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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

VOL. XLII Number 42 May 8, 2019COFFEE MAKES U BLACK STILL OPEN DURING STREET CONSTRUCTION! PG. 7

HABARIHABARIGANIGANI??(What’s The News?)Nat’l News Briefs

Photos and question by Yvonne Kemp

PULSE O

F THE COMMUNITY

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: QUESTION OF THE WEEK: “Do you believe the expansion of the city’s streetcar“Do you believe the expansion of the city’s streetcar(‘The Hop’) up Martin Luther King Drive (Bronzeville area) will lead to greater eco(‘The Hop’) up Martin Luther King Drive (Bronzeville area) will lead to greater eco--

nomic development for that part of the Black community? Why or why not?”nomic development for that part of the Black community? Why or why not?”“I think The Hopwill help to in-crease the eco-nomicdevelopment inthe Black com-munity becausethe MLK area isslowly being upgraded. More busi-nesses are coming forward!”

LORRAINE GILL

“Yes, the MLKarea is on therise. A lot ofgreat businessesare in this area.Economic devel-opment willcome aroundslowly, but it has great potential!”

JAMESGILL

“This would be agreat economicdevelopment forour Bronzevillearea. With thenew businesseson MLK Drive, itcan only help!”

DALILAHWILLIAMS

“With ‘The Hop’going north onDr. MLK Drive, itcovers a lot ofgreat businessesfrom the FiservForum to Mal-one’s (Sausages)and to all of the other businesses onMLK Drive. This is a no brainer!”

DUANEADAMS

SURVEY:Majority of Black MKEresidents support educational options

An overwhelming majority of Black Milwaukeeans support educationaloptions and have unfavorable opinions of the public school system, a newsurvey specifically conducted of likely African American voters has revealed.

The unprecedented survey also reveals crime and violence are the top con-cerns of Black voters, taking precedence over jobs and health care.

Education is a distant fourth, followed by infrastructure (improvements).The survey, of which the Community Journal was able to secure a copy of,

was conducted by a nationally recognized data collection firm, RemingtonResearch Group. The Community Journal was provided the survey data by athird party. Over 800 likely African American voters were surveyed, and thedata was broken down by aldermanic districts, income and education.

Interestingly, while 55% of the survey participants believe per pupil spend-ing on K-12 education in Milwaukee was too low, that percentage decreasedamong lower income participants, despite the fact that a majority of local stu-dents are economically disadvantaged.

Higher income Black Milwaukeeans generally believe per pupil spendingwas too low.

The survey responses on education may not arouse a response from localeducrates who seem apathetic to the concerns of African Americans, but datashowing strong unfavorable opinions of MPS may provide the excuse stateRepublican lawmakers need to justify continued discussions about revamping

Alika Hope, a resident ofConnecticut, has beennamed Ms. New EnglandAmerica 2019 by the Ms.America® pageant, Inc.Alika is co-founder andpresident of “The Ray ofHope Project,” which workswith organizations acrossthe U.S. to address issuesof social justice throughmusic and dialogue. Hope holds a B.A. from theUniversity of Notre Dame and M.A. from ColumbiaUniversity. She is a soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc.Hope is an actress and singer who has performednationally. She’s a co-host of “CT Perspective TV”which airs on a Fox affiliate. As Ms. New EnglandAmerica 2019, Hope is available to sing the Na-tional Anthem and God Bless America at communityand sports events upon request.

—Source:blacknews.com

First Black Woman CrownedMs. New England America

Common says he was molested as child in memoir

Rapper and activist Common is opening up forthe first time about a painful childhood memory thatactress Laura Dern recently helped him recall whileworking on his newly released memoir “Let LoveHave the Last Word.”

The Grammy and Oscar-winning artist shares ahaunting memory of being molested by a familyfriend. It was only two years ago, while workshop-ping a scene from the 2018drama feature The Tale, withhis love interest, Jennifer,(Dern), that the disturbingmemory suddenly cameback to him. Common, nowremembers being 9 or 10-years-old on a family tripwith his mother, godmother,Barbara; her son and hisgodbrother Skeet; and hisrelative, who he calls “Bran-don.” During a overnight stay at his aunt’s house,Common and Brandon had to share a bed. “Atsome point I felt Brandon’s hand on me,” he writes.“I pushed him away. I don’t remember saying awhole lot besides ‘No, no, no.’”

