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

CCThe Milwaukee

OMMUNITYOMMUNITYVOL. XXXVIII Number 50 July 9, 2014 www.communityjournal.net 25 Cents BULK RATE

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSINPERMIT NO. 4668

Summer Vacations and Discounts for SeniorsThere is a silver lining to getting older—and

one often overlooked silver lining is the seniorperk of discounts. It’s amazing how, as indi-viduals turn 55 and over, they don’t take advan-tage of the myriad of senior discounts availableto them.

There are many reasons for this—some sim-ply are not aware that they are eligible for dis-counts, some don’t know about discounts andothers are just in denial that they are approach-ing the age.

Whatever, the reason, individuals 55 andover should look for and accept the discountsavailable to them—you’ve earned them, sothere should be no shame in your game!

Summer vacation is an excellent time to ex-plore and take advantage of some of the manydiscounts available. For example, on a dailybasis, simple discounts on coffee at many of the

fast food restaurants can save you as much ashalf on a regular cup of coffee.

And, that’s not all; most restaurants—iHop,Golden Corral, Applebee’s and a host of othersit-down restaurants offer daily discounts onsenior meals. Most times the discounts are fea-tured prominently on the menu and other times,you just have to ask for a senior discount.

As part of the 55 and older crowd, I’m en-joying the perks that come with aging and like‘testing the waters’ for discounts. First, I’m allabout saving money (why pay full price if youdon’t have to?) and, secondly, because I’vebeen employed since I was 13 years old, I viewsenior discounts as a reward for my years of

hard work! The sheer numbers associated with aging

baby boomers have caught the eye of manylooking to maximize profits across thefood/hospitality, travel and vacation industryand even retail industry.

For seniors, this translates to businessescatering to adults ages 55 and older. In manyinstances, the shift translates into senior dis-counted vacations and admission to themeparks, discount shopping days at grocery storesand retailers, and more affordable meals inrestaurants.

Senior Golden PassAnd, one of the best-kept secrets is the Sen-

ior Golden Pass. U.S. citizens or permanentresidents who are 62 years or older are eligiblefor this pass. (You must have turned 62 beforeyou can buy the pass).

You can buy a Senior Pass in person from a

PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY

Question and photos by Yvonne Kemp

QUESTION OFTHE WEEK:

MARY GLASS: “It should be ourguide post for daily fulfillment andbearing fruit. Especially those of uswho are African American.”

MICHAEL COLE: “My thoughtsare, today we are doing better thanbefore. But some people still act likethey did back in the day. We have avariety of new changes to better our-selves and our way of life.”

JAMES HALL: “With this 50th anniversaryof the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we in Milwau-kee trail the rest of the nation in many key in-dicators. In fact, we are dead last in quite afew. We must acknowledge the need tochange the attitudes and culture that perpe-trates this.”

MARCIA PERKINS: “In this day andage, Blacks/African Americans don’t un-derstand the value of the past. The pastbrings present, then future. our future isgoing backwards. We don’t want to getout and take control of our rights.”

With this being the month wecelebrate the 50th anniversaryof the Civil Rights Act of 1964,we asked four attendees of theMarquette University commora-tion of the Act’s signing how im-

portant is the Act in 2014?

GOLDENGOLDENYEARSYEARS

As we commemorate the 50th Anniversary of theCivil Rights Act of 1964, we must never forget the vi-sion and courage of those who worked to ensure its pas-sage and we know that some of them made the ultimatesacrifice.

I also want to thank and commend James Santell & hiscolleagues in the U.S. Attorney’s office for organizingthis program today – and I know that I speak for my col-leagues, James Hall, NAACP: Tony Baez, The CentroHispano; and many other community organizations whenI say – we are very pleased to be a part of celebrating the50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, which manyconsider the most important piece of legislation of ourtime.

Clearly, since the passage of this Act, “Doors of Op-portunity” have been opened and progress has been madein many sectors. For example:

• We have more African American elected officials thanever before,

• We have more African American executives and pro-fessionals working in corporate America,

• We have more African Americans who have dominateroles in the world of sports and entertainment,

• We have an African American United States AttorneyGeneral – Eric Holder

• And, yes, our Commander in Chief, President BarackObama is an African American.

But, in spite of this progress – 50 years after the CivilRights Act – we still have a “Tale of Two Cities”. Wehave some people who are doing well – if not very well.On the other hand, we have people who are mired in gen-erational poverty and hopelessness.

(Left to right): Cory Nettles, Founder and Managing Director ofGeneration Growth Capital; Ambassador Andrew Young, Jr.; andJohn W. Daniels, Jr., Chairman Emeritus, Quarles & Brady LLP

2014 Fellowship OpenSalutes MorehouseScholars and Collegiate Interns

For more than 14 years, the Fel-lowship Open, an annual fundraisinggolf tournament held at Silver SpringCountry Club in Menomonee Falls,has encouraged community organiza-tions to foster academic achievementin urban Milwaukee’s youngsters.

The event prides itself on numer-ous collaborative efforts with promi-nent local business leaders, one ofwhich has been the MorehouseScholars Program, conceived and es-tablished in 2011 by Johnson Con-trols Chief Diversity Officer and VicePresident of Community AffairsChuck Harvey.

The collaboration enables a groupof outstanding young men from Mil-waukee to attend Morehouse Col-lege, an Atlanta-based institution, byproviding financial support, intern-ships, and mentoring through eachyear of their higher education.

The Morehouse Scholars Programscholarship program also includes asummer internship component,working with several Milwaukeecompanies to provide the Morehousestudents with future employment op-portunities, professional experience,and face-to-face exposure to local corporate and business leaders.

The program has received national acclaim and is receiving the support ofnot only many influential individuals but also major corporations, includingJohnson Controls, BMO Harris Bank, Robert W. Baird & Co., GE, North-western Mutual, Kohl’s, the Ralph Evinrude Foundation, and Quarles &Brady LLP, among several dozen other well-known organizations.

“Morehouse represents a genuine opportunity for young black men to(continued on page 3)

FIRSTFIRSTPERSONPERSON

By Ralph HollmonPresident and CEOMilwaukee Urban LeagueRemarks he made at Marquette Universitycommemoration of historic legislation

(continued on page 8)

“Morehouserepresents a genuine opportunity foryoung black mento achieve their potential...Andwith so much potential in Milwaukee, the Fellowship Open isan essential element of theCity’s future.”--Cory Nettles, founder andmanaging director of GenerationGrowth Capital, and also a part-ner at the law firm of Quarles &Brady.

Milwaukee Urban League president talks about thedoors of opportunity opened by the Civil Rights Act

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT

(Top photo):Members of the civil rights, academic, political, law and lawenforcement came together at Marquette University Law School’s EcksteinHall to celebrate the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (Back row, leftto right): Professor Andrew Kahrl, Carter G. Woodson Center for AfricanAmerican and African Studies, Department of History, The University ofVirginia; Mayor Tom Barrett, Atty. James Hall, president of the MilwaukeeBranch of the NAACP; (Front row, left to right): James Santelle, U.S. Atty.for Eastern District of Wisconsin; Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele,Dr. Tony Baez, president/ceo of Centro Hispano-Milwaukee; JocelynSamuels, assistant attorney general for civil rights, U.S. Dept. of Justice;Edith Hudson, assist. chief with the Milwaukee Police Department; MULPresident/Ceo Ralph Hollmon, Robert Sheilds, special agent in chargeof the Milwaukee FBI office. The group is standing in front of a displaydepicting landmark local civil rights actions and individuals from the 50sand 60s. The display was created by Claybourn Benson, founder and di-rector of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society/Museum. (Photo byYvonne Kemp)

Professor Andrew Kahrl, Carter G. Woodson Center for African American andAfrican Studies, Department of History, The University of Virginia talks aboutthe significance of the act and its impact today. (Kemp photo)

By Kathy Gaillard

(continued on page 10)

Do you know who this person is?She’s one of 21 individuals your Milwau-

kee Community Journal will be honoringSunday, Aug. 3, 2014 at its 38th Anniver-sary/Annual Jazz Brunch Celebration,which will be held at the Italian Confer-

ence Center starting at noon with a recep-tion, followed by brunch, fashions, andmusic by Christopher’s Project.

There will be a raffle and exciting takehome gifts and a fantastic silent auction.

There will also be a performance by theRoselettes and this year’s Golden Idol Win-ner. Tickets are $90 each (proceeds are taxdeductible). For more information, call theMCJ offices at 414-265-5300.

“Whatever, the reason, individu-als 55 and over should look forand accept the discounts avail-

able to them—you’ve earnedthem, so there should be no

shame in your game!”

The Milwaukee Community Journal July 9, 2014 Page 2

GREAT LAKES BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION & CHARITABLE FUND, INC.CELEBRATING 27 YEARS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION

The Milwaukee Community Journal July 9, 2014 Page 3

PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVESQUOTE OF THE WEEK: “In the ghettos the whiteman has built for us, he has forced us not toaspire to greater things, but to view everydayliving as survival.”--Malcolm X

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

Opinion and comments expressed on the Perspectives page do not nec-essarily reflect the views of the publisher or management of the MCJ. Let-ters and “other perspectives” are accepted but may be edited for contentand length.

