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ChristmasMemories!

What are your favoriteChristmas memories?The Milwaukee Com-munity Journal wantsto know! In 450 to 600words, write us your fa-vorite memory.

Send them to us byemail to:[email protected] A limitednumber will be used,so get them to us byDecember 15, 2017.We look forward tosharing these preciousmemories with ourcommunity!

VOL. XLI Number 18 Nov. 22, 2017 www.milwaukeecommunityjournal.com 25 Cents BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE PAID

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSINPERMIT NO. 4668

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

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM YOUR MCJ!HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM YOUR MCJ!

Dr. EarnestineWillis considersherself a bridge, connecting families,communities, and systems together toimprove health for everyone.

Dr. Willis has dedicated her careerto advancing public health througheducation, research, clinical care,public policy and community en-gagement for more than 40 years.

After earning her medical degreeand master’s in public health at Har-vard Medical School and HarvardSchool of Public Health, respec-tively, Dr. Willis’ medical traininggave her the opportunity to visithealth care facilities around thecountry serving under-resourcedpopulations.

It was this experience and her up-bringing in a small town in the Mis-sissippi Delta that sparked herpassion for addressing health im-provement.

She noticed how important it wasfor community members to activelyengage in their own health care, andshe advocates for the replication ofthe “one-stop-shop” model throughout her career.

While at the University of Chicago, Dr. Willis played a leadership role inthe creation of a maternal and child health program to address community

(continued on page 2)

Dr. EarnestineWillisFor 40 years, MCWprofessor and publichealth advocate hasbeen bridging families,communities and systems together

Dr. Earnestine Willis

PULSEPULSE OF THEOF THECOMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

Photos and question by Yvonne Kemp

“What are yourplans for

Thanksgiving?”“I plan to feed theunfortunate and citi-zens of Milwaukeethrough a great or-ganization (West-Care, see abovephotos). Serving andengaging with thecommunity will re-unite us as people. Afterwards, I will enjoyThanksgiving with my family.”

Aerion Steward

“I plan tospend thanksgiving with friends having “Friendsgiving.”

Darrin Madison

“My plans are torejoice with fam-ily and friends. Iam extremelyblessed to havethe support andlove of familyduring the season.”

Jennifer M.Sharpe, M.Ed.

“My plans forThanksgiving holi-day is to give backto the community.Provide residentswith a Thanksgiv-ing meal and tothose who are in need. My goal is to putsmiles on plenty of faces.”

MarkedaWilliams

“Perhaps the mostinfluential role Dr.

Willis played atMCGAW was her

leadership on a fac-ulty taskforce that

helped MCW imple-ment its fourth insti-

tutional pillar,community engage-

ment, in the mid-1990s. ‘To strengthenresearch, patient care

and education,’ saidDr. Willis, “you must

engage the

Civil Rights leader Rev. Jesse Jacksondiscloses Parkinson’s disease diagnosisArticle courtesy of thegrio.com

CHICAGO — The Rev. Jesse Jackson says he’sbeen seeking outpatient care for two years for Parkin-son’s disease and plans to “dedicate” himself to phys-ical therapy.

In a Friday letter to supporters, the 76-year-old saysfamily and friends noticed a change in him about threeyears ago and he could no longer ignore symptoms.

He says the diagnosis isn’t a sign to stop workingbut a “signal” to make “lifestyle changes” to slow pro-gression of the chronic neurological disorder thatcauses movement difficulties.

The civil rights icon also released a NorthwesternMedicine letter saying he was diagnosed in 2015 andhas sought outpatient care.

Jackson runs the Chicago-based Rainbow/PUSHCoalition. He’s remained a strong voice in anti-dis-crimination efforts, including advocating for afford-able housing, and been a fixture at protests nationwide.

Jackson declined further comment Friday.

Della Reese, OfTV’s ‘Touched by anAngel,’ Has Died At 86

LOS ANGELES – Della Reese, the actress and gospel-influenced singer who in middle age found her greatestfame as Tess, the wise angel in the long-running televi-sion drama “Touched by an Angel,” has died at age 86.

Reese’s co-staron the series, RomaDowney, said in astatement that theactress died peacefully Sunday evening in her home inthe Los Angeles area. No further details were included.

Before “Touched by an Angel” debuted in 1994, Reesewas mainly known as a singer, although she had costarredon “Chico and the Man,” ”Charlie and Company” and“The Royal Family” and hosted her own talk show,“Della.”

“Touched by an Angel” was a gamble for CBS fromthe start. The story of an apprentice angel (RomaDowney) and her supervisor (Reese) being sent to Earthto solve people’s problems appeared to have little chancein a TV world dominated by sitcoms and police dramas.

Della Reese shown above at the ChristmasAngel discussion panel at the 2012 Summer Tel-evision critics association tour at the BeverlyHilton Hotel in Los Angeles Photo by FrederickM. Brown/Getty Images


PASSAGESPASSAGES

Rev. Jackson

GIVING THANKS IN THE COMMUNITYCommunity organizations show the true meaning of

Thanksgiving with charitable action!

Alderpersons Milele Coggs and Russell Stamper II (seated) pose with attendees of the 7th annualHousing Resource Fair at North Division High School recently. The prevent provided residents withinformation on home financing, home repairs and foreclosure prevention from a variety of organiza-tions. The attendees also received free turkeys, which they proudly display for the camera.

--Photo by Yvonne Kemp

It’s “Turkey Day” at 7th annual Housing Resource Fair

WestCare Wisconsin, Dr Martin L King Center, New Concept Self Development Center, King Advisory andAlderwoman Milele Coggs came together Monday at the King Center to serve a free Thanksgiving Feast.Hundreds of families were fed thanks to the effort of Dairyland Bus Company to provide free rides to Haram-bee residents to the King Center. There was also a Thanksgiving basket giveaway to those who attended.--Photos by Yvonne Kemp

WestCare and other community-based organizationshost annual Thanksgiving Meal and Basket Giveaway!

The Milwaukee Community Journal November 22, 2017

health on the city’s south side inpartnership with other agencies.

In addition, she expanded the de-livery of health care to include nutri-tional services, improve earlyliteracy development and commu-nity advocacy to address environ-mental health threats to children.

Her diverse skillsets qualified herto work side-by-side with governors,mayors and county executives to ad-dress health disparities throughoutregions.

Together, they organized what Dr.Willis called an “orchestra of serv-ices,” including social, educational,medical and other resources, to ad-dress poor health outcomes.

