Masonic Mirror Summer 2024

Most Worshipful Past Grand Masters

2023-2024 APPOINTED GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

Right Worshipful D.D. Grand Master – East

Right Worshipful D.D. Grand Master – East

Right Worshipful D.D. Grand Master – West

Right Worshipful D.D. Grand Master – South

Right Worshipful S.D.D. Grand Master

Right Worshipful S.D.D. Grand Master

Right Worshipful S.D.D. Grand Master

Right Worshipful Grand Chaplain

Right Worshipful Grand Chaplain at Large

Right Worshipful Asst. Grand Chaplain

Worshipful Grand Senior Deacon

Worshipful Grand Junior Deacon

Worshipful Grand Senior Steward

Worshipful Grand Junior Steward

Worshipful Grand C.C.F.C

Worshipful Grand Custodian Relief Fund

Worshipful Grand Marshall

Worshipful Grand Standard Bearer

Worshipful Grand Tyler

Worshipful Grand Auditor (Chair)

Worshipful Grand Auditor

Worshipful Grand Auditor

Worshipful Grand Dean of M.E.T.

Worshipful Grand Dist. Deputy G. Lec. West

Worshipful Grand Dist. Deputy G. Lec. South

Worshipful Grand Asst. Treasurer

Worshipful Grand Asst. Secretary

Worshipful Grand Asst. Secretary

Worshipful Grand Asst. Secretary

Grand Master’s Admin. & Personal Assistant

Worshipful Grand Director of Youth

Worshipful Grand Photographer

Worshipful Grand Asst. Photographer

Worshipful Grand Asst. Photographer

Worshipful Grand Director of Security

Worshipful Grand Director of Fundraising

Worshipful Grand Director of Transportation

Worshipful Grand Personal Assistant

Worshipful Grand Director of Community Events

Worshipful Grand Director of Community Events

Worshipful Grand Director of Community Events

Worshipful Grand Historian

Worshipful Grand Attorney

Vacant

Fred Nelson, #5 [1,7,10]

Cornelius A. May, #2 [2,3]

MWPGM Micah E. Tharpe, #6 [6,9]

Joseph Dills, Sr., #5

Kevin B. McHenry, Sr. #5

Demetrius L. Williams, #11

E.B. Coleman Jr., #10

Alfred Floyd, P.M. #3

Jesse McNeil, #3

Tavaris L. White, Sr. #4

Anthony Terrell, #2

Doug Jones, #10

Lionel J. McAllister Sr., #8

MWPGM Minor King II, #4

Jamil Owens, #1

Alan Moore #4

Rodrick Boyce #10

T.V. Brown, #2

Todd Coleman, #11

Derrick Johnson, #2

Fredrick McCauley, #9

James E. Martin, PGM #8

Lance Baskin, #3 [2,3]

David Brown, #9 [6,9]

Isaac R. Woods #6

Isaias Ortiz #1 [Lodges 1,2,3,4]

Jeffrey Smith # 5 [Lodges 5,6,7,11]

Desha Agee, #10 [Lodges 8,9,10]

Sis. Marsha McHenry

Johnny Green #6

Dr. Faisal Abdu’allah, #2

David Brown, #9

Vel Summers, #11

John Odom, #4

Antonio J. Mayo, Sr., #11

Vacant

Corey Byrd, #9

Sylvester Hamilton, #10

Scott Terry, #6

Tracey Dent #4

Jeffery Zollicoffer Jr., #5

David Hart, #2

Milwaukee Influencer Dr. Kenneth Harris: ‘Born To Disrupt, Dispute, and Inspire’

BY TOM JENZ

Not long ago, I was listening to the “Truth In The Afternoon with Dr. Ken Harris,” his talk show on 101.7 TheTruth Black Talk Radio. He asked this question of his listeners: “Is it all right for white people to use the N-word?” I knew I had to meet him.

At 62, Dr. Harris is an influencer in Milwaukee, a man who brooks no contradictions. His values are firm, and he freely discusses his philosophy. Tall and upright through a cloud of confidence, he is blessed with the voice of a stage actor. With a street and academic background, his opinions have been molded out of vast experience. If your opinion varies, you’d better be ready to defend your position. He calls himself a contrarian because it’s his way of challenging entrenched beliefs. In a way, Harris is a Renaissance man: a retired police lieutenant, a college professor, a business strategist and a drive-time personality on Black Talk Radio.

Although Harris lives in central city Milwaukee, we met at a coffee shop in Whitefish Bay because, as he explained, “I am not recognized here. A bit of anonymity allows me to get work done.”

Where did you come from? Tell me about your parents, neighborhoods, schools, and how you ended up with such a diverse career.

I was born and raised in Chicago on the south side in a two-parent family with two older sisters. We lived in a middle-class neighborhood of Black

residents. When I was eight years old, my parents divorced, and dad became an alcoholic, and he died when I was 11.I was raised by a single mom on welfare, but she went back to work, had a 20-year career, and passed away from cancer at 59 in 1995. She imparted strong values, and all three of us children graduated from college.

What values did your mom pass on to you?

he put me in Boy Scouts sponsored by the Chicago Police Department, and later I became an Eagle Scout. I learned discipline and respect for people, how to dress, and understand citizenship in the community, nation and the world. I was exposed to adults with careers, which helped me figure out what I was good at. I went to the allBlack Chicago Vocational High School, 5,000 students, 1400 in our graduating class.

How did you ever go from those media jobs into becoming a Milwaukee police officer?

As a kid, I always wanted to be a police officer. I believe that if God puts something in your heart to do, you should give it a try.

After high school, I enrolled in the University of Illinois/ Chicago. Majored in architecture but later changed my major to communications, radio and TV. In 1981, I transferred to Illinois State in Normal, and majored in mass communications-radio. I loved that field. When I was 22, I ended up with my own radio show in Normal. After college, I got a job as a producer at WGN Radio in Chicago and later some other stations. I was also doing freelance TV as a sound man for places like the BET network.

If I fail, it becomes a learning experience. I went up to Milwaukee and took the police test in 1992. Less than a year later, I was living in Milwaukee as a police officer, and raising a family. Meanwhile, I was still doing part time work in radio as a producer for WISN.

