www.milwaukeecommunityjournal.com 25 Cents BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE PAID

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSINPERMIT NO. 4668

W I S C O N S I N ’ S L A R G E S T A F R I C A N A M E R I C A N N E W S P A P E R

Signifyin’: The mis-education of “Our-Story”!VOL. XLII Number 21 Dec. 12, 2018

PULSEOF THECOMMUNITYPhotos and questionby Yvonne KempQUESTION OFQUESTION OFTHE WEEK:THE WEEK:

We asked four volunWe asked four volun--teers at the recentteers at the recentO’Bee’s Toy HouseO’Bee’s Toy Houseevent sponsored byevent sponsored byNorthwest FuneralNorthwest Funeral

Chapel:Chapel:“Why is it important“Why is it importantto volunteer time toto volunteer time to

help make children ahelp make children alittle happier at little happier at

Christmas?”Christmas?”“It’s important tovolunteer be-cause our chil-dren desperatelyneed to feel loveand joy for Christ-mas. If we givemore of our time and effort to our chil-dren, we make a safer and happiercommunity. Our children need positiveinfluences.”

TARA S.

“It’s important tovolunteer mytime to create asense of calmand peace forour kids. Whenthey see thatsomeone caresabout them, itcreates a sense of pride within themselves. Being the example to pattern after.”

REGINABOSTON-DIXON

“Because it isimportant toshow ourkids love andcommitmentfor their fu-ture. I wasgiven that as a child. Ho, Ho,Ho, Merry Christmas!”

MICHAELSMITH

“I want ourkids to enjoythe Christmasseason, andshow themthe same tra-dition that I was shown as a child.”

ELZEE OWENS

Send your press releases & announcements to: editorial@milwaukeecommunityjournal.com

COMING

COMING

MRS. O’BEE’STOY HOUSENorthwest Funeral Chapel hosts annualholiday event that make children’sChristmas dreams come true! Ernestine O’Bee

The staff and managementof Northwest FuneralChapel recently held itsfourth annual Mrs. O’Bee’sToy House event at the fu-neral home’s Family Activityand Events Center, locatedat 4034 W. Good HopeRoad. Children ages oneyear to eight-years-old wereable to pick a toy of theirchoice while they and theirparents enjoyed the specialtreats provided by the volun-teer group, Friends of Mrs.O’Bee. More photos on theReligion page. —Photo byYvonne Kemp

Milwaukee Alderman Cava-lier (Chevy) Johnson said itwas refreshing to hear Gover-nor-elect Tony Evers express adesire to be a partner, not anenemy, of the city of Milwau-kee.Johnson made his remarks recently after

hearing Evers address the full council atcity hall during an address to that governingbody. Evers reportedly told the council that in order to have a strong Wiscon-

sin, there needs to be a strong Milwaukee. The governor-elect signaledsupport for finding new ways for the Milwaukee region to fund many ofits pressing needs.“We have to find flexibility for the citizens and decision makers in the

Milwaukee area to have revenue streams that meet their needs,” Evers re-portedly said. Among the ideas Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and cityofficials have floated the last several years has been a sales tax (to fund

Milwaukee real estate development pro-fessional Robin N. Reese has been namedmanager of the North Avenue/ Fond duLac Marketplace Business ImprovementDistrict (BID) 32. In this role, her duties will include recruiting and retaining businesses,

managing the BID’s finances and programs, developing resources andinterfacing with members of the community. She will also work to fosterreal estate developments and promote the amenities of the MarketplaceBID community. She will manage operations, marketing and overallprogramming.Reese has more than a decade of experience in development, con-

struction, project management, sales and marketing, and community re-lations.“I am excited to help lead BID 32’s growth and expansion with this

role,” said Reese. “I am honored to be joining this organization wheremy background in development, construction and community relationscan be applied to making an integral part of the community a betterplace. I look forward to working with the BID 32 Board, businesses,property owners, Alderman Russell Stamper and other BID 32 stake-

Local real estate developerROBINREESEnamed managerof North Avenue/Fond duLac MarketplaceBID 32

It’s music toChevy’s ears!Alderman likes what he hears from Governor-elect Tony Evers during his address to Common Council

(continued on page 3)

(continued on page 3)

Tony Evers

Ald. Johnson

Former First Lady Michelle Obama willbe coming to Milwaukee March 14 aspart of her national book tour for herbest-selling memoir, “Becoming.”She will appear at the Miller High LifeTheatre.

