MCJ June 3, 2015 Edition

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

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OMMUNITYOMMUNITYVOL. XXXIX Number 44 June 3, 2015 www.communityjournal.net 25 Cents BULK RATE

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSINPERMIT NO. 4668

The Fellowship Open today announced its honorees for 2015 areMajor League Baseball Commissioner Emeritus Bud Selig, former PGAAmerica Executive Earnie Ellison, and Civic Leader Jackie Herd-Bar-ber.Each year, the Fellowship Open honors individuals who have had a

dramatic impact on the improvement of lives of people in America, witha particular focus on those who have created more opportunities for thenation’s youth. Past recipients include Vell Phillips, Frank Robinson,Henry Aaron, Herb Kohl, Willie Davis, and Junior Bridgeman. The Fellowship Open is one of the nation’s largest community em-

powerment golf tournaments, attracting participants from more than 25states.“Bud Selig, Earnie Ellison, and Jackie Herd-Barber are remarkable

people who have demonstrated an amazing and sustained commitmentto others,” said John W. Daniels, Jr., chairman of the Fellowship Open. "Bud's extraordinary leadership and involvement in professional base-

ball and the Milwaukee community, as well as his dedication to helpingyoung people succeed locally and nationally, is unparalled. Earnie's contribution to helping develop awareness and opportunities

for people of color, women, and the under-served to participate in thegame and business of golf is unmatched. Jackie is a passionate social humanitarian and a consummate servant

leader whose passion for creating educational opportunities for Milwau-kee's children and families is phenomenal."The Fellowship Open event will be held on Friday, August 14, 2015,

at Silver Spring Country Club.

15thAnnual FellowshipOpenAwardRecipientsAnnounced

Earnie Ellison Bud Selig Jacqueline Herd-Barber

Learn more about the three awardeespictured above on page 5

Compiled by MCJ StaffA coalition group of community organizations that

focus on Milwaukee’s African American community,praised a Tuesday 10-3 Common Council vote to reducethe maximum fine for marijuana possession of 25 gramsof marijuana or less from $500 to $50.The previous fine for possessing small amounts of mar-

ijuana was between $250 and $500.The African American Roundtable said the Council’s

decision is a “huge step forward” for racial justice in Mil-waukee. Significant racial disparities exist in marijuanaenforcement, according to Mike Wilder, co-chair of theAfrican American Roundtable.“African Americans in Milwaukee are over five times

more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession thanwhite people, despite similar rates of usage,”Wilder saidin a media statement on the Council vote.“Often times, a criminal possession for a simple pos-

session creates a lifetime of collateral damage for hardworking families in this city,” Wilder continued.The Roundtable co-chair believes decriminalizing mar-

ijuana possession will remove many nonviolent offendersfrom the criminal justice system.“Seeing that Wisconsin is first in the nation for incar-

ceratingAfricanAmerican males, this is an important stepthat needed to be taken,” said Rosalynn Wolfe, co-chairof the African American Roundtable.“There is definitely, however, more work to be done.

Community group priases CommonCouncil’s decision to lower marijuana fine

PULSE OF THE COMMUNITYPhotos and question by Yvonne Kemp

ANGELA SMITH(MHSI pharma-cist): “It’s very impor-tant to wear your seatbelt because the life thatis saved may be yourown! I have friends andrelatives that have losttheir lives or become injured in an accident be-cause they were not wearing their seat belt.Money is too hard to come by for you to have towaste it on paying a ticket for not wearing yourseat belt. So Milwaukee, please click it or get aticket!”

DREXEL PERRY(MHSI HumanResources):“Click it or ticketmeans safety forall ‘drivers.’ I usemy seat belt when Idrive and I pray that everyone on theroad does too!”

YOLONDAGUTHRIE (LeadPatient AccessRep for MHSI):It’s extremely impor-tant to buckle up foryour safety. It trulysaves lives. I’ve had a family memberthat was in a terrible accident and be-cause she was wearing her seat belt, theinjury was non-life threatening.”

MICHAEL E.THOMAS (MHSICollection Spe-cialist): “Clickingsaves lives and helpsprevent injuries toyourself and childrenand anyone who ridesin your vehicle. Click it needs to be a way oflife for the whole community. Ticket is just areminder of the importance of fastening yourseat belts. Click it or you will get a ticket!”

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:“We asked four employees with the MilwaukeeHealth Services, Inc.’s Isaac Coggs HeritageHealth Center who attended the news confer-ence by WisDOT about it’s ‘Click It or Ticket’campaign featuring Donald Driver HOW IMPOR-TANT IS IT TO USE A SEAT BELT so you don’tget a ticket?”

Green Bay Packers’Super Bowl champion widereceiver and New YorkTimes bestselling authorDonald Driver was the starof a news conference pro-moting seat belt use heldat the Milwaukee HealthServices, Inc.’s (MHSI)Isaac Coggs HeritageHealth Center, 8200 W. Sil-ver Spring Drive. The news conference

was held May 28 to pro-mote the statewide Wis-consin Department ofTransportation’s (WisDOT)Zero In Wisconsin cam-paign called “Click It orTicket” mobilization, whichran May 18 to 31. Driver, shown above with

Dr. Tito Izard,president/CEO of MHSI,was also featured instatewide TV, radio and on-line messages about safetybelt use during Click It orTicket. There was also a video of

Driver surprising some un-suspecting drivers to askabout their safety belt usewill be shown. (Photo byYvonne Kemp)

Thousands of job seekersdescend on State Fair Parkfor Milwaukee Career Expo

More than 100 local compa-nies with over 2,000 jobopenings were on hand lastweek for the Milwaukee Ca-reer Expo at State Fair Park. The expo, held at state fair

park’s Expo Center had jobopenings ranging from skilledpositions in manufacturingand health care to entry-levelpositions in service and retail. The expo was only open to

employers with current jobopenings and job candidateswho register and have beenpre-screened for work readi-ness. Job seeker attendancewas limited to U.S. Militaryveterans at 10:30 a.m. lastThursday. The general public was ad-

mitted at 11 a.m. that sameday. Mayor Tom Barrett wason hand to welcome the jobseekers and thank the com-panies with the positions forparticipating in the event.(Photos by Yvonne Kemp)

Packer great Donald Driver helps “Drive”home the importance of buckling up beforeyou hit the road

For the fourth consecutive year, 100% of the seniors at HOPE Christian High School have been accepted into college!The seniors celebrated their momentous achievement by holding their own version of “Signing Day,” which is similarto the concept of Signing Day for athletes. Like school athletes, the Hope seniors unveiled their final college choice infront of their families, peers, faculty, and the community. Hope Christian High School is a part of the HOPE ChristianSchools network, serving nearly 2,000 students (K-12) throughout the Greater Milwaukee area. HOPE’s mission isexemplified by the 3 C’s: Christ, College, Character. See more photos and the full story of this school’s achievementin our June 12 Special WKND Focus graduation edition. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)

Hope Seniors Have Done It Again!Hope Seniors Have Done It Again!

