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Milwaukee’s Institutions Invite you to Shop to Support MUSEUM STORE SUNDAY — this Sunday, December 1, 2019!

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On Sunday, December 1, 2019, for the third consecutive year, more than 1,200 museum stores representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 15 countries and four continents will offer inspired shopping inside museums and cultural institutions during Museum Store Sunday. The Pabst Mansion along with Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear, Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee Public Museum and Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory are thrilled to participate in this signature annual initiative and join museum stores worldwide by offering quality gifts filled with inspiration and educational value to consumers, with all purchases supporting its parent institution. Additionally, when patrons visit each participating organization register for a chance to win fun prizes and receive special offers.

“Consumers around Milwaukee can shop and give gifts with purpose from their local museum stores on Museum Store Sunday. Proceeds from purchases help sustain the museums’ service to the public at the same time. Museum Store Sunday highlights the opportunity for the public to support our local businesses, give back to our community through patronage of local non-profit museums, find unique holiday gifts and enjoy an entertaining and educational shopping experience at favorite museums with family and friends, all at the same time,” said Pamela Williams-Lime, President of the Pabst Mansion.

Museum Store Sunday has quickly become the global annual day to Be a Patron. Patrons can shop conscientiously, support museums and their missions through purchases this holiday season and year round in store or online.

To learn more about Museum Store Sunday, please visit: museumstoresunday.org.

Special Museum Store Sunday promotions include:

Betty Brinn Children’s Museum Shop

Whether it’s a birthday, holiday or baby shower, the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum Shop is sure to meet visitor’s needs with unique and fun educational gifts for children. The shop offers educational and seasonal toys, books, puzzles, games and craft kits, and specializes in toys for infants and toddlers. All items are carefully chosen to meet the developmental needs of children age 10 and younger. The Museum is pleased to participate in Museum Store Sunday on December 1st by offering 20% off gift shop purchases. (Some exclusions may apply.) Museum Store Sunday Hours: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. www.bbcmkids.org

 Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear

The Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear, a non-profit organization, operates as a Milwaukee history museum in a historic building displaying the late Avrum Chudnow’s (1913 – 2005) extensive and eclectic collection of early 20th Century Americana. There is no admission needed to stop by the gift shop for a pop – Green River, Dang! That’s Good, and Caruso’s Soda will all be on sale – and to enter the Museum Store Sunday raffle on December 1st! Learn more about the strides made by Wisconsin women with exclusive postcards, pins, games and more from their Wisconsin Suffrage exhibit, or find the perfect gift for the history buff on that holiday list. Every purchase supports the preservation of this great city’s history, so join them for Museum Store Sunday and “Be a Patron!” Museum Store Sunday Hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. www.chudnowmuseum.org

Harley-Davidson Museum

The stories found within the walls of the Harley-Davidson Museum® range far beyond the successes and trials of the world’s most iconic motorcycle brand. The history of Harley-Davidson is woven into the history of America. Find exclusive items inspired by this history in “The Shop” at the Harley-Davidson Museum. The Shop offers unique merchandise available nowhere else in the world. From authentic archival reproductions made by skilled manufacturers to a collection of products that celebrate a proud history, don’t miss out on this opportunity to find that perfect holiday gift, including art, jewelry, apparel, books and much more! Museum Store Sunday Hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/museum.html

Milwaukee Public Museum

Stop by the Marketplace or the Haymarket Candy Store, to find something for everyone on that holiday list! The curated collection of fun and educational toys will inspire future paleontologists, geologists, astronomers and historians. Pick up books on topics ranging from science to history, unique jewelry, home decor, sweet treats and much more. Stop by and see their 2019 Holiday ornaments featuring Simba the Lion! When patrons shop their stores, they are supporting MPM’S mission to inspire curiosity, excited minds and increase desire to preserve and protect the world’s natural and cultural diversity. Every purchase made goes towards programs like the Fossil Fuel Fund, Accessible Adventures, SPARK! and each of MPM’S unique exhibits. The MPM Marketplace is located on the ground floor, so visitors can stop in and pick up something special without paying an admission fee. Museum Store Sunday Hours: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. www.mpm.edu

Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory

Experience a desert oasis, a tropical jungle and a Holiday Garden Show . . . all at one destination! The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, better known as The Domes, is one of the most unique destinations in Milwaukee. Visit them on Sunday, December 1st to shop the one-of-a-kind finds that are inspired by each environment, and enjoy 10% off of all plants (20% for Members), a tea and tidbits tasting and two free tickets for their Membership raffle! Admission to all three domes and the store is only $7 for Milwaukee County residents, and $8 for out-of-town visitors. Museum Store Sunday Hours: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. www.milwaukeedomes.org

Pabst Mansion

The Pabst Mansion, built between 1890 and 1892 for the famed beer baron Frederick Pabst and his wife Maria, is an award-winning house museum that epitomizes the splendor of America’s Gilded Age in Milwaukee. Open year-round, the Mansion invites visitors to tour this elaborate home filled with rich details, original furnishings and an exceptional collection of fine and decorative arts. Among the wares featured at the Pabst Mansion Gift Shop are a unique array of local artisan products such as Colonel Pabst All Malt Amber-Lager Worcestershire, Lit MKE PBR can candles and handcrafted Halo soap batched with Pabst beer, as well as a vast collection of exclusive PBR gear. Stop by the Mansion on Museum Store Sunday to receive $2 off admission with museum store purchases of $15 or more and a complimentary gift with shop purchases of $50 or more! Museum Store Sunday Hours: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. www.pabstmansion.com

Media Contacts:

Betty Brinn Children’s Museum

Amanda Sobczak, [email protected], 414-390-5437, ext. 287

Jennifer James, [email protected], 414-390-5437, ext. 222

Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear

Steve Daily, [email protected], 414-273-1680

Joel Willems, [email protected], 414-273-1680

Harley-Davidson Museum

Tim McCormick, [email protected], 414-534-6180

Milwaukee Public Museum

Alexander Zapushek, [email protected], 414-278-2795

Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory

Mary Philipp, [email protected], 414-852-0369

Pabst Mansion

Leesa Slater Eaton, [email protected], 414-931-0808, ext 117

Dana Hanson, [email protected], 414-931-0808, ext 102

 

 

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ABOUT PABST MANSION

The Pabst Mansion, Milwaukee’s most legendary residential landmark, was built by the famed brewing family between 1890 and 1892. It remains one of the largest and most expensive houses to have ever been constructed in the city. Filled with rich details executed in wood, stained glass and wrought iron, the Pabst Mansion is further enhanced by original furnishings and an exceptional collection of fine and decorative arts. Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion, Inc., a registered non-profit organization located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operates a vital house museum that preserves the legacy of the Pabst family and their impact on the citizens, history and culture of the Greater Milwaukee community. The Pabst Mansion is located at 2000 W. Wisconsin Avenue. For more information, please go to: www.pabstmansion.com.

Nominations sought for 2019 Dr. James G. White 6th District Difference Makers Awards

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Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs is seeking nominations for the 2019 Dr. James G. White 6th District Difference Makers Awards, and invites residents to submit the names of individuals or groups that work diligently to improve and strengthen the quality of life for themselves, their neighborhood and the City of Milwaukee.

 

The awards are named for the late Dr. James G. White, who lived in the 6th District and served as a county supervisor and the regional vice president of WestCare Wisconsin Harambee Community Center. He facilitated countless neighborhood projects and programs and always used his gifts, talents and knowledge to improve and empower his community.

 

Four awards will be presented to 6th District residents, one to a community organization and one to a block club, all of which will have contributed to making their neighborhood a better place.

 

Nomination forms are available online at Alderwoman Coggs’s website (milwaukee.gov/district6), or by calling the Alderwoman’s office at 286-2994 to receive a hard copy of the form by mail.

 

“It’s an honor to be able to recognize the people who help make the 6th District such a unique and vibrant place to live,” Alderwoman Coggs said. “Every resident can contribute to strengthening the fabric of their neighborhood. But there are those who go above and beyond in their works and deeds to help others and the community in which they live, and they are the Difference Makers.”

