kaleida Health said in a statement Tuesday. The Buffalo General Medical Center team will also “potentially treat any pathology that may be found, as well as plan for his recovery, discharge and rehabilitation.”

Hamlin himself updated his fans Tuesday afternoon.

“Not home quite just yet,” Hamlin tweeted. “Still doing and passing a bunch of test. Special thank-you to Buffalo General it’s been nothing but love since arrival! Keep me in y’all prayers please!”

Hamlin was transferred from a Cincinnati hospital to the Buffalo hospital onJanuary 9th after doctors determined his critical condition had improved to good or fair

– surpassing expectations.

“We felt that it was safe and proper to help get him back to the greater Buffalo area,” Dr. Timothy Pritts, chief of surgery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, said Monday, January 9, 2023 .

Hamlin’s parents flew from Cincinnati back home to Pittsburgh but then flew to Buffalo. They were en route Tuesday from the Buffalo Bills’ practice facility and were expected to arrive at the hospital to see Hamlin soon.

Hamlin, a second-year NFL player, has been regaining strength over the past several days after his sudden collapse after a tackle against the Bengals in Cincinnati.

“He’s certainly on what we consider a very normal to even accelerated trajectory from the life-threatening event that he underwent,” Pritts said, “but he’s making great progress.”

Normal recovery from a cardiac arrest can be measured in weeks to months, Pritts explained. But Hamlin has been beating that timeline at each stage and is neurologically intact.

Still, Pritts said it’s too early to say when Hamlin could

get back to normal life or what caused his heart to stop, saying more testing is needed.

Hamlin was sedated and on a ventilator for days after his cardiac arrest. On Friday morning, the breathing tube was removed, and Hamlin began walking with some help by that afternoon, his doctors said Monday.

The safety’s condition was upgraded Monday because his organ systems were stable and he no longer needed intensive nursing or respiratory therapy, doctors said.

“He walks normally,” said Dr. William Knight, a neurovascular critical care expert who treated Hamlin at UC Health. “He is admittedly a little weak. I don’t think that’s of any real surprise after what he went through, just regaining his strength. And that’s part of his recovery process.”

Hamlin’s release Monday meant he could return to Buffalo, which prompted even more encouragement and eagerness for some of his teammates to see him again.

“Super excited that he’s back in Buffalo and what a job that the team of docs and the medical team did out in Cincinnati, and now he’s in great care here in Buffalo. We’re happy to have him back,” Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott told reporters Monday.

After seeing him Monday, McDermott said Hamlin was “tired” but seemed happy. “Happy to be back in Buffalo and around a familiar area to him. I know he’s taking it just one step at a time.”

The coach also said his team has grown since Hamlin was injured, saying such

experiences nurture growth.

“We will all have grown as people, and as men in this case,” McDermott said, noting there’s a plan in place for the players and staff to visit Hamlin “at the proper time.”

“Having him nearby will give us more comfort” and inspire the team as it prepares for the postseason, McDermott said.

Although Hamlin was not with the team when they played Sunday against the New England Patriots, his support was definitely felt. When his team scored a touchdown, Hamlin set off alarms in the ICU, Pritts said.

“When the opening kickoff was run back, he jumped up and down and got out of his chair and set – I think – every alarm off in the ICU in the process, but he was fine, it was just an appropriate reaction to a very exciting play. He very much enjoyed it,” Pritts said.

Hamlin was “beyond excited” Sunday and felt “very supported by the outpouring of love from across the league, especially from the Buffalo area. We’ve learned this week that the Bills mafia is a very real thing,” Pritts added.

Larresa Taylor is excited to announce her candidacy for Aldermanic District 9

On January 2, 2023, Larresa Taylor announced her candidacy for Aldermanic District 9. Taylor is a mother of three, a military veteran, a school teacher and a community advocate. Her service in the City of Milwaukee as a block watch captain for more than 20 years has prepared her well for the opportunity to become the 9th District Alderwoman. Residents can be assured that their voices will be heard and their concerns are addressed at city hall, when she is elected.

As a Milwaukee Public School teacher for the past 17 years, Larresa not only served the students but for the past

4 years she has served as a lead union representative.