The Milwaukee Community Journal December 12, 2018 Page 2

A) CHILDREN WHO LEARN TO READ AND LOVE BOOKS ARE QUICK LEARNERS.

B) CHILDREN WHO ARE READ TO BY THEIR PARENTS GROW UP LOVING BOOKS.

C) BOOKS OPEN DOORS TO ADVENTURE AND TRAVEL AND COMPASSION AND KNOWLEDGE.

SUMMER IS HERE! A PERFECT TIME TO READ COME GET A FREE BOOK. TO READ TO YOUR CHILD OR LET YOUR CHILD READ TO YOU.

READING IS FUN, READING IS FUNDAMENTAL, EARLY READERS DO BETTER IN PRE-K

COME GET YOUR FREE BOOK." ONE BOOK PER CHILD...ONE BOOK, PER CHILD, PER PARENT.

YOU MUST SIGN IN, AND YOU MUST PLEDGE TO READ THE BOOK.

*A special family gave 300 books to children who want to read this summer. The 300 booksare for parents or children who want to read, this summer. Only one book per child! That bookbecomes yours to read, read again and then share with a friend. ONCE YOU CAN READ THE BOOK TO US, WE WILL GIVE ANOTHER

BOOK. READ, READ, AND READ AGAIN.Drop by the MCJ Office...3612 N. King Dr. Sign in: Name, address and age of the child..

Sign the thank you board...so we can thank our family for their kindness. Most of the books areearly childhood education books but there are also books for older ages. SO READ, READ,READ...

SUMMER READa Project of

2018 THE YEAR OF THE CHILD.Empowering our children through reading, counting, identifying shapes, coloring, and sharing

with parents, siblings, and friends. Thank you Milwaukee. We shall have over 1300 booksavailable over the summer. If your church or club would like to have books, write us, sign upand we shall make every effort to distribute the books so they benefit the children!

"2018: THE YEAR OF THE CHILD: A GAME CHANGER” IN EMPOWERING CHILDREN THANK YOU MILWAUKEE. CHILDREN MATTER.

The Betty Brinn Museum will hostspecial workshops, exhibits and a NewYear’s Eve party for families duringWinter Break week, when many areastudents are off from school. BettyBrinn Museum is located at 929 E.Wisconsin Ave.Here are a list of activities during Winter Break

week, December 20-31:Be A Maker Workshops and Maker Activities:Journal-Making Workshop (children age 4 andolder)December 21 & 22, 12-2 p.m.Join us for our facilitated workshop in our Be A

Maker space to learn all about journal making andpaper printing. A workshop fee of $8 for members and $10 for

non-members applies. Children must be accompa-nied by an adult and Museum admission is not in-cluded. Families can register atbbcmkids.org/exhibits/be-a-maker/Natural Dyes Workshop (children age 4 andolder)December 26-29 from 2-4 p.m.Join us in the Be A Maker space to experiment

with all-natural dyes and make a colorful, take-home handkerchief. Free with regular admission.Paper Snowstorm (children age 4 and older)December 21-22, 26-29 & 31 and January 1-2

from 10 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m.Make beautiful snowflake creations using meas-

urement, counting and paper-folding skills. Freewith regular admission.RIGAMAJIGDecember 21 & 28, 12-1 p.m.Experiment with RIGAMAJIG – a large-scale

