CoMMUnITY VoL. XXXIX number 23 December 31, 2014
The Milwaukee
Salvation Army’s Christmas Family Feast
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PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY
Photos and question by Yvonne Kemp QUESTIon oF THE WEEK: “During the Salvation Army’s annual Christmas Family Feast at the Wisconsin Center, we asked four participants what their new Year’s Resolution is for 2015?”
LEON WILLIAMS (A kitchen area cook): “Now that I’m retired, I plan to serve God and do a lot of volunteering where needed.”
MARCELL GUYTON (Santa Claus): “To spread peace and happiness and education.”
The Salvation Army Christmas Family Feast, the largest Christmas meal in the entire country, fed more than 8,000 people on Christmas Day! As Christmas carols filled the air, hungry souls--some who can’t afford their own meal or were simply looking for some comfort on Christmas--waited in line for a hot holiday meal. The Christmas Family Feast is in its 25th year, and is made possible through the generous donations to the Salvation Army and the many organizations and companies that donated food to the cause.--Source:fox6now.com (Photos by Yvonne Kemp)
Hamilton family meets with, gains support of, civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson
Hamilton family members with Rev. Jesse Jackson at PUSH headquarters in Chicago. Rev. Jackson and PUSH held a rally and a news conference in which Rev. Jackson said he will come to Milwaukee Friday. (Photo courtesy of Coalition for Justice)
By Ashley Sears, courtesy of WITI Fox6now.com
Milwaukee Ald. Milele Coggs and some of her colleagues on the Common Council announce proposals for police reforms Tuesday. (Photo by Erin Toner, WUWM)
Aldermen Call for Police Body Cameras, Diversity Training After Hamilton Decision By Erin Toner, courtesy of WUWM.com
Some Milwaukee aldermen are calling for policing reforms in the wake of Monday’s decision in the Dontre Hamilton case. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm announced he would not charge a former police officer for killing Hamilton in Red Arrow Park in April. The DA says Christopher Manney firing 14 shots to stop Hamilton was self-defense because the mentally-ill man began fighting. Federal prosecutors now plan to review the case for possible civil rights violations. The proposals from alderman aim to prevent deaths of citizens in police custody and improve police/community relations. Ald. Milele Coggs was the first to speak at a Tuesday press conference at City Hall. She said she believes everyone in the community feels some pain over Dontre Hamilton’s death. “But we have an opportunity. As legislators, and as members of Milwaukee’s Common Council, to advocate for and create solutions. So that other families, for as much as we can, don’t have to go through the suffering and pain that the Hamilton family is currently going through,” Coggs says. One proposal the five council members are recommending, is to create a community advisory group. Ald. Russell Stamper says it would suggest strate(continued on page 3)
Demonstrators from Milwaukee protesting the decision by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm NOT to charge former Milwaukee Police Officer Christopher Manney in the shooting death of 31-year-old Dontre Hamilton made their way to Chicago Saturday and met with National civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., who is throwing his support behind the Hamilton family. “As Americans, we should do better. We all deserve better,” Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. said. The Coalition for Justice has organized the demonstrations in Milwaukee since Hamilton was shot on April 30th, 2014. The police officer who shot him--Christopher Manney-was fired for his actions leading up to the shooting, but he was never criminally charged. On Friday, December 26th, more than a dozen members of “Occupy the Hood” marched in Milwaukee — meeting near 27th and Burleigh where hey reportedly tried to block traffic, but they didn’t have enough people to make that happen. On Saturday, December 27th, members of the Coalition for Justice headed to Chicago to partner with the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. Rainbow/PUSH is a non-profit organization formed as a merger of two non-profit organizations founded by Jackson — Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition. The or-
Community Observes Kwanzaa!
(continued on page 3)
Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum holds annual event that observes and celebrates our heritage, history and culture
BEVERLY DEDMON (Mrs. Santa Claus): “I am going to do more volunteer work and praise my Lord everyday.”
RHONDA WHITE (a member of the waitstaff): “To serve God more and fulfill His purpose for my life.”
The day after Christmas, Milwaukee’s Black community joined millions of Black people around the nation and the world in celebrating Kwanzaa at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society/Museum, 2620 W. Center Street. Kwanzaa brings a cultural message which speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense. It reflects the best of African thought and practice in its reaffirmation of the dignity of the human person in community and culture, the well-being of the family and community, the integrity of the environment and our kinship with it and the rich resource and meaning of a people’s culture.