MCJ STAFF:Patricia O’Flynn -PattilloPublisher, CEORobert J. ThomasAssoc. PublisherTodd Thomas, Vice Pres.Mikel Holt, Assoc. PublisherThomas E. Mitchell, Jr., EditorTeretha Martin, Technical Consultant/Billing Dept./Publisher’s Admin. Assist.Colleen Newsom,

Classified AdvertisingJimmy V. Johnson, Sales Rep.CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Taki S. RatonRichard G. CarterFr. Carl DiederichsRev. Joe McLin Rev. Roxanne CardenasPHOTOGRAPHER: Yvonne Kemp

oday, Blacksare being urgedto forget aboutour history inthis country

(i.e. Trans-Atlantic passage,chattel slavery, Jim Crow andKKK, etc.) and the sustainedterrorism inflicted on our an-cestors.

While many Blacks have been ableto preserve family and a sense of cul-ture, too many have been hurt by thishorrific experience – trauma inflictedat levels unknown to modern history.

I ask you, what does generation aftergeneration of repeated trauma pro-duce?

We don’t know our history and wedon’t truly understand the damage thathas been done to us.

We also don’t know how we carry generation to generation many of the psy-chological traits from being enslaved for more than 300 years.

Post Traumatic Syndrome coupled with the social pathologies tied to slavery,make it nearly impossible for the massesof our people to break this cycle (they areoverwhelmed on a daily basis). We mustseek help from those amongst us that havea clear understanding of our problems(structural and cultural) along with thesystems that are now keeping the Blackcommunity on its knees –contributes to asense of hopelessness.

Did emancipation make everythingeven? Are we like an “etch a sketch”where we can just shake and restart with anew and blank page?

Unfortunately, as humans, this is notpossible. Over the past several years therehave been a number of examples when so-cial and psychology experts acknowl-edged the ramifications of trauma on a

group of people, specifically the rash of mass murders (i.e. Sandy Hook, VirginiaTech, Columbine, Afghanistan, Baghdad, etc.).

Immediately after these horrific events, resources were allocated to providecounseling to family members, relatives and fellow classmates, and the commu-nity at large. The reason for the outpouring of support is society knows that ex-periencing events like these creates emotional and psychological scars that, if leftunchecked, become permanent and recovery is nearly impossible.

The problems just don’t stop with those victims, many times these scars arepassed down to the next generation in the form of social and emotional dysfunc-tion.

My question to Black people (especially our most educated) is: If this type ofresponse is done for one isolated event incurred by only a very few people, whatshould be the response to trauma inflicted on millions of people for more than300+ years? Or are we not human but animals without human feelings? Our in-ability to articulate what we feel contributes to our collective hopelessness.

How do we view ourselves? How do we relate to each other? How do we seetoday and our challenges? Do we believe that we are equal? Do we think that weare inferior?

Do we believe that we are free? The answers to these questions and many moreare fundamentally tied to our past and our present. Neither is very encouraging.If we look at our past, we must look at the physical slavery (many of us refuse tolook back).

If we look at today, we must accept that many of us exhibit a type of mentalslavery (paralysis) because we fundamentally don’t believe that we can changethe outcome – this is tied to hopelessness.

Much has been written in recent years about hopelessness amongst the Blackcommunity but little research has been conducted on the origins of social disor-ganization and hopelessness. What are the long-term effects and what do thesymptoms look like?

There is enough data to suggest that causes of hopelessness among our youthare disruptive and their lack of connectedness to people and institutions. Studiesshow that our babies are emotionally disconnected evidence by the number ofcases of special education diagnosis along with kindergarteners who have beenlabeled as disruptive.

A number of studies show that over time several variables associated with dis-ruption and disorganization (change in mother figure, exposure to violence, trau-matic stress, worry) and connectedness (sense of community, warmth towardmother, religiosity) are positively or negatively associated with increased feelingsof hopelessness.

Restated, too many of our children are being born into unstable environmentsand they will be forever impacted by such. Poverty and feelings of hopelessnessare linked together with some event suggesting that feelings of hopelessness area defining characteristic of an “underclass personality”. Stated differently, feelingsof hopelessness are a part of growing up poor. There is a direct relationship topoverty and hopelessness and there is a direct relationship to poverty and the en-slavement of our people (where you start matters, especially economically). Too

Our Paralysis is tiedto Our Hopelessness

Part Two

Rahim Islam

TUNIVERSALLYSPEAKING

By Rahim Islam

achieve their potential,” said participant Cory Net-tles, founder and managing director of GenerationGrowth Capital, and also a partner at the law firmof Quarles & Brady. “And with so much potentialin Milwaukee, the Fellowship Open is an essentialelement of the City’s future.”

The scholarship program has been so successfulthat one of its founders, Charles Harvey, was re-cently honored by having his portrait permanently

displayed in the famous Martin Luther KingChapel, on the Morehouse campus, in recognitionof his commitment to youngsters.

Many of the Milwaukee students were presentto observe the portrait unveiling, together with sev-eral dignitaries, including former Surgeon GeneralDavid Satcher and former U.N. Ambassador An-drew Young.

Each year, the efforts of the Fellowship Opento support the Morehouse scholars and interns ex-

pand. This year, Robert W. Baird & Co. agreed tojoin the 2014 Fellowship Open’s Corporate Lead-ership Circle and invited the Morehouse scholarsand interns to participate directly in the event aspart of the program.

The scholars have also newly participated in theWisconsin African American Lawyers annual con-vention, where DeMaurice Smith, CEO of the Na-tional Football Players Association, welcomedthem to Milwaukee for the summer.

(continued from page 1)

2014 Fellowship Open Salutes MorehouseScholars and Collegiate Interns

(continued on page 8)

50 years later, the Civil Rights Act would not pass

n this Inde-pendenceDay — aswe celebrate

the struggles that werefought and the sacri-fices that were made inthe name of freedom —we also commemoratethe fiftieth anniversaryof the Civil Rights Actof 1964.

The landmark legislation was oneof the most important laws in thisnation’s civil rights history.

And sadly, the Civil Rights Actwouldn’t stand a chance of passingin today’s harsh political climate.

Signed into law on July 2, 1964,the Act outlawed discrimination onthe basis of race, color, religion, sexor national origin.

In addition, the law barred segre-gation in schools, the workplaceand public accommodations, andforbade unequal application of voterregistration requirements.

The Civil Rights Act was enactedfollowing the brutal lynching justdays earlier of three civil rightsworkers by the Mississippi Ku KluxKlan.

The young men — JamesChaney, 21, Andrew Goodman, 20,and Michael Schwerner, 24 — wereregistering black people to vote dur-ing Freedom Summer.

Southern conservatives, mostlysegregationist Democrats, opposedthe legislation as a threat to states’rights and individual liberty.

Rep. Howard W. Smith (D-Vir-ginia), then-chair of the HouseRules Committee, added an amend-ment to prohibit sex discrimination,reportedly in an attempt to kill thebill.

In the end, the bill passed with avote of 290-130 in the House, and73-27 in the Senate, receiving a ma-jority of support from both parties,including liberal and moderate Re-publicans.

Fifty years later, it is highly un-likely the Civil Rights Act wouldhave reached President Obama’sdesk for his signature. First of all,the current obstructionist,

Republican-controlled Congressdoes not pass legislation these days,and certainly nothing that the Pres-ident wants or that could make himlook good and bolster his legacy.Moreover, the Tea Party-led GOP,like their Dixiecrat forebearers, isleading the charge against civilrights.

For example, since 2010, 22 Re-publican-controlled states havepassed restrictions on voting be-cause this is their only path to vic-

tory under their current platform. The country is browning, voters

of color are on the upswing, and theGOP is chasing a dwindling demo-graphic of aggrieved white voters.

Voting rights once enjoyed bipar-tisan support until Obama came totown. But now, the GOP supportfor voting rights is nowhere to befound.

Even Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Mis-sissippi), who owes black folks forhis recent primary victory againstthe Tea Party onslaught, supportedlast year’s Supreme Court decisionthat defanged the Voting Rights Act.Cochran and all of his GOP col-leagues had voted to reauthorize thelaw in 2006.

There is additional proof the CivilRights Act would not have passedin 2014.

Women’s rights are under siege aswell. In the Hobby Lobby decision,the Supreme Court has enabled con-servatives who would deny contra-ceptive coverage to femaleemployees based on so-called “reli-gious liberty,” specifically the reli-gious views of the employer.

Meanwhile, where is the religiousliberty for Muslim Americans, whoface widespread employment dis-crimination, especially in red states?

Although immigrants have been acrucial part of the American land-scape, immigrants’ rights are notvalued in this country, as an unjustimmigration policy separates fami-

lies. The Republican Congress killed

immigration reform because it de-pends on the demonization of Lati-nos.

Conservatives characterize un-documented immigrants as “illegalaliens” in order to dehumanize themand enhance their value as politicalfodder.

Never mind all the children beingheld in private detention centersafter crossing the U.S. border andescaping the violence in CentralAmerica.

Further, our criminal justice sys-tem is a civil rights disaster. Thewar on drugs continues to ensnareAfrican-Americans and Latinos,and blacks receive 20 percentlonger sentences than whites for thesame crime. No one imprisonsmore people than the “land of thefree” in absolute numbers or percapita.

And Louisiana has the highest in-carceration rate in the entire world— five times Iran’s incarcerationrate, 13 times China’s and 20 timesGermany’s.

Mostly black men languish insolitary confinement and await ex-ecution in Angola Prison, a formerslave plantation.

Unfortunately, public schools arenow more segregated than theywere 40 years ago, with black chil-dren attending school in racially andeconomically isolated communities.

According to a UCLA study,while white and Asian students aremore likely to attend middle-classschools, black and Latino studentsare more likely to attend schoolswith poor students.

Schools are in crisis in cities suchas Chicago and Philadelphia due tounderfunding, closures and the si-phoning of resources to charterschools.