Larresa Taylor understands the need for resources and opportunities in the entire community of 40,000 residents. She is ready to address their concerns and community needs of quality housing, employment opportunities, safe and clean neighborhoods and access to resources to help improve their quality of life. In addition, the elimination of blight supporting small businesses and overall economic development are critical to the future of the

district and are issues Ms. Taylor will be focused on.

Larresa Taylor will provide the best possible service to all off the residents in the district while bringing trustworthi-

ness reliability, compassion, and collaboration. Larresa Taylor is Taylor Made for the 9th District and is working diligently to earn the votes of every 9th District resident.

Boyd: King embraced 'tension,' being labeled 'extremist' and was 'drum major for justice'

By: Oseye Boyd

Do you know who the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was? I mean really was.

Not this sanitized version of “a man who had a dream” that “his four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

I’m not sure how this whitewashed version of King has proliferated our culture, but it does his legacy a disservice to reduce someone who stood for so much to so little. But this is the Dr. King, who died at 39 on April 4, 1968, most will remember and celebrate on Monday. King even pivoted from that dream, saying it "turned into a nightmare."

Over the years, I’ve realized people who love to quote this speech, and in particular, this part of the speech, don’t know who King was and don’t understand America at the time. First, King wasn’t talking about a race-blind society. He was talking about one where being a Negro, the word used at the time, didn’t automatically mean second-class citizen, didn’t mean that you had to work twice as hard to get into the same position as a white person, didn’t mean you had to sit at the back of the bus, use the back entrance of a business or get up from your seat because a white person wanted you to. He wasn’t saying don’t see black people. He was saying don’t treat black people differently based on simply being black.

Second, the fact that King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is so often quoted and his birthday a national holiday would make one believe he was treated well during his lifetime. He wasn’t. A Gallup poll in 1966 found 63 percent of Americans had a “negative opinion” of King.

King also was under FBI surveillance — the same type of surveillance tactics used against Soviet agents were used against King, according to William Sullivan, who was head of the FBI’s domestic intelligence division at the time. To the FBI, King was “the most dangerous Negro of the future in this Nation from a standpoint of communism, the Negro and national security.”

I also find it ironic — and a tad bit disgusting — that many of the people who love to quote King would have been anti-King during his short lifetime. And, they would be anti-King today, if they took time to know who he truly was.

King was radical. He was revolutionary. Yes, he was nonviolent, but he wasn’t afraid of going against the status quo. Nonviolence was a chosen strategy, and just like protesters today who use nonviolence, King was told there were better ways to go advance social justice.

In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King replied to eight white religious leaders who made a public statement of concern and caution about his tactics. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was written today.

“You deplore the demonstrations that are presently taking place in Birmingham. But I am sorry that your

statement did not express a similar concern for the conditions that brought the demonstrations into being. I am sure that each of you would want to go beyond the superficial social analyst who looks merely at effects and does not grapple with underlying causes.”

These words brought to mind the racial and social justice protests in 2020, sparked by the murder of George Floyd. So many were quick to condemn the protesters without trying to understand the reasons for the protests.

“Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has consistently refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. I just referred to the creation of tension as a part of the work of the nonviolent resister. This may sound rather

shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word ‘tension.’”

That nonviolent “creative tension” made me think of athletes kneeling during the national anthem to bring awareness to police brutality and work toward change. It was hijacked and turned into an anti-American sentiment. King was an advocate for using nonviolent, dramatic and drastic means to get attention. King’s use of tension reminded me of how I agitated some when I used the word “agitation” in my first column. Change doesn’t happen when you’re comfortable.

“History is the long and tragic story of the fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups are more immoral than individuals.”

King doesn’t hold back. Seems like King knew white privilege existed. No, he doesn’t explicitly call it white privilege, but what other group in the United States of America during this time could he be referring to? It certainly wasn’t Native Americans.

“But as I continued to think about the matter, I gradually gained a bit of satisfaction from being considered an extremist. Was not Jesus an extremist in love? — ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.’”

While this King may seem different from the King paraded around on Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations and remembrances, he’s not. You can find him in "The Other America." If you delve deeper into the “I Have a Dream” speech, you’ll see this King there, too.

