Staff, Author at Milwaukee Independent

“Antartica, WI” navigates the ice bergs of Milwaukee’s racial divisions

Posted by Staff | Apr 10, 2018 |

“There lives a very special young man in Milwaukee, who sees the city more deeply than others. He sees so much to love about his hometown, but he also a witness to its fractures. When this special boy begins to see icebergs floating into Milwaukee, he alone must find a way to help his community navigate through the dangerous waters.” The contemporary folk tale from internationally recognized playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer was designed to inspire conversations with the Milwaukee community. The First Stage production of Antarctica, WI opened on April 6 at the Todd Wehr Theater. The world premiere of Antarctica,...

“Last Men in Aleppo” to be featured at 2018 Milwaukee Muslim Film Festival

Posted by Staff | Apr 9, 2018 |

The Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition (MMWC)recently announced its 4th Annual Milwaukee Muslim Film Festival to be held from April 22 through May 7. The event is one of America’s leading International Muslim Film Festivals, with the 2018 lineup screening 10 showings of 7 films at 4 venues in Milwaukee. The intention of the festival has been to use film as a way to open conversations on topics that are relevant to matters occurring in the world today, and developing an informed dialogue regarding Muslims and the Islamic world. “Too often the conversation about Islam is based on bias news...

Victory Garden Initiative sees fruits of its community mission with Farmhouse expansion

Posted by Staff | Apr 9, 2018 |

On April 13, Victory Garden Initiative (VGI) will close on the purchase of a building across the street from their Urban Farm. The building located at 249 East Concordia Avenue will be transformed into the Farmhouse to help people grow their own food. VGI recently announced their Gather and Create Campaign: a two-phase capital campaign to move towards developing the Victory Garden Initiative Urban Campus in the Harambee neighborhood. “Victory Garden Initiative started nearly 10 years ago, in the basement of my house. The building, a former speakeasy from the times of prohibition, has a sense of history with...

Fidel Verdin: Hip Hop, political culture, and the bitter acceptance of truth

Posted by Staff | Apr 6, 2018 |

Given a politically impactful name by his self-described revolutionary parents, Fidel Verdin uses hip hop and other urban arts to engage Milwaukee’s youth in social justice and personal healing. As the creative force behind TRUE Skool, he seeks to uplift the most vulnerable kids in the community through empowerment and leadership workshops. But for all his program’s success and impact in the lives of the young people it serves, the work done by his organization is often marginalized instead of supported in the same way as the generation of local youth have been discarded by institutional racism. © Video©...

Revitalization of Westlawn Gardens recognized with prestigious National Award

Posted by Staff | Apr 4, 2018 |

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the American Planning Association (APA) announced recently that Milwaukee’s Westlawn Gardens will receive the HUD Secretary’s Opportunity & Empowerment Award on April 23. One of the highest recognitions in the planning profession, the award honors the first phase of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee’s transformation of the aged and stressed Westlawn, Wisconsin’s largest public housing development, into a vibrant, environmentally-friendly and sustainable mixed-use and mixed-income neighborhood. “The collective effort of this team has achieved a triumph over the tyranny of monotony, and with it, hopefully, inspiration...

Jay Flores: The real life power of STEM for kids

Posted by Staff | Apr 3, 2018 |

As the Rockwell Automation STEM Ambassador, Jay Flores knows how important STEM is to the future of the company and the world. He is spreading the word through his energizing presentations and outreaches to schools, community groups, and industry experts. With a focus to encourage and motivate STEM students to become the innovators of tomorrow, Flores connects STEM to everyday life. His mission is to instill a passion for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in young students by making STEM exciting. “One of the questions I don’t hear enough of is, ‘what are some of the real life...