(continued on page 9)

The Milwaukee Community Journal June 3, 2015 Page 2

THETHE PULSEPULSEThe WHO•WHAT•WHERE• WHEN of YOUR Community!

F o r m e r l y t h e 4 W C o m m u n i t y H a p p e n i n g s

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: [email protected]/[email protected]

SIGNIFYIN’SIGNIFYIN’By Mikel Kweku Osei Holt

Leading the way for African American businessesDr. Eve Hall, president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Wis-consin reviews the previous fiscal year with chamber members and board members dur-ing the organization’s 2015annual meeting at theGreater Milwaukee Founda-tion, 101 W. Pleasant St.The mission of the AACCWis to support the growth andsustainability of businessesowned by African Ameri-cans through four pillars ofservice: Access to capital,Advocacy, Business devel-opment, and Communityengagement. (Photo byYvonne Kemp)

National Kidney Foundation to host anotherMilwaukee County Women of the World HealthConference with Community Partner, The Links Incorporated, Cream City (WI) ChapterNational Kidney Foundation of

Wisconsin is sponsoring their annualWomen of the World Health Confer-ence onSaturday, June 6, 2015 at Mar-

quetteAlumni Memorial Union from7:30 am – 1: 30 pm. This day is ded-icated to Women, Wellness andHealth.The “Women of the World” is an

event to disseminate health informa-tion in an engaging, entertaining,user-friendly way that creates changeand educates women to take controlof and improve their health and thelives of their families.Women of the World Health Con-

ference, WoW as it is nicknamed, isactually a year-round program organ-ized by the National Kidney Founda-tion of Wisconsin.Advised by a healthcare and com-

munity-based committee of fifteenorganizations, WoW offers quarterlyhealthy lifestyle and chronic diseaseinformational programs (Encores) aswell as an annual half-day healthconference.At its core, Women of the World

events focus on various aspects ofchronic diseases that most adverselyaffect women of color as well asbasic lifestyle issues that impactwomen at each key life stage. Be-

cause we partner with every health-care system in Milwaukee County,we are able to offer participants ac-cess to exceptionally qualified med-ical and healthcare experts.Since 2008, we have engaged The

Links, Incorporated, Cream City(WI) Chapter, a non-profit organiza-tion of accomplished, dedicatedwomen who are active in their com-munity, as a vital member of ourplanning committee and volunteersas well as serving as communitychampions for WoW. Ms. Deidra Edwards, Cream City

(WI) president says, “Our health ini-tiative is to provide health educationand disseminate educational re-sources to encourage healthierlifestyles.Our community is in greater need

for health information and re-sources.”Over one-half of WoW participants

who attend each year reside in one ofthe top ten most economically chal-lenged zip codes in MilwaukeeCounty.Additionally, over one-half of the

women who attend WoW events oneyear return again to attend one ormore programs in the ensuing year.

In Milwaukee, WoW is perceived asa reliable source of health informa-tion and community resources. It is atrusted ‘brand’ with a positive com-munity image.WoW attendees are also connected

on a year-round basis to the free kid-ney health screenings (KEEP™) ofthe National Kidney Foundation aswell as all of the community re-sources/events that are availablethrough the WoW partner organiza-tions.Our overall vision for the WoW

initiative is to inspire women to en-gage in personal lifestyle changes es-pecially those related to their ownnutrition, physical activity, mentalhealth, and use of healthcare re-sources to prevent or manage chronicdiseases.The National Kidney Foundation

ofWisconsin has been the anchor or-ganization for Women of the Worldsince 2008.The National Kidney Foundation

ofWisconsin relies completely on in-kind donations and financial supportfrom community organizations,health systems and corporate contri-butions to offer WoW events, whichare offered at no-cost to participants.


PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVES QUOTE OF THE WEEK:”HISTORICALLY,BLACK MUSIC HAS INFLUENCED OTHER CUL-TURES AND OTHER GENRES AND CREATEDOTHER GENRES.” --MIGUEL

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: [email protected]/[email protected]

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/Webmaster BillingDept./Publisher’s Admin. Assist.

Colleen Newsom,Classified AdvertisingJimmy V. Johnson, Sales Rep.CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Taki S. Raton, Richard G. Carter,Fr. Carl Diederichs, Rev. JoeMcLinPHOTOGRAPHER: Yvonne Kemp

To say we were taken aback when we saw the picture of emptychairs from a Democratic Party of Wisconsin forum for individuals inthe party running to replace outgoing DPW Chair Mike Tate would bethe proverbial understatement.Every seat at the table for the candidates was EMPTY! That’s right, every one of the candidates and their supporters who

had reportedly agreed to show-up at the Wisconsin African AmericanWomen’s Center: Stephen Smith, Joe Winekie, Martha Laning,Jason Rae, Jeff Smith, and Stephen Smith, and explain to membersof our community who they were, what the state Democratic partychair does (we’re sure everyday folks in —and outside—the commu-nity don’t know what a party chair does), their qualifications, and vi-sion for the party was AWOL! That included state Rep. David Bowen and Democratic party ac-

tivist Stephanie Finley. Neither Bowen or Finley are running for thechairmanship. They support one of the aforementioned candidates, all of whom

are white and (with the exception of Rae) not from anywhere nearMilwaukee, let alone, Southeast Wisconsin.The Facebook responses to the photo (shown above) was fierce

and angry, with Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce’s RubenHopkins going so far as to call for a independent Black politicalparty.Other Facebook respondents used words such as “embarrassing,”

“shame,” “sad,” and “insulting” to describe the photo and the actionsof the candidates.But other Facebook respondents were not surprised by the actions

taken by members of a political party which depends heavily on aconstituency that has staunchly had the back of the party in Wiscon-sin for decades.Some wrote what happened last week Saturday was but another

example of how the party (locally and nationally) takes Black Amer-ica for granted, smugly confident we will vote for whoever they throwout there—even if the individual is white running in a predominatelyBlack district or is unqualified…with a closet full of personal bag-gage—knowing we would accept the candidate (while holding ourcollective noses when we vote at the polls). The party knows very few members of our community would vote

for a Republican, especially given the current political climate.According to a Facebook response by Rep. Bowen (who is sup-

porting Martha Laning), intra-political conflicts between the candi-dates and distrust between some of the candidate’s supporters ledto the mass no show last weekend.We won’t go so far as to call for an independent Black political

party…at least not YET! But we will agree with another Facebook respondent who said the

party must reconnect with Black voters in our community if they wantour continued support and regain control of the statehouse. We think they should also start working on being more inclusive

and diverse in its leadership. As you’ve probably guessed not one candidate for the party chair-

manship is Black or Latino.The next party chairman will have to do this and more to restore

the trust of our community after what happened at the WisconsinAfrican American Women’s Center Saturday if it is to win any futurestate legislative seats, control of the statehouse…and the governor’soffice.The time is now to begin the grassroots organizing that will in-

crease voter turnout and voter passion. Apathy wherever it residesdoes not help our community.