Meanwhile, in predominantlyblack Detroit — victim of a hostiletakeover by Republican GovernorRick Snyder — thousands of poorresidents are losing their access towater due to an inability to pay theirbills.

How have we moved from fight-ing for the right to drink at a waterfountain to struggling for the rightto drink water?

Sadly, on this July 4, civil rightsare on the retreat, and the CivilRights Act would not have thevotes.

With a Supreme Court that op-poses civil rights, a hostile Congressand regressive state legislaturesthroughout the country, America isslipping, losing its will to protectthe basic freedoms of its most vul-nerable citizens. But if you wantthe right to carry a gun to church,you’re covered.

In the meantime, happy Inde-pendence Day.

Follow David A. Love on Twitterat @davidalove.

This July 2, 1964, file photo shows President Lyndon Baines Johnson signing the Civil Rights Actin the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo, File)

GUEST COMMENTARYBy David A. Love--theGrio.com

“Fifty years later, it is highly unlikely the Civil Rights Actwould have reached President Obama’s desk for his signature.First of all, the current obstructionist, Republican-controlledCongress does not pass legislation these days, and certainly

nothing that the President wants or that could make him lookgood and bolster his legacy. Moreover, the Tea Party-led

GOP, like their Dixiecrat forebearers, is leading the chargeagainst civil rights.”

O

The Milwaukee Community Journal July 9, 2014 Page 4

RELIGIONRELIGION

In Loving Memory

Quality Service...a tenured tradition

sincere concern at your time of need.

Offering pre-need, at need andafter-care services to families in

Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha andother communities

throughout our state.

Services scheduled from June 23 to June 28, 2014

Milwaukee6630 W. Hampton Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53218Telephone: (414) 462-6020

Fax: (414) 462-9937

Racine800 Barker St.

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

Fax: (262) 637-6416

Families served by:Northwest Funeral Chapel O’Bee, Ford & Frazier

CARL-HAYES, PEGGY A.Age 60 yrs. June 30, 2014. Funeral services will be held onThursday 5:30 PM at Bethany Lutheran Church 2031 N. 38thSt. Visitation Thursday 4PM at the CHURCH until time of serv-ices. The family is served by:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

THURMOND, MARY D.Age 53 yrs. July 4, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Mon-day 1PM. Visitation Monday 12 Noon until time of services.The family is served by:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

WALKER, AUBREY JR.Age 72 yrs. July 3, 2014. Beloved fatherof Lee Palmer, Charly(Catherine)Palmer,Connie Palmer, L'Tanya Palmer(Carey)Mc-Neal, Aubrey Walker III, Annette Bass andBernard Chism. Loving brother ofMary(Willie)Wright, Ella(Hoyt)Mahaley,Robert(Iris)Walker, Dorsey Walker, Pren-

tiss(Charles)McClelland and Debra(Robert)White. Also sur-vived by 18 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and a hostof other loving relatives and friends. Funeral services will beheld on Saturday 10AM at Holy Cathedral COGIC 2677 N. 40thSt. Instate Saturday 9AM at the CHURCH until time of services.Visitation Friday 3-7PM(Family will receive guest from 6-7PM)at:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier

THOMAS, CLYDE E.Age 70 yrs. July 3, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Mon-day 11AM. Visitation Monday 10AM until time of services at:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

GEE, FRANKLINAge 56 yrs. July 7, 2014. Funeral services will be held on Sat-urday 11AM. Visitation Saturday 10AM until time of servicesat:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Ernestine O’BeeFounder

J C FrazierFuneral Director

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – When peoplehave relationship, financial or social problemsto work out, friends or family will often sug-gest Christian counseling. But what exactlydoes that mean? How does it differ from secu-lar counseling?

Their new book, From Woe to Go!, focuses on the vocationof counseling conducted within an evangelical Christian world-view, combining sound psychological practice with Christianprinciples.

It is a training text wherein Christian counselors can find thedistinctions that can set their practice apart from others in theprofession.

“This guide seeks to integrate a comprehensive counselingmodel for Christian counselors, a detailed skills-training pro-gram and an extensive incorporation of spiritual resources,”says Barker.

An inclusive training tool, From Woe to Go! outlines a three-stage model for Christian counselors and professionals whowant to integrate their faith with their professional work.

“This book is for those who seek to enhance their skills andwant the presence of Christ in the counseling process,” Powellsays.

Barker and Powell bring more than 50 years of combinedclinical experience and graduate counselor training to thisgroundbreaking guide, incorporating sound theory, practicalskills and unique spiritual resources available to followers ofJesus seeking to minister in the counseling arena.

About the authorGraham Barker is a clinical psychologist (Psy.D from George

Fox University) with additional qualifications in Theology, ed-ucation and counseling. He is a former head of the counselingdepartment of the Graduate School of Counseling at the WesleyInstitute in Sydney Australia. His current focus is on clinical su-pervision and his ministry as a training consultant for Youth ForChrist International.

Clifford Powell is the senior clinical psychologist at TheMind Space in Sydney, Australia. Before completing his PhD(University of Denver-Colorado), he was a youth worker andschool counselor. He has over 30 years of experience in privatepractice, including 20 years teaching at the Wesley InstituteGraduate School of Counseling in Sydney.

Counselors help people helpthemselves through church

Greater Galilee Missionary Baptist Church (GGMBC),2432 North Teutonia Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin willhold their Annual Men’s Day Worship Celebration at10:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 20. Rev. Johnny C. White, Jr.is pastor.

The theme is “Men ofGod Praying and Strivingfor Deliverance of theWhole World throughChrist Jesus” based scrip-turally on 1Timothy 2:4-5.

The powerful guestspeaker is Rev. Mark Free-man, pastor of SecondMissionary Baptist Churchin Racine, Wisconsin.

Rev. Freeman is recog-nized for his preaching throughout the state, as well asnationwide. He has even supported his mission to free thepeople of God by appearing on the WORD cable chan-nel.

Men’s Day is spearheaded by the GGMBC Laymen’sministry. This year, the ministry also sponsored a churchclean-up day and focused on community outreach to winsouls for Christ.

Pastor White and the congregation invite the public tojoin us for this spiritually-charged worship service. Formore information, please contact the church office at 562-1110.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the first female Gospel singer, songwriter, guitarist, andrecording artist who crossed over to R&B and influenced the music of LittleRichard, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley, will be honored by her descendants Sat-urday, July 19, at 7 p.m. at Behel AME Church, 4103 N. 35th St. The tribute tothis music trailblazer will coincide with Atkinson/Jones family reunion to beheld that same weekend.Tharpe’s 1944 hit song, “Down By The Riverside,” wasselected for the U.S. Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, in 2004.Her other hit, “Strange Things Happening Every Day,” was the first Gospel recordto crossover, hitting the number two spot on the then Billboard “Race Record”Chart (now the R&B Chart). The recording played an important role in the for-mulation of what is now Rock n’ Roll. The tribute program is open to the public.

RELIGIOUS RELIGIOUS BOOKSHELFBOOKSHELFFrom Woe to Go!By Graham Barker and Clifford Powell356 pagesISBN: 9781452512686Available at www.amazon.com andwww.barnesandnoble.com.

Greater Galilee MBCto hold annual men’sday celebration

Rev. Mark Freeman

Noted Black female Gospelsongwriter, singer, guitaristto be honored by family here

Tolbert, Gerald R. "Jerry" In Jesus' loving arms on Sunday, July 6, 2014, age 62. Loving husband of Carol (nee Siewert),always at his bedside. Proud dad of Kyle and Kerri. Dear son of Sciphio Sr. and Lucyle Scott. Brother of Greg (Jeanell), Arnold(Linda), Steven (Ulanda), Chris (Kim), Kelly Bishop, Sciphio Jr. (Ruby) Scott and Barbara Scott. Nephew of Barbara Tolbert.Further survived by many nieces, nephews, other family and friends.

Preceded in death by father Raymond Tolbert Jr. and sister Ora Lynn (Candy). Visitation at LOVING SHEPHERD EV. LUTHERANCHURCH, 3909 W. Clinton Ave., Milwaukee, on Saturday, July 12, from 9:30 AM until 11:45 AM. Funeral Service at 12:00 PM.Burial at Pinelawn. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Loving Shepherd Ev. Lutheran Church or Garden Homes Ev. Lutheran Churchare appreciated. Jerry was a beloved preschool teacher at Urban Day School for over 25 years.

Beloved Urban Day School teacher passes

Gerald R. “Jerry” Tolbert

Ministers come together with youth and young adultsin their congregations to push voter registration, survey community on issues in their neighborhoods

MICAH leaders determinedto challenge the horrendous,real-life impact of mass incar-ceration on individuals andfamilies in the central city ofMilwaukee, MICAH clergyand leaders formed the 53206Initiative.

The urgency of this effortwas underscored by an in-depth study done by JohnPawasarat and Lois Quin, UW

Milwaukee, showing that the53206 zip code has the highestrate of incarceration of any zipcode in Wisconsin and one ofthe highest in the nation.

The Youth and Young AdultOrganizing Project will offerleadership development, civicengagement and jobs in an or-ganizing process that will cre-ate a more hopeful future foryouth and young adults.

This Saturday, July 12th2014at 11:00am-2:00pm alongwith other organizations in thecity of Milwaukee MICAHwill be a part of a city widecanvas.

Leaders will meet at theMICAH office (1927 N 4THStreet Milwaukee, WI. StFrancis Capuchin Center) andfrom there they will go out todo canvassing in the 53206 zipcode. MICAH has 6 Congrega-tions in the 53206 zip code andthey are working hard to showa presence in these neighbor-hoods.