Photos by Yvonne Kemp
More Photos on Page 9
THE PULSE PHOTOP: Christmas Family Feast
The Milwaukee Community Journal December 31, 2014 Page 2
The Root Names 2014 the Year of the Protester Elected Black GOPers Not Expected to be a Plus for the Community
The Milwaukee Community Journal December 31, 2014 Page 3
Kirsten West Savali, Posted: Dec 30, 2014
“America never loved us. Remember?” Phillip Agnew, executive director of the Dream Defenders, a youth-fueled civil rights organization formed in response to the 2012 slaying of 17year-old Trayvon Martin, spoke those powerful words Jan. 28 during the 2014 State of the Youth. And the Year of the Protester began. Agnew’s heart-wrenching declaration—equal parts call to action and expression of grief—went viral the next month after a judge declared a mistrial in the case of 45-year-old Michael Dunn, the man who fatally shot 17-year-old Jordan Davis in 2012 because he was playing loud music in an SUV at a gas station in Jacksonville, Fla. Dunn would eventually be found guilty of first-degree murder in October after a second trial, but by then a new movement had been set in motion—one that would be reactivated by a succession of police killings of unarmed black men around the country. On July 17, Officer Daniel Pantaleo of the New York City Police Department used a banned choke hold that took the life of Eric Garner, 43, on a street in Staten Island; on Aug. 5, police fatally shot John Crawford III, 22, in a Wal-Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio; and, on Aug. 11, an officer in the Los Angeles Police Department killed Ezell Ford, 25, near 65th and Broadway in South Los Angeles. Fury over police killings would reach a tipping point, however, on Aug. 9, two days before Ford’s death, on Canfield Drive in Ferguson, Mo. It was there that now-former Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson gunned down unarmed Michael Brown, 18, as Brown reportedly begged for his life in the middle of the street. It was there that Brown’s bulletriddled body would be left to lie uncovered for four hours as his mother’s wails of rage and grief pierced the air. It was there that protesters stood unbowed before a militarized police force armed with tear gas, dogs, sonic grenades, armored personnel carriers and rubber bullets. And it was there that the justifiable rage and resentment would explode in a firestorm after a grand jury announced on Nov. 24 that Wilson
By Freddie Allen nnPA Senior Washington Correspondent
would not be indicted in Brown’s killing. Democratic Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon had declared a state of emergency the previous week to preemptively intimidate protesters into submission—it didn’t work. The revolution was live-streamed, and images of law-enforcement officers engaging protesters as if they were enemy combatants flooded social media. The #Ferguson hashtag became the cyber headquarters of the Twitter arm of the movement, and everyone gathered to get information that the mainstream media would not provide. As tensions fueled by anti-protester sentiment continued to escalate, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. weighed in with what has become his go-to response in these miscarriages of justice: reiterating that the Justice Department’s civil rights investigation would be “thorough.” President Obama eventually joined the chorus of voices appealing for the protests to remain calm, but his words did not sway the Ferguson protesters. For 139 days and counting, they have continued despite naysayers who doubted their dedication and miscalculated the depth of their commitment. They continue to stand in solidarity, refusing to prioritize peace over justice, while boldly chanting the words of Assata Shakur: “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” On Dec. 3, nine days after the Wilson decision, a grand jury in New York City declined to indict Garner’s
RED KETTLE CAMPAIGN DOWN! YOU CAN STILL GIVE HOPE TO THOSE IN NEED
WAUWATOSA--There’s still time to contribute to The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Christmas Campaign. The campaign is down $77,000 from this time last year. Meeting this year’s Red Kettle Christmas Campaign goal of $3.8M is critical to more than 80 programs and services that help area Milwaukee families and children in need including emergency food, shelter and clothing. 2013 Red Kettle Christmas Campaign donations made it possible for The Salvation Army to provide the following services this year: Feed The Kids: Distributed 124,152 lunches to hungry children this summer Back to Schoo: Distributed 4,000 back packs to area school age children Coats for Kids: Distributed 4,943 coats to children and youth Toy Shop: Distributed toys to 10,490 children this Christmas Christmas Family Feast: Served 7,462 meals on Christmas Day
Perspectives will return next week!
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killer. The psychological and emotional trauma inflicted with that vicious one-two combination of blows caused tens of thousands of people to stage protests and “die-ins” around the world. Politicians such as former and current New York mayors Rudy Giuliani and Bill de Blasio have tried to suppress protesters’ voices in the wake of the recent shooting deaths of two NYPD officers, but they have remained steadfast in their refusal to allow them to reframe black love as anti-cop hate. They have forced this nation to reckon with the fact that it was forged in protest and that Americans—yes, even black Americans—have the right to dismantle systems of oppression that destroy the lives of our people. Sparked by the Ferguson uprising, a generation of protesters from around the country—including in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami and Houston; Oakland, Calif.; Birmingham, Ala.; Washington, D.C.; and Berkeley, Calif.—have been baptized in radical fire, refusing to sell out or buy into a corrupt system that allows police officers to kill with impunity. The involvement of the National Basketball Association, inspired by Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, and hip-hop luminaries such as J. Cole, Talib Kweli and Q-Tip expanded the movement’s exposure, but 2014 belonged to the foot soldier. It has been sustained by a new generation of protesters and community activists, including Deray McKesson, Johnetta Elzie, Tef Poe and Erika Totten; groups such as the Black Youth Project 100 and DCFerguson; and the millions of people they have inspired. It belongs to the youths who refuse to romanticize the presence of an African-American president who has positioned the relentless killing of black people as a manifestation of the
mistrust between communities and law enforcement, instead of the continuation of this country’s legacy of lynching black bodies who are perceived as dangerous when not in shackles. Legendary poet and activist Amiri Baraka taught us that if we ever find ourselves surrounded by enemies who won’t let us speak our own language, who ban our oom boom ba boom, then we’re in trouble so deep that it will probably take us several hundreds of years to get out. This is a generation of activists who recognize that we’re in deep trouble. Unconcerned by the cold, unrelenting gaze of white supremacy, they are the reason that the last moments and words of Michael Brown’s and Eric Garner’s lives—“Hands up, don’t shoot!” and “I can’t breathe,” respectively—are being chanted around the world from Tokyo to Paris to Melbourne, Australia. They are marching to the drumbeat of a revolution born of love for black people—oom boom ba boom; oom boom ba boom; oom boom ba boom—and ignoring the barely sheathed hatred of those who have attempted to silence them. There have been those who have described this as the latest iteration of the civil rights movement, but as Malcolm X taught us, there can be no civil rights until we first have human rights. These protesters understand that the expectation of subdued civility in the face of the continued dehumanization of black life is evidence of the racism that this country was founded upon. They have challenged this nation’s love affair with itself by exposing the rotten core of its socalled democracy. They continue to speak hard truths to morally bankrupt power—bravely, consistently and unapologetically— and we are in their debt.