Despite his pleads and resistance, his abuserwould not stop, pulling down the young Common’sshorts and molesting him. When his cousin askedhim to perform on him, Common said “no” andpushed him away. “I felt a deep and sudden shamefor what happened.”

Common says he “buried” the traumatic moment“as a matter of survival.” The rapper is still workingthrough the resurfaced memories with a therapist.He hasn’t seen his alleged abuser in over 25 years— but has forgiven him.

“I want to be a person who helps break cycles ofviolence,” he writes. “This is love in action and I in-tend to practice it.”—Source: thegrio.com

Alika Hope

Common

Ayanna Pressley and Cory Booker Introduce Bill to Prevent Pregnancy-Related Deaths Among Black Women

Just days before Mother’s Day, MassachuesettsCongresswoman Ayanna Pressley recently unveiledlegislation aimed at tackling America’s rising maternalmortality rates, particularly among Black mothers,among whom death rates re-lated to childbirth and preg-nancy are highest.

Called the “Maximizing Out-comes for Moms through Med-icaid Improvement andEnhancement of Services,” or“MOMMIES Act,” comprisestwo bills: Pressley’s legislation,which will be brought throughthe House, and a companion bill from New JerseySenator and presidential candidate Cory Booker,which he reintroduced this week.

“Maternal justice is about ensuring that every mom-to-be is listened to and treated with dignity and respectduring and after childbirth,” Pressley said in a release.“The MOMMIES Act would do just that by promoting acommunity-based, holistic approach to maternal carethat recognizes current disparities in healthcare andcritical environmental factors impacting communities.”

The MOMMIES Act would also increase women’saccess to primary care and women’s health providers,and includes increased access to community doulaand midwife care, which some studies have showncan reduce high-risk (cesarean and preterm) births.

—Source: theRoot.com

Ayanna Pressley

By Mikel Holt

(continued on page 7)

Elder Annette Lewis and her husband Minister Gregory Lewis (far left, and second fromleft respectfully) of Pastor’s United pose with recipients of the faith organization’s awardsat its annual dinner gala and awards banquet held recently at Abundant Faith Church ofIntegrity, 7830 W. Good Hope Road. The recipients are (left to right front row): Sheila Pay-ton (winner of the Nathan Conyers Lifetime Service Award), Ald. Milele Coggs (LeadershipAward), Wisconsin Black Historical Society/Museum founder Clayborn Benson, III (Lead-ership Award); Ald. Russell Stamper, II (Leadership Award), State Rep. Kalan Haywood,II (keynote speaker); (left to right back row): William “Earl” Butler (Leadership Award), andbrothers Vedale and Darrel Hill (Cultural Arts Award). The late journalist Gregory Stanfordwas posthumously honored with the Cultural Arts Award. He was the co-owner of AzyhaFine Art Gallery. —Photo by Yvonne Kemp

Milwaukee Brewers stars Christian Yelich and Ryan Braun lead their teamscelebration after beating the New York Mets at Miller Park recently. TheBrewers are currently in the midst of a nine game winning streak.—Photo by Yvonne Kemp

Employ Milwaukee CEOWillie Wade steps down admidst fraud charges

Employ Milwaukee CEO Willie Wadehas been placed on leave after it waslearned he is under investigation for al-legedly accepting a $30,000 bribe froma downtown strip club. Wade is accusedof falsely negotiating on behalf of anunnamed Milwaukee alderman.

The bribe was allegedly in exchange for secur-ing an affirmative vote for licenses to allow SilkExotic Strip Clubs to open a new downtownvenue.

According to an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in the EasternDistrict of Wisconsin Wednesday, Wade has been charged with three countsof wire fraud.

Sources note between April and May of 2017, more than a year prior to hisappointment as Employ Milwaukee’s CEO (succeeding Earl Buford), Wadeallegedly conducted a plot to defraud a representative of Silk Exotic stripclubs as that business was seeking licensing for the downtown location. Thatlocation opened in 2018.

The indictment reveals Wade, a former Milwaukee alderman, claimed tobe working on behalf of an unnamed city alderman and accepted $30,000from the Silk representative purportedly in exchange for the support of thealderman, who the indictment notes was unaware of what Wade was doing.

It has been learned the unnamed alderman is Khalif Rainey. He was iden-tified in a sealed affidavit as “Alderman B.” The affidavit was in support ofa federal search warrant, which was filed in April 2017.