Throughout my career, I worked in different police districts from the white South Side to the Black North Side where people looked like me. It was a relief. People like to be around people who look like them, where we live, where we hang out, where we go to church. Eventually, I became the Public Information officer, then a police academy instructor, a Lieutenant, and I retired out of District 6. On

Dr. Kenneth Harris

the side, I was earning additional advanced degrees including a PHD in Leadership Studies.

You were a Milwaukee police officer for almost 25 years, 1993 to 2017, much of that experience in the Black central city. What did you learn?

I was taken aback by some of the criminal behavior and violence, but those things happen in white communities, too. It troubles me that historically, the federal government created suburbs for namely white residents, keeping Blacks isolated in their poorer neighborhoods. If you have poor neighborhoods, that breeds crime, no matter the race.

You went into the academic world after your police service, right?

I had been teaching part time at Concordia University. After I retired from law enforcement in 2017, I became a full-time professor at Concordia University. A few years later, Good Karma Brands was starting a new Black talk radio station,101.7 The Truth. In fall of 2020, they hired me as the drive-time host. It’s been a phenomenal experience.

The Black Talk Radio station. I understand it’s mostly for Black listeners and Black issues. Can you describe your on-air style?

I tend to be a contrarian. I want callers to explore an argument from both sides. That’s the best thing I can bring people. Not balanced but focused. Some people even accuse me of being conservative

at times. I answer, “Why is it that if I believe in functional families, being a strong father, being a Christian, going to church and to good schools, why does that make me conservative?” My Black community has many of these values. Too many times in politics these days, we label Americans based on race, or racism. So many of our cultural problems are really about economics, the separation of classes by income.

Yes, just look around this metro area—from Whitefish Bay and Shorewood and the Downtown— to the Latino South Side, and then the poorer central city on the North Side. There is a certain kind of culture that goes with each economic class.

We struggle more than whites with the economic part because of past governmental policies both federal and local. Because of prior and current racist policies, I think we are the only community where upper middle class Black people still live in the poorer Black neighborhoods. Current policies make it still difficult to afford what a person or family wants to have – a safe place to live, a good education and a good job.

Let’s talk about Racism. Racism is the system that allows the racial group that’s already in power to retain power. Take Milwaukee. For the past several generations, the powerful whites have kept most Black citizens roped off into an area now called the central city. Why? Fear of the unknown. Fear of people whose skin is a different color, whose culture leans toward the

emotional. To overcome their guilt, whites provide these isolated Blacks welfare, healthcare, childcare, and charity. That way, they remain taken care of, and whites don’t have to feel guilty.

I think there is a lot of truth in that. Some of us may have a kind of mindset that we are dependent on whites to give us things. But I think we need to stop looking at whites as a savior. They are not going to save us. We need to take care of ourselves first. So let’s give people the tools needed to step up and not bother with racists. If you want to be a racist, go ahead, but it takes too much energy to change another man’s heart. People talk about white organizations being allies who help us, or rather tell us how we should change. I ask, “Did we ever ask you for your help? Ask us what we need before you decide for us. Don’t just give us a voice at the table. Plan the meeting with us before you get to the table.”

If one group of people based on racism or on economic class tells another group what is good for them, isn’t that racism in an ironic way? It’s like the king and the serfs. In other words, “I want what’s good for you, but only I know what’s good for you.”

Can I change this approach? No. It takes too much energy. If development money goes primarily to building up the Downtown, that defeats the surrounding neighborhoods. Blacks and Latinos need to develop the neighborhoods into vital communities, and there are some thoughtful Black

Milwaukee Influencer Dr. Kenneth Harris: ‘Born To Disrupt,

developers working on projects now in Milwaukee. Good cities are built from the neighborhood to Downtown. We seem to be building the Downtown and disregarding the neighborhoods.

Continuing on with racial controversy. A recent topic you brought up on your show was The N-word—is it right for whites say the N-word? I spend time with inner city Black people, residents and street leaders. In times of emotion, they liberally throw around the N-word, even call each other the N-word and generally with endearment. I’m white. I cannot use that word in conversation.

Some people have an external locus of control and others an internal locus of control. External means everything is everybody else’s fault, not looking internally to make changes, rather blaming others. Internal locus of control means you take it upon yourself to make change, not make excuses. Each time I complain, I give someone else the power. NonBlacks use the N-word to call us a derogatory term or to set us back. You can be a fool or open your mouth and remove all doubt. I am not going to become emotional about a racist being an idiot and calling me a name. I will remember who said it and act accordingly.

In a way, you are turning your personal power over to the name caller or in this case, the racist.

Right. We give racism or the N-word so much power that it moves us emotionally. It causes us

to get into fights. The N-word is disgraceful. If you use it against me, the only person who can make a reaction is me. I will not let a person get power over me by simply using a word. Think about this. The word, Trump, is incendiary to many people. Trump is not even President, but that word, his name Trump, carries hatred and emotion. Everything is a cycle. Presidents come and go. Leaders die. Supreme Courts come and go. We have fought to overcome slavery, Jim Crow, and police brutality. We can fight and overcome the N-word. You can forgive who uses it against you, but do not forget.

Just like the N-Word, Trump is a foul word to millions of people, and those two words incite hatred. What I do not understand is why anyone would want to be filled with hatred, get up each morning with hate in your heart. We each have a choice NOT to hate. Hate takes up a significant amount of energy, and it’s all negative, and it can control your life in a negative way.

You’ve talked about context, in other words, if a word or statement is incendiary, in what context was it uttered? We are living in a “woke” world of political correctness where words seem to offend some persons, and those persons are allowed to complain.

Somehow, we raised a generation of people who cannot handle being offended. I’ve been teaching in higher education since 1985. I’ve watched it change from where students went to college to hear views the opposite of his or her

own. You argued and differed, but then you ate dinner together. Now colleges have become a haven of safety. Safe zones. It’s a safe place for people who want to speak their opinions, but not for people who do not want to hear them. If you block speakers or professors that you don’t agree with, whether far left or far right, how will you learn the breadth and vastness of knowledge? It’s like the minority view has become the new majority view.

And you are only offended if you allow yourself to be offended by a toxic word.

It’s complicated. If I take the high road and overlook a toxic word, no one corrects the person using toxic words. If I correct a person, I may be turning over my power to the person. In thinking it through, I need to correct the person because they may say it to a someone who doesn’t have the ability to defend themselves.

Who is your audience at 101.7 Black Talk radio?