 

Nominations for the Difference Makers Awards will be accepted from now through Friday, January 10, 2020. Alderwoman Coggs will announce the honorees at the 6th District Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. in theMartin Luther King, Jr. Library, 310 W. Locust St.

Bronzeville Week celebration set for August 1 – 8, 2020

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The City of Milwaukee’s annual celebration of African-American culture, history, art, commerce, and entertainment will take place August 1 – 8, 2020 when the 2020 Bronzeville Week is held, hosted by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs.

The 2020 Bronzeville Week, a formal City of Milwaukee-sanctioned event and celebration entering its 8th full year, was approved today (Tuesday, November 26) by the full Common Council.  Each August since its inception, Bronzeville Week has gained a stronger following in the community and has attracted noticeably larger crowds to a series of performances and events, and Alderwoman Coggs said the celebration will again fill the Bronzeville district with music, history, resources and culture next summer.

“Every August, Bronzeville Week delivers a vibrant mix of entertainment, resources, art, culture and opportunities for neighbors and the community to engage in fun, healthy, and positive activities,” she said. “This week full of engaging events is welcoming to families and people of all ages and backgrounds, and is not to be missed. I am once again looking forward to an exciting Bronzeville Week 2020 next August.”

Bounded by Garfield Avenue to Center Street, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive to 7th Street, the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District is wholly located in the 6th Aldermanic District.

The Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District is a City of Milwaukee redevelopment initiative inspired by Milwaukee’s original Bronzeville, and it is striving to revitalize the area of Milwaukee where African-American culture has been a mainstay. The Bronzeville Redevelopment Plan seeks to create economic development in a predominantly African-American neighborhood in a way that recaptures the enthusiasm and attractiveness of the original Bronzeville District.

Council approves resolution creating Millennial Task Force

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jidaley / Pixabay

The full Common Council today (Tuesday, November 26) approved a resolution that creates a Millennial Task Force to investigate the issue of “Brain Drain” in Milwaukee.

The 16-member task force will be charged with assessing the major reasons Millennials choose to leave or stay in Milwaukee after college, analyze programs and policies designed to attract and retain talented, young individuals and make recommendations to the Common Council regarding potential legislative changes and other measures needed to address the Brain Drain problem.

A 2019 report by the Office of Workforce Development indicated that Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin in general are struggling to attract and retain young, educated workers. The number of 25- to 34-year olds living in Milwaukee decreased by 1.8% between 2010 and 2015 while that age group increased by 3.8% nationwide. Additionally, between 2010 and 2014, approximately 9% of 25- to 29-year olds moved out of Wisconsin, exceeding the respective national out-migration rate of 7%.

Alderman Cavalier Johnson, the primary sponsor of the legislation (Common Council file #191180), believes the Millennial Task Force can help combat the Brain Drain problem. “Millennials help add a sense of energy and dynamism to the city, and making sure those voices have a seat at the table is important. The data shows that in both the city and state we’re lagging behind in growth amongst this group, and the goal should always be to attract and retain diverse, young and talented individuals to Milwaukee,” said Alderman Johnson.

The Millennial Task Force will have its first meeting in January, and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Common Council by June 30, 2020.

File #191180 was co-sponsored by Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, Alderman Khalif J. Rainey and Alderman Tony Zielinski.

December Events at the Lynden Sculpture Garden

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The Lynden Sculpture Garden is located at 2145 West Brown Deer Road. Admission is $9 general, $7 for students and seniors. Members and children under 6 are free. Admission includes access to the sculpture garden and house. All events listed below are free with admission unless otherwise indicated. Memberships are available.

HOURS

In December, the Lynden Sculpture Garden is open daily (except Thursdays) from 10 am to 5 pm. The sculpture garden is closed December 24, 2019-January 2, 2020.

A NOTE ON ICE SKATING

We will offer ice skating on one of the ponds at Lynden on Saturdays and Sundays when weather and ice conditions permit. Please visit us on Facebook for ice skating updates.