Compiled by MCJ Editorial Staff

Wade

(continued on page 7)

Faith group presents awards for leadership, service, the arts

These 11 young ladies recently received scholarships fromthe North Central Service Club, Inc. during its 44th annualscholarship luncheon, held at the Four Points Sheraton-Milwaukee North, 8900 N. Kildeer Court in Brown Deer.They are front row seated, left to right: Kia Williams (Wash-ington), Mia Rimmer (Rufus King), Darkiria Davis (North),I’zariah Ali (Messmer), Endia Anthony (Marshall); standing,left to right: Aaliya Evans (Vincent), Dione Javius (Hamilton),Samiah Taylor (High School of the Arts), Jamiya Washington(Golda Meir), Nia Collins (Pulaski), and Ceria McGlothian (Ronald Reagan). Notpictured is Malyun Ali (Bradley Tech). —Photos by Yvonne Kemp

North Central Service Club scholarship winners

THECREWNOTCHESANOTHERHOMEWIN!

The Milwaukee Community Journal May 8, 2019 Page 2

MHSI and MolinaHealthcare tohost “LullabyCommunity BabyShower” May 11

Milwaukee Health Servicesm Inc. (MHSI) andMolina Healthcare will host “Lullaby CommunityBaby Shower to Highlight Mother’s Day” Saturday,May 11. The event will take place at the MLK Her-itage Health Center location at 2555 N. MLK Drivefrom 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Special guest will include Black Health Coalitionof Wisconsin (BHCW) President Dr. Patricia Mc-

Manus, comedian Kelly Kellz, singer Jackie Cald-well, DJ Cheerio and Jammin 98.3 Radio personal-ity Andrea Williams.

Participants will have the opportunity to receiveimmunizations, and screenings for lead, breast andcervical cancer, and dental.

Educational sessions will be available on safesleep, infant mortality, fatherhood involvement, carseat installation, Vroom, nutrition and breast feed-ing.

Exhibitors, representing community-based healthand social services agencies will be attending theevent. MHSI’s physicians, clinicians and benefit co-ordinator will be on hand to answer health and in-surance related questions.

The community baby shower has attracted com-munity support through monetary donations, as wellas baby clothes and larger items that will be raffledat the end of the event for those moms and dads at-tending. Healthy foods and beverages will be servedat the event.

MHSI is a Federally Qualified Health Centerworking to reduce infant mortality rates in the cen-tral city and serves patients and their families bypromoting education and participating in supportiveservices that focus on reducing health disparities.

The mission of MHSI is to provide accessible,quality primary and related health care services toMilwaukee residents, with the continuing emphasison medically-underserved families and individuals.MHSI provides quality healthcare services throughtwo sites; the Martin Luther King, Jr. HeritageHealth Center at 2555 N. Dr. Martin Luther KingDrive and Isaac Coggs Heritage Health Center at8200 W. Silver Spring Drive.

“COME JOIN OUR TEAM!”MCSO is Seeking Applicants for Correctional Officer Positions

During National Corrections Officers Week, takingplace now until May 11th, the Milwaukee County Sher-iff’s Office (MCSO) is encouraging members of the com-munity, including residents from communities of color,to apply for the position of Correctional Officer.

Successful candidates should expect to be assigned toone of three shifts and work some holidays, weekends,and overtime.

Individuals must successfully complete our trainingprogram and be at least 19 years of age.

Successful candidates should possess a high schooldiploma or equivalent and be of good moral character.College course work in law enforcement, criminal justice,psychology, sociology, education or social work is pre-ferred.

Persons convicted of a felony and not pardoned, willnot be considered for appointment. The starting salary is$18.53 to $21.29 per hour plus benefits. For additionalinformation and to apply visit our website athttps://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Sheriff.

President Ronald Reagan was the first president to rec-ognize the great and sometimes extremely difficult workof those in the corrections profession. Correction officersare critical to the day to day operations of correctional fa-cilities.

On May 5, 1984 Reagan issued Proclamation 5187, asNational Corrections Officers Week.

The Milwaukee Community Journal May 8, 2019 Page 3

Local students to beawarded the Milwaukee’s FinestScholarship at City Hall

On Friday, May 17, at 6:30 p.m., The Mil-waukee’s Finest Scholarship Foundation(MFSF), in partnership with several local busi-nesses and community organizations, will awardgraduating seniors with the Milwaukee’s FinestScholarship in the amount of $1,000 each.

