Mayor Tom Barrett proclaimed May 25, 2021 to be Negro Leagues Legacy Day in the City of Milwaukee at a press conference to unveil a new streetcar design package honoring segregation era Black baseball players. Distinguished guests at the event included Milwaukee Brewers players and former Negro Leaguers.
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The County Board of Supervisors adopted [17-1] on May 20, a proposal by Supervisor Sequanna Taylor allocating $3,000 to fund a memorial bench and plaque in Red Arrow Park to honor the life of Dontre Hamilton and lift up the importance of mental health care. Dontre Hamilton was killed by a Milwaukee police officer on April 30, 2014, when that officer confronted Dontre, who had been sleeping in Red Arrow Park, and provoked an altercation that led to the officer unjustifiably shooting and killing Dontre. “The Dontre Hamilton Memorial bench will provide a space of healing for families who...
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On April 30, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and 36 Republicans sent a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona accusing him of trying to advance a “politicized and divisive agenda” in the teaching of American history. This is a full embrace of the latest Republican attempt to turn teaching history into a culture war. On April 19, the Department of Education called for public comments on two priorities for the American History and Civics Education programs. Those programs work to improve the “quality of American history, civics, and government education by educating students about the history and principles...
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Imagine if hard-core crazies like Marjorie Taylor Greene ran most of the school boards all across America. They could raise up an entire new generation of civics-clueless right-wing racist kids, and probably keep much of it well below the nation’s radar screen. That is the GOP’s current plan, and they are gaining real traction in getting there. They have found their new 2021 “bigoted wedge issue,” crushing teachers and schools that want to teach the horrors of genocide and racism — and it is stirring up their base just like gay marriage or “radical Islam” did a decade or...
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Milwaukee Downtown BID #21 and the Wisconsin Center District (WCD) announced on May 13 the commissioning of internationally-acclaimed street artist Kelsey Montague for a one-of-a-kind mural on the north wall of the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. Known for her iconic installations around the globe, the mural will be her first in Wisconsin. Montague’s #WhatLiftsYou project has resonated with millions by offering pedestrians interactive photo ops, which have been made popular by social media influencers in recent years. “I’m delighted to be chosen for this project and bring my work to Milwaukee,” said Kelsey Montague. “When contemplating a subject matter, I...
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By Shoshanah Inwood, Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology, The Ohio State University; Andrea Rissing, President’s Postdoctoral Scholar in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University; and Florence Becot, Associate Research Scientist in Rural Sociology, Adjunct Faculty – National Farm Medicine Center, The Ohio State University Kat Becker feeds hundreds of people with the vegetables she grows on her Wisconsin farm, and she wants to expand. But her ability to grow her business collides with her need for affordable health insurance and child care. She has had to make difficult choices over the years: keep her...
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