"This note was a promise that all men — yes, black men as well as white men … It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. … America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds. … We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.”

He asked to be remembered as a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness. Instead, he’s often remembered as a dreamer. Passively instead of the man of action that he was. That’s shameful.

Order Of Service

Sunday School.........................9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship....................11:00 a.m.

Tuesday Night Prayer................7:30 p.m.

Wed. Night Bible Study.............7:30 p.m.

Fri. Night Spiritual Warfare.......7:30 p.m. Contact Pastor Eddie Guyton (414) 698-3038

Faith

of

Holy Cathedral Church Of God In Christ

Bulletin Board

Milwaukee Public Schools has honored 122 students who completed graduation requirements during the fall semester and earned the right to wear a cap and gown. Students walked across the stage and received diplomas in front of family and friends. The district released a graduation video on January 7, 2023, on the district YouTube channel to celebrate the occasion and can be viewed at https://mpsmke.com/wintergrad.

Graduates represented schools across the district: Bradley Tech, Grandview, Groppi, Hamilton, Madison, Milwaukee High School of the Arts, North Division, Obama, Project Stay, Pulaski, Riverside, South Division, Transition, Vincent, Washington, and Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning. A number of students also graduated from the Milwaukee Virtual Program, which offers virtual education for children in kindergarten through grade 12.

Along with diplomas, every graduate received an MPS Alumni pin representing their membership in the MPS Forever Family. Graduates are encouraged to stay connected with their schools as they advance through their careers and can log into the MPS Alumni Hub to receive updates about the district.

MPS is proud to present these students with diplomas and send them on their personal journeys ready for college and career.

MPS issues statement on the passing of Townsend Street School principal Burton was former Milwaukee Times intern

Milwaukee Public Schools today released the following statement regarding the passing of Principal Deanna Burton:

“It is with great sadness that Milwaukee Public Schools shares that Dr. Deanna Burton, principal at Townsend Street School, passed away Thursday, December 22, 2022. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and the school community especially during the holiday season.

“During her years of service in Milwaukee Public Schools, devoted to the needs of her students, Dr. Burton worked as a teacher and a princi-

pal. Dr. Burton dedicated 22 years of her life to education, many of which were spent with Milwaukee Public Schools. She was named the principal of Townsend Street School in January, 2022. She worked to create a welcoming learning environment for all. She will be greatly missed by the Townsend Street School staff, students, and MPS community."

Milwaukee Public Schools is providing support to the students and staff at Townsend Street School and throughout the district.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, January 7, 2023 at Ebenezer Ministry

and Family Worship Center, 3132 N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive.

The district asks that the family’s privacy, along with that of our students, be respected during this difficult time.

Cognitive decline linked to ultra-processed foods Research reveals need for healthy changes in 2023

For many Americans, ushering in the new year means developing a list of resolutions. Becoming a healthier eater is one of the resolutions most frequently seen at the top of the list, and for a very sound, evidence-based reason. Ultra-processed foods make up more than half of Americans' diets. Research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in 2022 suggests that eating ultra-processed foods for more than 20 percent of your daily calorie intake every day could set you on the road to cognitive decline.

“Research continues to show that what we eat can impact our brain health as we age,” said Kate Kahles, Program Manager, Alzheimer’s Association. “At the same time, there has been an increase in the availability and consumption of fast, processed and ultra-processed foods. There are steps we can take to good care of our brain health, including a hearthealthy, balanced diet low in some of the ingredients often found in processed foods like saturated fat, refined grains, and sugar, and high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats, often found in vegetables and

fruits.”

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are foods that undergo significant industrial processes and contain large quantities of fats, sugar, salt, artificial flavors, colors, stabilizers, and preservatives. Examples include sodas, sugary breakfast cereals, white bread, potato chips, and frozen foods, such as, pizza, ice cream, hamburgers, and fries.

In the study, scientists at the University of São Paulo, examined the diets and cognitive function test results of more than 8,000 adults in Brazil over 8 years. Research found that people who consume the highest amount of

UPF (more than 20 percent of daily caloric intake) have a 28 percent faster decline in global cognitive scores – including memory, verbal fluency, and executive function.