Nearly 100 students applied to be a Milwau-kee’s Finest Scholar, but only 15 students were

selected, making it one of the most competitivescholarships in Milwaukee County this year.

“As a Milwaukee native who graduated fromMilwaukee Public Schools in 2013, I’ve wit-nessed first hand the lack of financial resourcesfor deserving students who desire an educationafter their high school career,” explained JerelBallard, Founder of Milwaukee’s Finest.

“It’s important that we continue to uplift foun-dations like Milwaukee’s Finest to encourageour youth regardless of their zip code or finan-cial status.”

Students were selected by a Scholarship Re-view Panel consisting of local parents, educa-tors, college students, and business owners.

During the ceremony, honored students willreceive a signature glass award with their name

engraved on it, a congratulatory certificate fromthe Mayor of Milwaukee, the scholarship mon-etary award, and the title of being selected as a2019 Milwaukee’s Finest Scholar.

The Office of the Mayor will present the Mil-waukee’s Finest Scholarship Foundation with aproclamation during the award ceremony. Thisevent is free and open to the public.About the scholarshipFounded in 2016 by Jerel Ballard at the age of

21, The Milwaukee’s Finest Scholarship Foun-dation has grown tremendously throughout theCity of Milwaukee.

Since its inception, more than $30,000 havebeen allocated towards scholarships for studentswho come from low-income backgrounds. Theaverage donor for the foundation is only $25.

NATIONWIDE — Jerald LeVonHoover is the published author of aYoung Adult (YA) title, one of a fewbooks targeted toward young Blackand Brown boys ages 12 and up, MyFriend, My Hero.

This novella has become a staple,as recommended reading in elemen-tary through high schools across thecountry and around the world.

That is a distinct honor Hoovershares with a short list of African-American male YA authors includ-ing: Walter Dean Myers, KevinPowell, Kwame Alexander, andRalph Burgess.

My Friend, My Hero is celebratingits 25th anniversary with a commem-orative edition that includes an ad-dendum of book discussion questionsand now available; a full curriculumwith a companion Student SuccessGuidebook, Teacher’s Guide, andUnit Assessments containing lessonplans.

The goal is to promote Social andEmotional Learning (SEL) in theclassroom by providing strategies forstudents to make better choices andgaining much needed confidence tosupport unleashing their inner great-ness.

Hoover states, “Exposing Blackand Brown children to a barrage ofnegative imagery and expecting theirpositive self-image to remain intactis ridiculous, insensitive, unjust, andunfair.”

Hoover then adds, “Young Blackand Brown men are focused, gifted,driven, intelligent, and masterful at ahost of other talents besides rap

music and competitive sports; ofwhich carries no shame, but we haveother skill sets of significant influ-ence.

We are men of honor and integrity,regardless of whether we are borninto poverty or wealth. But how canyoung Black and Brown men, or menof any race for that matter, definethemselves and live up to their fullpotential if they only receive dis-torted representations?”

Hoover continues, “My Friend,My Hero is intended for ALLYOUTH (race and gender), but Igave the spotlight to young, Blackand Brown males because of the direneed for young Black and Brownmen to have access to more positiverepresentations of themselves towhich they can relate.”

Celebrating 25 years in print, MyFriend, My Hero, is the first in theacclaimed The Hero book series byJerald LeVon Hoover. Other titles areHe Was My Hero, Too, A HopefulHero, and Hoop Hero. The novellatook nine years to get published afterforty rejections and sixty drafts.

About the BookBennett Wilson has the world at

his fingertips as one of the top bas-ketball players in New York Statewho is destined to lead Mount Ver-non High School to the state champi-onship for the first time.

Many of the nation’s top collegesare already reaching out, eager tosign him to their roster. Scholarshipsare guaranteed.

Still young, Bennett is used to fan-

fare and eagerly anticipating his riseto fame and fortune. Yet, all is not asit appears.

Strife and difficulties plague Ben-nett’s personal life. Growing up inMount Vernon, he is the son of a sin-gle mother and the oldest of three,sharing a tiny apartment in the toughinner-city projects. Life is a struggle.Bennett knows his ticket to freedomis through basketball and academicexcellence.

hanks to the support of his loyalfriend Kirby and a budding romancewith Tara, he pursues his dreams andrefuses to get caught up in the fastlife of the streets.