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Black Republicans made history during the midterm elections in November by winning in Texas, South Carolina and Texas, but political analysts wonder if the victories will have any long-term impact on the future of the GOP in the Black community.
POLITICS& GOVERNMENT
Traditionally, Black candidates running for elected offices not only need a large Black turnout, but also a majority of the Black vote to win Republican Senator statewide and national races. Senator Tim Scott made history by Tim Scott becoming the first Black Republican elected to serve in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He won with just 10 percent of the Black vote and 82 percent of the White vote, according to exit polls. Representative-elect Will Hurd beat his Democratic challenger Pete Gallego in Texas by a narrow 2.1 percent margin in a predominately Hispanic congressional district (House District 23) to become the first Black Republican from Texas elected to the United States Congress since Reconstruction. When the next congressional term begins, Mia Love, a Black Mormon and daughter of Haitian immigrants, will represent Utah’s 4th House district in a state where Blacks account for just 1.3 percent of the total population. Lorenzo Morris, a political science professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., said that the Black community shouldn’t expect much from the Black Republicans during the next legislative session, because they won largely without Black voters. In addition, he said, their rank as freshmen lawmakers will limit their influence within the party. “Their collective impact, if they are really outspoken, will just be on the plus side of zero, barely zero,” said Morris. “The obvious impact for Republicans is positive only to the extent that it shows visually, if not substantively, an outreach to minorities.” Scott earned an “F” on the NAACP’s legislative report card during the first session of the 113th Congress from January 2013 – December 26, 2013. ThinkProgress.org reported that Scott proposed a bill in 2011 to block families from receiving food stamp benefits if one of the adults in the home joined a strike, and as a state legislature Scott supported cuts to South Carolina’s HIV/AIDS budget. In a 2012 speech, Love accused President Barack Obama of “pitting us against each other based on our income level, gender, and social status” and said that, “His policies have failed.” Love has also pledged to take the Congressional Black Caucus “apart from the inside out.” If they continue to express views counter to those held by the Black electorate that overwhelmingly supported President Obama with more than 90 percent of their votes in back-to-back elections, Morris said, that their presence could actually hurt that visual image of minority outreach, because it will further distance the GOP from the politics that are overwhelmingly characteristic of Black voters. Raynard Jackson, a Republican strategist and the president and CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, called Love, “the embodiment of the American Dream” and said that her journey as a first generation Haitian immigrant to become the first Black Republican female ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives is amazing. “It doesn’t matter what her politics are or what her party affiliation is, if Love’s story doesn’t inspire you, then there is something wrong with you as
Hamilton family meets with civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson
(continued from page 1) ganizations pursue social justice, civil rights and political activism. They stood on the stage trying to bring attention to the Dontre Hamilton case. They want awareness beyond Milwaukee city limits. “We cannot sleep on injustice. We will not sleep on injustice. We will prevail,” said Nate Hamilton, Dontre Hamilton’s brother. “Injustice leads to chaos and despair. Justice leads to peace. We want peace. We want one set of rules. We want fairness,” Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. said. Reverend Jackson is promising to work with the family and help shine a national spotlight on the case. “There is in Milwaukee, a pattern of blacks being killed by police. There is a sense of pain in the room today. We’re going to escalate this battle as we seek federal intervention,” said Rev. Jesse
(continued on page 6)
Jackson. The United States Attorney has announced the United States Department of Justice will undertake a federal review of the case to determine if, under federal civil rights law, there is a basis, both legal and factual, upon which a federal civil rights prosecution may be premised. This review will be conducted by the FBI, the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the Civil Rights Division. “Experts are looking at this matter anew and we are excited by it and we think it will result in a charge, which will bring some closure to this family,” said Alex Flynn, Hamilton family attorney. And with more attention, the Hamilton family hopes comes change. “We will overcome, but it takes us to reach and search that truth and I know we can and I know we will because God is able,” said Nate Hamilton. Hamilton’s family attorney says a civil lawsuit
is also currently in the works. “It’s not often Milwaukee gets the chance to say what’s going on, what we’re going through as a community. We don’t want another family to be put in this position. (We want to) create new legislation, challenge the procedures and policies of the police department and have them implement new training. I think we’re going to continue to pick up momentum,” Dontre Hamilton’s brother, Nate Hamilton said. “This is an ugly chapter in American history, these killings of unarmed people. It must stop,” Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. said. Reverend Jesse Jackson says he will be in Milwaukee sometime in the very near future. An exact date is yet to be determined. One of the family’s attorney’s says they’ve had several discussions with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, they believe that a federal investigation will prove their case and they hope to see charges.