For my show, I have mostly Black listeners and callers of different ages, but I do get white callers. You know that Black people listen to radio more than any other group in America? Ninety-two percent of Blacks listen to radio. The power of The Truth proves this fact.

At 101.7 The Truth, we find that people listen 24 hours a day, listen to the rebroadcasts and the podcasts. For my show, I do get callers who argue and interrupt like me, but we give them a voice.

Milwaukee Influencer Dr. Kenneth Harris: ‘Born To

You teach at Concordia University Wisconsin. What courses do you teach?

I am the Department Chair for Justice & Public Policy. That is my regular job.

You earned your PHD in Leadership Studies. How do you study leadership and what has that done for you?

I found that leaders are different in different cultures. A white political or business leader may have a different agenda for Black constituents versus a Black leader. If a leader applies his or her culture to someone else’s culture, the effect often doesn’t work. For instance, 101.7 The Truth is owned by a white-owned company, Good Karma Brands, WTMJ and ESPN radio, but Good Karma Brands gave our general manager and director of content the latitude on how to build the station and determine how we interact with a Black audience.

For my PHD, I studied various leaders, their styles and trends. A noted leader might have great leadership skills but uses those skills for evil purposes. Hitler, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, for examples.

I don’t look for what leaders did, but why they did it. My PHD dissertation was on W.E.B. Dubois, the Black intellectual, talented tenth writer, and Socialist leader. Studying leadership has allowed me to understand the Black community better.

And you are still studying leadership and its variants, right?

Yes. My current study is called “Too Black, Too Blue.” As a Black law enforcement officer, how do you go through life as a Black citizen? The cops might think you are too Black, and Black residents think you are too blue. When I was a cop, I remember working in plain clothes and was stopped by a uniformed officer demanding to know why I was on the south side. And I was in a department-issued unmarked car. Throughout police brutality, COVID-19 and the death of George Floyd, we’ve not heard the voice of the Black police officer.

On your Linkedin page, you describe yourself as “Born To Disrupt, Dispute, and Inspire” Care to elaborate?

I ask questions that I hope make people react. On my radio show, I try to disrupt many callers’ constant way of thinking, whether you are liberal or conservative. I think what’s gotten us into trouble is not listening. I want you to take a broader look. Everybody has implicit bias, and once you recognize it, you can mitigate it. If all you do is complain because you grew up in difficult circumstances, broken home, lack of money, poor education, bad neighborhood, I will point out the people that came from the same upbringing and did have a successful life, and I can show others how to do it.

I have done many stories on successful Black businessmen, politicians, educators, and entertainers that came from inner city broken homes and even poverty, but who have made it out

to lead meaningful lives. They are testaments to determination.

But it’s more than that. It is recognizing that it doesn’t matter if you went to an Ivy League college. It comes down to how much are you willing to fight to be successful. Not give up, but instead crawl over, crawl around, crawl through obstacles. Until you do that, you will never know. Albert Einstein said, “Success melts like snow, but creativity never dies.” Don’t let the creativity and the vitality, the beauty of the African diaspora in Milwaukee die. As for me, my plan is to create until I collapse. And creativity comes down through the ability to “Disrupt, Dispute, and Inspire.”

You can listen to the Dr. Harris talk show from 4-6 p.m. daily on 101.7FM The Truth: goodkarmabrands.com/101-7-the-truth.

Milwaukee Influencer Dr. Kenneth Harris: ‘Born To Disrupt, Dispute, and Inspire’ Continued

Winner

Nonprofit Executive of the Year

Kenneth Ginlack, Serenity Inns

As executive director of Milwaukee-based men’s addiction center, Serenity Inns, Kenneth Ginlack plays an integral role in the nonprofit’s mission to foster a safe healing environment for clients.

“He has demonstrated his strong leadership by enhancing the skills of the staff members and revising organizational policies to reflect a strong commitment to trauma-informed practices,” said Crystal McClain, a Serenity Inns board member.

Under Ginlack’s leadership, Serenity Inns is expanding with

construction of a $2.4 million, 14bed facility. Ginlack himself has triumphed over substance abuse disorder, becoming a licensed psychotherapist and has unwavering dedication to the cause of helping others recover from substance abuse disorder.

Ginlack is also a member of the Milwaukee Overdose Public Health and Safety Team’s planning team, working to prevent future overdose incidents, gaining deeper insights into fatal overdose risk factors, and providing support services to families affected by overdose.

“Our mission is to support as many men as we can as they struggle with substance abuse disorder, and as we continue to move forward and expand our reach to help more men in the community. I am just grateful.”

-Kenneth Ginlack, executive director, Serenity Inns

Construction moves forward for Serenity Inns’ new 14-bed treatment facility

CPR Training in the US

BY LORREL E. BROWN AND HENRY HALPERIN | 27 SEP 2018

Every year over 350 000 Americans experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; most will not survive. Provision of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation improves mortality after cardiac arrest. Yet, our current methods for public cardiopulmonary resuscitation training are burdensome and ineffective. Now is the time for funding agencies to prioritize the rigorous scientific study of established and novel cardiopulmonary resuscitation training methods to create a more efficient and effective program. In so doing, we can arm the public with this vital skill and empower them to save lives.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest affects over 350 000 people each year in the United States.1 It is well established that bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) improves survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.2 However, there is striking geographic variation in the rates of bystander CPR (10%–65%) and resultant survival (3%–22%) in the United States, with low-income and minority communities being disproportionately affected.3 This disparate survival based on where a person lives was deemed unacceptable by the Institute of Medicine, prompting a call for efforts to “overcome barriers… and educate the public in CPR.”4

In a 2015 report entitled A Time to Act, the Institute of Medicine outlined priorities and recommendations to improve survival after cardiac arrest. The importance of CPR training was emphasized stating “these efforts require public CPR and… defibrillator training across the lifespan, creating a culture of action that prepares and motivates bystanders to respond immediately upon witnessing a cardiac arrest.” In response, the American Heart Association (AHA) set the goal of training 20 million persons in CPR and increasing the rate of bystander CPR from 31% nationwide to 62% nationwide by the year 2020.5

Despite this recognition of the vital importance of bystander CPR, no gold standard training method exists that teaches people to perform highquality CPR and to retain that skill longitudinally. In a recent 2018 scientific statement on educational strategies to improve outcomes after cardiac arrest, a writing group for the AHA acknowledged that “current educational offerings... are falling short,” stating that training programs should be “optimized by leveraging proven educational methods that promote learning and retention.”6 Previous training increases bystanders’ confidence and willingness to perform CPR.4 Yet, only a small proportion of the US population (2.4%) is trained in

CPR annually.7 Certification via the American Red Cross (ARC) or the AHA HeartSaver course is often expensive and burdensome, requiring 3 to 4 hours of learning time. To increase accessibility of CPR training, alternative methods have been developed including blended online/ in-person courses, hands-only CPR for lay-person rescuers, self-taught video instruction, and mobile phone video game style apps.4,6Although these methods (including a method developed by our group) offer an appealing alternative to lengthy courses, rigorous evaluation of their efficacy is lacking.