The chance to continue with heracademic development and to edu-

cate the next generation of traineesbrought Dr. Willis to Milwaukee andMCW in 1995.

She says that since then, her lifehas been all about “influencing” fu-ture healthcare professionals andcommunity partners.

“I don’t empower people; I givethem the resources to elevate theirown power,” Dr. Willis said. (CON-SIDER AS A PULL QUOTE)

Today, she serves as professor ofpediatrics, director of the Center forthe Advancement of UnderservedChildren and vice-chair for Diversityand Inclusion in the Department ofPediatrics at the Medical College ofWisconsin (MCW).

Through her many roles at MCWand throughout the greater Milwau-kee community, Dr. Willis has been

able to combine her diverse array ofskills and expertise to influence dif-ferent programs and organizationsthat advance health and social devel-opment for our most under-re-sourced populations.

Just a few of the successful proj-ects Dr. Willis has helped spearheadin Wisconsin include programs toeducate parents about immuniza-tions for their children; the ReachOut and Read Milwaukee LiteracyProject; school-based health serv-ices; oral health assessment integra-tion in pediatric practices; efforts toincorporate health and wellness intothe foster care system; working withthe Department of Health Serviceson tobacco control and preventionprograms; and the community pedi-atric training program at Children’s

Hospital of Wisconsin, one of thefirst of its kind in the country(MIGHT THIS PEDS TRAININGPROGRAM BE A POTENTIAL SIOR SR?).

Perhaps the most influential roleDr. Willis played at MCW was herleadership on a faculty taskforce thathelped MCW implement its fourthinstitutional pillar, community en-gagement, in the mid-1990s.

“To strengthen research, patientcare and education,” said Dr. Willis,referring to the other three pillars,“you must engage the community.”

Today, MCW is one of four med-ical schools nationwide to have re-ceived the Carnegie CommunityEngagement Classification, andmore than 600 faculty and staffmembers are involved in more than1,100 community outreach activi-

ties. MCW is honored to recognize Dr.

Willis for her continuous leadership,expertise and dedication to commu-nity engagement.

Her knowledge helps pave theway for innovative means of im-proving population health. Thanks toher, our community is healthier andstronger.

Dr. Earnestine Willis(continued from front page)

City of MilwaukeeHealth DepartmentAwarded Grant fromBader Philanthropies $100,000 grant to Office of Violence Prevention to supporteffort outlined in ‘Blueprint forPeace’Mayor Tom Barrett and

Health Commissioner BevanK. Baker have announced anaward of $100,000 from BaderPhilanthropies Inc. to the Cityof Milwaukee Health Depart-ment Office of Violence Pre-vention.

The funding has been awarded to support the2018 launch of Ceasefire Milwaukee, a violenceinterruption program called for in Milwaukee’sBlueprint for Peace, the citywide violence pre-vention plan officially released Friday.

“I am thrilled to announce that Bader Philan-thropies is continuing its great support of theMilwaukee community through this grant,” saidMayor Tom Barrett. “I thank Bader for steppingforward to assure that this new, important pro-gram will be able to expand its anticipated im-pact.”

The funding adds to $280,000 proposed in

Mayor Barrett’s 2018 City budget and sup-ported by the Milwaukee Common Council,and is a significant step toward allowing theprogram to expand beyond a single neighbor-hood when it launches in spring 2018.

“It is clear that our community has the willand an unwavering commitment to work hardto reduce violence and fatalities. And, the Cityof Milwaukee’s Blueprint for Peace is a com-prehensive plan with concrete ways to measureprogress in the years to come,” said Daniel J.Bader, President/CEO, Bader Philanthropies,Inc.

The award adds to the momentum behindMilwaukee’s ‘Blueprint for Peace,’ a citywideviolence prevention plan developed through a10-month planning process facilitated by theMHD.

“Milwaukee’s Blueprint for Peace calls for ef-forts to immediately interrupt conflicts along-side strategic and long-term investments tosupport youth, families, and neighborhoods,”said Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker.“This grant award from Bader Philanthropies isessential to our first goal to interrupt conflictsthat can lead to violence.”

In 2018, an RFP will be issued for a commu-nity-based agency to implement the program.The program will be developed in coordinationwith the Milwaukee Common Council and willbe modeled after Cure Violence, which is cur-rently being implemented in more than 50 sitesworldwide to de-escalate and interrupt conflictsbefore they result in violence. Sites that haveimplemented this model have demonstrated adecline in shootings and homicides within CureViolence zones.

Additional funding is also being raisedthrough the Violence Prevention Fund at theGreater Milwaukee Foundation.


MILLENNIAL VOICESMILLENNIAL VOICESN e w s a n d V i e w s f r o m t o d a y ’ s M i l l e n n i a l G e n e r a t i o n

Opinion: When Blackchildren are not KidsOften, Black youths are portrayed to be

older and more mature than their whitecounterparts in the media.

Recent examples include the clearing of a man whoraped and impregnated aBlack girl in France, afterofficials ruled that thechild ‘consented’ to theact.

When considering the mentalmaturity of a typical 11-year oldchild, it can become hard toimagine a child openly consent-ing to sex. However, this child isBlack.

Since the period of time ofslavery in the U.S., to Blax-ploitation films of the 1970’s andto present day, Black women were portrayed as overtly sexual.

This inaccuracy is even applied to children and in this instance,an 11-year-old child.

In Milwaukee, a 12-year old boy and several other Black teenswere recently arrested for a suspected armed carjacking. The child’sface was initially shown on the report, un-blurred, as he was ledaway, handcuffed by police. His face and others, were later blurredout.

Requests to WISN on policies regarding the depiction of minorsin newscasts suspected of committing crimes were not immediatelyreturned. A 2014 report from NPR touched on the portrayal ofAfrican-American young men to be seen as older than they are inregard to the Trayvon Martin case.

“...on average, more Black boys get asked to be in more situationswhere they're acting like adults than white boys and the problem iswe rarely see our Black children with the basic human privilege of

From Thrill to Tragedy: How Do We Stop the Stollies?

As a kid, I remembergrowing up having all thefun in the world. I wasn’tworried about what otherpeople thought about me.

I couldn’t care less aboutwhether you thought I was“cool” or not. My number onegoal was to live a fun life, themost fun life I could ever thinkof. As long as I could play allday and have friends over, I wasfine.