“I’m not suggesting you have to skip those favorite Super Bowl snacks completely,” Kahles said. “It's about balance and about adding in more fresh foods, and less of foods containing saturated fat, refined grains, and sugar, which ultimately will benefit brain health. There are a lot of practical ways to modify our diets. Maybe add a few more carrots to the snack table and a few less potato chips and cheese. It’s a winwin for everyone.”

Six great ways to work out in winter

Winter can sometimes make working out seem less than desirable. Who wants to bother with piles of snow just to make it to the gym? Who wants to dress like a mummy or risk falling down on ice just to go for a run or a walk? Also, relaxing in a warm armchair on a cold day with a hot, delicious (and calorie-loaded) beverage or snack is one of the great winter pleasures out there.

But you still need to work out!

Although you may want to stay snuggled up at home, winter shouldn’t be a time that your fitness plans hibernate. With the right attitude and mix of exercises, winter can actually be a fantastic time to mix up your workouts, get creative and even reignite your love of fitness by trying new, fun activities. Not to mention, exercise can help you beat those winter blues!

How to exercise in winter 1. Change your mind.

Winter isn’t just about cold weather, it’s a whole new season! Embrace the time of year by sitting down and revisiting your goals, then plan out what you’d like to accomplish during the next few months.

We’re all so busy these days that time seems to fly, which is why it’s important to re-

flect on our past accomplishments and current goals. It can help you see winter in a new, inspired light.

2. Go out and play!

If you can’t seem to muster the energy to work out this time of year, try “playing” instead. You can burn quite a few calories playing indoors or out. The best part about playing is that it doesn’t feel like working out—though you can still get your heart rate up and have an excellent cardio session.

Have a blast in the winter wonderland outside by making snow angels (214 calories burned per hour on average), having a snowball fight (319 calories burned per hour), or even building a snowman (285 calories burned per hour). No snow in your area? Try ice skating—an activity you can do indoors or outdoors. Ice skating can burn more than 450 calories per hour—and it’s a blast!

3. Get creative at home.

Sure, getting to the gym can be more of a hassle when it is cold outside, but never use snowy weather as an excuse to miss your daily exercise. Instead, work out at home, where it’s cozy and warm.

Whether you pop in a new workout DVD, invest in a few pieces of fitness

(Continued on pg. 11)

New problems with words or speaking is a warning sign of Alzheimer’s. Learn more at alz.org/10signs

KNOW WHERE ALZHEIMER’S AND ALL DEMENTIA HIDE.

DAD IS TRAILING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS SENTENCES.

The Pauline Redmond Coggs Foundation, Inc., awards nine community organizations

The Pauline Redmond Coggs Foundation, Inc., established by the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Epsilon Kappa Omega Chapter, awarded nine organizations with $1,200 each on Saturday, January 7, 2023. Those organizations presented an award along with their representatives included: ABCD (After Breast Cancer Diagnosis) – Ellen Schupper; Common Ground Heathcare Cooperative – Jennifer O’Hear; Cynthia’s Breast Cancer Giv-

ing Circle – Cynthia Hooker; Mother’s LUV – Kimberly Alexander; Milwaukee Catholic Home – Julia Means; Sojourner Family Peace Center – Lindsay Schoettlin; Artists Working in Education – LaShawdra Vernon; Gates Family Center – Yolanda Gates; and, IDA WI – Priscilla Gresens. Seated with the award recipients are the Foundation’s President, Debra Brown Wallace and Vice President, Tanzanique Carrington.

Photo by Martinez Milton, Jr.

Dream’ - address at The March on Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963

"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

"But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.

"In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

"It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there

are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

"It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until

the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

"We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.

"We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

"And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are

asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

"I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

"Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

"I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

"I have a dream that one day even the state of Missis-

sippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

"I have a dream today.

"I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor’s lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

"I have a dream today.

"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

"This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

"This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

"And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious (Continued on pg. 11)

Dr. King at the March on Washington, August 28, 1963.