ON VIEW ON THE GROUNDS & IN THE HOUSE

ROSEMARY OLLISON: PROSPERITY IN A MILLION SCRAPS
Through December 23, 2019
Free to members or with admission to sculpture garden.
https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/exhibitions/rosemary-ollison
Rosemary Ollison has transformed each of her apartments into an artist environment, deploying layers of pattern, duct tape sculptures, curtains of woven leather, crazy quilts, and inventive drawings. At Lynden she creates an immersive environment within the former home of Harry and Peg Bradley. Spreading beyond the gallery, where a nineteen-foot leather quilt will hang, Ollison will transform Lynden’s dining room, preparing it for an imaginary dinner party. Ollison is a 76-year-old self-taught artist and 2018 Nohl Fellow in the Emerging category. At 16, Ollison moved to the Midwest from an Arkansas plantation, and she began making art in 1994 while healing from an abusive marriage. She collects glass, leather, bracelets, beads, bones, and jewelry from thrift shops and rummage sales and repurposes these materials into sculptural and wearable works. This is a Call & Response event.

EVENTS

ROSEMARY OLLISON: GALLERY TALK AND JEWELRY SALE
Saturday, December 14, 2019 – 2-4 pm
Free to members or with admission to the sculpture garden.
More information: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/calendar/rosemary-ollison-gallery-talk-jewelry-sale
Rosemary Ollison has transformed each of her apartments into an artist environment, deploying layers of pattern, duct tape sculptures, curtains of woven leather, crazy quilts, and inventive drawings. With Prosperity in a Million Scraps, her exhibition at Lynden, she has created an immersive environment within the former home of Harry and Peg Bradley. Spreading beyond the gallery, where a fourteen-foot leather quilt hangs, Ollison has transformed Lynden’s dining room, preparing it for an imaginary dinner party. Join the artist for a gallery talk and holiday sale. Several of Ollison’s handmade necklaces, as well as fashion items including one-of-a-kind dresses and ensembles, denim vests and jackets, and kimonos, will be available for purchase. The necklaces, ranging in price from $25 to $150, make wonderful holiday gifts, as do the notecards made from Christiane Grauert’s watercolor sketches of Ollison’s fashion show in August. The talk will begin at 2:30 pm. This is a Call & Response event.
DOG DAYS AT LYNDEN
Saturday, December 21, 2019 – 10 am-5 pm
Free to dogs and members or with admission to the sculpture garden.
More information: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/dog-days
Bring your canine friends for an afternoon of romping in the garden. In the winter, cross-country skiers and snowshoers also welcome. Dogs must be leashed and considerate of other visitors, canine and human.

WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS

HOLIDAY GIFTMAKING WORKSHOP: MAKE A HEARTH BROOM WITH JOHN HOLZWART
Saturday, December 7, 2019 – 12-4 pm
Fee: $62/$57 members
More information and to register: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/calendar/make-hearth-broom-john-holzwart
Discover the art of making handmade brooms with Wisconsin broom maker Little John Holzwart. Holzwart will lead you through the process of making a real broom for decorative or functional use. Choose between a round or flat hearth broom–handles of various woods have been gathered and cured for you to use, and all materials are provided. Discussion about decorative options will be included.
HOLIDAY GIFTMAKING WORKSHOP: SILK SCARF PAINTING WITH LESLIE PERRINO
Sunday, December 8, 2019 – 10 am-4:30 pm
Fee: $90/$80 members
More information and to register: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/calendar/silk-scarf-painting-dec-2019
This daylong workshop will explore easy and artful ways to apply dye to pre-hemmed silk scarves. From simple techniques such as tie-dyeing, resist and salt, to interesting ways to make marks, we’ll let ourselves be inspired by the wonderful art and nature surrounding us at Lynden. Each student will create three wearable and uniquely painted scarves using this centuries-old painting form. No experience required, and all materials supplied.