The problem with that is that things have changed drastically! Almost everyweek we hear about young people stealing cars, going on high speed chases

with the cops and ending up injured, locked up, or dead! We hear the agesgetting younger and younger. More and more young people are throwing theirlives away at such a young age.

Just like on November 15th, we found out about a 12-year-old that was in-volved in a stolen car, high speed chase. When they crashed, all of them wereinjured, but no one died.

Stories like these really touch me because I wonder, why do these kidsmake the choices that they do? Now a day’s kids and teenagers are more fo-cused on what their peers think of them rather than doing their own thing.No, this isn’t coming from my words. I often speak with young people abouttheir thoughts on why so many of them commit crimes and no matter theclass, they all say, “so I can get known”. They say their actions are simplyfor status.

This is very scary to think about because as adults, how can we tell kidswho think stealing cars is cool, that it’s not cool? How can we determine whata kid believes is cool? The kids have literally become “too cool for school”.They are making choices to ensure their security of not being a “lame”.

At this point, The question is, “What can we do?” Is it that we need moreactivities for young people? Do we need to bring back clean, teen parties andclubs? Do we need to provide more classes for youth to gain new skills?Should we create youth entrepreneurship programs to keep them busy andfocused on their future?



Sarah Thomas

LaShawnda S. Wilkins


RELIGIONRELIGION

Milwaukee Bucks’ player, Jabari Parker, donated anddistributed Thanksgiving fixings and turkeys to 150 pre-registered central city Milwaukee families Tuesday at theCapuchin Community Services’ House of Peace site,1702 W. Walnut St. The House of Peace is a Capuchinministry.

The distribution is part of the Capuchin CommunityServices’ Holiday Food Box Program, which includescommunity partners such as the Milwaukee Bucks,Roundy’s, Gruber Law Offices, area businesses and or-ganizations, participating parishes and schools of theArchdiocese of metro Milwaukee.

The Thanksgiving holiday food boxes contained aturkey and the traditional holiday fixings including stuff-ing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce andmore.

Parker is responsible for donating all the food. Draw-

string knapsacks donated by Gruber Law Office were dis-tributed. Students from St. Thomas More High Schooland DSHA were on hand to assist families.

Former Bucks star Michael Redd also helped with thedistribution.

Capuchin Community Services has two locations. St.Ben’s Community Meal and the House of Peace, servesthe poor, the hungry, and the homeless.

The House of Peace assists families and individuals inmeeting their spiritual, material, and emotional needs.The House of Peace helps families to remain together andto promote self-sufficiency.

It provides food, clothing, and pastoral care to the poorplus houses the UWM House of Peace Community Nurs-ing Center and Marquette University Legal Clinic thatserves the same population. Go to www.CapuchinCom-munityServices.org for more information.

Franciscans Call Termination of TPS for Haitians "unconscionable"To send people back to the poorestcountry in the Western Hemisphereshows clear lack of Christian values

Washington, D.C. - Late last night, the Trump admin-istration ended temporary protected status (TPS) for thecountry of Haiti, demanding some 59,000 Haitians leavethe U.S. by July 2019 or face deportation. This decisionfollows the administration's recent announcements termi-nating TPS designations for Sudan and Nicaragua.

TPS was created to provide protection to those in theUnited States when it is unsafe for their return home. Thishumanitarian program has allowed Haitians to live and

work in the United States since an earthquake ravagedtheir country in 2010.

Violence, weak institutions, and a lack of human rightsprotections continue in Central America, as well as food,housing, and public health crises in Haiti persist. The de-cision to send them back to this chaos is cruel and servesas another example of this administration's lack of Chris-tian values.

"These actions run counter not only to our faith princi-ples, but to humanitarian concerns and to America's pro-claimed commitment to 'liberty and justice for all,'" statesSr. Maria Orlandini, OSF, FAN Director of Advocacy."Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphereand sending these people back to a country that cannotprovide for them is unconscionable."

TPS has given approx. 330,000 people from 10 coun-tries the opportunity to rebuild their lives in the UnitedStates. TPS holders contribute billions of dollars to oureconomy, and many of them have lived here for years andare parents to U.S. citizen children. They are our neigh-bors. Tearing them apart from their families is wrong. TheFranciscan Action Network will continue to stand withour Haitian brothers and sisters and fight for reinstate-ment of these protections.

In recognition of November being Diabetes Awareness Month, the Mildred Leigh GoldHealth Ministry of Calvary Baptist Church recently held a health fair focusing on raisingawareness about Diabetes. There were discussions about the diease and its dispropor-tionate impact on African Americans, resources, managing Diabetes, and a free healthscreening. Pictured above are members of the Mildred Leigh Gold Health Ministry withtwo of the days presenters (left to right): Janise Johnson, Jackie Smith, Rocksand Byrd-Rhymes, Beverly Evans, Dr. Sandra Underwood, PHD, RN, FAAN with the UWM Collegeof Nursing; Dr. Eva Vivian, Pharm D., certified Diabetes educator at UW-Madison’sSchool of Pharmacy.--Photo by Yvonne Kemp

After the earthquakein 2010, about 1,000people were living intents on the medianof Highway 2, one ofHaiti's busiest roads.Five years later, tensof thousands of peo-ple in Port-au-Princestill live in tents andother temporaryhousing.David Gilkey/NPR

Calvary Baptist helps raise awareness of Diabetes

Bucks Jabari Parker donates anddistributes 150 Thanksgiving holiday food boxes to CapuchinCommunity Services’ guests

How I keptfaith after losing my baby boyArticle courtesy of thegrio.com

Life comes at you fast. I never expected to face some of life’s most challenging

moments — all in the course of three years:Being diagnosed with breast-health issuesWatching my husband, Chris, get diagnosed with mul-

tiple sclerosisFacing unemployment and later surviving a serious car

accidentMy grandfather passing away

Amidst all this chaos, however, came a ray of hope:My husband and I learned we were pregnant with our firstchild.

We were excited and joyful about becoming parents,but when I was 20 weeks and six days pregnant, welearned that the little boy we were expecting would beborn with severe medical issues.

The doctors told us the outcome for our child would begrim.

It seemed like all at once, those vows that we’d madejust a few years prior — to stick together for better orworse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health —were being put to the test.

On July 21, 2015, at 36 weeks into my pregnancy, ourprecious baby, Christopher Louis Jones Jr., was born. Hecame into the world blue, not breathing.