Aldermen Call for Police Body Cameras, Diversity Training After Hamilton Decision
(continued from page 1) gies for police to maintain positive, productive relationships with residents. “For those who claim that there was a breach of trust with the Hamilton family or this community – newsflash. It was never there,” Stamper says. Stamper says the council will also re-evaluate the diversity training officers receive and seek a new provider for the training. The third proposal is to begin publicly vetting members of the city’s Fire and Police Commission, and expand the group from seven to nine members. The commission sets policy and procedures for the police department and reviews citizen complaints. Ald. Willie Wade described the group’s fourth suggestion – to equip every Milwaukee police officer with a body camera to record their interactions. “That is necessary for protection of the community and the citizens and also protection for our police officers,” Wade says. The council has allocated $100,000 in the 2015 budget for 50 cameras. Wade says getting a camera for every MPD officer will cost the city close to
$1 million. The final proposal aldermen outlined Tuesday is to create a system to monitor individual officers for indicators of violent or aggressive tendencies. “We want to have a way of tracking complaints against police officers that would give early warning flag signals so that we can follow up and give those officers the counseling that they would need in order to address whatever type of issues that may be coming up through the course of their interactions with the public,” says Ald. Ashanti Hamilton. The aldermen say the proposals are only the beginning of a reform process, and they’re looking forward to working with their colleagues and the public on other ideas. The Milwaukee Police Department issued a written response, saying it welcomes the aldermen’s interest in the department’s efforts to provide the city with police services of the highest ethical and professional standards. The MPD also notes that the “substantive changes” city leaders are suggesting have either been implemented or are underway.
RELIGION
The Milwaukee Community Journal December 31, 2014 Page 4
St. Mark holiday food giveaway
St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church recently held a Holiday Food Giveaway at its auxillary location, the Quality of Life Center, across the street from the main ediface, which is located at 1616 W. Atkinson Ave. Helping hand out food to needy individuals in the surrounding neighborhood were (left to right): Martha Love, Bertha Hartwell, Eliabeth Ramirez, Kiara Willis, Diane Wilkins, and Auriea Mosley. The law firm of Pitman, Kyle, Sicula and Dentice (PKSD) contributed to the food giveaway. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
Twenty-one MLK scholarships to be awarded January 11
A total of 21 Martin Luther King Scholarships, ranging from $750 to $1,500, will be presented to posthigh school students at the 39th annual Martin Luther King Celebration, Sunday, January 11, 3:00 PM, at Incarnation Lutheran Church, 1510 W. Keefe Ave. The annual event is sponsored by the Martin Luther King Scholarship Coalition, an ecumenical group of 11 congregations. The first Rev. Ernest Glenn Community Service Award will be presented at the January 11 event, to Connie Lindsey, who was the recipient of the first MLK Scholarship, awarded in 1977. Connie Lindsey, who grew up in the Lapham Housing Development in Milwaukee, is currently a vice-president of a Chicago Bank and national President of the Board of the Girl Scouts of America. She will also be the keynote speaker at the celebration on January 11. The Rev. Ernest Glenn Community Service Award will be presented annually in honor of Rev. Ernest Glenn, Pastor Emeritus of Christ Presbyterian Church and one of the founders of the MLK Scholarship Coalition. Rev. Glenn died in March, 2013. Recipients of the MLK Scholarships are required to write an essay, relating the words and the work of Dr. King to current justice issues. They must also raise $100 or more toward the MLK Scholarships, and they must be recommended by the pastor or a lay leader of one of the 11 congregations belonging to the MLK Scholarship Coalition. Nearly all of the MLK Scholarship funding is raised by participants in the MLK All-a-thon, which is held annually on the Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend. Since its inception in 1976, the MLK Scholarship Coalition has presented more than 450 scholarships, totaling more than $350,000. For more information, contact Rev. Joseph W. Ellwanger, Chair of the MLK Scholarship Coalition Board: 414-791-2480 or <joe.ellwanger@gmail.com>.