FOR KIDS & FAMILIES

WEEKLY ART DROP-IN FOR KIDS AGED 11 and Up
December 4, 11
Wednesdays, 3-5:30 pm
Fee: $11/$9 members; Art Drop-In Card: Any 8 sessions for $64/$48 members
More information and to register: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/calendar/wed-adi-fall-2019
Drop into our studio for informal art exploration. Come for 30 minutes or stay for 2 1/2 hours; visit weekly or stop by when you need an after-school activity; bring a friend or sibling or try it on your own. Each week we’ll introduce different materials, processes and themes, and get you started on a project. We’ll focus on three-dimensional artmaking–though we will also do plenty of painting, drawing and collaging–and make use of Lynden’s special resources: the collection of monumental sculpture and 40 acres of park, lake and woodland. Art Drop-in goes on hiatus in mid-December, resuming in mid-January.
WEEKLY ART DROP-IN FOR KIDS AGED 6-11
December 5, 12
Thursdays, 2:30-5 pm
Fee: $11/$9 members; Art Drop-In Card: Any 8 sessions for $64/$48 members
More information and to register: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/calendar/thurs-adi-fall-2019
Drop into our studio for informal art exploration. Come for 30 minutes or stay for 2 1/2 hours; visit weekly or stop by when you need an after-school activity; bring a friend or sibling or try it on your own. Each week we’ll introduce different materials, processes and themes, and get you started on a project. We’ll focus on three-dimensional artmaking–though we will also do plenty of painting, drawing and collaging–and make use of Lynden’s special resources: the collection of monumental sculpture and 40 acres of park, lake and woodland. Art Drop-in goes on hiatus in mid-December, resuming in mid-January.
TUESDAYS IN THE GARDEN: AN OUTING FOR PARENTS & VERY SMALL CHILDREN
Tuesday, December 10, 2019 -10:30am -11:30 am
Fee: $10/$8 members (includes admission to the sculpture garden for one adult and one child aged 2-4; additional children $4 each; extra adults pay daily admission).
More information and to register: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/calendar/tuesdays-2019
The 40 acres that house the Lynden collection of monumental outdoor sculpture are also home to many birds, insects, frogs, mammals and plants. Educator Claudia Orjuela offers a program for the very young that explores a different theme each month, taking into account the changing seasons, and provides an opportunity for those with very small children to engage in outdoor play and art making. The theme for December is signs of winter.
FAMILY HOLIDAY WORKSHOP: TERRARIUM PENDANTS
Sunday, December 15, 2019 – 12:30pm – 2:30pm
Free to members or with admission to the sculpture garden.
More information: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/calendar/terrarium-pendants-2019
Give the gift of the sculpture garden–or at least a tiny bit of it. Holiday season is upon us and we will be making terrariums—miniature environments—that can be worn on a string, ribbon or chain. Choose among small glass bottles and vials and an assortment of natural materials to create your own unique, hand-made gift. Select dried materials that require no attention or construct a living pendant that will grow with your care. (Note that living pendants require water 3-5 times a week and at least 8 hours of indirect sunlight.) At 2 pm we’ll learn to fold an origami box to wrap the gift. Package your pendant with a Lynden membership for a gift that lasts all year long.

COMING UP IN JANUARY

We are still working on the winter schedule, but we do know that the weekly art drop-ins resume January 8 and 9; that there is a homeschool day on January 16 (the theme is collective becoming); and there’s a school’s out extended art drop-in on January 20. Light Up the Garden returns on January 19, and our 10th annual Winter Carnival is scheduled for January 25. Leslie Perrino offers a resin pendants jewelry-making workshop on January 26, and dogs have their day on January 18. We will all be eyeing the pond for ice-skating opportunities once we reopen on January 3.

ABOUT THE LYNDEN SCULPTURE GARDEN

The Lynden Sculpture Garden offers a unique experience of art in nature through its collection of more than 50 monumental sculptures sited across 40 acres of park, lake and woodland. The sculpture garden is open to art and nature lovers of all ages from 10 am to 5 pm every day except Thursdays (closed). In the summer, the sculpture garden remains open until 7:30 pm on Wednesdays. Memberships are available. More information: http://lyndensculpturegarden.org or 414.446.8794.