building kit used for hands-on play. Free with regu-lar admission.Holiday Tot Time (children age 4 andyounger)December 20 & 27, 10:30-11 a.m.Tot Time features songs, stories, games and other

activities for the Museum’s youngest visitors. Freewith regular admission.New Year’s Eve at NoonDecember 31, 10 a.m.-noonCelebrate 2019 early! Guests can make a party

hat, create something festive in the Be A Makerspace and be wide awake when they count down tothe Museum’s annual New Year’s Eve at Noon balldrop. This event is free with regular admission.Let’s Play Railway! Special ExhibitKids can enjoy a pretend ride on Let’s Play Rail-

way!, sponsored by Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. Activi-ties in the exhibit’s engine, cattle wagon andcaboose promote early math and literacy, and en-courage children to solve problems and interactwith others as they communicate, share and taketurns.Hand-Built Pottery Workshop (participantsage 12 and older)December 27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.Brinn Labs will offer a special class for teens fea-

turing introductory and advance pottery techniques.Materials will be provided to create a cup or a bowlto take home. An adult is required to attend with participants

under the age of 18. A workshop fee of $20 applies.Families can register at brinnlabs.org/event/teen-winter-workshop-hand-build-pottery-2018-12-27/Brinn Labs is located at 433 E Stewart St.Attention: The Museum will be closed on Mon-

day, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25.

Betty Brinn Museum & Brinn Labsto Host Winter Break fun December 21-31Disney Celebrates

90 Years Of MickeyMouse With Stunning Art ExhibitionBy Diane Christiansen, originallyposted November 29, 2018Walt Disney’s iconic andadorable rodent MickeyMouse turned 90 this year! To pay homage to the mouse “who started it all,” the

Disney Corporation recently unveiled “Mickey: TheTrue Original,” a 16,000-square-foot immersive art ex-hibition in Manhattan, New York. Open to the publicfrom November 8, 2018 to February 10, 2019, it featuresstunning Mickey-inspired exhibits created by over 20contemporary artists from all over the world.Among the highlights is the “Hello Mickey” installa-

tion, which is dedicated to the mouse’s big screen debut:Steamboat Willie on November 18, 1928. The short film, depicting Mickey piloting a steamboat

while whistling a catchy, cheerful tune, was the first Dis-ney cartoon to feature synchronized sound, incorporat-ing both character sounds and musical composition. The exhibit also includes remakes of the short clip cre-

ated in various styles by different artists and a life-sizesteamboat, where visitors can test their piloting skills.Also fun is the "It's Black & White" exhibit, which

celebrates the early Mickey black-and-white comicstrips and the "1928: Original Muse" installation dedi-cated to Mickey's global influence throughout the years.In the "Burst into Color" room, fans will be treated toMickey’s fascinating transition from black-and-whitecartoons to color.Fans of the classic 1940 Disney release Fantasia will

be delighted with New York-based artist Oliver Clegg’s“Sorcerer’s Way.” Named after the movie’s popular"Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment, in which Mickeywears the sorcerer’s hat and tries his hand at magic, onlyto fail miserably, it features a giant sorcerer’s hat as wellas fake wells filled with original art from the movie. The centerpiece of the exhibit is a mural of Mickey’s

famous sorcerer’s costume painted on recycled outdoortheater chairs.When asked about the unique canvas, Clegg said, "For

me, what is most interesting about Fantasia as a project[is that] it's a piece that was literally meant to engage anaudience. The choice of the chairs was important be-cause they represented the viewer and the audience.”One of the most eye-catching installations, “The Cos-

mic Cavern,” comes from American painter and streetartist Kenny Scarf. Inspired by one of Disney’s first li-censed products, the Mickey Mouse watch, it transformsthe iconic timepiece into an immersive neon technicolorexperience complete with bright green, blue, yellow, andpink hues. The techno music blaring in the background crowns

the surreal experience. The observant few will also no-tice the Easter eggs – depictions of Mickey – artfullyhidden among the large clocks and memorabilia hangingfrom the ceiling and walls.The pop-up exhibition also features a carefully curated

selection of Mickey Mouse memorabilia from Disney’sarchives, providing fans with a never-before-seenglimpse into the character’s evolution over the past 90years.The best part of the temporary show, however, is the