The Milwaukee Community Journal July 9, 2014 Page 5

PP OLITICSOLITICS&& GG OVERNMENTOVERNMENT

C i t y • C o u n t y • S t a t e • N a t i o n a l

Wisconsin has changed. Not longago, it was a beacon of progress inthe field of veteran's affairs: inspiringin the design built around veteran'sspecific needs and the participationof our former soldiers in its construc-tion.

Under Scott Walker, the WisconsinDepartment of Veterans Affairs hasabolished advisory councils andcommittees, legislation has reducedpay protection, and improvementsare still needed to provide educa-tional and professional assistance forveterans.

Governor Walker even refused topardon a decorated multi-war veteranwho wished to continue his career in law enforcement, but couldn't becauseof a prior felony–from a bar fight shortly after he returned from the war inIraq.

Last week, Mary Burke announced a plan that seeks to reform Wisconsin'sveterans’ programs and improve the state of affairs for the men and womenwho served in the military. Her plan addresses many of the issues that plagueveterans today. It outlines how she will work to reinstate the Equal Pay En-forcement Act, a bill repealed by Governor Walker that once allowed victimsof wage discrimination to combat injustice in state courts for lower costs andmore accessibility.

The repeal removed pay equity protections for many protected groups ofindividuals, including our state's veterans. At the current moment, veteranscan only sue employers for back pay–not punitive damages or compensation.

This actually sets our veterans below many other victims of discrimina-tion–removing their rights instead of enhancing them. Burke also plans to aidveterans in obtaining education and job training to help them transition backinto civilian life.

She plans to reinstate committees that were abolished by the WisconsinDepartment of Veteran Affairs that once allowed veterans direct participationin policy and input, as well as forming another committee dedicated solelyto veteran employment and education that would be focused on increasingaccess and improving current programs. In addition, she would create a Uni-versity Services Program Ombudsman in the WIDVA, which would workwith the aforementioned Employment and Education Committee. This wouldprovide the service of helping veterans to find mentor programs, tuition andemployment assistance, and VA counseling to improve the graduation andjob placement rates for veterans in Wisconsin.

A New Deal for Veterans:Mary Burke's Plan for ReformArticle courtesy of Urban Media News

Senator HarrisDodd to holdCommunityConversation onGun Violence

On Saturday, July 12th,Senator Nikiya HarrisDodd (D-Milwaukee)will host a communityconversation on gun vio-lence Saturday, July 12,at the Parklawn YMCA,4340 N. 46th St., startingat 10:30 a.m.

At the meeting, SenatorHarris Dodd will be ask-ing community membersand community organiza-tions to brainstorm long-term and short-termsolutions to the recent in-crease in gun violence inthe community.

Sen. Harris DoddMary Burke

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the first female Gospel singer, songwriter, guitarist, andrecording artist who crossed over to R&B and influenced the music of LittleRichard, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley, will be honored by her descendants Sat-urday, July 19, at 7 p.m. at Behel AME Church, 4103 N. 35th St. The tribute tothis music trailblazer will coincide with Atkinson/Jones family reunion to beheld that same weekend.Tharpe’s 1944 hit song, “Down By The Riverside,” wasselected for the U.S. Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, in 2004.Her other hit, “Strange Things Happening Every Day,” was the first Gospel recordto crossover, hitting the number two spot on the then Billboard “Race Record”Chart (now the R&B Chart). The recording played an important role in the for-mulation of what is now Rock n’ Roll. The tribute program is open to the public.

PHOTOPMore scenes from the BIG GIG!SUMMERFEST 2014P H O T O S B Y F R A N C E S C A G U Y T O N - J O H N S O N

Usher closed outthe Big Gig Sun-day with a stellarperformance ofhis greatest hitsand dance movesthat wowed thecrowd at the BMOHarris Bankstage.

Rapper/actor Ludicris (left and inset)and Ziggy Marley (pictured above), amusical legend in his own right like hisfather, Bob, also rocked the lakefrontwith great performances.

The Milwaukee Community Journal July 9, 2014 Page 6

SMALL BUSINESSSMALL BUSINESSGood Old Fashioned Sales Techniques

In business sometimes we overlook good oldfashioned sales techniques. If you are an entrepre-neur ask yourself- Is my sales team making themost of every opportunity?

How does your sales team hold up when aprospect says “I’m happy with who I have.”? Thismay be old fashioned but remember - the sale doesnot start until the prospect says NO.

Once the prospect says NO, How is your salesteam responding? Are they meeting the objectionhead on or are they just thanking the prospect fortheir time and letting them off the hook?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying harass yourprospect. I’m telling you to sell your prospect. Topsales professionals almost NEVER take the firstNO. I can tell you from experience that we em-brace the word NO. Sales professionals are not justprepared to hear NO they expect to hear NO.

By simply teaching your sales team to overcomeobjections you can increase your sales by signifi-cant margins.

Here is the difference between a salesperson anda sales professional. If a prospect says ‘I’m happywith who I have” A SALESPERSON is likely torespond by saying “Thank you for your time and

keep us in mind.” or “I’ll send you out some infor-mation.”

If a prospect told a SALES PROFESSIONAL“I’m happy with who I have.” a SALES PROFES-SIONAL is likely to respond by saying “If you liketheir service you will love ours!” or “We havefound that we can beat our competitor’s prices andshow you new tools that are available”. I’m notsaying that the SALES PROFESSIONAL is goingto close that sale.

However, I’m sure we can all agree that he

stands a better chance of getting the sale by usinga rebuttal or in other words addressing the objec-tion.

I always advise business owners who are strug-gling with sales to work with their sales team tofind out what objections they need to overcome.When I am training sales people I believe that youcan never can do too much role playing. My grand-father would always say, “Repetition is the motherof all skill.” As people, we are not perfect so that’swhy we practice.

In business, my rule of thumb is to under prom-ise and over deliver so I don’t always guarantymuch.

But I do guaranty if you incorporate role playand train your sales team to address the objectionsthey face your sales will increase. Now take thislesson and GO GET A BUNCH

Shawn Ward is Co-Founder and Sales Strategistof 99 SALES iDEAS LLC. Ward is looking forwardto training salespeople and entrepreneurs whowant to make more money by increasing theirsales. Contact Shawn at 414-219-1986 orsward@99salesideas.com. Like us on Facebookand visit 99salesideas.com for more money makingsales tips.

By Shawn Ward

Shawn Ward

As salespeople or business devel-opment specialists, we’ve often beentaught things like “never take ‘no’ foran answer” or “ask enough questionsto get the prospect to keep saying‘yes,’ then ask for the order.”

This is not only classic selling; it istrickery, which is ridiculous and hasno place in business developmenttoday. “Success” is often built on areflexive habit of saying, “yes” to op-portunities that come our way.

We’re hungry for any chance toprove ourselves, and when we’re pre-sented with one, we take it, even – orespecially – if it seems daunting.

In a recent Harvard Business Re-view article, “Learning to Say ‘No’ isPart of Success,” Ed Batista says: “Acritical step is training ourselves toresist the initial reflexive response; Ioften describe this to clients and stu-dents as ‘becoming more comfort-able with discomfort.’

“We get so uncomfortable with theidea of being rejected, which is ofteninterpreted by hearing the word “no,”that we fill in with quickly explaininghow we can help the company be-come successful by sharing what

used to be called features and bene-fits, selling and giving a list of thethings we can help them with andhow.

Slow down the pace in the interac-tion to make sure you’re making theright choices. We often work longand hard to get an opportunity with apotential prospect, only to ruin theopportunity by talking too much andtoo fast.

Today it is about truly being a con-sultant when selling. If you are rush-ing though a script or trying to askquestions that lead prospects into acorner, this is not consultative sell-ing.

The faster you go, the more stallsyou will get – not sales. Let theprospect know you will have a fewquestions for them, if that’s OK, andby the end of this conversation, youmay learn that there is no fit betweenyou – which is OK, since what youdo isn’t for everyone.

If you let the person know that a“no” is alright, a few good thingshappen: The pressure that theprospect feels with a salesperson isoff, so they are more likely to openup and share with you.

Trust is beginning to be estab-lished. Without it, no sale will hap-pen. The conversation is now a trueconversation, not a pitch. Be honestabout your recommendations afterlearning about their needs, even if it’sthat it just isn’t a fit for your productor service. Sounds crazy, right? Ac-tually, if you work from the place ofhelping everyone you meet with, youwill not only build strong alliancesand sell more effectively, but youwill also gain respect and a whole lotmore referrals. Success is a long-termgoal that takes planning and doingthings right. It is not a quick-fix,“sell, sell, sell” environment. Weneed to get out of the mentality of theliquid diet society we have createdand put together a long-term plan forsuccess. Isn’t that what successfulpeople keep telling us?

Greta Schulz is a sales consultantfor businesses and entrepreneurs.For more sales training tips andtools, or to ask her a question, go towww.schulzbusiness.com or emailgreta@schulzbusiness.com.

See more at: http://www.schulz-business.com/blog/#sthash.xPBE-WRxd.dpuf

Why saying no part of sales people’s successBy Greta Schulz

“If you let the personknow that a “no” isalright, the pressurethat the prospectfeels with a sales-person is off, so theyare more likely toopen up and sharewith you.”

Who's Your Best Customer?By Antoine Miller

If you're running a business at somepoint you've had customers. When youthink about your best customer, whocomes to mind? I'm not asking which cus-tomer do you like the most. I want to know which customerbuys the most. The customer that buys the most is your best cus-tomer.

You'd be surprised how many small-business owners nevertake the time to figure out exactly who is their best customer.Sure, they have their favourite customers who drop by andspend the most time with them.