Editor’s Note: Last week’s Signifyin’ focused on whetheror not Mikel Holt should have brought his six-year-oldgrandson a cowboy outfit, complete with two six guns and arifle. Holt posted a question on Facebook about hisdilemma, seeking advice from friends. The following aresome of the responses:Debra:A toy gun is OK. It is not the guns; it's the fools with the guns!!! Deloris: My sons are ‘old men’ now... children of the late 70s and 80s. I

never bought them guns even when they were kids. I've never liked guns andI didn't want them to play with guns and so they knew not to ask for them.Dorothy: “No, but show him why, explaining helps.”Joyce: “I am a 63-year-old person who grew up with brothers and cousins

who did play with caps or bb-guns. None of them ever were involved in guncrimes or fights. Maybe they got the fascination of guns out of their systems.

To teach them to use them might have to be the conversation now that concealcarry is the new reality.”Tina: “I am 61 Joyce and our reality was much different than now. I can

imagine a kid pointing that gun at someone & getting blasted back with thereal deal. They are making guns now that look like the real deal!” Clifford: “We played cowboys vs. Indians, cops and robbers growing up.

Not as life lessons, but as games of fun. Why not allow our children to beyoung, gifted and silly.”Tokonka: “It's what we put in them that controls what they do with what's

put in their hands. The gun won't make him a murderer or less sensitive aboutother people’s lives if he has already been taught to honor life and respectothers. So I say it's okay. There is a viable picture he is creating. Don't denyhim.... teach him. ... Which I know you is doing.”Donta: “Why not? We need to teach young Black boys about the uses and

Let me begin this article by sayingthat on Memorial Day we paid tributeto all of the known and unknown sol-diers that have given their lives in de-fense of America; we thank you. I want to also pay a belated special

tribute to all of our Black ancestorsthat fought and died in any of theAmerican wars for they represent thehighest level of loyalty, courage,commitment, and sincerity. In many cases they died for a dif-

ferent reason than their white coun-terparts and I will try to elaboratefurther during this article why I be-lieve that the Black soldiers that diedin America’s wars represent the high-est level of HEROISM because theyknew the hypocrisies of America yetthey still served, fought, and died -we should never forget them. Memorial Day shouldn’t be con-

fused with Veterans Day, whereAmerica celebrates all United Statesmilitary veterans. All I ever knew about Memorial

Day was it was a time our familywould go to the park and to have abarbeque. My father struggled most of his

adult life with alcohol and drug ad-diction; but one thing that he wasmost proud of was being a veteran ofthe Korean war. My father never discussed his stay

in Korea, it was a big secret. It wasonly much later in my life that I cameto understand the true importance ofthe Memorial Day holiday and itshistory. After the American Civil War in

1868, the nation started the practice

of decorating the graves of the wardead with flowers which evolved intoa nationally recognized holiday tohonor all those who died fighting inAmerica’s wars. The question for the Black com-

munity is what the participation ofBlacks in these wars was; what wastheir contribution; and what/howshould Blacks be celebrating todaygiven that America still owes theBlack community greatly and refusesto even acknowledge it. Blacks must look to the more sub-

stantive celebration versus the cere-monial celebration; there is adifference. For the White community, they can

truly have a ceremonial celebrationbecause of the sacrifices of their fam-ily members, they truly enjoy thebenefits of an American societywhile for many Blacks who paid thesame price, their family membersstill struggle in America. Like so many things that Ameri-

cans today, especially the Black com-munity, don’t understand and wecelebrate these national holidays withvery little knowledge of its impor-tance and relevance. These days should be used to hold

America accountable (substantive)and should be spent learning andequipping ourselves about Americanwars and the thousands of unknownBlack men who have died fightingfor a cause that, in many aspects, hasyet to be achieved.Let’s examine a few of these wars

and specifically the role that Blacks

SIGNIFYIN’SIGNIFYIN’By Mikel Kweku Osei Holt

Responses fromMikel Holt’s Facebookfamily onwhether or not to let hissix-year-old grandson playwith toy guns

Blacks must Make MemorialDay Memorable Everyday

AS QUIET AS IT’S KEPT...



MCJ EDITORIALMCJ EDITORIAL: No show by ALL candidates for DPW chairmanship a “bad look” for the partyJazz icons Charlie

Parker and Miles Davis

“HowdyPardner!”:Mikel Holt’sgrandson Malikwearing hisnew cowboyoutfit--with sixguns and rifle.He is definatelya good guy(the town sher-iff) because hehas hand cuffs.(Hotl photo)


RELIGIONRELIGIONCAPUCHINS’ RUN WALKFOR THE HUNGRY TOGERMAN FEST MARKS10TH YEAR The Capuchins’ Run Walk for the Hungry to German

Fest has once again been named the charity for the Ger-man Fest 5K run and 2 mile walk, to be held Friday, July24, 7 PM, at the lakefront. This is the 10th year for the event whose proceeds feed

the hungry and are shared by Capuchin Community Serv-ices with two locations: St. Ben’s Community Meal andHouse of Peace. The $25 run ($15 for children) and $20 walk ($10 for

children) registration fee includes entrance into GermanFest, a $5 German Fest food and drink gift coupon, and a2-for-1 return coupon to German Fest. Overall trophiesand age category medals will be presented to the runners.

Bill Michaels, “the Big Unit,” will again be hosting theevent.Chips will be used to time and score the 5K partici-

pants.Registration is now live. To register for the Capuchins’

Run Walk for the Hungry to German Fest, go to www.Ca-puchinsRunWalkForTheHungry.org Register by July 12 and receive the early bird discount.

After July 12, registration fees increase $5. Registrationsare accepted up to the day-of-the-event. Donations ofcanned food are encouraged and will be collected the dayof the event.“No person should be hungry,” Capuchin Friar Rob

Roemer, executive director of St. Ben’s CommunityMeal, explains. “People often associate the winter monthsas being a critical time for Milwaukee’s hunger needs. Actually those needs escalate during the summer

months due to children being out of school and more in-dividuals living on the streets. The Capuchins’ ministry experience the highest de-

mand during the summer months. None are turned awayfrom a Capuchin ministry who seeks emergency aid forfood.”The Capuchins’ Run Walk for the Hungry feeds the

hungry through the efforts of Capuchin Community Serv-ices with two locations: St. Ben’s Community Meal andthe House of Peace, serving the poor, the hungry, thehomeless since 1968.ABOUT HOUSE OF PEACE: The House of Peace

assists families and individuals in meeting their spiritual,material, and emotional needs. The House of Peace helpsfamilies to remain together and to promote self-suffi-ciency. It provides food, clothing, and pastoral care to the poor

plus houses a UWM medical clinic and Marquette Uni-versity legal clinic that serves the same population.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR FATH-BASED COMMUNITY

Least of These Ministries to holdfundraiser banquetLeast of These Ministries will be holding a benefit ban-

quet to help support its mission Sunday, June 28, at 4 p.m.,at the Raddison Hotel, 7065 N. Port Washington Rd.Thebanquet will celebrate Dr. Nathaniel Stampley’s 29th trip to

the Motherland. He and the ministry will be traveling toGhana, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The focus of the mission will be spiritual, educational and

economical. Dr. Stamply is the president of Least of TheseMinistries, a 501c(3) non-profit religious organization.ticketprices are $40 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under.African attire is desired but not required. For tickets, contactLeast of These International Ministries at 414-264-2727, or414-374-5292. Or email the organization at [email protected]

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 inMilwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and

other communities throughout our state.Ernestine O’Bee, Founder J.C. Frazier, Funeral Director

Milwaukee6630 W. Hampton Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53218

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

Racine800 Barker St.