The meaning of The Martin Luther King, Jr., birthday holiday in 2023

By Douglas Haynes Vice chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of California, Irvine

Monday, January 16, 2023 marked the 37th anniversary of the federal holiday in honor of Rev. Martin Luther King’s birthday. Signed into law in 1983 and first observed in 1986, the holiday is a deserving tribute to King for advancing civil rights and social justice through non-violent protest. His was only the second birthday designated as a federal holiday after the observance of George Washington’s birthday. The making of their respective holidays reveals the still unresolved tension between independence and freedom in the making of the United States.

Washington secured the nascent democracy as general and as its first president (1789-1797). As a Baptist pastor, King led a mass movement for freedom and

human rights in the twentieth century. Washington accepted slavery even while he defended the revolution. In confronting white supremacy, King challenged a fundamental contradiction at the heart of the United States, one that denies equality for all. One was a slave owner. The other was descended from slaves.

At 67, Washington died on December 15, 1799 on his plantation in Mount Vernon

VA. His wife Martha was at his side. At 39, King was a private citizen engaged in public protest when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, TN. As president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, King was preparing to lead a march in support of striking black sanitation workers as part of the Poor People’s Campaign. Shot in the face, King died in the company of movement associates.

The country celebrated Washington in many ways, including readings of his farewell address and local parades. On January 31, 1879 Congress declared Washington’s birthday as a federal holiday. Even though Lincoln preserved the union during the Civil War, Washington’s birthday promoted sectional reconciliation. It focused attention on the country’s origins in revolution while ignoring slavery and the condition of black Americans. Two years before Congress honored Washington, President Rutherford B. Hayes removed federal troops from former confederate states. This decision would facilitate the restoration of unchecked white supremacy for nearly one hundred years.

Born in 1929, King’s existence as a black man was always contingent and conditional. In insisting that America live up to its promise, black men and women had no choice but to sacrifice their bodies and lives. King’s assassination was not the first. NAACP representative Medgar Evers was gunned down in front of his home in June 1963 in Jackson, MS. Age did not exempt black children from racial terrorism. In September 1963 four young girls—Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Carol Denise McNair—were killed when the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL was bombed.

Following King’s death, multiple petitions and bills submitted to Congress proposing a federal holiday in his honor failed to garner support. However, a growing number of states observed his birthday. In the second verse of the 1980 hit song Happy Birthday, Stevie Wonder ponders

"I just never understood How a man who died for good Could not have a day that would be set aside for his recognition. Because it should never be Just because some cannot see The dream as clear as he That they should make it become an illusion"

Fifty-five years after King’s death, the promised land where black people “take their rightful place on earth,” remains elusive. The protests against police brutality and the demonstrations in support of Black Lives are a powerful reminder that the United States has yet to fulfill its promise to black Americans. King’s closing words at the Bishop Charles Mason Temple the night before his death capture the purpose and meaning of black protest and sacrifice. “I might not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land.”

On this MLK Day let us all re-dedicate ourselves to building a promised land where black protest and sacrifice are not a requirement to live in the United States.

Winter workout

(Continued from pg. 8)

equipment, or even just use your body weight for a killer workout, exercising at home can be a convenient (and fun!) solution to staying on track. And the best part about working out from your own home? You don’t have to worry about sharing a TV with fellow gym goers or possibly catching an illness at the gym. Home really is where the (healthy) heart is.

4. Try something new. There’s nothing like signing up for a new class or joining an indoor sports league to get you up and moving during chilly months. By trying something new, you reignite your motivation for fitness, cold weather, and all!

Whether it’s indoor volleyball, a dodgeball league, a bootcamp class or even tennis lessons at a local indoor racquet club, participating in a regular activity that you’ve paid for (or have teammates counting on you to play in) is a fantastic way to stay active in the wintertime. You might

even make some new friends or learn some new skills.

5. Set a big goal…and some little goals.

If winter weather leaves your motivation to exercise colder than an icicle, heat things up with a challenging, new goal. It can be anything from losing those last 10 pounds, to running a 5K (yes, you can still run outside in the cold) or even doing a full pull-up, but choose a goal that you really want and

that will stretch you beyond your comfort zone to reach it.

Setting a smart goal that you then break down into smaller, achievable action steps is a great way to start. Instead of focusing on simply working out this winter, this type of goal-setting allows you to focus on the bigger picture—your dreams.