Ample Hills Creamery counter in the Mickey Mouseclub room, where visitors are treated to scoops of twodelicious ice cream flavors – Confetti Celebration andTriple Chocolate Surprise. Created especially for the oc-casion, they include lots of birthday cake and Mickey-shaped white chocolate pieces filled with fudge andtangy lemon cream – yum!Disney also honored the world’s most famous mouse

with a two-hour television special featuring star-studdedmusical performances, moving tributes, and unreleasedshort films on November 4, 2018. The landmark birth-day is also being celebrated with tie-in events at all Dis-ney Parks and Resorts.

The Milwaukee Community Journal December 12, 2018 Page 3Ald. Johnson likeswhat he hears fromGov. Elect TonyEvers about greatercooperation, respectto city by statepublic safety efforts), which requires state approval; ora regional sales tax which would help fund cultural ortransportation needs.Evers’ visit to city hall to speak to the common coun-

cil was his first, which is one more than the total visitsby out-going governor Scott Walker, which is zero. Thatfact is emblematic of the strained relationship betweenthe city and state ever since Walker and Republican leg-islators took control of both branches of state govern-ment. Recent state budgets slashed already frozen state

shared revenue payments to the city, leaving the citywith a reported $105 million annual shortfall versus2003 shared revenue payments.Johnson was alarmed to hear Evers note the 160 bills

limiting local control passed in the last eight years dur-ing Walker’s and GOP lawmakers’ control of the state-house. It’s especially troubling, the alderman said, whena number of those bills—and what’s been slipped intothe state budget process—greatly impacted. if not di-rectly targeted, Milwaukee.Johnson said he was happy to learn Evers will seek to

focus on issues important to Milwaukee like early child-hood education, improving healthcare accessibility, lay-ing the groundwork for additional multimodal transit,and reform in the Department of Corrections.“I was also excited to hear that the governor-elect un-

derstands that as a big city, Milwaukee’s needs areunique and that this city should have flexibility as it re-lates to raising revenue that does not rely so heavily onproperty taxpayers.”But before initiatives can be enacted to make fiscal

life easier for Milwaukee and ease the tension betweenit and the state legislature, Evers must first contend withstate Republican efforts to curtail his gubernatorial pow-ers.The outgoing governor is expected to sign legislation

passed last week in a lame-duck legislative session thatlimits Evers power and the power of State Attorney-General-elect Josh Kaul in several major segments ofstate government.Evers said last week the sweeping changes are an ef-

fort to not only expand the power of the GOP-controlledassembly and senate, but is a repudiation of the will ofthe people of Wisconsin who voted for change on No-vember 6.—Article compiled by MCJ Editorial Staff

(continued from front page)(continued from front page)

Local real estate developer RobinReese named manager of North Avenue/Fond du LacMarketplace BID 32holders.”“Marketplace BID 32 plans to build on successful

inclusive real estate development projects. In De-cember, Ngozie Omegbu, Community EngagementSpecialist, completes her engagement to connectwith business and property owners”, said SharonAdams, Board Chair, Marketplace BID 32. “Theyinformed us that public safety and new real estatedevelopments are key priorities required to revital-ize our commercial corridors. In response, we cre-ated the Let’s Grow Together Campaign. RobinReese brings enthusiasm and skills to propel real es-tate development and promotion of our businesses.”Adams continued.Prior to this role, Reese was Executive Director

of Thirty Six Blocks, a community development or-ganization. She was previously a Project Managerwith Haywood Group, LLC, which specializes instructuring unique development and capital solu-tions for urban catalytic real estate projects. She alsoworked with J.F. Cook Co., Inc., as Sales and Mar-keting manager and T.L. Reese Corporation, as itsProperties Division Manager.A native of Milwaukee, Reese earned a Bachelor

of Business Administration degree in Marketingfrom the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and aMaster of Business Administration degree fromCardinal Stritch University. In 2015, Reese receivedthe Milwaukee Business Journal 40 Under 40Award for her significant professional and commu-nity contributions.