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

Fax: (262) 637-6416

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

Glenn, Lee G.Age 95 yrs. May 29, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 5 at1PM at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church 3737 N. Sherman Blvd. Visitation Friday12 Noon at the CHURCH until time of services. The family is served by:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Gray, Elizabeth J.Age 78 yrs. May 31, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 6at 11AM at Mt. Olive Baptist Church 5277 N. 36th St. Visitation Friday 3-7PM(Family will receive guest from 6-7PM) at:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Slaughter, Gail L.Age 65 years. May 28,2015. Funeral services will be held on June 4 at11AM. Visitation Thursday 10AM until time of services at:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Johnson, Doris E.Age 59 yrs. May 28, 2015. Funeral services will be held Friday, June 5 at11AM at Calvary Baptist Church 2959 N. Teutonia Ave. Visitation Friday10AM at the CHURCH until time of services. The family is served by:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Taylor, Terry W.Age 53 yrs. May 20, 2015. A Memorial Services will be held on Tuesday,June 2 at 11AM at:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Leonard,Dennis L.Age 57 yrs. Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 1 at 6PM at St.Mark AME Church 1616 W Atkinson Ave. Visitation Monday 3PM at theCHURCH until time of service. The family is serve by:Northwest Funeral Chapel

O'Bee,Ford & Frazier6630 W Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Burton, Vera L.Age 78 yrs. May 22, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 1,at 11AM at Greater Little COGIC 2480 W. Locust St. Visitation Sunday 3-7PM(Family will receive guest from 6-7PM) at Greater Little Hill COGICThe family is serve by:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee,Ford & Frazier6630 W Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Warlick, Jessie J.Age 85 yrs. May 21, 2015. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, June 2 from11AM until 1PM at Metropolitan Baptist Church 1345 W. Burleigh St. Thefamily is served by:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Holder, Krystal M.Age 25 yrs. May 23, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 1at 11AM. Visitation Monday 10AM until time of services at:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Henson, Matthew C.Age 61 yrs. May 22, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 30at 1PM. Visitation Friday 3-7PM(Family will receive guest from 6-7PM) at:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Sanders, Welford G.Age 65 yrs. May 23, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 30at 10AM at Sherman Park Lutheran Church 2703 N. Sherman Blvd. The fam-ily is served by:Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

StrengtheningFATHERHOODFATHERHOOD

While many children willcelebrate with their fathersthis Father’s Day, sadly fartoo many children do nothave a relationship with theirdads. According toFathers.com some fatheringadvocates would say that al-most every social ill faced byAmerica’s children is relatedto fatherlessness. Children in father-absent homes

are almost four times more likely tobe poor. In 2011, 12% of children inmarried-couple families were livingin poverty, compared to 44% of chil-dren in mother-only families. The U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services states: “Fatherlesschildren are at a dramatically greaterrisk of drug and alcohol abuse.” What is even more disturbing, ac-

cording to the U.S. Census Bureau,nationwide there are 24 million chil-dren living without their biologicaldad in the home. As distressing as these statistics

are, they only tell part of the story.Each of these 24 million children rep-

resents an impressionable, vulnera-ble, delicate young child that hasbeen denied the guidance, disciplineand example that only a dad can pro-vide.In June 2010 President Barack

Obama announced a new fatherhoodand families fund at an event inWashington, D.C. to celebrate Fa-ther’s Day. The fund is part of a nationwide fa-

BIBLICALCOUNSELINGFORTODAY’S

CHRISTIANFAMILYBy Rev. Judith T. Lester,

B.Min., M.Th.

“Our childrendon’t need us tobe superheroes,they don’t needus to be perfect,and they need usto be present...Ithink it’s timefor a new con-versation aboutfatherhood inthis country.”--Pres. Obama

Funeral services set for former localmusician and “jack of many trades”craftsman Ronald K. RobinsonFuneral services will be held Sunday,

June 7, for Ronald K. Robinson, brotherof MCJ Photographer Kim Robinson. The service will be held at 4 p.m. at

Albright United Methodist Church,5555 W. Capitol Drive. Pastor MaryCouncil-Austin will officiate.Visitation will be 2:30 p.m. until the

start of the 4 p.m. service.Ronald Robinson was known by his

family and the community as a “jack ofmany trades” craftsman, who washandy with most tools inside and out-side the house.He was particularly known for his

precision like painting skills, treatingevery wall, door, and ceiling like apainter’s canvas. Ronald was also known as a perfec-

tionist when it came to landscaping, aswell as his cooking. He was famousamong family and friends for his home-made mashed potatoes and barbequechicken legs.In 2013 was recognized as a “grand-

father of the year” during that year’s Fa-therhood Summit.

Ronald was born may 9, 1954 in Mil-waukee to Alonzo and Theresa Robin-son. He spend most of his life inMilwaukee where he attended Lee Ele-mentary, Samuel Morris Junior Highand Custer High School.

In the earlier part of his life Ronaldhad a musical career, playing rhythmguitar with various bands around thecity. Ronald palyed with the Sugar Hillband, traveling the country. He alsoplayed with the Directions and Step-By-Step bands. He was also a computerprogrammer.Later in life, despite health chal-

lenges, Ronald never stopped going ordoing. He answered God’s call homeSaturday, May 30.Ronald was preceded in death by his

father, Alonzo. He leaves to cherish hismemory, his mother, Theresa; his twobrothers: Wayne (Frankie) Robinson,Kim (Terese) Robinson and his sister,Jean Marie Robinson; three children:Aaron, Sr. (Aurora), LaCesha and step-son Kevin; seven grandchildren: Brit-teny, Adriana, Aaron Jr., Ceshaun,Alexandria, Jayden and Diamond; thetwo loves of his life and mothers of hischidlren: Denise Puckett and SandraEdwards, two great grandkids, and ahost of nieces and nephews.


Ronald K. Robinson

The Milwaukee Community Journal June 3, 2015 Page 515th Annual Fellowship Open Award Recipients...

ABOUT BUD SELIGMilwaukee native, Allan H. (Bud) Selig is the Commis-

sioner Emeritus of Major League Baseball. As CommissionerEmeritus, Selig serves as a key adviser to MLB.. Selig wasnamed the ninth commissioner of baseball in 1998 by aunanimous vote of the 30 Major League Baseball club own-ers. Prior to his election as baseball’s commissioner, Seligserved as chairman of the executive council, making him thecentral figure in Major League Baseball’s organizational

structure dating back to September 9, 1992, and he has led the way toward implemen-tation of many of the game’s structural changes. The former Milwaukee Brewers ownerhas received many significant honors for his accomplishments, philanthropy, and corpo-rate citizenship in recent years. In March 2010, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, whichaids academically distinguished minority students, presented him its Lifetime Achieve-ment Award. In May 2010, the Taylor Hooton Foundation bestowed its inaugural Tay-lor’s Award to Selig for his impact on educating American youth on the dangers ofperformance-enhancing drugs. In August 2010, the Milwaukee Brewers unveiled astatue in Selig’s likeness outside Miller Park, honoring all of his efforts for his home-town and for his leadership of the Brewers and the game of baseball.

