Author: Syndicated

For all its political appeal, the concept of black capitalism has, for the past fifty years in Milwaukee and across the nation, failed to reduce inequality or to increase prosperity. By the time Richard Nixon rode into office in early 1969, the signal achievements of the civil rights movement—the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts and Brown v. Board of Education—were years behind him. In their wake a more radical black movement had gained momentum and had been met with an equally strong white backlash. Indeed Nixon’s victory depended on the creation of a new Republican coalition that felt...

Alkaff is also a founding member of Wisconsin Interfaith Power and Light, which trains and mobilizes people of all faiths to fight climate change by promoting energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Q&A with Huda Alkaff | Q: How did you get involved in environmentalism and energy issues? A: Believe it or not, I have been an environmentalist since I was a child. Back then, I remember being asked the famous question from the adults in my family and my teachers, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Remember that question? To everyone’s surprise, my...

“The American Civil War is actually the one time when the losers wrote the history.” – David Barton, Founder of Wallbuilders Americans have lost much of their knowledge of basic historical facts, particularly those relating to the American Revolution. In fact, a recent survey of high-performing college seniors found that more thought that Ulysses S. Grant (a Civil War general in the 1860s) commanded the troops at Yorktown than George Washington (who actually did lead those troops in the 1780s). Since advanced college seniors cannot identify the commander-in-chief of the American Revolution, it is not surprising that today’s Americans...

Today’s overdose problem is not the first time our country has faced a devastating drug crisis — and even though drug overdose death rates now exceed those due to firearms and cars, overdose deaths have been increasing since 1980. Many outlets are rightly pointing out that the social and political reactions we see in the current opioid crisis differ dramatically from the criminalized approaches of the 1980s “War on Drugs.” It is important to look at how structural racism has contributed to the opioid crisis, and recognize that structural racism has also created the public motivation to try and...

When the sun dawned on Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther prepared to share his 95 theses with the German church — not knowing the day would eventually be pegged as the birth of the Protestant Reformation, and a day that fundamentally changed the landscape of Europe. The parchment at hand had a laundry list of grievances against indulgence, a way to reduce the amount of punishment required to suffer for sin, as taught by the Catholic Church. In 1500s Europe, indulgences had become a practice that monetized salvation — for a monetary offering, the church would promise remission of...

Few local policy issues generate more emotional debate than the Milwaukee streetcar. And, if a recent Marquette Law School poll is any indication, this issue is likely to remain controversial even after the initial streetcar line opens a year from now. While there are several aspects to the streetcar debate, one of its core tenets is the contention of opponents that similar transportation benefits could be derived from much smaller investments in bus service. Supporters, on the other hand, contend that streetcars are more attractive to users than buses, provide a better ride, and do a better job attracting...