As a result of this need, the Prince Hall Family collaborated with

the Milwaukee Fire Department to host FREE CPR Certification Training. These trainings took place on December 2nd, December 9th and December 16th, 2023 at Fire Station 5 located 1313 W. Resevoir Avenue, Milwaukee, WI. The event was coordinated by Brothers Tracey Dent and Brother Lionel McAllsiter. During the event we had over 50 members in the community become CPR Certified. Collectively, we are giving the gift of life.

Brothers Tracey Dent and Brother Lionel McAllsiter. During the event we had over 50 members in the community become CPR Certified. Collectively, we are giving the gift of life.

Southgate Lodge #6

Proudly Sponsors

RACINE, WI - JUNE 23, 2023 – ON JULY 27, 2023

The city of Racine held the outdoor live music concert at the Wustrum Art Museum. Participants were graced with an unforgettable evening of soulful melodies, infectious beats, and a vibrant atmosphere as Groov’n in the Garden took over the beautiful grounds of RAM’S Charles A.

Wustum Museum of Fine Arts located at 2519 Northwestern Avenue in Racine. Mahogany Gallery and Racine Art Museum present the brainchild of local artist Scott Terry (Southgate Lodge #6), Groov’n in the Garden. This event was a feast for the senses featuring a curated

collection of pre-order meal kit options and live music. The evening began with the opening of the grounds at 5pm to the mix of beats from DJs Fly vs. Fly performing in the background while concertgoers entered the grounds to set up their own chairs, blankets, and libations.

Corinthian Lodge #5 celebrates 95 Years

Southgate SD Keith Evans Recieves the NAACP 2023 Theodore Harris

Humanitarian

Award

M OUNT PLEASANT — Pastor

Keith Harris received the Theodore Harris Humanitarian Award on Friday, Nov 11th, at the Racine Branch NAACP Freedom Fund Awards Dinner.

The award is presented yearly to a person in the community that demonstrates a desire to help others by giving of themselves. Shakoor was a Racine County supervisor since 1996 and a Racine alderman since 2004, having recently retired from both. He was the founder/organizer of Scout Troop and Pack 181 for 13 years.

Reverend Keith T. Evans is the Pastor of the Greater Mt. Eagle Baptist Church located in the beautiful city of Racine, Wisconsin. The Flint, Michigan native attended Northwestern High School where he was a two-sport letterman for football and baseball, graduating in 1986. Keith was the recipient of the Optimist Club ScholarAthlete Award the same year. Upon graduation, he attended Southern University Baton Rouge, where he majored in Electrical Engineering. After one year of studies at Southern University, he accepted the call to ministry. His love for God, coupled with his passion for the people of God led him to Nashville, Tennessee to receive formal training at American Baptist College. He preached his initial sermon on December 25, 1991.

While at American Baptist College,

Reverend Evans, a natural-born leader, the proud member of the Illustrious Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, not only excelled in the classroom but throughout the campus as well. For two consecutive years, he served as President of the Student Government Association and was one of the nation’s “Who’s who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.” Lastly, for two consecutive years, he was the recipient of one of the school’s top honors, The President’s Award of Merit. Reverend Evans graduated from American Baptist College in May of 1994. It was also in March of that same year that he was ordained. After completing the coursework at American Baptist College, he enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He also pursued the GM/ UAW Electrical Apprenticeship Program and became a Journeyman Electrician.

Reverend Evans became the pastor of Greater Mt. Eagle Baptist Church in January 2002. Since coming to Wisconsin, Reverend Evans has been very involved within the city and the state in both the religious and civic sectors. In the religious community, Rev. Evans is a Certified Instructor and Lecturer, for the Wisconsin General Baptist State Congress. He has also served in the capacity of General Secretary,

for the Wisconsin General Baptist State Convention, Treasurer and Past Moderator, Southeastern Wisconsin Pastor’s Fellowship, and Former Chair, Religious Leaders Caucus of the Racine Interfaith Coalition. In August 2018, Reverend Evans became the President of the Wisconsin General Baptist State Convention. His civic responsibilities include Member, Racine Housing and Neighborhood Partnership Board of Directors, Member, Racine YMCA Strong Communities Advisory Board, Member, Racine Pin-Hi Golf Club, Vice President, State Street Civic Association and former member of the City of Racine Board of Ethics. He is also a member, Southgate Lodge #6 Prince Hall Affiliated. Reverend Evans has lectured for the Young People’s Department and preached Late Night for the National Baptist Congress, USA, both auxiliaries to the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. He presently serves on the Board of Directors of the NBC USA and as Parliamentarian of the American Baptist College Alumni Association.

Married to the former Tonya C. Scott, also a Flint native, the couple is blessed with two beautiful daughters Jasmine and Michaiah.

Widows Son Lodge #1 Mobilizes Community for Annual Winter Clean up Initiative

O n April 22, 2023, at 10 AM, the members of Widows Son Lodge #1 led the charge for residents, local businesses, and volunteers to participate in this collective effort to beautify our neighborhood. The clean up activities included litter removal, graffiti removal, and general maintenance to ensure our streets and public spaces remain inviting for everyone.

“We believe that a clean

neighborhood is a shared responsibility, and by coming together, we can make a significant impact on the overall well-being of our community” said Worshipful Master, Jamil Owens, the event organizaer.

Participants were encouraged to bring gloves, trash bags, and any tools that may be useful. The local municipality was also asked to provide disposal bins strategically

placed throughout the neighborhood for the collected waste.