ABOUT EARNIE ELLISONEarnie Ellison, Jr., is the managing partner of Ellison Con-

sulting Group, LLC, a diversity and inclusion consultancyheadquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. His primaryfocus is to make diversity and inclusion essential within thesports industry while leveraging inclusion to create value fornational sports organizations, their partners, and customers. Formerly the PGA of America director of business and

community relations, Earnie is widely recognized for hisvanguard approach to creating a culture of diversity and inclusion within the world’slargest working sports organization. He also changed PGA’s community relations imageby creating partnerships with organizations that primarliy focus on equality and inclu-sion for the disadvantaged. During his 17 years at the PGA of America, Ellison earned a reputation as a valuable

diversity and community engaging resource for many PGA partners, golf associations,and companies. Prior to the PGA, Earnie spent over 22 years in various financial mana-gerial positions on both domestic and international assigments while working for IBMand Unisys Corporations. Earnie is a graduate of Alabama A&M University and is a much sought-after speaker

on the subject of diversity within the sports arena. He has received several prestigousawards and honors in recognition of the contributions he has made within communitiesacross the United States. Earnie is the 2014-2016 chairman elect for the United Way ofPalm Beach County; treasurer for the Black Chamber of Commerce Palm Beach County;vice chairman for the First Tee of Palm Beach, Treasure Coast, and Broward Counties;and serves on the National Diversity Advisory Council of the American Red Cross.

ABOUT JACQUELINE HERD-BARBERJacqueline is a 1984 graduate of the Milwaukee School

of Engineering (MSOE), where she earned a degree inelectrical engineering. While attending MSOE, Jacqueline co-founded the

school’s National Society of Black Engineers/NTA chapter.After graduating, she began work as a sales engineer forMotorola, now known as Freescale Semiconductor.

She retired in 2009, just shy of 25 years of employment. Prior to her retirement,Jacqueline held direct and indirect sales management positions at Motorola that in-cluded managing a variety of companies in Milwaukee, the Midwest, and globally.Jacqueline serves on several community and civic boards in Milwaukee: She cur-rently serves as chair of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts board; past chairof the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Urban League, MSOE Alumni Asso-ciation, and SaintA boards; and past president of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee. She is a board member of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, SaintA, the MSOE

Corporation Board, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Foundation, St. Ann’sCenter for Intergenerational Care, United Way of Greater Milwaukee, Urban DaySchool, COA Youth & Family Center, Federal Defender Services of Wisconsin, Chil-dren’s Hospital Foundation, and the War Memorial. She also serves as co-chair of Milwaukee Succeeds, an initiative to improve the

quality of education to every child in the city of Milwaukee. In addition to her other civic duties, Jacqueline spends significant time volunteer-

ing at the Metcalfe School.

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP OPENThe Fellowship Open was founded more than a dozen years ago,

by a group of business and civic leaders, to promote and inspireyoungsters to pursue careers in business and to foster support fordiversity and inclusion in the business community. The event’s listof honorary chairs features some of Milwaukee’s most prominentprofessionals in business, government, and civic affairs. Each year,its ranks have grown with individuals that bringoutstanding attributes and commitments to the community. Over

the past 14 years, the Fellowship Open has contributed almost $1million to youth organizations, involving more than 70 organiza-tions throughout Wisconsin.


YY&&EEY O U T H & E D U C A T I O N

MATC to Offer FreeSummer Camps in TVand Video Productionand Information Technology for HighSchool StudentsHigh school students 16 years of age and older

are invited to participate in free week-long campsin TV and video production and in informationtechnology at Milwaukee Area Technical College’sDowntown Milwaukee and Oak Creek campusesthis summer. The TV and Video Production Camp will be

held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday, June15-19, in the C-Building at MATC’s DowntownMilwaukee Campus, 1036 N. 8th St. Students willwork in Milwaukee Public Television studios, andwill train with professional studio and field videoequipment. They will learn to run cameras, audio, video

switchers and to develop graphics. Students will

study lighting and sound techniques, set up fieldproduction equipment, shoot outside the studiosand use professional editing equipment. Thecourse will be considered for an advanced standingcredit upon enrollment at MATC. The Information Technology Camp will be held

from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday-Thursday, July 20-23, at MATC’s Oak Creek Campus, 6665 S. How-ell Ave. Students will be introduced to computerhardware and software using Raspberry Pi2, whichis a fully functional, credit-card-sized computerused to teach the fundamentals of computer hard-ware and programming. Participants will learn the basics of computers,

computer networking, programming, coding andlogic. They will use Scratch and Sonic Pi program-

ming tools to gain basic coding skills and will cre-ate Raspberry Pi projects to reinforce basiccomputer hardware and software concepts.Students must be at least 16, and have written

parental permission. Female students are particu-larly encouraged to attend as they are underrepre-sented in both fields. The registration deadline isWednesday, June 10, for the TV and Video Pro-

duction Camp; and Monday, July 13, for the Infor-mation Technology Camp. For more informationand to obtain a permission and class registrationform, call (414) 297-7334, or [email protected]. Wisconsin’s largest technical college and the

most diverse two-year institution in the Midwest,Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driverof southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has pro-vided innovative education in the region since1912. Approximately 50,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and commu-

nity-based sites or learn online. MATC offersaffordable and accessible education and training

opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers 200 aca-

demic programs; nearly 400 transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees; and Pre-College

Education, which assists people with completinghigh school, preparing for college or entering theworkforce. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduatesbuild careers and businesses in southeastern Wis-consin. The college is accredited through theHigher Learning Commission, the national stan-dard for academics and student services.

Urban autismsummit plannedAn urban autism summit, titled “Com-

munity Empowerment through Knowl-edge,” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30p.m. June 27 at the Milwaukee CollegePrep School, 1350 W. North Ave., Milwau-kee.Admission is free, and breakfast refresh-

ments will be provided.The summit is idea for any family

touched by autism as well as caregiverswho support individuals living on theautism spectrum.Topics of the summit will include:• What is autism?• Working with schools on inclusion and supports• Coping with stress• Transition to adulthood• EmploymentWorkshops for children will also be

available; parents will need to be on site theentire time their child is participatin.There will also be a drawing for an iPad

Mini for attendees who are on the spectrumor those who care for individuals who are.To register, please visit

http://tinyurl.com/autmke.###Urban autism summit planneda.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 27 at the Mil-

waukee College Prep School, 1350 W.North Ave., Milwaukee. Admission is free,and breakfast refreshments will be pro-vided.