Doctors resuscitated him and inserted a breathing tubebefore transferring him to the Newborn Intensive CareUnit. After multiple tests, doctors told us Junior wouldneed to be connected to a ventilator, a feeding tube and asuction machine for the rest of his life.

The doctors also made it clear that even though hewould be connected to these machines, Junior could stilldie.

Chris and I loved our son unconditionally — he wasour pride and joy! But we believed his quality of life

FIRST PERSONFIRST PERSON


“I will walk by faith evenwhen I can not see.”

--2Corinthains 5:7


PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVES

URBAN MyURBAN MyDIALOGUE...DIALOGUE...By Torre “ToeJoe” Johnson

MILLENNIALMILLENNIALMAGICMAGICBy Paishance Welch

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

Billing Dept./Publisher’sAdmin. Assist.Colleen Newsom,Classified AdvertisingJimmy V. Johnson, Sales Rep.CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Richard G. Carter, Fr. CarlDiederichs, Rev. Joe McLinPHOTOGRAPHER: Yvonne Kemp

Thanksgiving Daythoughts, 2017

Thanksgiving Day is the traditionalAmerican holiday when we are given theopportunity to pause from our normalroutines and take time to count our bless-ings.

It can be a fun and refreshing time, full of family, feasts, and football.For those who choose to acknowledge God as the Great Giver of all that is

good in our lives, Thanksgiving Day can be a spiritually uplifting and enrich-ing experience.

And for those whose lives have been upended by unforeseen tragedies, suchas the loved ones of innocent people so tragically taken from them by ghastlycrimes since our last Thanksgiving, as well as those whose hearts are heavyfrom grief, illness, loneliness, or financial stress, let us pray that Thanksgivingcan help them understand that good is never totally conquered or permanentlyextinguished. May they feel the comforting touch of God’s “tender mercies”(Psalm 145:9 et al.).

To varying degrees, all of us grapple at times with the problem of whetherthe glass is half empty or half full in our lives. Thanksgiving helps draw ourattention in the happier direction. When tempted to become depressed fromnews reports highlighting ugly incidents or hateful divisions in our society,we can console or even cheer ourselves by giving thanks for all the good thatsurrounds us.

Stop and think for a moment: The average American has a higher standardof living than all the European monarchs of the 19th and early 20th centuries.We can travel 70 miles per hour on smooth roads in climate-controlled com-fort with access to our favorite music or, via our cell phones, the ability to in-stantly contact friends almost anywhere in the world. We can fly acrosscountry in a few hours. Queen Victoria never had it so good!

What about the threat of conflict? Indeed, war is always a sobering topic,but as we learned on 9/11, while it takes a long time to build grand and mag-nificent buildings, it only takes minutes to destroy them.

That means that if humans warred with each other anywhere nearly as oftenas they peacefully cooperate with each other, the world would be coveredwith ruins.

Instead, the very fact that the world has thousands and thousands of citiesand towns, and that most of us live in comfortable, if modest, homes, is dailyproof that human beings do indeed spend far more time living in peace thanin war and engaged in constructive rather than destructive activity.

And since part of our Thanksgiving observance this Thursday will featurefootball as part of the cultural backdrop (Go, Lions!) let us hope that the spiritof Thanksgiving heals the discord that has resulted from some players protest-ing during the playing of the national anthem.

Many people have sworn off professional football because of players’ ac-tions, and I respect the principles of those patriotic Americans. As for me, Iam more inclined to view the national anthem controversy as a teaching mo-ment.

The players who have been protesting say they want a better America. Well,yes, who doesn’t? All of us, whatever our political orientation, want our coun-try to live up more fully to our national ideals and aspirations. We don’t wantto settle for the glass being only half full. And to those protesting players whogive generously of their time to their communities, thank you!

There is, however, a lesson to be learned here: If we use the national anthem

GUEST COMMENTARYGUEST COMMENTARYBy Dr. Mark Hendrickson

((continued on page 7)

The original caption for the above cartoon by Lester Kern in 1994 lamented the tired excuses some of ourpeople use to kill one another. Ironically...or not...these same excuses are being used today in 2017. As thesaying goes: “The more things change, the more they stay the same!”

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!The time has come

Where families galoreSit around the dinner table

Giving thanks, as they adoreThe people who matter The things appreciated

Each and every yearMore love is createdThe time has come

Where we sit and feastWe fellowship and thank God

For family peaceToo many timesToo many ways

Someone leave Earth too soonNot knowing the day

So, this yearAs we gather in laughs

As we catch up with loved onesWhether slow, or fast

Remember the momentsAnd specifically, the times

That they were there to comfort youIn laughs and in cries

Take nothing for granted It could all go so soon

Enjoy this HolidayHappy Thanksgiving to you!

Paishance welchMillennials Magic!

Milwaukee, theTime is Now

I love Milwaukee, just like I know many others do, Ihave had the opportunity to leave and move on but I havechosen to stay in my birth state and city, to help build in aplace. I was born watching us get destroyed. Being homegrown is also very special because it gives me and otherstrue ownership of our surroundings.

I guess that's why I often become upset when I see Mil-waukee always reaching outside of our city looking forhelp or something in other states to duplicate when wehave things and people right here who have the personali-ties, experience and visions to make things happen.

Politically it may be cool but in the hood, or the com-munities that I absorb and serve daily, they need to con-stantly see a reflection of themselves doing what's neededto be done in order to create a model of perfection andprogression. We need to break up the model of negativeperception.

We must work with what we have; the good and thebad, negative and positive currents. Our city suffers fromdivisions on all levels.

Everyone believes their answer is the magic one, whichconstantly causes more problems. One thing I wouldagree with when it comes to the cities that have brokenthe curse of ignorance, is that a group of more people, atdown, brainstormed and then they made it happen.

They probably didn't ask for permission. We haveeverything here, but not the will power to push forward.We must begin to offer more than just hope as a mentalescape, which often makes things worst, because when re-ality settles in, the hopes have yet to come.

Shortly after, anger and depression begins, which if ittook years to develop, it will take years to erase. This isjust like the problems before.

Another reason cannot afford to keep going backwardsor remaining stuck with obstacles, is because we would bepreventing our own growth. Let’s change this. The time isnow. --Torre M Johnson Sr./ XMENUNITED


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

Pauline RedmondCoggs Foundation,Inc. Hosts its 44thAnnual DebutanteCotillion Twenty young womenawarded thousands inscholarship dollars

The Pauline Redmond Coggs Foundation, Inc. an-nounces its 44th Annual Debutante Cotillion on Satur-day, November 25, 2017 at the Pfister Hotel. Twentyyoung women hailing from Milwaukee Public Schools(MPS) and surrounding districts will be awarded schol-arships by the foundation at its black tie event.