However, many small-business owners don't take the timethey should to understand the customer who spends the mostmoney with them. Ignoring your best customer is a tragedy.While we all love the customers who want to share their timeand talent, small business owners only stay in business by col-lecting their fair share of treasure.

It's fairly easy to start a business but being in business is onlyimpressive if you can make your business profitable for thelong-haul.

Your business will only be around if you figure out how tomarket to potential customers who have the same attributes ofyour best customer. In other words, look for more customerslike the customer that currently spends the most money withyou.

If you understand marketing, you're probably familiar with

the 3M's. The 3M's are: market, messageand media. I want you to focus on yourmarket. Your market is represented by thepeople you are selling to right now.

I want you to understand where yourcustomers are located and the reasonswhy they buy. After a transaction, askyour customer why she decided to buyfrom you and not your competition. Atfirst, this question may seem a little awk-ward and even risky.

But in reality, the information yourcustomer gives you will help you under-stand how to find more good customerslike her. Know your best customer. If you

don't know your best customer, you should really make time tounderstand that particular customer better. After all, your goalin business is to find more of the money spending customersand less window-shopping customers.

You will make more money for your business when youbegin to target a specific market of buyers who love to handtheir money to you. When you wake up in the morning and pre-pare to do business you should have a clear picture of the typeof person coming to spend money with you today. If you can'tclose your eyes right now and picture your perfect customeryou're probably marketing to the wrong group.

You may be missing out on some huge opportunities. A smallbusiness owner chasing the wrong target market won't last inbusiness very long. It will be a sad day when your best customerhas to become somebody else's best customer because you weretoo busy chasing the window-shoppers.

Antoine Miller is Founder & Marketing Strategist of 99SALES iDEAS for Business Development. Miller is excited tohelp business owners market & sell more of their products andservices. Contact Miller at 414-219-1989 oramiller@99salesideas.com with your sales, marketing orbusiness startup questions.

Greta Schulz

Antoine Miller

FREEFree to be who we areFree to like the skin we are inFree to advance and achieveFree to educate ourselvesthrough higher educationFree to change our mindsFree to stand our groundFree to speak our thoughtsFree to forgive anotherFree to take a chance on a newthingFree to change for the betterFree to give instead of receiveFree to dance as if no one iswatching youFree to love the way we wantand not by what society deemscorrectFree to cut loose the chainsthat bind our mindsFree to shift our thinkingFree to praise God because weare finally freeSonya Marie Bowman“It Is What It Is!”

RADICALI am an individual.I am liberated.I am unconventional.

I am self-aligned.I am self-ruled.I am self-determined.I am self-encouraged.I am self-sufficient.I am self-reliant.I am honest.I am limitless.I am emancipated.I am delivered.I have been RELEASED!!!Zelda Corona, MBAVision Represents Faith!

ZOOMAs a young woman, The Com-modores came out with a song"Zoom". The song to me de-fined Independence…One line Iloved is "I like to fly far awayfrom here where my mind couldbe fresh and clear and peoplecan be what they want to be." Take time and listen to thewords of this song by The Com-modores and let me know whatit means to you…TR PulleyAlways Keeping it Real!

The Milwaukee Community Journal July 9, 2014 Page 7

KALEIDOSCOPEKALEIDOSCOPEt h e M C J l i f e s t y l e & e n t e r t a i n m e n t s e c t i o n

African Americanhomeschoolingon the rise, over200,000 Blackparents arehomeschoolingtheir childrenBy Taki S. Raton

Stephan Stafford in 2010 at the age of 13 had atriple major in pre-med, mathematics and com-puter science at Morehouse College. As reportedin the March 12, 2012 Milwaukee Courier series,“Young, Gifted And Black,” scholar Stephan is theyoungest student ever to be admitted to thisrenowned Atlanta all-boys campus.

And additionally at the age of 15, as again re-ported in the November 9, 2013 Courier series,Stafford was included among TheBestSchools.orglisting of the “World’s 50 Smartest Teenagers.” Hewas homeschooled up until 11 years of age.

At the age of 11, according to the Courier ac-count, his mother was challenged with teachingAlgebra II. His parents then decided to send himto Morehouse College to audit mathematics. In hisfirst class, College Algebra, he scored 105 and inPre-Calculus his grade was 99. Given his exem-plary academic performance level even in view ofhis still blossoming teen years, Morehouse admit-ted him as a full time student.

Being an area resident and because of his age,Stephan was driven to campus daily where he at-tends his classes and is picked up by his mom forhis return ride home in the evenings.

Citing Garrett Tenney in his June 16, 2012 post-ing, “African Americans increasingly turn to homeschooling,” nationwide, astounding numbers ofAmerican families are selecting to homeschooltheir children each year and the fastest growingsegment of homeschooling numbers are AfricanAmericans. Tenney’s estimate that some 220,000Black children are homeschooled.

According to the site, Successful Homeschool-ing, African Americans, “want to escape a failingschool system that harms Black children at evenhigher rates than it does other children.” The writ-ing continues with the point that public schoolingtends to teach, “Ideals that contradict traditionalBlack values.”

“Since the landmark decision, Brown v. Topekain 1954, there has been a 66 percent decline inAfrican American teachers,” posits Dr. JawanzaKunjufu in his September 27, 2013 Atlanta Voicewriting on African American homeschooling.

“Many African American students,” he adds,“are in classrooms where they are not loved, liked,or respected. Their culture is not honored andbonding is not even a consideration. They aregiven low expectations which helps to explain howstudents can be promoted from one grade to an-other without mastery of content.”

Successful Homeschooling further shares thatmany Black homeschoolers additionally decide tohome educate so that they can teach African Amer-ican history and culture, an area, notes the posting,“often neglected by traditional schools until BlackHistory Month.”

“At home, children can learn about the heroicBlack soldiers, pilots and inventors who have con-tributed to America,” the site reveals. “They growup with a strong sense of purpose and identitywhich is so often damaged by the racial bias, la-

beling, and negative peer pressure that can occurin public schools.”

In fact and indeed, our own African Americanresearchers underscore the value of instilling cul-ture and racial pride in our youth. In her Septem-ber 21, 2004 study, Jocelyn Freeman Bonvillain’s,“Racial Identity Attitudes, Self-Esteem, and Aca-demic Achievement among African AmericanAdolescents,” her sample of 175 seventh gradeAfrican American students demonstrates that racialidentity and self-esteem are predictors of academicperformance.

Bonvillain concludes that students, “who exhib-ited high levels of self-esteem and racial identityperformed better academically than students whoshowed low levels of self-esteem and racial iden-tity.”

Entitled “Self-Esteem, Cultural Identity andPsychosocial Adjustment in African AmericanChildren,” Columbia University’s Arthur L. Wha-ley in a 1993 “Journal of Black Psychology” studyinforms similar findings that a strong cultural iden-tity “seemed to be more influential in the positivepsychosocial adjustment of African American chil-dren.”

Kisha Hayes of Baton Rouge, Louisiana says ofher children that, “Each of them has excelled somuch, and I can see it.” As reported in Tenney,Hayes adds, “I can see the difference in their learn-

Sista Speak...Speak Lord!Sista Speak...Speak Lord!INDEPENDENCE!

Tara R. Pulley

Sonya Bowman

Zelda Corona

Family Time

(continued on page 11)

Lynden Sculpture Garden announces first free Family Sunday

The Lynden Sculpture Garden, located at 2145 West Brown Deer Road in Milwaukee,announces its first Free Family Sunday. Scheduled for Sunday, 13 July 2014 from 12noon to 5 pm, the day will offer hands-on art and nature activities, entertainment andtours--or just a chance to pack a picnic and visit the sculpture garden's 40 acres and 50monumental sculptures.

Thanks to the generosity of Mortara Instrument, admission will be free that day andfree shuttles will run between the garden, the Port Washington & Brown Deer stop ofthe Route 63 bus, and the Brown Deer exit Park & Ride.

For a complete schedule of events: http://lyndensculpturegarden.org/FamilySunday"This is a day when new visitors can discover one of Milwaukee's hidden gems and

get a taste of all the things we do at Lynden," notes Board President Sarah Zimmerman. Lynden staff and volunteers will be offering drop-in hands-on art and nature activities.

Visitors will be able to make zip-line sculptures, stick toys, felt marbles, and tiny raftsand origami boats to float on the lake; create chalk drawings on trees; or join a rambling,garden-wide game of Capture the Flag.

The Skai Academy Band, visiting Milwaukee locations on their 2014 Ice ScreamSummer Tour, will provide two musical interludes, and ceramicist Heather Eiden willoffer an introduction to yoga.Many of Lynden's current artists-in-residence will be taking part. Yevgeniya Kaganovich

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The Milwaukee Community Journal July 9, 2014 Page 8

Students’ vision forMilwaukee inspireslocal artist’sBronzeville art projectBy Hannah Byron, courtesy of Neighborhood News Service

If you walk past the abandoned building on 2243 N. Dr. Martin Luther KingDrive sometime in the next few weeks you can see that the windows are notcovered with boards. They are covered with art.

Painted on the front windows are silhouettes of people with their armsaround each other accompanied by the words, “It takes us all to make us allcare.” Around the corner, the words “Unite,” “Surpass,” “Transcend,” “In-spire” and “Excel” are painted on the side of the building.

Sponsored by a $2,400 grant from the Local Initiatives Support Corp.(LISC) to the King Drive Business Improvement (BID), the artwork “Voicesfor the Community: Visions for Milwaukee” was revealed June 22.