About North Avenue/ Fond du Lac Marketplace BID 32

The North Avenue Marketplace Business Im-provement District 32 (BID 32) was established in2004 to “create a viable and sustainable commercialcorridor that supports local entrepreneurs, engagecurrent business owners, reduce blight, promote jobgrowth, advance environmental sustainability, andencourage local, regional or national businesses tolocate to the community.”BID 32 includes all commercial property owners

that are within North Avenue from I-43 to 27thStreet, and Fond du Lac Avenue from 17th to 27thStreets.

The Milwaukee Community Journal December 12, 2018 Page 4

RELIGIONRELIGION

Families served by:Northwest FuneralChapel O’Bee, Ford

& Frazier

In Loving Memory

Earnestine O’Bee-Founder

Milwaukee6630 W. Hampton Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53218

Telephone: (414) 462-6020Fax: (414) 462-9937

Racine800 Barker St.

Racine, WI 53402Telephone: (262) 637-6400

Fax: (262) 637-6416

J.C. Frazier, Funeral Director

Quality Service...a tenured tradition sin-cere concern at your time of need. Offer-ing pre-need, at need and after-care

services to families in Milwaukee, Racine,Kenosha and other communities

throughout our state.

More photos from the Mrs.O’Bee’s Toy House event

The Milwaukee Community Journal December 12, 2018 Page 5

THETHEMILWAUKEEMILWAUKEECOMMUNITYCOMMUNITYJOURNALJOURNALPublished twice weekly,Wednesday & Friday3612 North Martin LutherKing Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212Phone: 414-265-5300 (Advertising and Administration) • 414-265-6647 (Editorial) • Website: communityjournal.net • Email: Editorial@communi-tyjournal.net/Advertising@communityjournal.net

Opinion and comments expressed on the Perspectives page do not necessarilyreflect the views of the publisher or management of the MCJ. Letters and “otherperspectives” are accepted but may be edited for content and length.

Patricia O’Flynn -PattilloFounder, PublisherRobert J. Thomas, Co-FounderAssoc. PublisherTodd Thomas, Vice PresidentMikel Holt, Founding Editor, Associate PublisherThomas E. Mitchell, Jr., EditorTeretha Martin, Terri’s InnovativeComputers: Billing Clerk, Pro-

duction assistance, tech-supportColleen Newsom,Classified Advertising SalesLeaderJimmy V. Johnson, AdvertisingSales Mike Mullis, Advertising CoordinationYvonne Kemp, PhotographerKim Robinson, PhotographerBill Tennessen, Photographer

PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVES QUOTE OF THE WEEK:“The more you know yourhistory, the more liberatedyou are.”—Maya Angelou

If you want Black folks to continuebeing ignorant of their history, put itin a high school history book!I had finally gotten the image out of my mind, untilI wrote my column a few weeks ago about wearingmy “Confederate hat” around town (November 28,2018 Signifyin’) and it all came back to me.“It’s Malcolm X,” the young African Americanteenager responded to my question about what the hatrepresented.Malcolm X? The Black liberator?I was about to take the young student through an animated tirade on