 

Community event to highlight business opportunities during DNC

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Alderwomen Chantia Lewis and Nikiya Dodd, along with Alderman Cavalier Johnson, invite residents to attend a community event on Wednesday, December 4 featuring members from the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee. The event, hosted by the Office of Small Business Development, will take place from10:00 – 11:30 a.m. at the Granville Connection, 8633 W. Brown Deer Rd.

“We are looking forward to next week’s session, as it will be a prime opportunity for residents and business owners to receive an update on an array of DNC activities and learn what opportunities are available for them to get involved,” said Alderwoman Lewis, adding: “I’m excited to open the doors of the Granville Connection, a business incubator space, for this event.”

The event will feature a presentation and update on diverse business opportunities from members of the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee. After the presentation, attendees will also be able to participate in a strategic matchmaking session to connect with other business owners to discuss potential collaborative partnerships to increase their chances of providing goods or services for the convention.

The event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served. All attendees are asked to register no later than December 2 at https://cityseminar.eventbrite.com.

For more information contact the Office of Small Business Development at (414) 286-5553 or [email protected] For more information on the 2020 DNC, visit www.milwaukee2020.com.

Provide Feedback at public meetings in December

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SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE

KICKING OFF 2020 REVIEW AND UPDATE OF VISION 2050
Every four years, the Commission conducts an interim review and update of the regional land use and transportation plan, in part to address Federal requirements. The 2020 Review and Update looks at how well VISION 2050 is being implemented, compares the year 2050 forecasts underlying the plan to current estimates, and explores how the existing transportation system is performing. The review will also examine whether it remains reasonable for the recommendations in VISION 2050 to be accomplished over the next 30 years, given the implementation of the plan to date and available and anticipated funding. As a result of the review and update process, recommendations may be added or changed, and the financial analysis will be updated to reflect any changes in anticipated funding or expenditures.

JOIN US AT ONE OF SEVEN PUBLIC MEETINGS IN DECEMBER
Residents are invited to attend one of seven public meetings across the Region as part of the first of two rounds of public involvement for the Review and Update. Staff will be available in an “open house” format, so you can attend any time during the two-hour timeframe. Snacks and refreshments will also be provided. Oral comment may be given to a court reporter during the meeting or written comments may be submitted. If you cannot attend a public meeting to give us your input, you can also submit comments via email, U.S. mail, fax, or online through December 20, 2019. The purpose of this first round of public involvement is to share information with the public about how well the various plan elements are being implemented, and collect feedback about this progress. We also welcome comments on changes, since VISION 2050 was adopted, that we should consider as we update the plan in 2020. A second round of public involvement will take place in early spring 2020, during which time the public will be able to review the draft 2020 Review and Update, including updated financial and equity analyses.
People needing disability-related accommodations are asked to contact the Commission offices a minimum of 3 business days in advance so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
More information about the 2020 Review and Update, including how to provide comments, can be found on the VISION 2050 website.

YWCA Southeast Wisconsin Announces Eliminating Racism and Racial Justice Legacy Award Recipients

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Award ceremony honoring prominent racial justice advocates to take place December 3rd at 15thanniversary of An Evening to Promote Racial Justice

 

MILWAUKEE, WI – November 25, 2019 – YWCA Southeast Wisconsin (SEW) named Erica Turner and Gary Hollander, PhD as recipients of its two distinct racial justice awards. The awards presentation will take place during the 15th Annual An Evening to Promote Racial Justicecelebration on Tuesday, December 3, 2019 at the Marcus Performing Arts Center.  The event begins at 5:00 p.m. with a welcome reception for guests.

 

Erica Turner, co-creator of grassroots organization, Bridge the Divide has won YWCA SEW’s Eliminating Racism award for her significant work in the community as an advocate for building a world of justice and equity. Erica often sponsors racially literate podcasts, educational programming, community projects, film series’ and book studies to promote lasting, cross-cultural connections in Southeast Wisconsin. Her goal is to facilitate community conversations that launch joint, achievable, sustainable solutions, especially in the North Shore suburbs and exurbs.

Erica was also the recipient of the Spirit of Unity and NAACP Game Changers awards in 2018.