A new Year: A Renewal of our Faith
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men “. Luke 2: verses 11-14(KJV) Christians have just experienced four weeks of the Advent season of Hope and Anticipation, followed by the wonderful celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; and we all are hoping and anticipating that the New Year will bring us all personally better results than the one we will now be leaving behind. I pray for all, and ask the Lord that in this New Year he will give all us renewed faith, and strength, lasting stamina, clarity of mind, and sincerity in our hearts to realize and understand that no matter what the challenges that may lie ahead for us,
we will not be alone during those difficult times, for we know from the lessons that we have received from You in the past, You will pick us up and carry us through any difficult times that may lie ahead. I understand that this past year has
not been an easy one for many of us; but we did somehow make it through. Some of the things that attributed to “making it through” were the people that God placed around us. It is not an easy task in this world to go it alone. We do need other people in our lives sometimes to help us realize, through our combined faith, we are not alone in the challenges that may confront us in our future. One of the largest challenges that we struggle with as men is that we ‘sometimes mistakenly’, sincerely believe that we can ‘handle’ these challenges by ourselves alone. We are strong and powerful and can do anything without the help of anyone. Well, let me tell you from my own personal experiences, that at one time in my life I also believed those unbelievable thoughts. I believed that if I talked or confessed to someone, about my problems I was going through, I would appear to that some(continued on page 6)
voices advocating progress by means other than direct protest action, but we must be reminded that non-violent direct protest action is as much American as apple pie. Also, history is not on the side of
those who suggest that public dialogue alone ultimately leads to the liberation of the oppressed. During the era of the civil rights’ struggle, there were many voices being heard in the public square de-
bating or suggesting what the appropriate response of the victims of injustice should be. Of course, there were voices from both the majority and minority com(continued on page 5)
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER By Rev. Joseph McLin
Young Black Americans protests against killing of Black men and women reviving the Rights Movement
Biblical Counseling for Today’s Christian Family
By: Rev. Judith T. Lester, B.Min., M.Th.
This month this column will feature an article from a colleague, Dr. William F. Buchanan, Pastor, 15th Avenue Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee and Board member of the National Baptist Sunday School Publishing Board, an auxiliary of the Na-
tional Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. This piece is written in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Holiday. Guest Columnist: Dr. William F. Buchanan The past years have been some of the most tumultuous times for race relations in America since the 1960’s. We are familiar with Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Dontre Hamilton, but what of the other unarmed Black men and women whose names we do not know who lost their lives at the hands of law enforcement. Young people of all races and creeds have taken to the streets of our urban cities to stand up for the cause for injustice everywhere. We have not witnessed such protests in our streets since the golden era of the Civil Rights Movement. Yet, we are hearing some strange
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Ernestine o’Bee, Founder
Quality Service... a tenured tradition sincere concern at your time of need.
Offering pre-need, at need and after-care services to families in Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and other communities throughout our state.
Winters,Ida Age 74 yrs. December 24, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 9 at 11AM. Visitation Friday 10AM until time of services. The family is serve by: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020
Johnson, Rev. Dr. Sandy L. Age 90 yrs. December 23, 2014. Beloved husband of Roylene G. Johnson. Loving father of Jennifer(Milton)Hines, Julia(Melvin)Saffold and Jon Johnson. Grandfather of Jasmine Zapata, M.D. and her husband Miguel Zapata. Great-grandfather of Miguel and Aameira Zapata. Also survived by a host other loving relatives and friends. Home Going Celebration will be held on Saturday,January 3, at Parklawn Assembly of God 3725 N. Sherman Blvd. Visitation 9AM-10:15AM and Celebration services begins at 10:15AM. A Memorial Celebration will be held Friday, January 2 at Northside COG 4858 N. 19th St. Visitiation 4-6PM and Memorial Celebration begins at 6PM. The family is served by: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020 Dantzler, Laura A. Age 66 yrs. December 26, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 2, at 1PM. Visitation Friday 12 Noon until time of services at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020
Taylor, Hardnel S. Age 74 yrs. December 18, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 3, at 11AM at Bethel Tabernacle Worship Center 5419 W. Hampton Ave. Instate Saturday 10AM at the CHURCH until time of services. Visitation Friday 3-7PM at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020
Kelley, Sibyle M. Age 90 yrs. December 24, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 3, at 11AM at Greater Galilee Baptist Church 2432 N. Teutonia Ave. Visitation Saturday 10AM at the CHURCH until time of services. The family is served by: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020
Sims, Anthony Q. Age 60 yrs. December 22, 2014. Beloved father of Tashiva Carter. Loving son of Granville and Normajean Sims. Brother of Tod Sims, Michael Sims and Nina Bruce. Also survive by 1 grandchild Quane Carter and a host of other loving relatives and friends. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday,
J.C. Frazier, Funeral Director
December 30 at 11AM at St. Francis Catholic Church 1927 N. 4th St. Visitation Tuesday 10AM at the CHURCH until time of services. The family is served by: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020 Manns, LaDale Age 62 yrs. December 22, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Monday, December 29, at 11AM at Holy Cathedral COGIC 2677 N. 40th St. Instate Monday 10AM at the CHURCH until time of services. Visitation Sunday 37PM(Family will receive guest from 6-7PM) at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020
Lenora, Arthur Leon Age 73 yrs. December 28, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Saturday 12 Noon at Holy Recovery International Church 4700 N. 39th St. Visitation Saturday 11AM at the CHURCH until time of services. The family is served by: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020
Odom, Lonnnie J. Age 78 yrs. December 22, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 2 at 11AM. Visitation Friday 10AM until time of services at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020
Brumfield, Kendra K. Age 30 yrs. December 25, 2014. A Memorial Services will be held on Friday, January 2 at New Creatures In Christ Church 2328 W. Capitol Dr. The family is served by: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020
Quincy, Clarence Jr. Age 45 yrs. December 27, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 9 at 3PM at Metropolitan Baptist Church 1345 W. Burleigh St. Visitation Thursday 3-7PM(Family will receive guest from 6-7PM) at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020 Baker, Georgia M Age 80 yrs. December 23, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 9 at 1PM. Visitation Friday 12 Noon until time of services at: Northwest Funeral Chapel O'Bee, Ford & Frazier 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020