The event offered an excellent opportunity for residents to connect with neighbors, strengthen community bonds, and make a positive difference in the environment we all share. In the spirit of camaraderie, after the clean up, the volunteers were served light refreshments at 1218 W. North Avenue.

Brother Abkar, A True Hero

James Akbar who served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam, stands dressed in his Montford Point Marine uniform inside the YMCA in downtown Beloit on Friday. Akbar will attend a special ‘Welcome Home’ceremony for Vietnam-era vets and Gold Star families during the traditional patriotic celebration at Beloit’s Riverside Park on Thursday, July 4. Anthony Wahl

James Akbar came home from Vietnam in 1967 to a crowd he never forgot. “Our officer warned us to get into civilian clothes because there were hostile people outside the plane,” Akbar remembers.

He changed from his uniform into a suit he bought in Vietnam, but it didn’t matter.When he got off the plane, the shouting started.“They called us women killers and baby killers,” Akbar said. “They spit on us. They threw rotten tomatoes and eggs at us. The type of greeting we got I wouldn’t wish on a dog.”

The town of Beloit man served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, also known as the Sky Soldiers. In combat, Akbar took two machine gun bullets to his lower left arm, which left him permanently disabled.

“I lost a part of my body fighting in the war,” Akbar said. “Then to have my country turn against me, that’s a bad move on the part of those who did it. You never get over it.”

He told former Beloit City Council member David Luebke about the incident, which Akbar called “one of

the saddest things that happened to me in my life.”

“My family has served in the military since before the Spanish-American War,” Akbar said. “I was the one who came home in disgrace. That’s the way they (anti-war protesters) made it look.”

More than 50 years later, Luebke decided it is time to honor the service of Vietnam veterans. He is the spark plug behind a special “Welcome Home” event for Vietnam-era vets and Gold Star families who lost loved ones in the war. The tribute will be part of the traditional patriotic celebration at Beloit’s Riverside Park on Thursday, July 4. Vietnam vets and Gold Star families from throughout the area are invited to attend.

Akbar was among the Vietnam veterans handing out medallions, each with a “welcome home” message, to vets and veteran families.“I have felt for a long time that the men and women who served during the Vietnam War have never been welcomed home and thanked for their service,” Luebke said. “Unlike World War II, where the whole country sacrificed and felt the threat of the war, Vietnam did not really affect the daily lives of most Americans.”

He has known many soldiers who sacrificed during the Vietnam War, and he has followed their lives.

“Simply put, I want these men and women to know that our community appreciates and thanks them for their

sacrifices and service,” Luebke said. “Hopefully, these vets will feel Beloit’s heartfelt thanks as they are specifically recognized and honored at our Fourth of July Holiday Pops concert.”

The Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra will perform stirring music to celebrate servicemen and women and the nation’s independence.

The BJSO also will play “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” as veterans receive medallions. In addition, the Badger Chordhawks will lead the audience in the national anthem and perform with the BJSO. Fireworks will follow the music and recognition of veterans.

The event might be more than 50 years late.

“But it needs to be done,” Luebke said. “I personally have been concerned about the lack of the Vietnam vets getting proper recognition for many years.”

He is chairman of a committee with more than a dozen members working to make the event happen.

Beloit City Manager Lori Luther will introduce the tribute and the servicemen who will greet vets as they come forward to receive their medallions.

Veterans who do not want to come forward can have their medallions delivered to them in the audience, Luebke said.

Gold Star family members can receive medallions for those who lost their lives in the war or who are unable to attend.

“We do not know how many will be present,” Luebke said. “But we will be prepared.”

Akbar called the welcome home “way past due.”

“There is a whole group of us who made it home but who are now gone,” he said. “We had an epidemic of suicides take place because of the way we were treated. I think the welcome home event can do a great deal of healing.”

Tom Nightingale also will hand out medallions.

“The ‘thank you’ has been a long time coming. But there’s something about it that feels good,” he said. “I have close friends who have gone through

some awful stuff over the years. It doesn’t hurt to have someone say ‘thank you’ for a change.”

Fifty-one years ago, Nightingale came home from Vietnam to an unusual silence. “No one said anything about Vietnam,” he remembers. “It was kind of like I took a vacation and came back.” In June 1968, the young Marine left a base in Okinawa and flew home on Friday the 13th. He brought with him searing memories of the TET offensive earlier that year, when North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched a coordinated attack against a number of targets in South Vietnam.

“All hell broke loose,” Nightingale said of one of the major battles of the war. “Hue got hit especially hard.” He was stationed 12 miles from Hue at the time.

He is coming to honor a high school friend and college roommate— Edwin F. Brown—who was killed in Vietnam. He also is attending because Vietnam vets never got a proper welcome home, he said.

If veterans choose to stay away, it might be because “they are used to being quiet about it,” Koopman explained. “Some were hurt badly and have not healed from the disappointment when they returned.”

He believes vets can give each other support.

“I am going to encourage other veterans and to be encouraged by them,” Koopman said. “I am proud to be a Vietnam veteran, and I want them to be proud. I honor all service of Vietnam veterans.”

ZEDDY Q HYLER ( A true trailblazer)

ARTICLE RETRIEVED FROM THE MILWAUKEE MAGAZINE WRITER AND AUTHOR LORA HYLER. COURTESY OF LORA HYLER

It’s doubtful Zeddie Quitman Hyler personally knew any of the 39 prominent white women of Wauwatosa who joined him in taking a stand. It was 1955, after all.

Zeddie Q. Hyler was an imposing, bespectacled negro fellow of 6’3” who had defied his father and paid his own way through college. Under the relenting sun of Mississippi, he had stared down Jim Crow laws. In 1944, he eagerly joined the Great Migration to head north for what he hoped were better opportunities for someone willing to work hard using his intellect rather than his back.

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in vocational education from Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College in Alcorn, Mississippi, Zeddie was determined to prove his father wrong. His place was not in the fields. He would not view the color of his skin as a sentence, relegating him and his people to thankless labor. Yet, the north offered only factory work or government jobs. Counting on his steady employment as a postal clerk, and several side jobs, he managed to amass a small fortune. He acquired land and houses within the borders of Bronzeville, the moniker of the blocks set aside for negro families, regardless of their financial wealth. Racial covenants and “gentlemen’s agreements”

throughout the greater Milwaukee area restricted who could live where. Shades of Jim Crow laws.