“Erica is committed to interacting with love, listening while reserving judgment, fostering healing from racial injustices, and waking up apathetic attitudes.” stated Heidi Erstad “We are proud to support Erica in all that she does to improve the community.”

 

The second award will honor Gary Hollander, PhD, Founding President and CEO, Diverse and Resilient, Inc. and President and principal consultant for Gary Hollander Enterprises. Gary Hollander will receive the Racial Justice Legacy award presented by YWCA SEW President and CEO, Paula Penebaker. This legacy award recognizes the many distinctive ways Gary has given back to our community with a focus on justice for the vulnerable. He has been deeply involved in board service to the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, Human Rights League, Wisconsin HIV Planning Consortium, Wisconsin AIDS Fund, Milwaukee Teen Pregnancy Prevention Oversight Committee and the Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Committee of United Way Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County.

He has received many awards over the years, many of which recognize him for his teaching and excellence in clinical care, philanthropy, service, allyship and youth advocacy. Most recently, Gary received a Proclamation

from Mayor Tom Barrett to acknowledge June 9, 2015 as Gary Hollander Day.

 

“I could not think of an individual more deserving of this honor than Gary.” expressed Paula Penebaker, president and CEO of YWCA Southeast Wisconsin “His personality is larger than life, and his heart beats so that he can live to enrich the lives of others. I am blessed to know him and we are all fortunate that he commits so much to the community.”

 

 

To learn more about the 15th annual An Evening to Promote Racial Justice, visit our website www.ywcasew.org. Ticket sales end on Monday, December 2, 2019.

 

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About YWCA Southeast Wisconsin

With a bold mission to eliminate racism and empower women, YWCA SEW’s work has three focus areas shared by YWCAs nationwide: racial justice, economic empowerment, and health/safety of women and their families. Serving 12,000+ individuals annually, YWCA SEW equips and challenges our community to commit itself to peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Through its distinctive economic empowerment program services, as well as racial justice thought leadership and community engagement, YWCA SEW is focused on building a more just and equitable Southeast Wisconsin.

Black Milwaukee…and Black America…must use its political capital (the vote) in 2020 to guarantee action on our people’s ills!

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If the Democrats are going to wrist control of the Oval Office from incumbent President Donald Trump in November 2020, they must sit down and seriously listen to—and act on—the demands of its most loyal, steadfast, and ardent constituency: African American voters.

Because, as a number of Milwaukee stakeholders told producers of NBC’s political affairs show, “Meet the Press”  (MTP) recently, the Black vote nationally—especially in Wisconsin and Milwaukee—will be the determining factor for a Democratic victory.

The stakeholders, including representatives from Your Milwaukee Community Journal, were interviewed by the venerable news show as part of its year-long project focusing on five different counties around the nation.

The project, called “County to County,” will spend time in the counties in order to better understand the “fault lines” that will define the next presidential race, according to a press release from the network.

The show and its host, Chuck Todd, believe these five locales—Milwaukee County, Kent County in Michigan, Beaver County in Pennsylvania, Miami-Dade County in Florida, and Maricopa County in Arizona—will help “fill in the picture of what the election polls are saying and why.”

The Milwaukee County participants told the producers, the “Dems” have their work cut out for them here and will have to work doubly hard to reverse the persistent voter apathy if they hope to reverse its 2016 loss of the state by its nominee Hillary Clinton to Trump.

Once a dependable bastion of votes for the national Democratic Party, Wisconsin has been on a slow, painful political descent, going from Blue to Red, which likely started with a questionable redistricting process in 2010, enabling state Republicans to control the Assembly and Senate in the 2012 and 2016 elections.

Add the neo-conservative policies of two-term Republican Governor Scott Walker, Wisconsin went from a progressive to a repressive state, with policies that stripped unions of their influence and power and shut off much of the shared revenue once enjoyed by the state’s largest and staunchly democratic city, Milwaukee.

The Milwaukeeans interviewed by MTP noted the significant drop-off in Black voter participation in the city in 2012 even with Barack Obama again on the ballot, and again in 2016 when it dropped by an astonishing 19%. That decline three year ago more than covered the margin won by Trump.