6. Get excited.

If you’ve never been a winter fan, start focusing on what you do love about it and how this time of year provides new opportunities for your fitness and health.

From eating delicious in-season produce (oranges, kale, and chestnuts, oh my!), to curling up with a big mug of sugar-free hot cocoa in front of the fireplace after a long workout, there is much to love about winter when you embrace and appreciate it.

While there are many great workout options this winter, be sure you always stay safe no matter what you do—especially if you decide to enjoy the winter weather outdoors. But most of all, have fun out there. It’s a wonderful time of year—enjoy.

'I Have A Dream' (Continued

from pg. 10)

hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

"Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

"Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!

"But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

"Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Ten-

nessee!

"Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

"When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last'!"

January 12, 1948

– U.S. Supreme Court rules that African Americans have the right to study law at state institutions.

January 13, 1990 –L. Douglas Wilder becomes first African American U.S. governor (Virginia) since Reconstruction.

1913 – Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated becomes the 2nd black Greek letter organization.

January 14, 1975

– William T. Coleman named U.S. Scretary of Transportation.

January 15, 1908 – Alpha Kappa Alpha, first African American sorority, is founded at Howard University.

January 16, 1978

– NASA names black astronauts: Maj. Frederick D. Gregory, Maj. Guion S. Bluford, and Dr. Ronald McNair.

January 17, 1942 – Threetime heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali born.

January 18, 1856 – Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, pioneer heart surgeon, born.

I-94 East-West Freeway

Impact Statement

Comment Period Extension

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration continue to encourage stakeholder input in the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the I-94 East-West Freeway Corridor Study from 70th Street to 16th Street.

Two public hearings were held in December 2022. Materials from the hearings and public involvement efforts are on the I-94 East-West project web site. wisconsindot.gov/94eastwest

The official comment period is extended to January 31, 2023. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments via:

Online comment form on the I-94 East-West project website: wisconsindot.gov/94eastwest

Email, mail or phone to WisDOT Project Manager Josh LeVeque:

joshua.leveque@dot.wi.gov

Josh LeVeque, Wisconsin Department of Transportation – Southeast Region 141 NW Barstow, STE 218 PO Box 798, Waukesha, WI 53187-0798

(414) 750-1468

Comments must be emailed or postmarked by January 31, 2023.

Mrs. FuMbanks' birthday salutes "Wishing you all the best!"

January 1st Demond T. Coleman

January 3rd Faith Fumbanks

January 4th Joyce Davis Ollie Lever

January 5th

Dominique Fumbanks James Edwards Fumbanks, Jr. Henrietta Smith Tamikia Saffold

January 6th Dave Randle

January 7th Lakia Chamberlain

January 8th Katie Smith Michael Ross

January 9th Naomi Chamberlain January 11th Josephine Hall

January 12th Shirley Davis Gray Shatoria Davis Clarence E. Ingram, Jr. Natasha Ingram Joella Gross

January 14th Karen Bolton Moser January 15th Cuca Vazquez-Johnson

January 16th Bruce Jones Lady Jacqueline Belvins

January 17th

LaNiya Davis January 18th Adrianne Pitts

January 20th

Federick A. Coleman, Sr.

January 21st Temika Davis Chad Chamberlain

January 22nd Zieuir Davis January 24th Iris Sanders

January 25th Kenneth Miller Evonne Shackelford LaVeenya Sheila Ann Cooper Margaret M. Calvin

January 26th Jada Hutcherson Kimberly Davis Mary Margaret Turner Pamela DeShazor-Johnson Callie Worthington

January 28th Mary B. Willis Juanita Burse

January 29th Mary Fumbanks Jeffery Allen

January 30th Estella Barnett Levi C. Whitley

January 31st Eddie J. Ingram

Do you have a frienD, family member, church member, or colleague who has just celebrateD or is about to celebrate a birthDay? stop by our office with their name on monDay to get them in that week ’ s eDition of happy birthDay salutes! visit us at 2238 n. Dr martin luther king jr. Drive, call us at (414) 263-5088 or e-mail them to miltimes@gmail com