Yet, Zeddie would not be deterred. He set his sights on a plot of land in Wauwatosa, a Milwaukee suburb. His savings were plentiful. He knew he would be the first Negro to challenge Wauwatosa’s racial covenants to build the home of his dreams. With the help of a white friend playing the role of the buyer, he outsmarted racists who set up roadblocks at every turn.

The Great Migration spanned from 1915 to 1970, with 6 million Blacks fleeing the iron yoke of the south. In the eyes of the migrants, the north and west represented the promised land. In the eyes of racists, fear ruled the day. Surely, these folks of a darker hue existed only to steal their way of life, their jobs, their daughters and their possessions.

Still, Zeddie had faith in himself. He continued to pursue his lifelong dream of building the expansive ranch home he called “The Ponderosa.” All white male Wauwatosa city council be damned!

He would sit before the council listening to the myriad of excuses leading to permit denial. A possible freeway was under consideration. The land may be needed for the project.

Undoubtedly, Zeddie would quietly listen with a smirk, and at the meeting’s end, rise and head home to devise his next move in the seemingly never-ending chess game.

The city fathers were likely relishing their short-lived defeats. Chances are they hadn’t personally encountered someone like Zeddie Q.Hyler.

Like the young people of the South who joined the Great Migration, Zeddie had risked it all and left behind everyone and everything he held dear in search of opportunity. The departing youth would have had long heartfelt and likely exasperating conversations with their parents. Even with promises to gain good jobs, save and send money home, their more jaded and wiser parents surely worried. We’ll never know what took place inside the walls of the Hyler family

home in New Albany, Mississippi, as Zeddie prepared to leave everything he knew and loved to set out for the Great Unknown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Zeddie was the oldest child of 10. Surely, his mother worried she would not only lose her first-born, but his siblings too, who looked up to him. Likely, his father’s jaw was set and his anger palpable. A baseball-sized team of strong-back children meant food on the table.

Though he was treated as a stranger in the land of his birth, Zeddie was fashioning an enviable life. The founding fathers wrote the U.S. Constitution containing the threefifths clause, setting the tone as the nation grappled with its enslaved, and later free people, who had done the heavy lifting in building its economy.

Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns, sometimes called “a watershed in American history,” illuminated the Great Migration. Her depiction was unlike any author’s in history as she gave voice to the personal stories of people who lived it. The Great Migration changed the country and brought us cultural touchstones, as well as revered intellects and artists. Among them are: Michele Obama, John Coltrane, Toni Morrison, August Wilson and Berry Gordy, founder of Motown.

Zeddie must have had some dark nights, yet he persevered. His treks to the city council were unrelenting. I imagine his days handling postal mail, including some postmarked for

Wauwatosa deliveries, led to much reflection and dismay. He had no choice. Giving up was not in his DNA.

The Tide Changes

I imagine Zeddie let out a loud chuckle when he received word. How doesn’t matter. His persistence in attempting to build his Ponderosa in Wauwatosa was gaining notice.

Thirty-nine white women, many of them prominent Wauwatosa residents, decided to take a stand.

The May 30, 1955, Milwaukee Journal headline blared: “Hit (By) Vandalism in Wauwatosa; Damage to Negro’s Home is Protested By 39 Women.”

Their protest document read, “We, the undersigned, citizens of Wauwatosa, do hereby protest the recent acts of vandalism against the property of an American citizen owning property and building a home in Wauwatosa.”

The document went on, “Our Bill of Rights guarantees the protection of ALL citizens and allows each individual ‘due process of law’ by which to settle grievances. We affirm that the owner of this property is entitled to the full protection of the law and respect for human rights.”

Astonishingly, the article goes on to list the names of the 39 Wauwatosa women, followed by their husband’s names. And their exact street addresses!

Just as the inner walls of many homes of Southern negroes were filled with joy and anger at the prospect of loved

ones joining the Great Migration, so must have many white Wauwatosa households been rocked upon publication of the May 30, 1955, issue of the Milwaukee Journal.

The fleeting looks of disapproval and outright hatred at the stance they took must have shook the 39 women. Yet, they had to have known the risk they were taking in using the Bill of Rights to make their argument in favor of Zeddie Q.Hyler building his home in their suburb.

Perhaps some of the women had attended a council meeting, learned of their sedate suburb’s history of racial covenants and gentlemen’s agreements, and had choked on their disgust. Perhaps they had observed the smug looks on the faces of the city fathers, some their own husbands. Perhaps they had learned of the acts of vandalism against the home’s foundation once the building permit was finally approved. Maybe, they marveled at the composure and demeanor of the bespectacled, collegeeducated Negro man, merely fighting for rights he was wholly entitled to as a citizen of the United States.

What we know for certain is that after repeated visits from vandals, Zeddie Q. Hyler had resorted to guarding his beloved Ponderosa. The brothers who he had convinced to migrate north with the assurance of a hand up, returned the favor by standing guard over the Ponderosa armed with rifles. Accompanying them was the family minister. After all, the Bill of Rights’ Second Amendment granted them that right. The home was safely built despite

$600 worth of damage. Over the past decades, the family home hosted generations, celebrating family milestones and reunions. Zeddie took his leadership skills to the Mason fraternal organization, the all-Black Near North Side Businessman’s Advancement Association, his church and many more nonprofits.

His white friend who initially purchased the Wauwatosa lot for him in 1955 lived next door. Zeddie became a beloved family friend, entrusted with watching the family’s kids and taking them along with him to the neighborhood shopping center. His love of chemistry and botany was passed on to one of those youngsters, William, who recently, at the age of 62, laughed while recounting his favorite childhood memory of Zeddie. On one public outing, the tongue clucking and outright stares greeted the sight of the large brown man with his small white charges. Zeddie took both children by the hand and declared, “Let’s get you back to mama!” As William recalled, one white woman fainted.

The world seemingly turned upside down with the coronavirus

pandemic and a racial reckoning sparked by peaceful protests. In 2020, the community of Wauwatosa, led by the Historic Preservation Commission and Common Council had a reckoning of its own. Approval was granted to a request from the owner of the Ponderosa to designate his 1955 home as a historic landmark. Zeddie Hyler had passed on in 2004 and deeded the property to the current owner, Gerald Williamson. Williamson is Zeddie Quitman Hyler’s grandnephew.