Aside from the fact Clinton took Wisconsin for granted in 2016, those interviewed believe Black voter apathy was the biggest reason for the former Secretary of State’s loss.

Many Black voters and potential voters feel the Democratic Party takes their vote for granted, believing they will (and rightly so) stay “in-the-fold” and not dare venture to the conservative Republican side, which has long been viewed as anti-Black going back to former President Richard Nixon.

While it is widely believed 95% of the Black vote will go to the Democratic nominee in 2020, the question is, will the election be a repeat of 2016 and again favor Trump, giving him a second state victory?

A recent Marquette University poll revealed Trump is ahead of all the Democratic hopefuls. And if that’s not bad enough, support for the president’s impeachment is dropping.

The only way the Dems can energize the Black vote in our city—and the nation—and take back the presidency next year is to provide more than political rhetoric and merely acknowledge Black problems! What the party and its candidates must do is offer doable solutions—a new “Marshall Plan” if you will—that will empower Black America.

There should be cause for concern as many potential Black voters have watched our community deteriorate, our education system fail our children and Black unemployment remain the highest in the country for the last decade.

In fact, we lead the United States in seven negative social indicators.  And yet there has been not a single word from Democratic Party leadership, other than to sweep the problems under the rug so they don’t taint next years’ Democratic Party convention to be held in our city.

As one prospective Black voter told us recently, what’s the sense in voting; “nothing’s going change.  They (the DNC) will make millions from the convention, and Milwaukee will still be home to the highest Black poverty rate in the country!”

We agree, but with a caveat: The Black community must leverage its political power (the vote) if we believe the political party can and should solve our myriad problems.

We must demand a commitment and plan that will focus on the issues and challenges Black Milwaukee and Black America face as it relates to economics, education, healthcare and public safety (justice reform).

It is long past time for us to wake up. Political parties only respond when it is in their vested interest to.  And to be honest, they don’t feel our frustration because we have not impressed upon them the stakes or our resolve to do more than complain.

There’s only two ways we see to energize the Black vote.  We offered the first. The second is if the party takes the bold step of placing an African American on the ballot, as a presidential or vice-presidential candidate.

But even then, that is not a panacea.  Research showed that the vote for Obama’s reelection dropped in 2012 because few people of color saw any significant change in their status as second-class citizens.

The Democratic Party should take heed. Otherwise, the chance of getting a tsunami-like Black turnout next year will again be slim to none! “Anyone but Trump” will be “trumped” by White votes statewide…and nationally!

SeeMe4Me Project Launch Creates Awareness of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Milwaukee Community

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MILWAUKEE (Nov. 20, 2019)  – SeeMe4Me will launch in Milwaukee this Thursday, November 21 at Nō Studios. The SeeMe4Me project was launched by Ed Davies, who has a lived experience facing racism and implicit bias and succeeding and building positive personal and professional relationships across racial, ethnic, and other cultural boundaries in spite of it all.

SeeMe4Me is a narrative change campaign designed to challenge how we view each other and redefine our perceptions. This social awareness effort allows people to reject the perceptions formed of them, and to demand that they are seen for who they really are by proclaiming: “Your perception is not my reality.”

As a catalyst for exploration and discussion, SeeMe4Me challenges everyone to see people differently and accurately, by telling real and raw stories in order to drive changes in programs and services, policies, funding, and access to opportunities that can improve the quality of life.

The campaign launch will include a debut of the first SeeMe4Me PSA, followed by a discussion highlighting the importance of narrative change, the SeeMe4Me approach and planned campaign activities.

WHAT:    SeeMe4Me Milwaukee Campaign Launch Event

               Cocktails/Networking: 5:30-6:30pm

               PSA Premier: 6:30pm

Campaign Q&A/Discussion: 6:45pm

 

WHEN:   Thursday, November 21

                5:30-8 p.m.

 

WHO:     SeeMe4Me, Ed Davies Founder

               Media welcome

 

WHERE:  Nō Studios, 1037 W. McKinley Avenue

                 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53205