Outdoor Pools Preparefor Busy SummerCool Waters and the David F. Schulz Aquatic Center, the family water parks

of the Milwaukee County Park System, will soon be adding weekdays to the2015 summer schedule, and the other outdoor pools and wading pools willfollow.Opening weekends-only through June 7, the two water parks will go to a

daily schedule beginning Monday, June 8.Cool Waters hours will be Monday-Thursday, from 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; and

Friday-Sunday (and holidays), from 10 a.m. –6 p.m., weather permitting.Schulz Aquatic Center hours will begin with Tot Time, a session for chil-

dren age 7 and under and their adult caregivers only, Monday–Friday, from10 a.m. –noon. General swimming hours will be Monday–Thursday noon–8p.m., and Friday–Sunday (and holidays), from noon–6 p.m., weather permit-ting.Admission to the waterparks is $7.25 for visitors age 12–59 and $5.50 for

those age 3–11 or 60 and up. Night swim admission, Monday–Thursday after6 p.m., is $4.50 for all age 3 and up. Children age 7 and under must be ac-companied by a paid adult. Season passes are available to individuals for $50, families of up to four

members for $135, and additional children for $25 each.For more information on locations, schedules, or lessons, go to county-

parks.com search: outdoor pools

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums definesanimal enrichment as, “a dynamic process forenhancing animal environments within thecontext of the animals’ behavioral biology andnatural history.” For animal care staff at theMilwaukee County Zoo, this translates intofinding unique and safe ways to encourage an-imals to show their natural behaviors; thuskeeping their minds active and healthy, and ul-timately enhancing their overall welfare. OnSaturday, June 13, visitors can see firsthandhow the zookeepers provide enrichment formany of our 3,000+ animals in our care dur-ing Animal Enrichment Day, taking place from10 a.m. to 2 p.m.A variety of enrichment stations will be locatedin the Zoo’s pachyderm mall, displaying andexplaining the five different types of enrich-ment, and how the zookeepers use these tech-niques to keep the animals active and healthy.

ANIMAL ENRICHMENT DAY AT THETHE MILWAUKEE COUNTY ZOO


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

Wisconsin Bail Out The PeopleMovement (wibailoutpeople.org) andFIST (fightimperialism.org) presentsSister PAM AFRICA, Minister ofConfrontation for MOVE (on-amove.org) and Chairwoman of theuncompromising International Con-cerned Family and Friends of MumiaAbu-Jamal (freemumia.com) willvisit Madison and Milwaukee, Wis-consin June 26-28 (FLIER:http://tinyurl.com/p6fj25m)Facebook event page:

http://tinyurl.-com/pk4sn5lHear Sister Africa speak at the fol-

lowing events:Friday, June 26, 10 a.m.

Black Lives Matter panel @ NCO-BRA ConferenceAfrican American Women's Cen-

ter, 3020 W Vliet Street, Milwaukeencobra.orgIf able, contribution requestedFriday, June 26, 6:30 p.m.Conrad A Elevhjem Bldg.@ UW Madison, 800 UniversityAve., MadisonSponsored by Young Gifted and

Black Coalition, facebook.com/fer-gusontomadisonygbcoalition.orgFree and open to the publicSaturday, June 27, 11 a.m.Political Prisoners panel @NCO-

BRA conference African American

Women's Center 3020 W Vliet Street,Milwaukee ncobra.orgIf able, contribution requestedSaturday, June 27, 1-3 p.m.

Nation of Islam, Mosque No. 34202 North Teutonia Ave., Milwau-kee mosque3.org/home.htmlFree and open to the publicVisit with Ms. Africa and talk with

her at the following event:Saturday, June 27, 5 p.m.

Central United Methodist Church639 N 25th Street, MilwaukeeWI Cuba Coalition, Cuba Caravanvisit wicuba.wordpress.comFree and open to the public

M.O.V.E.’s Pam Africacoming to Milwaukee

National Coalition of Blacks forReparations in AmericanOn June 25ththru 28th the Milwaukee

Chapter of N’Cobrawill host the NationalConference. Highlighting the conference will be Na-tional presenters Ramona Africa, the only adultsurvivor of the Move organization bombing inPhiladelphia in 1985. This bombing cost the life of 6adults and 5 children. Dr. Leonard Jeffries is an African American profes-

sor of Black Studies at the City College of New York. Dr.Jeffries is a political scientist, historian, educator mas-ter teacher/administrator and Pan Africanist will alsobe presenting at the conference. Additionally, Raymond Winbush an African Ameri-

can scholar/activist in the field of developmental psy-

chology of African boys and reparations for theTransatlantic Slave Trade will be one of the major pre-senters. He is currently the Director of the Institute forUrban Research at Morgan State University in Balti-more, Maryland. This is a conference that you don’twant to miss. It will be held at theWisconsinAfrican American Women’s Center3020 W. Vliet St.On June 25th N’Cobra willhold a meet and greet for the community to come outand meet the National Board members and enjoy anevening highlighting Milwaukee talent. If you want more information about the confer-

ence more contact Janette Herrera at 828-1410 orJosephine Hill 933-1652.

“Dedicated to Black Men That GotBlack Men’s Fronts” is moving. The dead-line to get involved has been extended to June 27thand the page will appear in the first July edition of theMilwaukee Community Journal Newspaper. The cost to sponsor a Black man living or an Ances-

tor is $25.00. If you are interested in sponsoring some-one get in touch with Tony Courtney 374-2364.

“Looking at the World Thru theEyes of our Ancestors” – This booklet is onsale during the month of June for only $2.00.Thisbook give you insight in terms of how your African An-cestors built their institutions and how many of us theirdescendants still look at the world the same today. Pick up your copy today at Coffee Makes You Black

2803 N. Teutonia Ave between 10AM-3PM. Call 374-2364 for more information.

FROMTHEBLACKBy Tony Courtney

Reader’sChoiceannouncesJune Closing SaleIn anticipation of a change in

management or an end-of-yearclosing, The Reader’s Choice willbegin a series of theme and authorfocused sales. Authors for the month of June

will be Derrick Bell, Iyanla Van-zant, and M. Ruiz. Law, Justice,and Order will be the themefocus. Related books will be“BOGO” (Buy One, Get One halfprice). Reader’s Choice is locatedat 1950 N. Martin Luther KingDrive. The phone number is 414-265-2003.

Panel to discuss fatherhood in an eraof low-paying jobsHow fares fatherhood in an era when many men of

color are not the breadwinners their forebears were? Apanel will take up that and related questions at Ayzha FineArts Gallery & Boutique from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June13 – a week before the Father’s Day weekend.One panelist, educator Edie Adekunle-Wilson, will

read excerpts from her upbeat book Celebrating GoodBlack Men: Granddad, Greats & Dad. She will signbooks after the discussion.The panel will also include Al Holmes, president/CEO

of My Father’s House, which is dedicated to helping menbecome better fathers, and Frank Wilson, a just-retiredsociology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Mil-waukee and Adekunle-Wilson’s husband. Others, includ-ing a young dad, will be on the panel, too.The steady decline of well-paying jobs, particularly in

communities of color, has had an eroding impact on theinstitution of fatherhood. Yet, the need for involved dadshas not lessened. So how is this dilemma to be handled?Panelists will explore that issue.Ayzha Fine Arts is a multicultural art gallery on the sec-

ond floor of The Shops of Grand Avenue, 275 W. Wis-consin Ave. Besides art work, the gallery sells books and other

products. It regularly holds events, including paint par-ties, poetry slams, book signings and artist talks. The co-owners are Cynthia Henry and Greg Stanford.