I am Zeddie’s niece and a beneficiary of the Great Migration. I’m a former journalist, a marketing firm owner and author of children’s

books. He was very proud of family members following his path to college, and pursuing other passions. Zeddie’s intellect and sly humor is still fresh in my mind. My dad, Haward Franklin Hyler, and mom, Leona, joined Zeddie in his quest north. I have no doubt that my life has been enriched in ways I could never fully digest, with the emphasis of my migrant family on education, belief in God, and following The Golden Rule.

Often, taking the first step influences others beyond imagination. Migrant families are truly our ancestors’ wildest dreams.

ZEDDY Q HYLER (

Shon F. Barnes was hired as Madison Police Department’s Chief of Police

Shon F. Barnes was hired as Madison Police Department’s Chief of Police by the Police and Fire Commission (PFC) in February of 2021. Chief Barnes is a nationally recognized leader in crime reduction and community-police relations. He was previously the Director of Training and Professional Development for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability in Chicago, Illinois. Chief Barnes was the Deputy Chief of Police in Salisbury, North Carolina (2017-2020) and a Captain with the Greensboro Police Department (NC) where he began his career as a patrol officer in the fall of 2000. Chief Barnes was honored as a National Institute of Justice, LEADS Scholar, for using innovative technology to reduce crime and is a council member on the National Police Foundation’s Council

on Policing Reforms and Race. The council is a nonpartisan initiative which uses research and evidence to consider and offer recommendations to resolve some of the most pressing issues regarding police reform. Throughout his career Chief Barnes has implemented Neighborhood Oriented Policing which focuses on smaller police beat response, police neighborhood ownership, and community engagement at levels within the organization.

Chief Barnes attended Elizabeth City State University (Elizabeth City, North Carolina) where he received a B.A. Degree in History/ Pre-Law, and the University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio) where he received a master’s degree in Criminal Justice. He has earned

a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (Greensboro, North Carolina).

Chief Barnes is married to Dr. Stephanie Dance-Barnes and the two have three children Ashlee, Aeiden, and Addison. My philosophy as it relates to policing simply states,

“Community Policing should be neighborhood oriented, community focused (business and residential), problem oriented, and based on the most current empirical research availabletoquicklyreducecrimeandimprovecitizens’satisfactionwithpoliceservices.”

-Kenneth Ginlack, executive director, Serenity Inns

Prince Hall Brothers Support the “We Matter Panel Discussion”

The importance of Black men’s health, along with this year’s election, was on the table as the community came together Sunday afternoon for “We Matter,” a powerful discussion on Black men’s physical, mental and emotional health.

Aaron Perry, founder of RebalancedLife Wellness, along with comedians D.L. Hughley and Dannon Green and former Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin Mandela Barnes, came out to Milwaukee Improv in Brookfield to speak on the importance of actively monitoring your health and voting and take questions from the audience on the topics. The two topics go hand in hand because how you vote can affect your health at some point in your life, the group says.

“You know I’m one that’s always gonna keep it real … as I look around this room, statistically, somebody will not be with us,” Perry said. “Statistically, you have the power to say that, ‘It ain’t gonna be me.’”

Perry opened on a morbid note to stress the importance and reality of Black men’s health, but it’s a point he’s trying to get across — your health starts with you. Perry used an example of the statistic to bolden the point.

“Every single month, a plane takes off with 700-800 Black men, and that plane crashes,” Perry said. “That is the state of Black men’s health.” Perry has worked to increase awareness of Black men’s health

and opened a men’s health and education center at Madison’s largest barbershop, JP Hair Design, to address health and social disparities for Black men in Dane County. He appeared on the Megyn Kelly Show in 2017, was named in Time Magazine’s 2018 “50 Most Influential People in Health Care” and was featured asone of five global leaders changing the world of health.

But his work continues and the “We Matter” community conversations aim to move forward his health advocacy work. The most recent with Barnes, Green and Hughley was the first of the community conversations to have a central location — something Perry wants to continue with future “We Matter” events.

Milwaukee community leader Darrly Davison was the host of “We Matter. Guest speakers pivoted between the two topics of the community conversation and shared their own stories about health.

Green, who had a battle with prostate cancer, shared his journey of overcoming masculinity norms and being a foster kid without knowledge of his family’s health history.

“A lot of Black men don’t like to get their prostate checked,” Green said. “Because we’re too macho.”

Green always tried to stay on top of his health due to not having his biological family members to draw on to see

how his health would progress as he aged. His talk was supplemented with humor, as a standup routine initially, but offered vulnerability to humanize a topic Black men have historically been concerned with.

While he has always tried to stay on top of his health, the option for treating his prostate cancer admittedly left him wondering what was best for him. He didn’t see pills and radiation therapy as a real solution for him due to the lifelong side effects. Green opted to have it cut out and monitored for remission. He has been cancer-free for over a decade now.

“You got to remember there’s one thing about prostate cancer — there are no signs,” Green said.

Green pushed the audience to make sure to have regular prostate exams because you can either catch it early, before the signs kick in, or try to tackle it once the cancer has progressed. One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

The floor later opened for questions from the community. Speakers stressed the importance of the correlation between voting and health.

“Somebody once told me, ‘Every election is the most important because it might be your last,’” Barnes said.

“Every time we say it’s the most important election, I have yet to find a time where that’s not the truth.”

Hugley and Barnes expressed the importance of why voting matters and its health outcomes. Both men are proponents of universal healthcare. The two point to rising healthcare costs and bills, and how the current system ultimately penalizes controlling your health.

“We all know people who have medical bankruptcies, have all sorts of bills that are going into collections because of a high hospital bill. You can’t buy a house, can’t get a loan for a car, all because you went to the

doctor,” Barnes said. “That’s why you need a better health care system in this country.”

Hughley pushed Barnes to let the people know how that could be done by asking him ”How can we do that?”

Barnes told attendees to elect politicians who are advocating for their health and change the system. Perry estimated that over 300 people attended We Matter. Some brought their kids, and Perry wants to see more of that for future community conversations.

“If Black boys do not see their fathers engage in healthy lifestyles and healthy

behaviors and really just being good stewards of their health, it’s likely that the young boys will follow suit,” Perry said. “We want to see these young men come up for these events because we value our health, and if we can model that, we begin to see these groups of young people coming in.”