American history when anotheryoung student interjected and ex-plained what the flag actually repre-sented, and questioned why I—acommunity elder—was wearingsuch a vulgar image?Her response and question imme-

diately melted away my frustrationand disappointment with the firstsister’s response to my question, butit didn’t answer the pressing ques-tion the first young lady provoked.What in the world are they teach-

ing our Black children about Amer-ican history? Or maybe thequestions should be, what are theynot teaching? And why not?And let’s not let their parents off

the hook.What cultural nourishment are

they feeding their children abouttheir heritage and history? Are theypreparing their children for the “realworld,” the world beyond the urbanstreets? Are they providing theirGodly gifts with a cultural founda-tion to stand upon?As I was to learn, the confused

and misguided young sister was a freshman at the northside charter schoolI visited while the knowledgeable sister was a senior.Based on the curriculum and school agenda, by the time the freshman

made it through her first year, she would be well versed in real Americanhistory, before and after the Boston Tea Party. She would know why people of color were excluded from the American

dream and that the cancer of racism is a dominant gene in the AmericanDNA.Equally important, she would be provided with critical thinking skills to

navigate the “American experience,” one that continues to treat people ofcolor like chattel 242 years after the declaration of “their” independence.She will learn how to prepare herself for being profiled, discriminatedagainst and the subject of generalizations and prejudices. She will also learnwhy. And when. And where. And maybe even the whatevers and howfors.Equally important, students at the charter will discover who they really

are, not the descendants of savage slaves, but instead the progenies of stolenAfrican survivors; the pedigrees of the inventors of math, science and med-icine.Through their veins flow the blood of Nyame’s true chosen, the first man

and woman; the Hue-men beings from which all ethnicities were promul-gated.Sadly, I can’t say that knowledge is awarded children in most public

schools. They are, by design, fed adaily dose of half-truths, misinfor-mation and sanitized trivia.They won’t be told, for example,

that the great, inspirational andheroic founding fathers were alsorapists and racists.That Lincoln didn’t free the

slaves. Like Thomas Jefferson andAndrew Jackson the “great emanci-pator” believed Africans were infe-rior, and how the governmentconspired to maintain a system ofapartheid, including in education.During a visit to North Division

High School earlier this year, I en-gaged a group of students whodidn’t recognize my African medal-lion.They admitted they were taught

little about Black History, save fortributes for Martin Luther King, Jr.and Rosa Parks. They aren’t taughtwho Frederick Douglass was (or is,if you believe his close personalfriend Donald Trump), much lessMartin Robison Delany or MarcusGarvey.

Indeed, the only other Negro history figures they were told about werethe inventors, “safe” civil rights leaders and the handful of athletes whoproved they were athletically superior.Most could recite King’s “I’ve been to the mountaintop” speech but

weren’t exposed to his letter from a Birmingham jail. And since they aren’tinformed of the contributions of Douglass, they obviously never read (ifthey can read) his anti-Fourth of July speech. I’m not surprised at that travesty, because when I questioned a white ultra-

liberal white North Division High School teacher about Black history, herknowledge bordered on being insulting, misinformed and dangerously of-fensive. But I was relieved to learn she was an expert on Black History by virtue

of her owning several pieces of African art. (Hey, that’s what she proudlytold me.)I’ve reached out to school board members to learn more about what his-

tory books are used, but even without reading a single page, or attending aHis-story class, I can guarantee it is a misrepresentation of true Americanand African history.When I attended North, we were forced to read “His-story” books that

represented our ancestors as happy-go-lucky savages who were “blessed”

SIGNIFYIN’By Mikel Kwaku Oshi Holt

Mikel Holt wearing the hatthat’s launched a thou-

sand stunned looks, ques-tions, comments, and(almost) a fight or two!