This is an annual celebration hosted by the PaulineRedmond Coggs Foundation, whose rich history isrooted in service and community impact. More than 500guests, this year, are expected to attend. 20 amazingyoung women, who are currently high school seniors,have engaged all summer in community service impactprojects, workshops and trainings, and fundraising ini-tiatives to round out their debutante experience.

“We are so very proud of the impact we’ve made onyoung women in greater Milwaukee through our signa-ture debutante cotillion. Our goal every year is for eachdebutante to emerge as a poised, self-confident and so-cially conscious young lady ready to follow her dreams,”said Dara Atandare, president, Pauline Redmond CoggsFoundation.

Debutantes receive a scholarship award based on theirfundraising efforts and successful completion of the pro-gram. To date, more than 800 young women have par-ticipated and been awarded over $200,000 in

scholarships.The 2017 Pauline Redmond Coggs Foundation’sDebutante Class includes:Kenady Beamon, Rufus King International High SchoolShilei Bell-Lipsey, Shorewood High SchoolJala Belser, Pius XI Catholic High SchoolAmaya Carter, Rufus King International High SchoolLyric Carter-Perry, Pius XI Catholic High SchoolAlexandrea English, Ronald Reagan High SchoolBritni Fletcher, Rufus King International High SchoolTamia Fowlkes, Divine Savior Holy Angels High SchoolJaelyn Green, Rufus King International High SchoolMiranda Ingram-Montgomery, Germantown High SchoolAdara Johnson, Pius XI Catholic High SchoolTatyana Lynn, Divine Savior Holy Angels High SchoolLaCandra McCray, Rufus King International High SchoolJada Mitchell, Rufus King International High SchoolHailey Moore, Rufus King International High SchoolWhitley Riley, Rufus King International High SchoolSeantee Salters, Hope Christian High SchoolPilar Sharp, Pius XI Catholic High SchoolKennedy Weston, Milwaukee High School of the ArtsTaylor Wright, Germantown High School

About Pauline RedmondCoggs Foundation, Inc.

The Pauline Redmond Coggs Foundation wasestablished in 1999 for charitable, educational andcommunity services.

Currently, the foundation has a target focus inthe areas of: education, health, Black families,economic empowerment, arts and leadership de-velopment. It serves as a vehicle for accepting,distributing and investing funds for scholarshipawards to help students further their educationalendeavors, community commitment, acts of char-ity and assistance to mankind in general.

For more information, visitwww.akaeko.org/foundation.

2017 FRESHCOAST CLASSIC &MEGA DRUMLINEREVIEW KICKSOFF THIS WEEK.

The 11th Annual Fresh Coast Classic (FCC) will takeplace this Thanksgiving weekend. The signature eventwill feature 26 Milwaukee-area high schools in a 13-game series being held this Thursday, November 24th andFriday, November 25th at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Klotsche Center, 3409 N. Downer Ave.

Fresh Coast Classic showcases the top Milwaukee CityConference high school basketball teams matched upagainst the top Southeastern Wisconsin suburban highschool basketball teams.

Fresh Coast Classic has featured notable players whohave advanced to collegiate and professional basketballleagues.

General admission for the tournament will be $8 forstudents and $10 for adults or $6 if only attending the

drumline competition. Tickets are available for purchaseby texting “fresh coast” to 31996 or visiting www.fresh-coastclassic.org .

The Fresh Coast Classic (FCC) will be held on Novem-ber 24th & 25th, 2017 at the UW-Milwaukee KlotscheCenter. The FCC supports education, family and commu-nity via a Thanksgiving Weekend Basketball Showcaseevent involving 26 of the top city and suburban schools,and a College/Resource Fair; connecting our commu-nity’s youth and families to valuable information and re-sources that can make the dream of pursing a collegeeducation a reality.

This year will be the Fresh Coast Classic’s 11th yearof operation. Within the last 10 years, FCC has awarded$45,000+ in scholarships and exposed over 15,000 stu-dents to the possibilities of a college education.

FCC is the premier Basketball tournament featuringboth Suburban and City players from the state of Wiscon-sin. The MPS Drumline Showcase has become a fan fa-vorite over the years and will take place on the 25th. Thisyear FCC is excited to have ESPN Milwaukee OnlinePersonality - Lance Allen serve as the MC for this year’sevent.

If you would like more information or to purchase tick-ets please contact the Fresh Coast Classic General Man-ager Russell Thomas 262-933-6397 or visitwww.freshcoastclassic.org

Milwaukee Public Schools contin-ues to make progress as shown on the2016-17 Wisconsin District ReportCard, increasing its overall scoreslightly as compared to the 2015-16report card.

The district remains in the MeetsFew Expectations category, but madeimprovement in priority areas meas-ured in the report card. Improve-ments were realized in both theStudent Growth and Closing Gapsareas.

While district progress toward On-Track and Postsecondary Readinessremained the same, the district didsee an uptick in the four-year gradu-ation rate and a decrease in thedropout rate. The four-year gradua-tion rate increased to 60.9 percent, upfrom 59.3 percent. The dropout ratedeclined to 5.1 percent in the 2016-17 school year compared to 5.7 per-cent the previous year.

"While we have improvements to

celebrate, the areas of attendance, ab-senteeism, and improving academicscontinue to be major challenges forthe district," said MPS Superintend-ent Darienne B. Driver. "We havebeen and continue to devote signifi-cant time and resources in these keyareas. We are focused on movingmore students from below basic tobasic and from basic to proficient."

More MPS schools SignificantlyExceed or Exceed Expectations thanin the 2015-16 school report cards.Four of the schools that failed tomeet expectations are now closed:Universal, New School for Commu-nity Service, BEAM, and Commu-nity High School.

Thirty-four schools moved up onecategory and 81 remained in thesame category as the previous year.Thirty-one schools declined one cat-egory as compared to last year's re-port cards.

For more information about efforts

MPS is engaged in to improve stu-dent achievement, visit the Initiatives& Strategic Planning section of theMPS website.

Read more about the MPS districtreport card here.