For Perry, the journey starts at home and properly valuing Black men’s health. When he started his advocacy work, the average age of death for Black men in Dane County was 51, according to Perry. Phots and article by Omar Waheed.

Prince Hall Brothers Support

Prince Hall Steps Up For The Homeless Sleepover For The Homeless

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Winter weather has arrived, and Wisconsin organizations are preparing to help the homeless stay warm. The Prince Hall Grand Lodge collectively took to the streets to make a statement for the homeless.

“We are going to be making sure we’re out tonight bringing all the warm supplies we can possibly fit on our bus,” said Eva Welch, executive co-director of Street Angels.

With the first snow of the season, Street Angels in Milwaukee is focusing their efforts on protecting homeless people from the cold.

“In the last two weeks we have seen and verified over 300 people that are outdoors,” Welch said.

Street Angels has seen an increase in homelessness, and winter weather means higher demand for resources.

“We’re always in need of blankets year-round, hand warmers are fabulous, thick warm socks are great, anything warm,” Welch said.

Warm clothes and blankets provide temporary comfort, until overnight warming centers open up later in the season.

“These warming rooms literally can mean the difference between life and death for some people,” Welch said.

Next to King Park, Repairers of the Breach plans to open their overnight warming center sometime in November.

“It seems like it’s coming earlier and earlier each year,” said Rev. James West, the executive director of Repairers of the Breach.

The refuge center is open during the day year-round, only opening overnight in the winter.

Last year, they began overnight operations before December, and stayed open through April, their longest season ever.

“Kind of took a toll on the budget. We’re recouping our resources,” West said.

Repairers of the Breach also needs warm clothing and monetary donations to keep things running.

“Last year we were averaging 50 people a night, 120 people during the day, so it takes a lot of staff,” West said.

The center cam host 65 people at a time.

Prince Hall Masons Participate in the 22 Push up Challenge.

Milwaukeeans vow

to do 22 pushups a day to bring

(RETRIEVED FROM WISN 12 NEWS).

T he 22 Pushup Challenge was created around 2013 when the VA said 22 veterans a day were committing suicide.

Statistics from the VA’s 2022 report show that number is now closer to 16 per day, but for these Milwaukeeans — that’s still too many.

“When I was in, it was a lot different,” said Charles Watkins, who served in the Air Force from 1974 to 1980, and then the National Guard from 1980 to 1995. “You know, at that time, you were told to man up, do your job, do the best that you can, and protect the guy to your right and to your left. But now it’s different, and we should step up more because we know more now.”

While completing 22 pushups a day may not seem like much, those behind this effort say it’s really about starting the conversation and bringing awareness to the mental health crisis many veterans face.

“Suicide’s a public health challenge, and to address a public

health crisis, you have to build community,” said Oliver Karp, the commander of the Milwaukee Recruiting Battalion. “So the more that we are comfortable talking about this problem, and the more we’re able to reduce the stigma around suicide, the better we can treat and take care of people who are at risk for suicide.”

Fostering a community, and a lifeline, for those in need.

“This is a matter that’s extremely personal and close to home, because we lost a member to suicide just several months ago,” said Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski. “When it grips somebody, it becomes a problem that people can be afraid to actually inquire about. If you think somebody is hurting, if you think somebody is in pain, ask them. Ask them if they are okay. Extend a hand. Don’t avoid it. Don’t let the discomfort of that moment dissuade you from possibly saving that life.”

Some vowing to complete the 22 Pushup Challenge will be posting their daily pushups online for many to see using various hashtags.

Help is available for those struggling mentally 24/7 via the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Just dial 988.

For veterans, there’s an additional lifeline. Just dial 988 and then press 1 when the call is connected.

MW Grand Master tosses first pitch

D

uring a Brewers home stand in September, The Most Worshipful Grand Master Audrian Stacey Brown threw out the first pitch in a game on September 16, 2023, in the Brewers vs. Nationals game. Prior to the game, the members of the prince Hall family enjoyed fellowship while tailgating. In addition, the guest were able to socialize , laugh and simply enjoy the weather.

The most Worshipful Grand Master was torn on if he would try and throw the heater or get fancy and throw a curve ball said RWSGW Glenn A. Mathews.

“We will see how it goes. If he makes an awesome pitch that’ll be great. If not, the experience is a lifetime experience not many people get to do,” said RWDGM Shawn A. James, Sr.

According to his family, the Grand Master can throw pretty well and he use to run pretty quickly.

Is Brotherly Love Achievable in the Jurisdiction of Wisconsin?

I s brotherly love achievable in the jurisdiction of Wisconsin? Before this question is addressed for the entire jurisdiction, we must first individually ask ourselves: Am I capable and willing to show brotherly love to others?

Let’s take a stroll through some of the important aspects of brotherly love.

1.Respect: A feeling of admiration for something or someone because of their qualities or abilities or achievements (Merriam-Webster). This must first start with self before it can be shared or given.

2.Communication: Purposefully creating a safe space to listen, understand, be heard, and speak up when necessary.

3.Accountability: Creating an environment of respect and communication allows for accountability. It is our responsibility to correct others and to accept correction in brotherly love. Such an environment enables learning through correction, which is the premise of accountability in the first place.

4.Forgiveness: In working towards brotherly love, you should become comfortable with communicating your anger and/or resentment towards your brother while maintaining the previously built respect. From there, a resolution can be decided upon which brings you two back to brotherly love in its fullness. Forgiveness allows for freedom within self and possible relationship mending.

The four aforementioned aspects are what I believe should be considered part of the playbook to achieve brotherly love in Wisconsin. The playbook is no good without putting the play into action. It requires hard work and intentionality. Just like it takes hard work to make romantic relationships work, so, too, do you have to be intentional about preserving these relationships.

Now, let us think back to our original query: Is brotherly love achievable in the state of Wisconsin? This question can only be answered after introspective work. Can you achieve brotherly love? If you can, it can be

achieved in Wisconsin. If you cannot, it cannot be achieved in this great jurisdiction. The consequence of the latter would be the organization being derailed, it becoming out of touch with the community, and eventually, becoming irrelevant. People will not want to join such an organization.

If you are not working in brotherly love currently, are you willing to begin? I hope you are, because there is no ‘us’ without it.

Yours in Brotherly Love,

Most Worshipful Grand Master Audrian Stacey Brown