Laci Coppins, a local photographic and mixed media artist, teamed up with5th and 6th grade students from Our Story Arts, a mentoring program at St.Marcus Lutheran School, for her third temporary art project.

Inspired by the students, Coppins transformed the façade of a vacant prop-erty into “positive visions of the future.” Artwork on a second property willbe unveiled later next month on 5th Street and North Avenue.

Jerome Knapp, executive director of Historic King Drive Business Im-provement District, said focusing on North and Dr. Martin Luther King Drivegave the BID the opportunity to change a false stereotype of the neighbor-hood.

“There is a perception issue that we fight daily,” Knapp said. “People areconjuring up perceptions of the area that are not true and are 30 years oldwhen the area was a lot more unstable.”

According to Coppins, the artwork was inspired by conversations she hadwith the students about their vision of Milwaukee. Coppins said most of theideas were around the topics of education, solidarity and the importance ofthe roles parents play.

Stephanie Barenz, an artist and founder of Our Story Arts, helped facilitatethe group conversations with Coppins and her students. She also encouragedher students to think about their vision of Milwaukee.

“Some kids said, ‘I think forgiveness is important; I think we should learnto forgive each other,’” Barenz said. “Another girl said, ‘I think it’s really im-portant that we tell our parents to cherish each moment with their children,and to really make memories with their kids.’”

Based on the discussions, Coppins chose the ideas and phrases that res-onated most with the children to explored further at a community meeting.The ideas that came out of the meeting were selected as the foundation of theart.

“I loved when we were installing (the artwork),” Coppins said. “Peoplewere shouting from their cars ‘I like this, I love this, sister this looks great.Folks were walking by and asking what is this? What is this about? Can Ihelp?’”

Although Coppins said she doesn’t live in the Bronzeville community,spreading the message of solidarity and bettering the city is what inspired herto do the project.

“I am a Milwaukeean and I still have a desire and passion for this city. Weare better together,” Coppins said. “So I want to see it better and I want tocontinue to see it grow.”

Barenz said she thinks it’s important for abandoned places to be renewed,and hopes that the artwork can reinforce that idea.

“When you can communicate a message to a community,” Barenz said,“people begin to see it as a starting point, something positive instead of some-thing they looked at as … negative before.”

Coppins noted that her goal for the project is to inspire people to stop andreflect when they see her art. Coppins also hopes to continue the art projectall over the city.

“In the end my big hope is that even if it’s just temporarily, this will be away to lift the neighborhood and to remind us of who we really are,” Coppinssaid.

many of our children are born in im-poverished families and neighborhoodsand lag behind developmentally thistoo contributes to our hopelessness.

Research indicates that poverty is re-lated to perceived feelings of failureand predicts hopelessness. In addition,the data also attributes the increasedlevels of violence and violent behavior.

Hopelessness, especially amongstour youth, suggests that failure is a partof their future and they are more likelyto engage in risky behaviors, includingincreased substance use, high risk sex-ual activity, and accidental injury. I’mnot a psychologist or a doctor, but Idon’t believe the hype and the myththat Black people are born inferior.With only five to six generations re-moved from slavery, I’m wise enoughto know that in order to fully grasp themagnitude of our current problems,and we must examine the role slaveryhas played.

For those of you who don’t acceptslavery as a significant and currentdamaging theme, you must accept therole that poverty has played in the lifeof Black people.

A large and growing population ofBlack people has less hope of escapingpoverty and the dysfunction and theconsequences of poverty than at anytime since emancipation and today’sgeneration is riddle with a heavy senseof hopelessness.

So given these very humbling condi-tions, what do we do? Most of our peo-ple can do nothing. There is a groupthat has some capacity to provide lead-ership to our people, but they too areparalyzed because many of them aretoo busy trying to assimilate into aWhite America.

When I was growing up, all aroundme there were civil rights fights to getBlacks into different business and gov-ernment sectors where we didn’t haveany representation. Those efforts pro-duced the first Black (i.e. Mayor,Councilperson, CEO, Judge, PoliceChief, etc.) and in some situations, likePhiladelphia, today every key politicalposition is held by a Black person. The

problem is that this group has no ideahow they were even elected nor do theyconnect their current position with thestruggle for self-determination ofBlack people. What’s more staggeringis that those these people now serve arepredominantly Black people and theyhave adopted the same strategies thatused by their former White predeces-sors. What does a young teenage Blackboy who is now arrested and abused byBlack police

officers, tried by Black District At-torneys before Black judges, impris-oned and mistreated by Black wardensand prison supervisor?

Our young people are extremelyconfused because they lack the histor-ical context by which they feel thesame sting as their parents and grand-parents – the difference is that Blacks,in some cases, carry out the punish-ments. Not only is this intellectuallyand emotionally challenging – it con-tributes to our collective sense of hope-lessness.

If we didn’t have enough division inour community, because of the growthof government and public sector jobs,our middle class grew over the past 50years and we are now divided by class.Many in our middle class have beenunconsciously been co-opted by thelure of full participation in the Ameri-can dream.

Since the loss of manufacturing jobsin most of the cities where we live, thebiggest employers of the Black middleclass have been the public and non-profit sectors. Today, we find ourselvesnot participating in the private sector inany meaningful way. News Flash!There is a significant and alarming

disparity between White and Blackmiddle class – none bigger than “netwealth.” No matter how much youwork, it’s extremely difficult, if not im-possible, to amass wealth when you’rean hourly employee especially whenyou work for government or a non-profit organization. In addition, no mat-ter how well you do, a good job is nottransferable to your children.

Today, we have the fastest exodus of

the middle class and for the first timein our history, our children are doingworst that their parents (a cornerstoneof the American way).

Is it just a coincidence that while wehave had modest growth by one seg-ment of our community while a largesegment of our community has wors-ened both socially and economically?Blacks are still nearly completely ab-sent in the private sector.

If you take the top 5,000 corpora-tions and you examine the number ofBoard of Directors and CEO Suite Par-ticipation (i.e. 10 Decision Makers),you might have nearly 150,000 posi-tions – how many do you think areBlack? Guess what, we represent 14%of the population but have less than 1%participation in these companies. Butthis is the tip of the iceberg becauseeven when Blacks are working in theprivate sector – there is a big gap be-tween where they are and being at thetop of these organizations (the pump isnot primed to change these outcomesfor some time over the next 15 – 25years).

This condition has also withered toanemic numbers the Black Small Busi-ness which further ensures that wealthwill be more elusive going forward forBlack people.

There are several unintended ramifi-cations of this imbalance (public vs.private sector), including, but not lim-ited to the following: Blacks not beingable to fully utilize government for theself-determination of its people - thiswas the intention of the movement;Blacks increase government employeeconnected Blacks to a skewed politicalprocess.

Black politics were compromised byinterest of government employees;Blacks increase government employeesnow connected to the union movementand its activities which were not nec-essarily aligned with the Black agendabecause many unions have systemati-cally shut out Blacks (i.e. buildingtrade unions, etc.); Blacks increase asgovernment employees has decreasedour entrepreneurial and independentskills.

Too many of our talented saw thepublic sector as a viable career pathand the result is that we have too manyof our talented having a dependency ongovernment versus a having a privateand independent skills to achieve thesame outcomes (we have very few who

can transfer to the private sector and besuccessful after being in the public sec-tor); Blacks increase government em-ployees fundamentally have politicallycompromised our agenda. Blackelected officials have used the powerand influence of government employ-ees to advance the agenda of the unionsand/or the agenda of elected officials.

Today we have Black elected offi-cials that are hard-pressed to make“hard” and smart decisions that wouldthreaten and/or anger their base(unions) but instead adopt “easy” andstupid decisions that either kicks theproblem down the road or thatdon’t/won’t empower the Black com-munity. We also have our most upperand economically mobile not champi-oning Black independence and in manycases hold disparaging ideas and raciststereotypes about our people (i.e. vio-lent, lazy, criminal, looking for hand-outs, etc.). And we keep asking whyour young people don’t vote – theydon’t vote because they see what

is going on and they don’t like it.They see how their own people aredoing them wrong –political apathy isa sure sign of hopelessness.

In spite of these and other issues thatcontribute to our sense of hopelessness,there is a pathway that could seriouslychange the trajectory going forwardand it lies in our ability to unite – I callit “functional’ unity. Much of our hope-lessness is captured in the fear we in-herited, and what we see on a dailybasis.

The last couple of weeks, I've at-tended several meetings regarding ourcommunity and there seems to be atremendous groundswell of conscious-ness that “something must be done” toaddress our issues. The sense of ur-gency is growing. However; duringmany of these meetings, the presentersexpertly identify our issues and chal-lenges then close with “our communitymust come together.” However; nonehave articulated how this is to happen.In fact, there are never any real discus-sions on what the next steps should beon how we come together. Coming to-gether can't be the footnote but the en-tire agenda. Why is this so difficult?Why is this so elusive? Let me veryblunt and ask you – who’s going tosave the Black man in America, if notourselves?

There is no other group, species, orhigher power that will do the work onbehalf of Black people and Black chil-dren – but Black people. Yes thosesame Black people that you critique atevery level and fundamentally haverelegated to the lowest level; thosesame Black people you don’t trust; andyes those same Black people you call“nigger” - that nigger ain’t …. (fill inthe blank). We must stop looking forthe faults and the negatives in our peo-ple (we all have them) that give you areason (excuse) from not locking armstogether with your brother. ReverendDr. Martin Luther King stated that ourpower lies inour unity and our leadersmust lead by example. Those that con-sider themselves leaders must come to-gether and create a “table” where wecan begin to discuss these issues. InPhiladelphia, I’ve been leading an ef-fort to organize our community call“The Philadelphia Community ofLeaders (PCOL).” PCOL is an attemptto unite our community and place thestrategies of organizing and mobilizingof our people at the forefront. Goingforward, I will keep you posted.