ConcordiaAdoptsProvost Structure

Concordia University Wisconsinwill alter its administrative structurein order to take a more cohesive ap-proach to the spectrum of studentsuccess, the Office of the Presidentannounced today.

Effective Jan. 1, Dr. William Cariowill step into the new role of Provostand Chief Academic Officer, and willlead the university’s academics andadmissions efforts. Cario has helmedthe university’s academics successsince 2007, but with the provost po-sition creation he will now assumeresponsibility for the whole range ofstudent experience.

“I am excited about this opportu-nity to develop a more seamless ap-proach to student experience,” Cariosaid.

“Students can expect to be chal-lenged in the classroom, but theyshouldn’t have to be challenged sign-ing up for the class. We want takeaway any barriers students mighthave in reaching their full academicpotential.”

Serving under Cario will be threevice provosts, and Concordia haspromoted three current employees tothe new roles.

Dr. Michael Uden (’89, ’96) willvacate his position as Dean of Con-cordia’s School of Education—a po-sition he has held since 2008—toaccept the role of Vice Provost ofStudent Enrollment and Engagement.

In his new role, Uden will have twoprimary responsibilities: to overseethe admissions process across theuniversity, tying it into otherprocesses; and to develop and imple-ment a vision for a seamless studentexperience from prospective studentsto alumni.

“I am most humbled and eager forthe opportunity to serve Concordia inthis new capacity,” Uden said. “Itwill be phenomenally exciting tolearn and collaborate with such a tal-ented and dedicated team in order tounderstand and fulfill the needs andexpectations of Concordians, bothnew and existing.

The mission of this university ismore relevant than ever, and it is aprivilege to be Christ’s ambassadorsin this place.”

Serving as Vice Provost of FacultyAffairs will be Dr. Leah Dvorak, whohas served as Assistant Vice Presi-dent of Academics under Cario since2011.

The new role will add responsibil-ities pertaining to faculty affairs toher plate.

Currently, she solely manages fac-ulty development.

Rounding out the vice provost triois Dr. Bernard Bull, who has led Con-cordia’s online, distance, and center

programs since 2011. As Vice Provost of Curriculum and

Academic Innovation, Bull will leadthe university’s teaching efforts andwill coordinate with the university’sacademic deans to ensure studentsare met with high-quality, mission-driven learning experiences and aca-demic programs.

A search for a new dean for theSchool of Education will be under-way soon. University administratorshope to have an interim dean in placeby Jan. 1 and a permanent replace-ment hired by July 1.

Over the summer, University Pres-(continued on page 7)

MPS shows slight improvementon latest state report cardDistrict sees uptick in key areas

STUDY: Schools notprepared to respond to teendating violence incidents

Preventing and responding to incidents of teen dating violence is not a highpriority for most American schools, even though the majority of high schoolshave assisted survivors, says a new study from Ball State University.

"Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence: A National Study ofSchool Principals' Perspectives and Practices”published in Violence and Gen-der, is based on a national survey of high school principals.

This research found a majority (76 percent) of the school principals re-ported that they did not have a protocol in their schools to respond to an in-cident of teen dating violence. About 57 percent of school principals said thatthey had assisted a survivor of teen dating violence in the past two years. Dis-ciplinary action against perpetrators of teen dating violence was sanctionedby 27 percent principals only.

“The lack of formal protocol is a key element in assisting student survivorsof teen dating violence,” said Jagdish Khubchandani, a community health ed-ucation professor in Ball State's College of Health and author of the study.

“School principals also perceived that dating violence is a minor issue and‘we are not here to deal with dating problems,’” he said “Some principalswho wanted to help victims of dating violence reported personnel shortagein their schools and that faculty and staff don’t have good training and skills.”

About 62 percent of respondents also said training to assist survivors ofdating violence has not been provided to personnel in their schools in the lasttwo years, and 68 percent of responding principals had never been formallytrained and educated on issues related to teen dating violence.


“Holiday Lites”Display Returnsto Brighten theMiller Valley thisHoliday Season

For the 13th consecutive year, theMillerCoors Holiday Lites displaywill once again transform Miller Val-ley at the MillerCoors MilwaukeeBrewery during the month of De-cember.

Nearly 600,000 lights synchro-nized to holiday music will light upthe area.

This year’s display, the largest ofits kind in the Midwest, also will fea-ture more than 1,300 feet of garlandand a beer keg tree comprised of 225barrels.

Visitors to Holiday Lites will re-ceive a free brewery mini-tour, spe-cial giveaways and discounts at theGirl in the Moon Brewery Shop. Vis-itors age 21 and older can samplebeer at the end of the tour.

The tradition of lighting up MillerValley during the holidays began inthe 1950’s and was revitalized in2005 as part of Miller Brewing Com-pany’s 150th anniversary.

“Holiday Lites has become a fa-vorite holiday tradition for Miller-Coors and Milwaukee,” said TamiGarrison, MillerCoors communityaffairs manager.

“This year visitors have an extraweekend to enjoy the show and weand encourage them to come out withtheir families and celebrate the holi-days with us in Miller Valley.”

The Holiday Lites show takesplace each Friday and Saturday dur-ing December, beginning Friday, De-cember 1, and running throughSaturday, December 23.

Shows run every 20 minutes, be-ginning at 4:40 p.m. until 9 p.m.(CST) at the Miller Brewery VisitorCenter, located at 42nd and State.

In addition to the Lite Show, theVisitor Center will offer special dis-counts and giveaways to visitors fol-lowing the tours.

Visitors are encouraged to bring anew, unwrapped toy to donate toToys-For-Tots or a non-perishable


The first season brought mediocre ratings, but slowly the show’s audiencegrew until it became one of television’s highest rated dramas. It lasted until2003.

“Through her life and work she touched and inspired the lives of millionsof people. She was a mother to me and I had the privilege of working withher side by side for so many years on ‘Touched By An Angel,'” RomaDowney wrote in a statement. “I know heaven has a brand new angel thisday.”

She had been ordained by the Chicago-based Universal Foundation for Bet-ter Living, and when co-star Downey got married, Reese performed the cer-emony.

Reese’s singing career also began in church, when she joined the juniorgospel choir at the Olivet Baptist Church in her hometown of Detroit. Soonshe was singing at other churches, at civic events and on the radio.

When Mahalia Jackson, known as The Queen of Gospel Music, came toDetroit, she needed a singer to replace a member of her troupe. She turned toReese, who was only 13.

