COMMUNITY
JOURNAL www.communityjournal.net 25 Cents
VOL.XL Number 6 September 9, 2015
The Milwaukee
BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN PERMIT NO. 4668
MEN WHO COOK...AND GIVE BACK!
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 PA P E R
Annual Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce event recognizes fathers from the community who have and are making a difference
Wisconsin's Black unemployment rate the highest in the nation
Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Wisconsin's unemployment rate for African Americans was the highest in the nation last year, a new report shows.
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The Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce held its 16th annual “Men Who Cook” and sixth annual “Dads Who Cook” event over the Labor Day weekend at the Parklawn YMCA, 4340 N. 46th St. The event was co-sponsored by WBCC, My Father’s House, Parklawn YMCA and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The chamber also recognized several young and old fathers from the community who are making--and have made--a positive impact on their community. Among the highlights: A) The participants and winners of the competition. (B) Lillian Pounds, wife of the late community activist Ron Pounds, who received the award for him; (C) Earl Ingram, Sr. (seated in wheelchair) with his family and representatives of “Men Who Cook,” (D) Charles Muhammad (center) with WBCC official and “Men Who Cook” organizer Reuben Hopkins (far left) and Khalid Whalid, one of the cook-off participants and a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community; (E) Dr. Michael Bonds with his wife Kathy, and cook-off organizers; (F) Christopher Sewell with his son, a representative of My Father’s House and event organizers. (More photos on page 8) Photos by Yvonne Kemp
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By Jessie Opoien, article courtesy of The Capital Times of Madison, WI
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
PULSE OF THE
COMMUNITY What were your plans for the just held Labor Day Holiday? Photos and question by Yvonne Kemp
SHONTINA GLADNEY: “(I spent) much needed time with the family and reflected on the time in my life when I was not as fortunate.”
TYRONE DUMAS: “Family, friends, faith and relaxation made my Labor Day a time of reflection, appreciation and fun!”
JACQUELINE MUHAMMAD: “Besides spending time with my family, I promoted the 10-1015 “Justice Or Else” in Washington, D.C. Both were a “labor of love!”
DALE KALEE: “Being alive!”
“According to the report, Wisconsin gained 140,700 jobs from January 2011 to June 2014 at a growth rate of 5.1 percent. Over the same period, national job growth was 8.4 percent. Had Wisconsin kept pace with national growth, it would have added 90,127 more jobs.”
The Center on Wisconsin Strategy released its State of Working Wisconsin 2015 report on Friday, which found that the state has seen slow job growth, wage stagnation and disparities tied to race and gender. Unemployment among AfricanAmericans in Wisconsin was 19.9 percent in 2014. That's the highest rate in the nation, and 4.6 times higher than the state's white unemployment rate. Nationally, AfricanAmericans are 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed than white workers. Meanwhile, Wisconsin's overall unemployment has returned to prerecession levels. The report also found that the ratio of women's to men's median wages was 81 cents for every dollar. Accounting for inflation, median worker wages are 71 cents higher today than they were in 1979. But the gender gap is shrinking. In 1979, the median woman earned 59 cents for every dollar earned by the median man. The progressive think-tank has looked at the state's working climate every year since 1996. According to the report, Wisconsin gained 140,700 jobs from January 2011 to June 2014 at a growth rate of 5.1 percent. Over the same period, national job growth was 8.4 percent. Had Wisconsin kept pace with national growth, it would have added 90,127 more jobs. However, the report also noted that Wisconsin's manufacturing job growth outpaces the national market. The sectors that substantially lag the national rate are trade, transportation and utilities, professional and business services and leisure and hospitality. "We’ve all been hoping for an economic recovery strong enough to lift wages and income,” said COWS associate director Laura Dresser in a statement. "Unfortunately, we’re just not seeing it in 2015, and this Labor Day, we’re still waiting for good news. But the national momentum toward a minimum wage increase is very good news. And as attention grows around the need to invest in our educational systems, this also holds promise for Wisconsin’s workers and future." Gov. Scott Walker's spokeswoman responded to the report with a statement Friday. Governor Walker has invested millions in worker training and workforce development programs in order to equip Wisconsinites with the skills they need to find good-paying, family-supporting jobs in our modern workforce. "Governor Walker has also focused on implementing policies to help spur economic growth in Wisconsin, and it’s working. Our economy is growing and we are creating jobs — 2014 was Wisconsin’s best year for private sector job creation in a decade. “Not only that, but our disposable income growth adjusted for inflation was 3rd best in the Midwest and better than the nation," said Laurel Patrick in an email. "More people are working. While the national unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in July, the unemployment rate in Wisconsin is down to 4.6 percent."