Editor, Author at Milwaukee Independent

Lindsay Heights neighborhood efforts win top honors at MANDI Awards

Posted by Editor | Apr 10, 2017 |

The Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (known as the MANDIs) celebrated the “good news” of successful efforts to revitalize neighborhoods and strengthen the community on April 6. From public nominations, a volunteer Selection Committee named 15 finalists for the awards this year, and winners were announced Thursday, April 6, to an audience of 800 community leaders at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. “We really appreciate the opportunity to recognize what’s happening at the ground level. People are working hard to create safe, healthy, vibrant neighborhoods for their community. The MANDIs celebrate these efforts, and offer all of us inspiration...

Milwaukee public gets first look at streetcar rail construction

Posted by Editor | Apr 9, 2017 |

Mayor Tom Barrett was joined by Bradley Tech High Schools students to learn how professionals utilize their specialized education and training for the Milwaukee Streetcar on April 7. Construction crews were in the process of welding steel for the Streetcar line, along a stretch of Milwaukee Street, by the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and Juneau Avenue. The welding was performed by Progress Rail, using special equipment with the assistance of local laborers and operators. “This is the first time the public has been able to see visible signs of the work that we are doing on the Streetcar,”...

Pop culture, people of color, and the Autism Spectrum

Posted by Editor | Apr 7, 2017 |

The 1990s teen melodrama, featuring martial arts and kaiju monsters, recently returned in a motion picture reboot showing a person of color living with autism. The entertainment industry and popular culture play an important role in helping to spread awareness about autism. The rare depictions presented on screen also help bring public acceptance of the condition. Originally based on and using footage from the Japanese tokusatsu (live action) TV show Super Sentai (Sentai is the Japanese word for fighting squadron), the Toei Company’s Power Rangers focused on a diverse group of high school youth in brightly colored armor suits....

Milwaukee Urban League charts course to its Centennial

Posted by Editor | Apr 6, 2017 |

The Milwaukee Urban League (MUL) held its 2017 Annual Meeting at the Harley-Davidson University Building on March 29 with a renewed focus to empower communities and improve lives. One of the biggest challenges in 2016 for the nearly one hundred year old organization was replacing Ralph Hollmon, who retired as President and CEO. Not only was Hollmon a pillar of the Urban League locally and nationally, but also a highly respected and influential leader across the state. “We are thankful for his decade of leadership and service with the Milwaukee Urban League, which was highlighted last year with the...

Black Holocaust Museum breaks ground in Milwaukee neighborhood

Posted by Editor | Apr 5, 2017 |

Local residents celebrated of the revival of the Bronzeville commercial corridor and one of its anchor institutions, America’s Black Holocaust Museum, during the groundbreaking festivities on April 4. The $17.4 million catalytic project will transform a currently vacant city block into a vibrant mixed-use campus. In Phase I, the school building will be reborn as the Historic Garfield Apartments comprised of 30 units of high-quality, mixed-income housing. In Phase II, the adjoining vacant properties will be demolished and developed as the The Griot, a newly constructed building with 41 residential units and 8,000 square feet of commercial space. “In...

Sir Winston Churchill remembered for his love of painting

Posted by Editor | Apr 4, 2017 |

The Churchill Society of Wisconsin held its first event of the 2017 season at the historic Milwaukee Club on March 23 with guest speaker Timothy Riley. Headquartered at the historic Milwaukee Club in downtown Milwaukee, The Churchill Society of Wisconsin is one of 40 affiliates worldwide recognized by the International Churchill Society (ICS). The nonprofit organization was established to educate new generations about the leadership, statesmanship, vision, courage, and boldness of Sir Winston Churchill. “I am delighted that the thoughts, words and deeds of my great-grandfather have such a strong following in the Badger State and that your organization...