Jackson was so impressed by the teenager’s voice that she enlisted her fora summer tour, and Reese went on to tour with her for five summers. In lateryears she would remark that she would never forget what she learned fromthe legendary gospel singer, including “how to communicate with peoplethrough song.”

Reese is survived by her husband, Franklin Lett, and three children.

ident Rev. Patrick T. Ferry, PhD, charged a task force beformed to evaluate the governance structure of the uni-versity. A group of Concordia employees began meetingto research best practices of other universities and strate-gize a feasible structure.

“As a university, we continuously strive to respondwith deftness and flexibility to the present and anticipated

future challenges within the higher education landscape,”Ferry said. “Challenges such as changing demographicsand the national debt concern among college graduatescause us to diligently assess our offerings in order to meetthe needs of today’s learners. I’m confident that with therefocused leadership of Dr. Bill Cario and his team, wewill make strides towards achieving a better model toserve our students.”

(continued from page 6)Concordia Adopts Provost Structure

as an occasion to protest because something isn’t rightyet, the protests will never end. That is because as longas fallible human beings are involved, perfect justice willelude us.

But the good news is this: As Americans, we alreadyhave the freedom to work for the better society and worldwe all desire. As my Pop would have said, “There aren’tany hooks in our backsides” keeping us from forgingahead and working for improvements.

So, when our country’s national anthem is played, mayall of us, players and fans, feel so much gratitude that wehave the liberty to strive to make a difference that we areproud to stand and honor our flag during the playing ofthe national anthem.

That is what we can all celebrate during the nationalanthem – not that we have solved all our country’s prob-lems, but that our country provides us with the freedom

to work toward those solutions.Since Thanksgiving has its roots as a religious holiday,

let me close by borrowing some wisdom from the bookof Ecclesiastes and adapting the wording to the NFL/na-tional anthem flap: “To every thing there is a season”(Eccl. 3:1) – a time for gratitude and a time for protest, atime for football and a time to work for a better America.

And on this Thanksgiving, as we give thanks for ourfamilies, our freedom, our country, for our God and Sav-ior, and for our earthly blessings, let those of us for whomour glass is more than half full – perhaps even to the ex-tent that our “cup runneth over” (Ps. 23:5) – go one stepfurther.

Let us remember those who are going through toughtimes as a result of cruel loss.

May our prayers and actions give them a gentle assur-ance that they are not alone and that their future Thanks-givings will be brighter.

(continued from front page)

Singer, actress Della Reese passes

(continued from page 5)Thanksgiving Day thoughts, 2017

The study also found:• The most common method of responding to a survivor of teen dating vi-

olence was referral to a school counselor, calling the parents and guardiansor referral to legal authorities and police.

• School principals who received formal training on teen dating violenceand perceived dating violence to be a serious problem were significantly morelikely to assist survivors of dating violence.

• The majority of school principals could not answer four out of nine knowl-edge questions related to teen dating violence.

• Most schools do not post information on teen dating violence that is easilyand publicly available to students.

• Most of the principals believe that school counselors have a major role inassisting survivors of teen dating violence, but did not believe that healthteachers or students have a major role in assisting survivors.

Khubchandani points out that the study is the first national assessment ofthe role of school principals in preventing and responding to teen dating vi-olence.

(continued from page 6)

Schools not prepared to respond to teen dating violence incidents

www.milwaukeecommunityjournal.com

would be poor.After carefully considering the options, we made the

most difficult decision of our lives, deciding it was in ourson’s best interest to remove the ventilator and let him gopeacefully to live with Jesus.

On July 31, at 7 p.m., the doctors placed our son in myarms and took out his breathing tube, and he peacefullypassed away.

After our son passed away, we wanted to create alegacy for him.

His life was short, but it surely was meaningful, andwe will always be proud to be his parents.

We donated his brain, brain stem, heart and part of hislungs to research. I also donated all of my breast milk tothe Mothers Milk Bank of Ohio. I pumped milk for eightweeks, providing enough milk for more than 3,200 feed-ings for babies in seven different NICUs across three dif-ferent states.

Chris and I also started the Angel Baby Network, a sup-port organization that connects families to each other andto community resources as those families walk throughthe loss of a child. We became family advisory membersfor Cradle Cincinnati, which focuses on reducing infantmortality.

I joined the board for the Starshine Hospice, the onlyhospice in Southwest Ohio dedicated to helping termi-nally ill children and their families.

In September, 2016, I testified in front of the Health

and Human Services Committee at the Ohio Statehouseon behalf of a bill that will reduce infant mortality. Blackbabies in the state of Ohio die at a rate that is three timesas great as the majority population, so the law, whichwent into effect in April, will make a long-lasting impact.

Chris and I will celebrate six years of marriage laterthis month, and we continue to look ahead to what Godhas in store for us.

As my husband says, “Everyone has to go through therain at some point, and we’ve decided to walk throughthe rain with faith.”

We’ve chosen to stand together and to stand with God,and that simple choice has made all the difference.

One of my favorite quotes is, “Life is 10 percent ofwhat happens to you and 90 percent of how you respondto it.”

Our response has been to bounce back stronger everytime life has tried to knock us down.

Danielle and Christopher Jones are a fun-loving cou-ple who make sure to laugh every day. They have weath-ered a variety of storms throughout their lives, all whileholding on to their faith in God and their love for eachother.

Founders of the Angel Baby Network, Chris andDanielle are passionate about supporting families whohave endured child loss, and they seek to inspire otherswith their story, As Sure As Tomorrow Comes: One Cou-ple’s Journey through Loss and Love (KiCam Projects,2017).


How Ikept faithafter losingmy baby boy



Free Helpwith HealthInsurance Decisions OfferedFirst three Fridays inDecember available forconsults

Buying health insurance can bechallenging. So many choices, levelsand decisions. Free help with under-standing and selecting a plan will beavailable on Fridays, Dec. 1, 8 and15, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., at St. Ann Centerfor Intergenerational Care-BucyrusCampus, 2450 W. North Ave.

An insurance expert with the Wis-consin Association of Free & Chari-table Clinics will answer questionsand explain health insurance choices,including state and local programsand the marketplace set up by the Af-fordable Care Act.

People currently uninsured can re-ceive help enrolling in either Medi-caid/BadgerCare, Medicare or a planwithin the marketplace, dependingon their income level.

He can also answer questionsabout eligibility or insurance terms,and offer options for people who arelosing coverage or have had a life-changing event.

