Author: Anna Miller

Under the stewardship of Venice Williams, Alice’s Garden has become a centerpiece in its community, promoting healthy eating and hosting countless programs and events. There are no quiet days at Alice’s Garden. Gardeners, volunteers, and local residents gather every day at the two-acre urban community garden to tend their plots and participate in agricultural fellowship. “This work in the garden is about healthy food access, about building community and bringing each other out of isolation,” said Venice Williams, director of Alice’s Garden. “But most of all, it is soul work. It is really about going deep into the core...

The Tomato Romp Festival on the East Side of Milwaukee is home to the first ever rotten tomato fight in North America, and this year all proceeds from the battle benefited the Hunger Task Force. The tenth annual Tomato Romp festival took place on September 10 and hosted a range of activities, including a Best Bloody Mary competition, live music and a sneak preview of the Black Cat Alley art mural project. Located on Milwaukee’s East Side near North Avenue and organized by the East Side Business Improvement District (BID), the festival pinnacle culminated in the final event of...

The annual Laborfest Parade in Milwaukee has a tradition of fostering community among union members, connecting them in a shared experience as laborers. Members from over 20 Wisconsin unions gathered at the Zeidler Square in Westown on Labor Day, September 5. Workers and their families patiently waited for the beginning of the parade that would march down Wisconsin Avenue to the Summerfest grounds for Laborfest, an annual event put on by the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Unions from a variety of crafts and services were represented, from teachers to iron workers to electricians. Each year of the parade, members wear...

“Truthfully speaking, when we speak of civil rights, civil rights organizations or hate crime legislation, many in our community do not think that you’re speaking for us, or even with us.” – Pardeep Kaleka, co-founder of Serve 2 Unite Hate crimes in Wisconsin and throughout the United States go widely under-reported each year. Victims of hate crimes do not trust law enforcement due to already strained relationships, and are faced with police officers who do not follow through in identifying such incidents as hate crimes when they are reported. “I would wager that there is a significantly higher number...

The Chinese tile game Mah Jongg has been incredibly popular among Jewish-Americans since the 1920s, and has brought together many among the Jewish community. The Jewish Museum Milwaukee hosted the traveling exhibit Project Mah Jongg: An Exhibition Honoring the Memories, Legacy and Charms of the Game over the summer. It displayed the history and legacy of the Chinese game that has been a phenomenon among Jewish-Americans since the 1920s. The exhibit made its Midwest debut in Milwaukee. It was curated by the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial of the Holocaust in New York and has since...