News
The Tyranny of Generosity: When philanthropists think making sandwiches is enough to end hunger
By Ted Lechterman, Research Fellow, University of Oxford How should wealthy people respond to daunting problems like racism, economic inequality and climate change? Leading thinkers have long questioned whether philanthropy offers appropriate or meaningful solutions...
An injustice ends after 38 years: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue finally extends into Downtown Milwaukee
After nearly four decades, the City of Milwaukee officially recognized the remaining section of 3rd Street into downtown as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, during a street renaming ceremony on his namesake holiday, January 17. Neither the bitter winter temperatures...
Milwaukee Film dedicates February to Black History Month 2022 with a focus on local experiences
As part of its nationally renowned Black Lens program, Milwaukee Film will once again devote film and event offerings in February to celebrate Black voices, culture, and experiences for Black History Month, presented by Northwestern Mutual. Six feature screenings, two...
Historic sites are not Disneyland: Why tours of slaveholding plantations are inflaming culture wars
By Kelley Fanto Deetz, Visiting Scholar, University of California, Berkeley Located on nearly 2,000 acres along the banks of the Potomac River, Stratford Hall Plantation is the birthplace of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and the home of four generations of the Lee...
Un-Whitewashing MLK: Seeing a true legacy that heroification has kept long hidden
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.” – Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream Speech,”...
King’s Vision: How the Vietnam War pushed the Civil Rights leader to embrace global justice
By Anthony Siracusa, Senior Director of Inclusive Culture and Initiatives, University of Colorado Boulder On July 2, 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. stood behind President Lyndon Baines Johnson as the Texan signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Although not the...
Still no justice for Emmett Till: Why the spirit of the Jim Crow era remains alive and well
On December 6, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it has closed an investigation into the 1955 murder of Black teenager Emmett Till. The case had been reopened in 2018, a year after the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act (the Till...
Advocates demand DC statehood: Almost 700K American citizens still denied voting representation in Congress
As people nationwide marked the first anniversary of the U.S. Capitol attack amid rising concerns about American democracy, District of Columbia residents and advocates for full representation renewed calls for congressional action on DC statehood. January 6, 2021...
Coup by a thousand cuts: Trump’s erosion of American democracy depends on vicious conspiracy theories
By Ken Hughes, Research Specialist, the Miller Center, University of Virginia Now that a full year has passed since the January 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, the 2020 election and the republic, it is evident that the attack never really ended. Instead, it spread...
Hispanic community urges City leaders to get outside counsel after flawed opinion on Fair Map proposals
The effort to redraw Milwaukee’s Aldermanic maps came to an abrupt halt on January 10, in what was described as a last minute political move to avoid implementing any changes. Latinx community organizers held a press conference on January 14 at City Hall to...
Waukesha Judge sides with conservative lawsuit that ballot drop boxes are not allowed under state law
A Waukesha County Judge has ruled that absentee ballot drop boxes are not allowed under Wisconsin law, a ruling that could potentially remove an option for voting ahead of the state’s midterm elections. Ruling from the bench on January 13, Circuit Court Judge...
Wisconsin jurisdictions part of new federal effort giving non-English proficient citizens access to vote
By Gabe Osterhout, Research Associate, Idaho Policy Institute, Boise State University; and Lantz McGinnis-Brown, Research Associate, Idaho Policy Institute, Boise State University As Americans and their elected representatives debate who should be allowed to vote and...