(continued on page 7)

Change for 2019The new year is approaching quickly andone thing that must be on your list is changeif you find yourself unhappy. Every yearbrings about a new journey. You have thoseups. You have those downs. You have those people that care about you and those that may

not have your best interest at hand. Nonetheless it’s life and there’ssome things that happen that are quite frankly out of your control.Instead of dwelling on those things, let focus our attention on the

things that we do have the opportunity to change. Let’s discoverour power within to create a better outlook in 2019. Here’s 5 thingsto plan for to get you where you need to be.1. Have PatienceUnderstand greatness doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to

discover the real you and even more time to maximize your poten-tial in this world. Sure, some things may not have worked out inyour favor, but as long as you tried, you have moved forward.2. Stay OrganizedYour environment reflects your mindset. Before the year begins

do some deep cleaning in your household. Clear the atmosphere.Buy a planner and begin to plan out each and every day. Buy somecontainers for things that can be stored and get rid of things you nolonger need. This helps you to stay focused and at peace. 3. Protect Your PeaceGet rid of connections that aren’t healthy for you. Toxic relation-

ships, friends and family members that frustrate you must be leftoutside of your personal space. Understand this does not mean youdon’t love them, this means you’re taking the time to love and caterto your mental health.4. Do MoreThere’s no limits to where you can go this year. Nothing and no

one can stop you but you. So begin to plan a few trips. Date your-self. Begin to show yourself that you love you for who you are. Write

more this year. Reflect more. And most of all do at least 6 thingsyou have never done before in 2019.5. Love the ProcessRealize that you can’t get where you really want to go if you

don’t fall in love with what it takes to get there. Set your goals andmake them realistic. Write down all the steps it’s going to take toget there and get to it. If you find yourself unmotivated begin todig deeper into your why. Know that there’s growth in every stageas long as you keep pushing. -LaShawnda S. Wilkins (@speaklifeshawnie)

LaShawnda S. Wilkins

Quarles & Brady to host MKE Fellows Holiday LuncheonALIVE Inc., announced recently that Quarles & Brady LLP will host theannual MKE Fellows Holiday Luncheon, Friday, December 21, 2018 atQ&B’s downtown Milwaukee offices, 211 E. Wisconsin Avenue fromNoon - 1:30 p.m. This year Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor-elect MandelaBarnes and Kevin Newhall of Royal Capital will address guests and atten-dees. Susan Lloyd, Executive Director of the Zilber Family Foundation,will also be honored for their long-standing legacy of support. This annualevent brings together MKE Fellows’ community of corporate supporters,special guests, and friends community-wide while the students are homefor winter break. “With such outstanding academic performances to acknowledge, and such

an enormously bright future already in motion, there’s no better time to bringthe community and the students together to celebrate than during the holidayswhen they're home from school,” noted John Daniels, III, President of theMKE Fellows. “Milwaukee is remarkably impressed by the academic per-formances and graduation statistics of the Fellows but even more so becausethat translates into the promise of future prosperity for the city and the state.Happy holidays indeed!”At the luncheon, program students will interact with many friends and sup-

porters. They will have an opportunity to meet newly accepted MKE Fellowsand community partners who support the initiative while enjoying a deliciousholiday tradition. In the past, Mayor Tom Barrett, former Lt. Governor Re-becca Kleefisch, former Milwaukee Buck Vin Baker, and many others haveattended and mingled with the students. In 2015, the MKE Fellows dialedinto the White House and a representative from D.C. provided words of en-couragement. MKE Fellows is a powerful youth leadership initiative offering support to

academically talented African-American young men in Wisconsin ensuringthey graduate from college prepared for career success. Since the inauguralclass in 2012 made of 10 MPS students, the MKE Fellows has grown tremen-dously and now serves more than 150 youngsters from the Milwaukee com-munity. The MKE Fellows has far exceeded national graduation averages, estab-

lishing an astonishing 84% graduation rate! At this time every year, the stu-dents are on winter break and the MKE Fellows brings them together for theannual Holiday Luncheon. Community members and MKE Fellows will net-work and enjoy a festive holiday lunch and hear from several notable com-munity and corporate leaders.

