With a dedicated career helping children and families adversely impacted by immigration, homelessness, abuse, and oppressive systems in South America, Europe, and his native Milwaukee, Luke serves as Director of Program Design and Community Engagement at the Institute for Child and Family Well-being at Children’s Wisconsin.
As an award-winning Senior Columnist for the Milwaukee Independent, Reggie Jackson covers a range of African American issues. He is also a Consultant with Nurturing Diversity Partners, and volunteers as Head Griot for America’s Black Holocaust Museum (ABHM) in Bronzeville.
REGGIE JACKSON: 7x Award Winner in Best Column categories from the Milwaukee Press Club
As a teacher for over twenty years, Dominic Inouye helped students to develop their reading, writing, critical thinking, and, most of all, their voices. He worked as The Pfister Hotel Narrator, a one-year appointment, and currently manages the ZIP MKE project that photo documents the city to promote cultural understanding.
Dominic Inouye: 2x Award Winner in Best Column category from the Milwaukee Press Club
Dr. Kenneth Cole is a Licensed Psychologist who has spent the past two decades helping members of the community in developing the ability to bring about positive change for their lives, and empowering those individuals to advocate for themselves.
Kenneth Cole: 2x Award Winner in Reporting categories from the Milwaukee Press Club
Pardeep Kaleka is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, published author of The Gifts of Our Wounds, award-winning columnist with Milwaukee Independent, and a clinician specializing in utilizing a trauma-informed approach to treat survivors and perpetrators of assault, abuse, and acts of violence.
PARDEEP KALEKA: Winner in Best Blog category of the 88th Annual Milwaukee Press Club Awards
John Pavlovitz: Winner of Best Blog at the 89th Annual Milwaukee Press Club Awards
Recent Columns
Life in Hell: A look back at the gift of moral damnation that Trump gave our imperfect nation
On January 20, 2017, Trump took the oath of office and gave his “American Carnage” speech describing America as a hellscape, and we were off to the races. Trump vowed he would smash norms and boundaries to “drain the swamp.” He filled positions in his administration...
Why we cannot enjoy nice things: A resentful political party that poisoned a peaceful transition of power
This week we are inaugurating a president who has received a historic number of votes, winning by a staggering seven million. We are inaugurating a brilliant woman of color as his Vice President. Together, they have assembled the most diverse Administration this...
President-Elect Joe Biden outlines a new vision for America that reaches back to an older time
Photo by Gage Skidmore and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 “Come Wednesday [ January 20 ], we begin a new chapter.” So said President-Elect Joe Biden on January 14 as he laid out a plan for a $1.9 trillion emergency vaccination and relief package to get the country...
The hypocrisy of Bill Belichick turning down the presidential Medal of Freedom
“Recently, I was offered the opportunity to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the honor represents and admiration for past recipients. Subsequently, the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has...
The Shame of the Trump Pardons: Exposing Systemic Racism in Criminal “Justice”
Walter Forbes (37 years); Jaythan Kendrick (25 years); Olin Coones (11 years); Emmanuelle Cooper (27 years); Joseph Webster (14 years); James Watson (39 years); Michael Shakel (18 years); Gary Bennett (18 years); Gerard Domond (31 years); Antonio Martinez (30 years);...
The sad irony of “Trump patriots” using “Back the Blue” flags to beat police during a criminal act of sedition
“What happened to the American dream? It came true. You’re looking at it.” – The Comedian, “Watchmen” (2009) Many of the faces were already familiar. We saw them in real-time, smashing Capitol building windows, scaling walls, and parading through the halls of...
America only cares about its Democracy: A few stories of other democracies overthrown by the United States
“…the elimination of Mossadeq by assassination or otherwise might precipitate decisive events except in the unlikely alternative that the Shah should regain courage and decisiveness…Mullah Kashani has been a key figure in promoting the pro-Shah street demonstrations....
Confederate Ideology: Why Wisconsin Republicans are following Trump’s contempt for the rule of law
“I worked night and day for twelve years to prevent the war, but I could not. The North was mad and blind, would not let us govern ourselves, and so the war came.” – Confederate President Jefferson Davis “The people who did nothing to stop the steal. This...
A clear and present danger: Would-be dictator impeached just days after Inciting Insurrection
At 4:22 on January 13, the House of Representatives passed the number of votes necessary to impeach Trump. In the end, 232 Representatives — 222 Democrats and 10 Republicans — agreed that the president had incited an insurrection and must be removed from office. But...