Rahim Islam is a National Speakerand Writer, Convener of PhiladelphiaCommunity of Leaders, and Presi-dent/CEO of Universal Companies, acommunity development and educationmanagement company headquarteredin Philadelphia, PA. Follow RahimIslam on FaceBook(Rahim Islam) &Twitter (@RahimIslamUC)

First Person: Civil Rights Act observanceIn too many of our urban areas across the country, we

have crime, violence, unemployment and other disparitiesthat negatively impact a person’s quality of life. To helpillustrate this point – let’s look at a few of the conditionsright here in Milwaukee:

• University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Professor MarcLevine has reported in his studies – that nearly 50% ofthe working age African American men are unemployedin Milwaukee’s central city,

• A University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Employmentand Training Institute study found that Wisconsin leadsthe nation in the percentage of African American men thatit incarcerates. The vast majority of African Americanmen in Wisconsin reside in Milwaukee,

• Data shows that Milwaukee is one of the top 10 citieswith the highest poverty rate in the nation,

• Not long ago the National Assessment of Public Ed-ucation, or NAPE, studies show that Wisconsin has theworst 4th grade reading levels for African American stu-dents in the nation.

In addition, when we consider that too many of our stu-dents, whether in public, charter or choice schools, arenot performing academically at grade level – it paints analarming, dismal picture for the future.

You know, in the 1960’s, during the Civil Rights Move-ment, we fought for the right to sit at the lunch counter.But now, with the poor academic achievement levels ofmany of our students – I fear that some may not be able

to read the menu when they sit at the lunch counter.So, as we commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the

Civil Rights Act, we must remain vigilant in the follow-ing areas:

• First, we must work hard to preserve the integrity ofthe Voting Rights Act – which allows every citizen theopportunity to participate in the process of determiningour leaders – both locally and nationally,

• We must work hard to combat discrimination and en-sure that all citizens are treated fairly – and given equalaccess to opportunities that our great nation offers,

• Second, we must figure out more effective ways tohelp those mired in poverty and hopelessness,

• We must help everyone, especially our students un-derstand the value and importance of getting a good ed-ucation,

• We must help the unemployed get training so they arebetter prepared for the jobs that exist in our 21st centuryeconomy,

• And finally, we must find a way to stop the gun vio-lence and self-destructive behavior of young Black Menkilling each other. We must reach our young men andshow them that there are alternatives to guns, violenceand premature death.

If we are not vigilant in these areas – if we don’t max-imize our resources and work together on these issues –we will not be successful in preserving the progress – thelegacy – of this Historic Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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Our Paralysis is tiedto Our Hopelessness

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Shanna Reid, a recipient of the Milwaukee Brewers CommunityAchievers Award, poses with Katina Shaw, the Brewers seniorexecutive director of community relations and family liason, be-fore throwing out the first pitch before a recent Brewers game atMiller Park. Shaw’s responsibilities is to act as a liason betweenthe team and charitable, scholastic and civic organizationsthroughout Wisconsin. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)

KATINA SHAW: The BrewersCommunity Connector

King of Glory Church sponsored their 2nd Annual 4th of July Boat Trip around Lake Michigan to celebrate family and friends. The event took placeaboard the Voyager on Friday, July 4th. The 3-hour trip provided an opportunity to celebrate with food, music and fun. There were over 100 peoplein attendance. Proceeds from the event benefited Black Child Development Institute - Milwaukee Affiliate. (Photos by Yvonne Kemp)

Crusing for a Good Cause

The Milwaukee Community Journal July 9, 2014 Page 9

The Milwaukee Community Journal July 9, 2014 Page 10

ing.” The mother of three began homeschooling fiveyears ago.

Alkinee Jackson, also of Baton Rouge who beganhomeschooling all five of her children after she and herhusband witnessed that the attitude and behavior of theiroldest son, Alante worsen while in the public school en-vironment. And he was only in second grade.

“If we allowed him to continue to be there and be in-fluenced, by the time he reached high school he’d alreadybe gone; and we know where he’d end up,” Jackson saidin the June 16 posting.

Sonya Barbee, a single mother who works for the U.S.government, made the decision of being a teacher for her11 year-old son Copeland. BBC News’ Brian Wheeler inhis March 12, 2012 writing, “Homeschooling: Why moreblack US families are trying it,” shares Barbee’s fear withCopeland’s experience in an area public school:

“There were lots of fights and people getting shot. Itwas just too much. To me, it’s not a good environmentfor a kid and even though I work full time, so it’s reallyhard for me, I still feel like it’s the right decision.”

The BBC account adds - and this is a critical observa-tion that is and has been happening to numbers of AfricanAmerican children, over the past four decades since thefull implementation of school desegregation in the 70’s,- that Barbee’s decision to homeschool was not the vio-lence or even the fact that her son was being bullied thatfinally led to the decision to remove Copeland from hispublic school.

She says despite that fact that his school was in a, “re-ally bad area” of Washington D.C., the final reason forhomeschooling is that in the public school classroom,Copland was, “losing his love of learning.”

And the fact that Dr. Mae Jemison became the firstAfrican American woman to travel in space when shewent into orbit aboard the space shuttle Endeavor on Sep-tember 12, 1992 may have been by default.

Helen Jackson of Houston made the decision to home-school her son in 1985. Considered by SuccessfulSchooling as a “Pioneer of the African American HomeSchool Movement,” Jackson at the time was a astronauticelectronics engineer at NASA.

“I was promoted to be the first Black woman in spacewhen I discovered that my oldest son was developing se-rious emotional symptoms and needed me more thanNASA did. So I returned to teach him at home. And he isdoing very well,” she says.

Joyce Burgess, co-founder of the National Black HomeEducators (HBHE) has homeschooled her own 5 childrenfor over the last 23 years, all of which, as quoted in Ed-ward Lee’s June 26, 2012,BlackandMarriedWithKids.com, “are very successful in

their chosen fields.”One benefit rarely mentioned, homeschooled children

are in high demand by colleges. Says Burgess, “Fromyour Harvard’s to the local Junior College,” home-schooled children are sought after by academia not onlybecause of their preparedness to enter and excel at thecollege level but also for their refined mannerism and so-cial skills that are taught and modeled in the home.

Queen Taese, one of the key organizers of the upcom-ing nationally acclaimed and highly anticipated Third An-nual Liberated Minds Black Homeschool & EducationExpo in Atlanta July 18 to the 24, 2014 at the OmegaWorld Event Center says that, “There is a huge criticaladvantage when it comes to our African children beinghomeschooled particularly in the areas of socializationand academic success because we as an African peoplelearn through socialization. We gain a strong identity ofself through our social environment.”

She adds that through homeschooling, “parents ae ableto choose ideal social settings that they deem fit to sup-port the morals, values, and cultural identity of their fam-ily, thereby reinforcing and fortifying the cultivation ofdiscipline, strong work ethics, academic skills and addi-tional pertinent cornerstones of excellence fostered toguarantee the success of our children.”

The 3rd Annual Liberated Minds Black Homeschooland Education Expo, explains Taese, “will assist Blackhomeschoolers, parents, and educators in a multitude ofways with workshops, lectures, and training in develop-ing ‘How-To’ skills in educating everything from mentalmath, and teaching strategies for African American chil-dren in science, reading and writing, choosing the bestcollege, understanding the African Worldview, HolisticLiving, natural childbirth, personal health, and so muchmore.”

She shares that Black national and international ex-hibitors will have available products and services, “for usby us” to include curriculum enhancement materials, ex-tracurricular programs and a Black Book Fair.

“The Networking that goes on at the expo is magical.I am constantly receiving emails and calls on how the re-lationships formed at the expo have completely changedthe lives of many Black parents for the good. There isnothing like great support. We are each other's greatestresource!” says the expo organizer.

Several parents from Milwaukee will be attending andwill be a guest on this writer’s Internet radio show, “Men-Think” on Harambee Radio & TV, Thursday, July 24from 8 to 9 p.m. (CST) to report on their experience atthe Atlanta Liberated Minds Expo. Listeners can tune inat, www.harambeeradio.com.

For additional information on the Atlanta expo, pleasecall (678) 368-8593 or connect with their website:www.liberatedmindsexpo.com. Email inquiries can bemade at liberatedmindseducation@yahoo.com.

Taki S. Raton is a school staff consultant in the AfricanCentered instructional model and an adjunct professor atSpringfield College in Milwaukee. A Writer and lecturerdetailing African World Historiography with emphasis onthe education and social development of Black youth andAfrican American male issues,

(continued from page 7)participating Federal recreation site or office. This Interagency Senior Pass lastsa lifetime, and is honored by all Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau ofLand Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service sitescharging entrance or standard amenity fees.

You can buy the pass via mail order from United States Government Services(USGS). Mail-order applicants must submit a completed application, proof ofresidency and age, for $20 ($10.00 fee for the Senior Pass, and an additional doc-ument-processing fee ($10) to obtain a pass through the mail. Once the applicationpackage is received, the documentation will be verified and a pass, with the passowner's name pre-printed on it, is issued to the applicant.

Senior Pass applications are processed and shipped within approximately 25business days from the day they arrive at USGS. If you need a pass within 15days or less, it is recommended that you either obtain your pass at the first siteyou visit, or request expedited shipping services for your order.