Families served by:
Northwest Funeral Chapel O’Bee, Ford & Frazier
Milwaukee 6630 W. Hampton Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53218 Telephone: (414) 462-6020 Fax: (414) 462-9937
Racine 800 Barker St. Racine, WI 53402 Telephone: (262) 637-6400 Fax: (262) 637-6416
The Milwaukee Community Journal December 31, 2014 Page 5
Young Black Americans reviving the Rights Movement (continued from page 4)
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Stars of Milwaukee’s Next Strong Baby Campaigns Announced
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Milwaukee Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families and Serve Marketing unveil winners of local casting call Milwaukee’s newest Strong Baby campaign stars
)made their public debut with Mayor Tom Barrett Thurs-
day morning during a press conference held at United Way of Greater Milwaukee. The babies will be featured in upcoming advertising campaigns produced by Serve Marketing for the Milwaukee Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families (Milwaukee LIHF). The 10 adorable winners were selected out of more than 300 who attended an open casting call on Nov. 1 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center and a social media casting call on the Strong Baby Facebook Page. The winners, Karon (19 months), Mila (11 months), Aimee (15 months), Kaden (12 months), Zoe (17 months), Hunter (12 months), Mylah (8 months), Tyson (11 months), Hudson (9 months), and Marli (14 months) each re)ceived a $200 U.S. savings bond and will appear in future Strong Baby ads and messages online and in the community. “There are no better ambassadors for positive messages around improving the health of infants in our community than Milwaukee’s own strong babies,” said Mayor Tom Barrett, co-chair of the Milwaukee LIHF Collaborative. “We thank every parent who nominated their very own strong babies, and look forward to seeing our local children share positive health messages across the city,” said Shirley McFarlane, of Northwestern Mutual and cochair of the Milwaukee LIHF Collaborative with Mayor Barrett. The Strong Baby campaign is a grassroots effort, developed in partnership with Serve Marketing, designed
to engage the community in the crucial conversation around the importance of changing the conditions that can lead to stronger babies and help reduce Milwaukee’s infant mortality rate. "The first goal of this effort was to build a strong and engaged social community, to turn parents and grandparents that live in our city into vocal advocates for stronger babies,” explains Serve Volunteer Creative Director Gary Mueller. “With a more than 1,100 percent increase in the Strong Baby Facebook community and an astonishing 67,000 interactions with the page’s posts, the effort is already a success.” The effort supports Mayor Barrett’s goal of reducing Milwaukee’s overall infant mortality rate by 10 percent and the African-American infant mortality rate by 15 percent by 2017. It also supports the goal to reduce racial disparities in birth outcomes, set by the Milwaukee Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families, which is funded by the Wisconsin Partnership Program. “This generation of strong babies will increase awareness of the kind of individual and community changes that will lead to a lower risk of premature births in Milwaukee,” said LaShawndra Vernon, program director for the United Way-led Milwaukee LIHF Collaborative. “We know we will not move the needle on this issue until we change the conditions that lead to poor birth outcomes.” Preliminary data indicates that 117 Milwaukee infants died before their first birthdays in 2013, with complications of prematurity the leading cause. Nearly 60 percent of all infant deaths and 66 percent of all African-Amer-
Baby Marli with mom Symphony
“There are no better ambassadors for positive messages around improving the health of infants in our community than Milwaukee’s own strong babies”-- Mayor Barrett, co-chair
munities who thought that the Negro ought to be patient even after almost a century after slavery and a decade after the Supreme Court ruling on Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) with no societal change. There were Negro religious and civic leaders who advocated principles of gradualism or inevitability. Gradualism/inevitability teaches patience and a belief that in time people of goodwill will do what is right by the Negro; whereas, the Civil Rights Movement taught peaceful direct-action because in a culture of injustice and oppression, even people of goodwill must be motivated to do the right thing and stand up for justice. A little known fact of history is that one of the reasons behind the split of the National Baptist Convention, USA, INC. in 1960 was the difference in philosophy of Dr. J.H. Jackson (gradualism), then president of the convention, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the crafters of the nonviolent direct action protests. Concomitantly, one of the points of the Letter From the Birmingham Jail, was that white clergymen of goodwill had written an Op Ed criticizing Dr. King and calling for the Negro citizens of Birmingham to practice patience, believing that in due time the city fathers would do the right thing by the Negro citizens of Birmingham. Yet, that same clergy was silent while the people of ill-will were bombing churches and homes, killing black life and using every terroristic means, legal and illegal, to intimidate and kill those who wanted their rights granted to them by the Constitution of the United States of America. Dr. King attributed much of the success of the civil rights’ struggle, throughout the South, to the energy and zeal of young people in direct-action protest. Sixty plus years later, we are again witnessing the energy and zeal of young Americans who feel hopeless and frustrated by a society that is not yet postracial, in spite of all of the political rhetoric. Nonviolent protest is not only the American way, but it is steeped in human history: in 1517 Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation was birthed in protest; the independence of our nation and freedom from Great Britain was born in protest, the Boston Tea Party 1773; the Emancipation Proclamation, ending slavery in 1865, was birthed in conflict and protest between the North and the South; and of course the Civil Rights Act of 1963 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 came after years of protest. The world’s greatest protester was Christ Himself, who protested against the religious status quo of His time and whose teachings continue over 2,000 years after his death. It is for certain that centuries and decades of dialogue on the issue of justice for “all men” took both dialogue and protest to prick the conscience of a nation to do the right thing by all of her citizens. We, as citizens of this nation, especially African Americans, are the beneficiaries of protest. Yet, unfortunately, there are still those who espouse the regrettable rhetoric of patience and even condemnation toward civil nonviolent protesters, but we must read the tea leaves of history that “Public protests are the voice of the voiceless” (Ralph Mathekga, Johannesburg) and little substantive change in systems of oppression rarely take place without protest. I am a son of the church and the love of the church is deeply entrenched in me, but it was in the streets that the conscience of this nation was pricked to do right by all peoples. The writer does not assume responsibility in any way for readers’ efforts to apply or utilize information or recommendations made in these articles, as they may not be necessarily appropriate for every situation to which they may refer. If you would like to contact Rev. Lester, write to her c/o P.O. Box 121, Brookfield, WI. 53008.
INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND INSPIRATION! YOUR Milwaukee Community Journal! of the Milwaukee LIHF Collaborative.
ican infant deaths are the result of complications of prematurity. Birth defects are the second leading cause of infant death, contributing to approximately 20 percent of infant deaths, while sleep-related infant deaths represent approximately 15 percent of all infant deaths. For more information about the cause, visit www.IWantAStrongBaby.com.
38years of feeling the PULSE of Your Community!
Mayor Barrett Announces Accelerated Crisis Intervention Team Training for Milwaukee Police Department Personnel The Milwaukee Community Journal December 31, 2014 Page 6
Mayor Tom Barrett was joined by Nathaniel Hamilton, Inspector Carianne Yerkes of the Milwaukee Police Department and Ellen Gilligan of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation to announce the acceleration of the ongoing efforts of the Milwaukee Police Department to expand its Crisis Intervention Team training. “In the discussions I’ve had with the Hamilton family, community leaders, members of the clergy and others, I have heard the concerns of the community,” said Mayor Barrett. “I want to equip all Milwaukee police officers with the tools to handle situations involving the mentally ill. I want to prevent future tragedies.” The Milwaukee Police Department has engaged in Crisis Intervention Team training since 2006 and currently has 400 Crisis Intervention Team trained members. The goal is to have all police officers trained by the end of 2017. Beginning with the police recruit class that began this month, all newly-hired police officers will receive 40 hours of Crisis Intervention Team training as part of their time spent at the Academy. The training will include: Identifying mental illness, substance abuse, de-escalation and active listening, con-
Marquette researchers team up with former Green Bay Packers player to explore life after football
Marquette researchers Drs. James Holstein and Richard Jones have joined forces with George Koonce, former NFLlinebacker and Marquette Ph.D. alumnus, to examine the challenges facing players when they leave the NFL in a newly published book. Is There Life After Football? Surviving the NFL looks inside life both in and after the NFL to paint a vivid portrait of what happens when players are thrust into the real world after devoting their entire lives to the game they love. A member of the 1996 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl Championship team, Koonce shares the struggles and setbacks he encountered and decisions that helped him succeed after leaving the sport as an NFL director of player development, Ph.D. graduate, and university administrator. He currently is the vice president of advancement for Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The book is deeply informed by Koonce’s experience and insights, but also draws upon stories from hundreds of other players. While the public is painfully aware of the post-career failures and foibles of many NFL players, the book offers a broader and more nuanced picture that reveals paths to success as well as the pitfalls that plague so many former players. “To be able to reflect and tell my own personal story, I relied heavily on the expertise of my co-authors who helped me articulate the tri-
sumer stories and resources for consumers and families. In addition, starting in January, all sworn members will also receive 16 hours of Crisis Management for First Responders training as part of their annual in-service training. Some of the topics will be: De-escalation and active listening, identifying mental illness, tactical disengagement, stigma and police bias, and again, resources for consumers and families. “We trust police officers with our lives, and we want them to use discretion and an educated approach when dealing with these issues,” said Nathaniel Hamilton. “I’m thankful to the mayor and I’m thankful to the police department for hearing us out and for hearing the community out to help us reach this goal by 2017.” The efforts to address this issue will also include an additional Crisis Assessment Response Team, which consists of a crisis intervention team and homeless outreach trained officer paired with a county behavioral health crisis mobile team clinician. These individuals assist officers in the field with mental health calls. This team started in July 2013. A second team will be added in January 2015.