More than 50 area citizens graduated from The Salvation Army Chaplaincy Pro-gram on Friday, May 29th at the Milwaukee Police Academy. The Milwaukee Po-lice Department and The Salvation Army recently hosted a joint training sessionfor pre-registered individuals to be trained as chaplains. The volunteer chap-lains will serve as first responders to homicide events when called upon by theMilwaukee Police Department. The Salvation Army Chaplaincy Program is thefirst of its kind in the country. For more information about The Salvation ArmyChaplaincy Program visit www.SAmilwaukee.org (Photo by Krachel Greenwood)

VOLUNTEERS GRADUATE FROM THE SALVATION ARMY CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM



responsibility of gun ownership for two reasons: Most houses havea gun; teach the boys to be responsible about them. And, the waythings are going, they may need to have a gun for the terroristswithin, and outside our community.”Michael, Santel, Heddy, Marilyn, Frances, Rochelle, Helena,

Patsy, Dorothy, Mario, Robbie and Ruby: No, no, no, no, no, no andno.Cassandra: “NOOOOOOOOOOO! It used to be ok to play "cops

& robbers". Now some cops are robbing young Blacks of their lives.We've aged out of that time of innocence.” Patsy: “No! With reason! At one time it was good...No gun! Ask

him why? Maybe, he wants to be a policeman! For that reason Iwould say Yes! Talk to him about the yea and nays of guns! Inprayer!” Tolokun: “No, a real gun with safety classes and to talk to police

in their language to stay alive.”Larry: “No guns, my son is 25 we never bought any toy guns.”Clifford: “We played cowboys vs. Indians, cops and robbers grow-

ing up. Not as life lessons but as games of fun. Why not allow ourchildren to be young and gifted and silly.”(Editor’s note: In his column, Holt explained that he taught his

grandson that the Indians were the good guys, and the cowboyswere often bad. The Native Americans were protecting their landsagainst invaders, whose solution to American expansionism wasgenocide.)Rita: “No, however growing up my brothers did play with toy

guns and my daughter bought my grandson a toy gun. It depends onhow you address and talk to your grandson. “Times have changed but if you do use provide him with a guns,

use it as a teaching experience. It's hard for our youth not to see allthe violence around, so as responsible adults we teach them rightfrom wrong.”Chef Deborah: “Not anymore, not anymore.”Janine: “Never! When others give or buy guns for my boys I say

no thanks.”Robin: “Yes. Let him wear the cowboy outfit and play in it when

he’s at your house. Use it as teaching time on how to handle gunsproperly.”Mae: “No to the gun, and yes to the outfit with a wise explanation

why he didn't get the gun.”Robert: “Amen Brother Holt! It's up to us to protect ourselves.”Aunt Tina: “No. Although you use to love them when you were

6, this is a different time. Ask him why he wants them and explain

why they're not appropriate for this day and time.“Mikel, I do remember you playing with guns and when your great

great grandmother died at 82, your 6-year-old response was ‘whoshot her.’” Robert: “These women who are saying ‘no’ are nothing but a

bunch of cowards! White people are teaching their children how toshoot real guns, getting them ready to kill your Black children when-ever they get a chance. “I've had toy guns, and real ones too. Every since I was a little

kid. My father taught me how to shoot real guns when I was only 9years old.”Aunt Tina (To Robert): “You sound just like white people who

think this is the Wild West. That time is over and we have to startcurbing the violence now so our boys and young men have a future.I compare our young men to an endangered human species.” Robert: “White people are teaching their young children how to

shoot real guns, and Black people aren't. You all need to wake up,and see what is happening to us as a race people all across this coun-try. We gonna need to be able to protect ourselves one day soon! Youwill see!” Ruddy: “This is no excuse, just a reflection. How times have

changed from when I was a young one running around with my pis-tol. At this boy's age I was fashioning my own revolvers out of cedarwood. He's lucky he can go to Toys R Us to get his. “Around his age I lived in my imagination, running around my

house, hiding under the house bottom and ambushing my neighborsRobert, Winston or Arthur.” “Cowboy and Indian was the game of the time. These days, there

is so much more to consider. “I cannot list all the video games, but Grand Theft Auto is a fa-

vorite of these young ones. Then there is the news. A war here, anda war there, everywhere a war war, and what you have is a group ofyoung men running around in their imaginations. “No one sought to shoot me down just because I was running

around shooting at my friends. Democrats from Cincinnati and thepresident of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus has introduced leg-islation requiring all BB guns, air rifles and airsoft guns sold in Ohioto be brightly colored or have prominent fluorescent strips. Whileother states have passed laws regulating the sale of imitation or toyguns, there are no laws in Ohio that place restrictions on them. “Here in Jackson Heights this boy and his imagination demon-

strates his mortality or looks into my lens towards immortality.”Hotep.

played: • American Revolution – It is important to

note that during this fight with England, Amer-ica was at the height of its abuse and oppres-sion of Black people with the Americaninstitution of slavery being one of the worstand longest in modern history and nearly 100percent of the nearly 1.5 Million Black peoplewere enslaved (it is estimated that nearly25,000 Blacks were free). The American Revolution was a political

upheaval that took place between 1765 and1783 during which rebel colonists in the 13American colonies rejected the British monar-chy and aristocracy, overthrew the authority ofGreat Britain, and founded the United Statesof America. Blacks had a higher justificationfor participating in this war, GAINING FREE-DOM. For that reason, Blacks enlisted at higher

rates than did whites. Free blacks in the Northand South fought on both sides of the Revolu-tion and slaves were recruited to weaken thosemasters who supported the opposing cause. A far larger number, free as well as the en-

slaved, tried to further their interests by sidingwith the patriots. Prior to the revolution, many free Blacks

supported the anti-British cause, most fa-mously Crispus Attucks, believed to be thefirst person killed at the Boston Massacre.Crispus Attucks is widely considered to be thefirst American casualty in the American Rev-olutionary War. Little is known for certainabout Attucks beyond that he, along withSamuel Gray and James Caldwell, died duringthe incident. While the extent of his participation in

events leading to the massacre is unclear, At-tucks in the 18th century became an icon ofthe anti-slavery movement. He was held up as the first martyr of the

American Revolution along with the otherskilled. In the early 19th century, as the aboli-tionist movement gained momentum inBoston, supporters lauded Attucks as anAfrican American who played a heroic role inthe history of the United States.• American Civil War: It is also important to

note that during this period, America contin-ued with the American institution of slaveryfor nearly100 more years after the AmericanRevolution where there appeared a “hint” of

freedom for Black men who participated in thewar against England. Again, Blacks had a higher level for partic-

ipating in this war: GAINING FREEDOM.The American Civil War was a civil warfought from 1861 to 1865 to determine thesurvival of the Union or independence for theConfederacy. Among the 34 states in January 1861, seven