The Senior Pass is a lifetime pass that provides access to more than 2,000 recre-ation sites managed by five Federal agencies, with up to 100% of the proceedsbeing used to improve and enhance visitor recreation services. In addition, atmany sites the Senior Pass provides the holder with discounts on ExpandedAmenity Fees (such as camping, swimming, boat launching, and guided tours).

CruisingCruise vacations recognize seniors as important customers and many cruise

lines are extending promotions and discounts in hopes of attracting them. Cruiselines that offer 55+ discounts include Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian and RoyalCaribbean. In fact, Cruise Critic selected Carnival as its 2010 Editors' PicksAwards Winner "Best for Budget-Friendly Cruising," in part, because it providessenior discounts via AARP.

TrainsAmtrak gives travelers older than 60 a 15 percent discount on rail fare. Travel

restrictions apply, and this discount is not valid on its Auto Train, the weekdayAcela Express, business or first-class accommodations. From time to time, Am-trak also offers seasonal promotions like the “Half Off Travel on the Downeaster,"offering senior passengers a steep discount on its train to Boston.

Also, seniors can receive 10 percent off a VIA Rail first-class seat, as well asa 75 percent discount on a companion's ticket.

AirfareThe days when seniors received a flat 10 percent off on most flights are long

gone, but there still are special offers available. Check with your airline for spe-cific discounts. What's more, some carriers offer senior fares that are completelyrefundable without penalty, and no advance purchase or minimum stay is required.

LodgingMost hotels give seniors around 10 percent off the regular rate, with varying

age qualifications at different properties. Flashing your AARP card may enableyou to receive the best price of all. Sometimes you may have to make reservationswell in advance and pay for one night upfront, but the discounts are usually worthit. Along with other member discounts, a list of hotel chain discounts can befound at www.aarp.org/travel.

Attractions Seniors can expect to receive easy discounts at museums, historic sites, and

other tourist such as Six Flags and Busch Gardens, state fairs and a host of othersummer attractions. If senior discounts are not posted, don’t hesitate to ask, youmight be surprised to learn that discounts are available.

Be cautious when exploring senior discounts. Do your homework becausesometimes senior discounts may not be the best discounts. There are some in-stances where you might pay less with a general sale or coupon than with thebirth date on your driver's license. Fortunately, many seniors—while they don’tparticularly like being called senior— have caught onto the idea of discounts andare speaking up. This is true especially among baby boomers who, as a group,aren't fond of admitting they are growing old. Enjoy your summer!

Summer Vacations andDiscounts for Seniors

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The Milwaukee Community Journal July 9, 2014 Page 11

ing.” The mother of three began homeschooling fiveyears ago.

Alkinee Jackson, also of Baton Rouge who beganhomeschooling all five of her children after she and herhusband witnessed that the attitude and behavior of theiroldest son, Alante worsen while in the public school en-vironment. And he was only in second grade.

“If we allowed him to continue to be there and be in-fluenced, by the time he reached high school he’d alreadybe gone; and we know where he’d end up,” Jackson saidin the June 16 posting.

Sonya Barbee, a single mother who works for the U.S.government, made the decision of being a teacher for her11 year-old son Copeland. BBC News’ Brian Wheeler inhis March 12, 2012 writing, “Homeschooling: Why moreblack US families are trying it,” shares Barbee’s fear withCopeland’s experience in an area public school:

“There were lots of fights and people getting shot. Itwas just too much. To me, it’s not a good environmentfor a kid and even though I work full time, so it’s reallyhard for me, I still feel like it’s the right decision.”

The BBC account adds - and this is a critical observa-tion that is and has been happening to numbers of AfricanAmerican children, over the past four decades since thefull implementation of school desegregation in the 70’s,- that Barbee’s decision to homeschool was not the vio-lence or even the fact that her son was being bullied thatfinally led to the decision to remove Copeland from hispublic school.

She says despite that fact that his school was in a, “re-ally bad area” of Washington D.C., the final reason forhomeschooling is that in the public school classroom,Copland was, “losing his love of learning.”

And the fact that Dr. Mae Jemison became the firstAfrican American woman to travel in space when shewent into orbit aboard the space shuttle Endeavor on Sep-tember 12, 1992 may have been by default.

Helen Jackson of Houston made the decision to home-school her son in 1985. Considered by SuccessfulSchooling as a “Pioneer of the African American HomeSchool Movement,” Jackson at the time was a astronauticelectronics engineer at NASA.

“I was promoted to be the first Black woman in spacewhen I discovered that my oldest son was developing se-rious emotional symptoms and needed me more thanNASA did. So I returned to teach him at home. And he isdoing very well,” she says.

Joyce Burgess, co-founder of the National Black HomeEducators (HBHE) has homeschooled her own 5 childrenfor over the last 23 years, all of which, as quoted in Ed-ward Lee’s June 26, 2012,BlackandMarriedWithKids.com, “are very successful in

their chosen fields.”One benefit rarely mentioned, homeschooled children

are in high demand by colleges. Says Burgess, “Fromyour Harvard’s to the local Junior College,” home-schooled children are sought after by academia not onlybecause of their preparedness to enter and excel at thecollege level but also for their refined mannerism and so-cial skills that are taught and modeled in the home.

Queen Taese, one of the key organizers of the upcom-ing nationally acclaimed and highly anticipated Third An-nual Liberated Minds Black Homeschool & EducationExpo in Atlanta July 18 to the 24, 2014 at the OmegaWorld Event Center says that, “There is a huge criticaladvantage when it comes to our African children beinghomeschooled particularly in the areas of socializationand academic success because we as an African peoplelearn through socialization. We gain a strong identity ofself through our social environment.”

She adds that through homeschooling, “parents ae ableto choose ideal social settings that they deem fit to sup-port the morals, values, and cultural identity of their fam-ily, thereby reinforcing and fortifying the cultivation ofdiscipline, strong work ethics, academic skills and addi-tional pertinent cornerstones of excellence fostered toguarantee the success of our children.”

The 3rd Annual Liberated Minds Black Homeschooland Education Expo, explains Taese, “will assist Blackhomeschoolers, parents, and educators in a multitude ofways with workshops, lectures, and training in develop-ing ‘How-To’ skills in educating everything from mentalmath, and teaching strategies for African American chil-dren in science, reading and writing, choosing the bestcollege, understanding the African Worldview, HolisticLiving, natural childbirth, personal health, and so muchmore.”

She shares that Black national and international ex-hibitors will have available products and services, “for usby us” to include curriculum enhancement materials, ex-tracurricular programs and a Black Book Fair.

“The Networking that goes on at the expo is magical.I am constantly receiving emails and calls on how the re-lationships formed at the expo have completely changedthe lives of many Black parents for the good. There isnothing like great support. We are each other's greatestresource!” says the expo organizer.

Several parents from Milwaukee will be attending andwill be a guest on this writer’s Internet radio show, “Men-Think” on Harambee Radio & TV, Thursday, July 24from 8 to 9 p.m. (CST) to report on their experience atthe Atlanta Liberated Minds Expo. Listeners can tune inat, www.harambeeradio.com.

For additional information on the Atlanta expo, pleasecall (678) 368-8593 or connect with their website:www.liberatedmindsexpo.com. Email inquiries can bemade at liberatedmindseducation@yahoo.com.

Taki S. Raton is a school staff consultant in the AfricanCentered instructional model and an adjunct professor atSpringfield College in Milwaukee. A Writer and lecturerdetailing African World Historiography with emphasis onthe education and social development of Black youth andAfrican American male issues,

African Americanhomeschooling(continued from page 7) will offer a grow workshop in which par-

ticipants can help her "grow" the nextplanting of her durational installation madefrom recycled plastic bags. Dan Torop,who has been living at Lynden for severalextended periods over the past year, andspending long periods--particularly atnight--outdoors, will lead a tour to thespots he finds particularly intriguing on theLynden grounds. Some of the artist-led ac-tivities connect to upcoming projects atLynden: Kim Miller will team up withJenna Knapp for two "Conversations withSculptures." These informal Conversa-tions anticipate the arrival of Trisha BrownDance Company on July 27, and offer aseries of movement prompts and exercisesdesigned to introduce you to TrishaBrown's approach to movement--particu-larly the pedestrian movement that is ahallmark of the "Early Works" that will beperformed at Lynden--and the way we useour bodies in motion to explore and un-derstand a single monumental sculpture(in this case, Forrest Myers's Quartet). Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic orenjoy the food from the Simmer truck."The Free Family Sunday program is de-signed to make Lynden accessible toeveryone in our community," continuesSarah Zimmerman. Lynden's entrance feeand its distance from public transportation(particularly on weekends) can create bar-riers to participation. "We may be 15 min-utes from downtown by car, but we're only20 minutes from the city's northwest sideby bus, and 10 minutes from Bayshore. It'sthe extra walk across Brown Deer Roadthat can be daunting." If the first Free Fam-ily Sunday is a success, and Lynden is ableto attract additional sponsors, the plan is toexpand the program from one Sunday thissummer, to as many as four Sundays in2015 and ultimately to a year-roundmonthly program. Transportation DetailsWe will be running free shuttle busses be-tween the garden, the MCTS #63 bus stopat Port Washington and Brown DeerRoad, and the Park & Ride west of I-43 atthe Brown Deer exit. Shuttles will meeteastbound Route 63 busses at the bus stopon the east side of Port Washington Roadat Brown Deer Road beginning at 11:55am; and will drop off passengers at the busstop on the west side of Port WashingtonRoad at Brown Deer Road to meet west-bound Route 63 busses beginning at 12:35pm.

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Lynden SculptureGarden announcesfirst free FamilySunday

The Milwaukee Community Journal July 9, 2014 Page 12