umphs and pains along the way in my personal journey,” Koonce said. “My hope is that by telling my story, I can impact the lives of future generations to come.” Holstein and Jones are veteran Marquette sociologists who, combined, have published more than 40 books on topics relating to mental health and illness, the life course, prisons, the self, and athletics in society. Combining an analytic perspective with insider experiences, the authors discuss many heartbreaking and controversial issues including the following: • The pressures of living in a “bubble”—an arena where players are scrutinized but also protected from many of the mundane demands of everyday life—and the culture shock after leaving it • The exhilaration of being paid astronomical sums and the price of spending like there’s no tomorrow after the glory days end • Lives shattered by injuries brought on by years of violent physical contact on the gridiron • The combination of factors—skills, mindset, family support, character traits—that ease the transition from NFL celebrity to a second career According to the authors, the key to understanding life after football lies in players’ deep commitment to the game itself. “Players live in a very special “bubble” from the time they are 10 years old. When the bubble bursts, they have trouble knowing where to go and what to do,” notes Holstein. “The transition to post-NFL lives has a lot in common with transitions out of other all-consuming situations, like the military, or even prisons,” adds Jones.
A Renewal of our Faith
(continued from page 4) one that I was less of a man myself. We are supposed to be strong and resilient in all that we do and make decisions alone. (BALONEY)!!! Now, I am not suggesting or advising you to share with everyone some of your most difficult situations you find yourself in; but sometimes, a listening ear from a good friend could possibly ‘solve’ a problem you thought you had, without a word or advice from them in return. True friends lend an ear, not judgment. And a true friend will accept
you as you are. One thing we should try and remember to do is to keep a positive attitude. It can be contagious. Appositive attitude can affect us and the people we come in contact with on a daily basis like our wives, children and friends. These positive attitudes are reflected in the third of seven principles of Kwanzaa; Ujima, (collective work and responsibility, to build and maintain our community together and make our sisters and brothers’ problems our problems and
solve them together). As we leave this joyous season and move toward the New Year, let us continue to have Hope, Anticipation, and Faith in all whom we meet and all that we do. Let us make resolutions to be better disciples in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ as the “Reason for the Season’ throughout the year. Galatians 6: Verse2 NIV; Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the Law of Christ” “WE ARE OUR BROTHERS KEEPER”
Elected Black GOPers Not Expected to be a Plus for the Community
(continued from page 3) an American citizen,” said Jackson. Former congressman Allen West (R-Fla.) said that the Republican Party has to remind Black voters that the conservative principles and values of the GOP are quite consistent with the history of the Black community. “When you go back and read Booker T. Washington’s writings at the turn of the century, his remedy for the Black community under the stress and strain of segregation and Jim Crow laws were three points: education, entrepreneurship and self-reliance,” said West. “When you look at each one of those individuals Senator Tim Scott, Representatives-elect Mia Love and Will Hurd, that’s what they represent, and those are the three things we must have conversations about in the Black community.” West compared the overwhelming loyalty that Black voters have for the Democratic Party to an investor that puts all of his eggs in one basket. Just like an investor shouldn’t put all of his money in one fund or one venture, West said, Black voters should also diversify their political capital. “The people in these majority-minority districts are going to have to look up and say, ‘Why are we still in this situation? Why do we continue to elect the same person and nothing is getting any better?’” said West. Morris said that if a Black Republican wanted to sway Black voters in any significant way, the candidate would have to talk about social policies and programs in ways that are open and address issues such as income inequal-
“Morris said that if a Black Republican wanted to sway Black voters in any significant way, the candidate would have to talk about social policies and programs in ways that are open and address issues such as income inequality similar to the way a moderate Democrat would. In short: the candidate would have to be a liberal Republican.”
ity similar to the way a moderate Democrat would. In short: the candidate would have to be a liberal Republican. “It would take a miracle for a Black Republican to win a majority Black district,” said Morris. Still Raynard Jackson said that the additions of Scott, Hurd and Love will help the party, if they are properly utilized. Jackson used a basketball analogy to describe how the Republican Party can continue to win with candidates like Tim Scott, Mia Love and Will Hurd. “You have to understand the strengths and the weaknesses of each player and you have to know when to put them in the game and when to sit them down,” said Jackson. “You have to understand when to bring a Tim Scott, a Mia Love, a Will Hurd in to speak. You can’t send them everywhere. You have to understand what their message is to best utilize them. “That’s what has to be done.” Jackson added: “Just because they’re Black, doesn’t mean you throw them out there to a Black audience.”
“Mister Speaker, I am proud that the Milwaukee Community Journal hails from the 4th Congressional District. It has consistently informed, analysed and entertained readers for nearly 38 years. I am pleased to give praise to Patricia O’Flynn Pattillo and her staff for providing a voice to the community and providing educational opportunities to students. I wish them many more years of success.”
The Milwaukee Community Journal December 31, 2014 Page 7
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segment from Cong. Gwen Moore’s remarks she made on the Congressional Record paying tribute to the Milwaukee Community Journal’s Dr. Terence N. Thomas Scholarship Annual Brunch
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The Milwaukee Community Journal December 31, 2014 Page 8
MORE THE PULSE PHOTOP: 2014 KWANZAA CELEBRATION
The Milwaukee Community Journal December 31, 2014 Page 9
Photos by Yvonne Kemp
The Milwaukee Community Journal December 31, 2014 Page 10