People are asked to come to thehelp sessions with a list of their med-ications and doctors and their esti-mated income.

Those not born in the U.S. shouldbring immigration documents, suchas a permanent resident card or natu-ralization certificate to photocopy at

the time of application.If you would like to reserve a time

for insurance consultation, call 920-707-1423.

Here is some key information forpeople who purchase health insur-

ance on their own rather than gettingit through an employer:

• Open enrollment in states usingthe federal marketplace continuesuntil Dec. 15 for coverage that startsJan. 1, 2018.

• People who qualify for tax creditsto help pay for premiums or subsidiesto lower their deductibles and co-payments will receive them.

• Marketplace insurance will con-tinue to offer comprehensive cover-age and cannot reject someone due topre-existing medical conditions.

• At least one insurer will offermarketplace coverage in every sign-up area.

• Selecting a health plan will beeven more important this year forpeople who get subsidized coverageso they can avoid being automati-cally enrolled in a plan they don’tlike. Auto-renewal date is expectedto be Dec. 16, the day after open en-rollment ends.

Pick ‘n Save ShowsSupport for NationalAdoption Month

Pick ‘n Save, the largest of four grocery banners of Roundy’s Supermarkets,Inc. with nearly 100 locations across the state of Wisconsin, is proud to an-nounce that it is a supporter of National Adoption Month.

This fall Pick ‘n Save produced a truly memorable Thanksgiving commer-cial that highlights the importance it places on family and togetherness. In aneffort to further spread awareness about the significance of adoption and showsupport for adoptive families, Pick ‘n Save was also a proud sponsor of Mil-waukee Adoption Day and will also be providing Thanksgiving dinners toseveral adoptive families in the Milwaukee area. As many of the families re-ceiving holiday meals are celebrating their first Thanksgivings with theiradopted children, Pick ‘n Save sought to make their first holiday together atruly memorable occasion by providing them with a Thanksgiving dinner.

“Pick ‘n Save is an integral part of the communities we serve.” said JamesHyland, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for Roundy’sSupermarkets, Inc., “Thanksgiving is a time of year reserved for family gath-erings, togetherness and giving thanks. It is a day to focus on goodwill. Pick‘n Save is delighted to be a part of these adoptive families first Thanksgivingcelebration together.”

Through its support of National Adoption Month, and numerous other phil-anthropic activities, Pick ‘n Save’s leadership and commitment to the com-munities it serves has never been stronger. . Pick ‘n Save is truly WisconsinProud!

food item for Hunger Task Force. We will also be collecting small used elec-tronics such as phones and tablets that will be donated to Goodwill’s eCycleprogram.

This year, MillerCoors is partnering with Clearwing Productions and GMRMarketing on the Holiday Lites show. More information can be found by vis-iting www.millercoors.com or by calling 414-931-BEER (2337) locally or800-944-LITE.

(continued from page 7)“Holiday Lites”

We see it on television,magazine ads and movies —a table covered with deliciousfood, a perfectly decoratedhouse, and family and friendslaughing together in the glowof a warm fire.

Unrealistic expectations canlead to the “holiday blues,” whichoften begins before Thanksgivingand lasts until after the first of theyear, according to Ellen Lucas,associate director of Ball State'sCounseling Center.

She points out other factorscontributing to holiday stress: theloss of a job or house, a friend orrelative unable to come home orgrief for someone who recentlydied.

In addition, people frequentlyexperience seasonal affective dis-order (SAD) and feel more de-pressed due to the cold, gloomydays of winter, she said.

So what can you do? Lucas has10 ideas:

1. Set realistic expectations andaccept that no holiday gatheringis perfect.

2. Make a holiday budget andstick to it.

3. Express your feelings. Writein a journal or talk to someoneyou trust.

4. Make a plan and realisticallystructure your time.

5. Reach out to other people.Volunteer through your commu-nity or church.

6. Watch your alcohol con-sumption; alcohol is a depressant.

7. Exercise. Take a walk, do re-sistance training or do yoga. Thiswill help release endorphins, the

natural opiates in our brains.8. Stick to your usual eating

habits. Plan what you will eat be-fore going to gatherings so youdon’t overeat.

9. Don’t compare yourself toothers. You don’t need to have thebest light display in the neighbor-hood or the best party or give themost expensive presents.

10. Think about what is the

most important part of the holi-days for you and focus on whatthe holidays mean to you.

Lucas advises those who havefeelings of depression lastingmore than two weeks to seek pro-fessional attention. Symptoms in-clude a disturbance in sleeping oreating, an inability to concentrateand feeling hopeless andworth-less.

Or do we need the young people, who are already a part of this age group,to somehow make it cool to be smart and get good grades? Do we need morekids to open their own businesses? Do we need more young people willingto get out here on these streets, protesting to “Stop the Stollies,” like BiancaWilliams did?

These are just a few ideas that come to my mind when I think of how wecan stop this movement. I know we can’t reach every single child, but whatif we could make an impact on those who they look up to as “cool” what willhappen then? Or do we just continue to blame our youth?

--LaShawnda S. Wilkins


From Thrill to Tragedy: How Do We Stop the Stollies?

getting to act like children.” So, how can we grant black children their childhood? Unfortu-

nately, dismantling the roots of racism and its effects on the dehu-manization of Black children can be described as a difficult task.What we can do, is continue to call out injustices where and whenwe can. Confronting others who are contributing to the often-inac-curate portrayal of Black children as adults when in connection witha crime is one way of doing this. By holding each other accountablefor partaking in harmful generalizations and offering to educate,we can help with decreasing these injustices.

--Sarah Thomas


Opinion: When Blackchildren are not Kids

10 waysto beat theholidayblues


Africa and the Diaspora show out at 2017 Holiday Folk FairPHOTPHOTOPOP

The sights andsounds of theAfrican Motherlandwere on full displayduring the recentHoliday Folk Fair In-ternational held inthe Exposition Cen-ter on the groundsof State Fair Park inWest Allis.

The Bahamasgroup “Immerse”showed visitors theauthenic Bahamianexperience withtheir unique sound.

African dancersand drummers alsoperformed.--Photosby Cy White

Two of the three members of Bahamian group Immerse performing.

African dancers performing atthe Holiday Folk Fair

Immerse

Dancers performing to thesounds of the Bahamiangroup Immerse

pulsepulseof theof the communitycommunity...thanksgiving with my family.” aerion steward “i plan...

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