Southern slave states individually declaredtheir secession (mainly around the issue ofslavery) from the United States and formed theConfederate States of America. The Confederacy, often simply called the

South, grew to include eleven states, and al-though they claimed thirteen states and addi-tional western territories, the Confederacy wasnever diplomatically recognized by a foreigncountry. The states that remained loyal and did not

declare secession were known as the Union orthe North. The war had its origin in the frac-tious issue of slavery, especially the extensionof slavery into the western territories. Afterfour years of combat, which left more than600,000 Union and Confederate soldiers deadand destroyed much of the South's infrastruc-ture, the Confederacy collapsed and slaverywas abolished. The besieged Confederate army eventually

abandoned Richmond, seeking to regroup atAppomattox Court House, though there theyfound themselves surrounded by union forces. This led to Lee's surrender to Grant on April

9, 1865. All Confederate generals surrenderedby that summer. While the military war hadended, and there was no insurgency, the polit-ical reintegration of the nation took another 12years, known as the Reconstruction Era. Thewar finally ended when a consensus wasreached that Confederate nationalism andBlack slavery was both dead. The American Civil War was one of the ear-

liest true industrial wars. Railroads, the tele-graph, steamships, and mass-producedweapons were employed extensively. The mo-bilization of civilian factories, mines, ship-yards, banks, transportation and food suppliesall foreshadowed the impact of industrializa-tion in World War I.It remains the deadliest war in American

history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated750,000 soldiers and an undetermined numberof civilian casualties. One estimate of thedeath toll is that 10 percent of all Northernmales 20-45 years old, and 30 percent of allSouthern white males aged 18-40 died. From 1861 to 1865 about 620,000 soldiers

lost their lives. I will dig a bit deeper into thisin Part 2 next week.

(continued from page 3)

Facebook family responds to question by Mikel Holt:Should let his grandson play with toy guns

Public opinion across the country favors amore sensible drug policy. We at the African American Roundtable call

on municipalities in Wisconsin to follow thelead of the Milwaukee Common Council andcreate a more sensible approach to marijuanapossession penalties,” Wolfe said.

Officials say the measure does not legalizethe drug.“It’s still illegal and this just reduces the

fine,” said Ald. Nik Kovac. “But yes, the in-tent of this legislation was to say that personaluse in a private space in my opinion is notsomething we should be worried about.“We already have our police and district at-

torney saying this is not an enforcement pri-ority nor prosecutorial priority,” Kovac said.The three aldermen who voted against the

measure were Bob Donovan, Robert Puenteand Terry Witkowski, who echoed countyjudges belief the reduction in Marijuana fines“sends the wrong message to our community.”Sources for story: Fox6now.com, Wiscon-

sin African American Civic EngagementRoundtable

therhood initiative that the president said is designed to raise aware-ness about the importance of fatherhood and help absent fathers re-engage with their families. Obama, whose father left his family when he was only 2 years old,

said that having an absent father can lead children to many social ills. “There are too many fathers missing from too many home, missing

from too many lives” Obama said. “There is harm done to these kids.”Obama said it is impossible to legislate fatherhood but that the fundwill bolster local initiatives that are helping keep families together. “Our children don’t need us to be superheroes, they don’t need us

to be perfect, and they need us to be present” the President said: “Ithink it’s time for a new conversation about fatherhood in this coun-try.” President Obama went on to say that although he received a goodupbringing from his mother and grandparents, he said “I still felt theweight of that absence (his father’s). It’s something that leaves a holein that child’s life that no government can fill.”Even though the impact of fatherless homes is not always suffi-

ciently addressed in our schools, churches or communities; society isbeginning to see that children living without their fathers are at a se-rious disadvantage because a father’s love not only helps to preventthe development of some social ills, but also contributes to a child’semotional well-being.

For instance, research conducted by Ronald Rohner, Director ofthe Center for the Study of Parental Acceptance and Rejection in theSchool of Family Studies at the University of Connecticut, found forgirls, a dad is clearly the first man in her life. Girls look to their dads for the standard of what it means to be a

man. She takes special notice to the relationship he has with her mother;

she watches how he talks about women and how he treats women.What the daughter sees and hears then becomes the foundation forher future relationships. When it comes to the father-son relationship it is equally critical.

The father provides an emotional foundation for his son. A father teaches his son how to be comfortable showing love, how

to be generous, hopeful, and compassionate. As the son becomes a teenager, the father teaches him limits and

rules and basically shows his son how to be a man.The bottom line is fathers are very important to the family. Since

most fatherlessness today is due to divorce or out-of-wedlock births;community organizations and the faith community can help by train-ing men to succeed in marriage as well as work together to help findmale mentors for fatherless boys. As concerned believers, community leaders, neighbors and teachers

may we continue to work together to look for ways to offset the prob-lems of the fatherless before the consequences overwhelms society.The writer does not assume responsibility in any way for readers’

efforts to apply or utilize information or recommendations made inthese articles, as they may not be necessarily appropriate for everysituation to which they may refer. Rather, the objective is strictly in-formative and educational. If you would like to contact Rev. Lester,write to her c/o P.O. Box 121, Brookfield, WI. 53008.

UniversallySpeaking(continued from page 3)

Group priasesCouncil’s decision to lower marijuana fine(continued from page 1)

StrengtheningFatherhood(continued from page 4)

“Mister Speaker, I am proud that the MilwaukeeCommunity Journal hails from the 4th Congres-sional District. It has consistently informed, analysedand entertained readers for nearly 38 years. I ampleased to give praise to Patricia O’Flynn Pattilloand her staff for providing a voice to the communityand providing educational opportunities to stu-dents. I wish them many more years of success.”--A segment from Cong. Gwen Moore’s remarks she made on the Congressional Record paying tribute to the Milwaukee Community Journal’s Dr.

Terence N. Thomas Scholarship Annual Brunch


Read the newspaper with its finger on thepulse of YOUR community in print or online! YOUR MilwaukeeCommunity Journal!


MCJ SPORTSPHOTOPThe “SELIG EXPERIENCE”honors legacyof BrewersFounder

BUDSELIGThe Milwaukee Brewers un-veiled recently the “SeligExperience,” the multi-media exhibit that tells thestory of Brewer founderand former owner, andMajor League BaseballCommissioner EmeritusAllen “Bud” Selig. The ex-hibit will be available tofans year-round, adding an-other extraordinary en-hancement to the overallfan experience in one of theest ballparks in baseball.The team recently held aopening debut gala dinnerfor the former baseballcommissioner and brewerowner on the field of MillerPark. The event drew suchbaseball notables as Home-run King Henry Aaron andthe wife and daughter ofJackie Robinson, the firstAfrican American to play inthe Major Leagues. (Photosby Yvonne Kemp)


Documents

MCJ June 3, 2015 Edition