Author: Correspondent

After four decades, Milwaukee could lose one of its most popular summer events along Lake Michigan. The U.S. Bank Fireworks display has drawn tens of thousands of visitors annually to Milwaukee’s lakefront for an early Independence Day celebration on July 3, but without a major new backer confirmed by April 1, the event may not return in 2019. While the fireworks show is not put on by Milwaukee County Parks, they host viewers in Veterans Park each year, an event that has brought all of Milwaukee together at the lakefront for a family-friendly event that unites our community. Last...

Governor Tony Evers announced in a tweet on February 25 that Wisconsin’s National Guard troops were returning home from Arizona, after he issued Executive Order #13 recalling the 112 personnel who are currently deployed along the border with Mexico. In June of 2018, Former Governor Scott Walker answered President Donald Trump’s controversial request for border assistance by sending members of the Wisconsin National Guard. Trump has since declared that there is a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and is seeking to spend billions on a wall along the border. “Keeping all of our borders safe and crime-free, and...

A special appeal from Milwaukee Turner leadership to its members and contributors for support of America’s Black Holocaust Museum (ABHM) raised $4,000, which was then matched by the Turners, for a total gift of $8,000. Thanks to a personal $100,000 challenge grant by Milwaukee philanthropist and County Executive, Chris Abele, the $8,000 gift was matched, resulting in a $16,000 gift to the museum. The Milwaukee Turners, founded by abolitionists in the 1850s, is the oldest civic organization in Milwaukee and has been deeply committed to social justice since it was established. “We are happy that our modest efforts succeeded...

Alverno College and the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) have established a formal partnership that streamlines the transfer process for female students who want to become social workers, allowing them to complete their associate degree in human services at MATC and transfer to Alverno to complete their Bachelor of Social Work. If students follow the proper course sequence at MATC and Alverno, they can graduate in four years. The partnership further enables the work of Alverno’s strategic plan, which aims to grow enrollment in targeted programs to support workforce development needs for Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin. “This partnership provides...

Fourteen-year-old Marley Dias, author and founder of an international social media movement, will be the keynote speaker at the inaugural State of Wisconsin Girls Summit at Alverno College on March 23. The summit will convene thought leaders and inspiring voices to address issues facing girls in Wisconsin, including cyberbullying, poverty, social media and mental health. In November 2015, Dias set out to collect and donate 1,000 children’s books that feature black girls as the lead character. Her social media campaign, #1000BlackGirlBooks, went viral, and to date more than 12,000 books have been collected. She is also the author of...

A new study released recently found that investing in public transit, walking, and biking infrastructure could help Wisconsin attract and retain Millennials, a generation that feels a declining dependance on cars for transportation. The report, entitled “Millennials on the Move,” was released by the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG) Foundation. It indicates that Wisconsin’s current transportation policy priorities – which have focused on expanding major highways at the expense of maintaining existing infrastructure and funding public transit, walking and biking – will fail to create the type of system young adults desire and Wisconsin needs. “Car culture no...