ACTS Housing Supports2,500 HomeownersIt took one look at the home on N. 36th St. for Neva Gaines and her

husband Robert to know the home was “the one.” They saw move-inready homes, but decided on the house despite the $35,000 rehab projectahead of them.“I said this is it,” Neva said. She said she couldn’t pass up the French

doors, built-in fireplace, or the intricate wall stucco. “That would be hardto replicate.”Since 1995, ACTS Housing has supported homeowners on their journey

toward homeownership with financial counseling, real estate services,and home rehab counseling and loans. Homebuyers can opt to purchasethrough a bank or purchase a fixer-upper foreclosed home through thecity.

With the Gaines’ family purchase, 2,500 homeowners have successfullycompleted the ACTS program. Neva calls her home “a blessing.” Sheand her husband Robert fell on hard times: a back surgery which led to adisability and made their renting experiences unstable. Her home, pur-chased through the ACTS Housing program, gives them a sense of sta-bility.“We have control over our lives, and it’s a place to call our home,” she

said.Steinhafels Furniture commends the Gaines family for their hard work

and says working with ACTS is the perfect combination."Steinhafels is a family business, committed to helping families create

the homes of their dreams,” said Allison Steinhafel, ACTS Housing boardvice president. “We are so happy for Neva, and all the others before her,who have realized their dreams through homeownership, achieving sta-bility for their families thanks to hard work, perseverance and guidancefrom ACTS."

The Milwaukee Community Journal December 12, 2018 Page 6

The Milwaukee Community Journal December 12, 2018 Page 7

to have been rescued from the jungles of Africa.Today’s “his-story” has gone to the other extreme.Apparently, after our crusades for relevant Black history in the 1960s and

70s, the powers-that-be discovered our efforts were producing proudAfrican Americans who were armed with a sense of self and purpose.In other words, we were dangerous to the status quo. As one quote goes,

“the most dangerous creature in the world is an educated and intelligentBlack man.”True, true. History is the foundation for empowerment and self-determi-

nation. If more of us learned the rules, we would not let the hurdles blockus. We would use our knowledge to leap over, go under, around or throughto achieve our goals and fulfill our destinies. Knowledge is the fiber for themuscles needed to tear down the wall of apartheid.Someday I will hopefully prove the conspiracy in place (orchestrated by

the same people who control most of the world’s resources, politicians andthe media; from television to gangsta rap) to placate and brainwash the

masses—black and white—about the roots of this country and who’s zoom-ing whom.They have rewritten the history books, created a new culture in which

marriage is devalued, drugs are the new cigarettes, and self-degradation anddestruction is the new norm. They have created conflicting sides to keep usoccupied as they count their billions.By controlling the media, they were even able to enlist progressive whites

to lead a campaign to erase America’s unforgiven sins from public domain.These brainwashed progressives’ crusades to divest the south (north and

east) of signs of bigotry is part of the plot. The agenda is to expunge the past of blatant signs of bigotry, to rewrite

history and eliminate the anger that churns in the pit of every African Amer-ican’s stomach.When they finish this latest scheme to divest the history books of

apartheid and bigotry Black millennials will think that ache of angerdwelling in their bellies is acid indigestion. The scheme also helps millen-nial whites to delete their guilt for their father’s (and cousins, uncles and

aunts) inhumanity.That’s why I support educational options, creating schools where we can

teach our children true history and arm them with the knowledge needed torewrite the future.That’s also why I join the handful of black and white folks opposing the

removal of Confederate monuments. Keep them up; put a new coat of painton the statutes of their heroes: General Lee and Jefferson Davis. Let thebigots fly their racist flags over state capitols of public schools.Let us know how they feel, and conversely teach our children—and their

mamas—about the true history of this country.More importantly, those monuments help us identify the enemy and rec-

ognize his tactics to keep alive a system of apartheid in this country.Naw, young sister, the X on my hat was not in tribute of Malcolm. Quite

the opposite.But that doesn’t mean we can’t change that paradigm. Just keep learning

and you’ll figure out how, and why and when.Hotep.

(continued from page 5)

Keeping Black students ignorant of their history

The Milwaukee Community Journal December 12, 2018 Page 8