Things change when Bennettlearns his mother’s health is failing.She has fallen far behind on the rent,and they face eviction. The weight ofresponsibility falls on Bennett’sshoulders, just as trouble and thetroublemakers appear. Fast moneyseems to be the only option. WillBennett try to help his family andrisk ruining his future? Will Bennettfinally succumb to the dangers andtemporary comfort of the street lifehe has fought so hard to avoid? Andif he give in, what will it cost him?

Purchase the book on Amazon orlearn more at https://theherobook-series.com

Powerful Book For Young Black BoysCelebrates 25 Years With a Pledge toGet 1 Million New Readers

Is Your TweenReady for a Cell Phone?Children these days are so lucky. With so many

fancy gadgets that come out on a regular, it’s almostimpossible to keep tabs on it all. What’s even moreharder (at least for me) is having to front the bill onmost of these electronic devices.

Now-a-days, children seem to have these items right at their fingertips.Whether it be an iPad, iPod, cell phone, tablet or laptop, these little devicesare essential to this current generation’s existence.

So, when it comes to rules and responsibilities with having such innovativegadgets, how are you enforcing the safety and responsibility of your child’susage? Of course, you don’t want to crowd their space with their phones andcomputers, but there has to be some sort of boundary, if there isn’t one al-ready. Putting these rules and responsibilities in place can be very beneficialto your child’s self-discipline. Since phones can be tempting with social mediaand music apps a little regulation is also healthy for your tween’s overall well-being, which is why its important to guide them through their first phone.

If you remember briefly in MCJ’s 2018 The Year of the Child, we brokedown, what some people don’t realize is very important in a child’s growthprocess, the brain development. The brain is obviously one of the most im-portant component’s in the human body, right alongside the heart. At the agechildren begin to want phones and other hand held devices it may actually bea bad idea to give into those requests too soon. Why? That is because the pre-frontal cortex is not fully developed until the mid-20s. Caving in to the wishesand wants of preteens and middle schoolers only enables the lack of impulsecontrol they need to make responsible decisions.

Now, this isn’t to say that your middle schooler should never have any elec-tronic devices until they turn 20. I mean, that’s pretty much social suicide.However, if they must be gifted with such coveted gadgets, it is nice to havea few things in line prior to granting them all access. Here are a few thingsthat will make this phone transition a little easier. 1. Don’t Give Your Tween a Phone Too earlyPhones are given for communication purposes. Unless your child is around

some really irresponsible people, try to hold off on adding to you and yourchild’s life equation. Especially if your child is around you or a responsibleadult on a regular basis. When they begin to stay after school or hangout withfriends, it would be a great time to reconsider. 2. Set Restrictions for Screen timeEven I know how time consuming scrolling down a timeline can be. You

see one post and then you “like” it. Before you know it, you know what youraunt had for dinner and what your best friend is doing on her day off. It canbe very hard to disconnect from the social media world. Setting restrictionsfor screen time is great for clearing the mind of all the things to be seen online.Doing so can also save a trip to the eye doctor because staring at a screen forlong periods of time can really take a toll on your vision. 3. Teach Your Child About Sexting/PornographyStudies show that whether you like it or not, your child can be exposed to

pornography as early as the age of 8. They are also more likely to snap pic-tures of their private parts and send them to peers, as early as 5th grade. Thiscan soon lead to early sexual relations and so much more. Teaching your childthat pornography is not for children and not the most accurate way to shedlight on honest and intimate love can prevent them from exploring on theworld wide web. It is also important to stress that once something has beensent virtually or digitally, it can never be erased. Sending sexual pictures andsexting can be prevented if communicated correctly about the dangers ofdoing such things. 4. Last but Not Least, TrustWith all of the crazy things that are happening in the world, it can be hard

to trust your child’s better judgement when it comes to having access to suchstories and footage. While this can be troubling, trusting that your child willalways make the most responsible decision is one thing that can make thisphone process much easier. I always say that communication is key in ANYrelationship. As long as the communication is open on both ends. This tran-sition should be such a breeze! Paishance WelchTweens, Teens & Young Adults

Illustration courtesy of Pixabay

Dr. Eve Hall, president and CEO of the Milwaukee Urban League (seated in the center) joins teen participants for aphoto op during the recently held Youth Leadership Summit 2019 event at Harley-Davidson. The focus of the summitwas enterpreneurship and financial readiness. The youth heard from a number of speakers who own or work forcompanies involved in a variety of ventures.—Photo by Yvonne Kemp

Milwaukee Urban League holds Youth Leadership Summit

RELIGIONRELIGION “Every word of God is pure; He isa shield unto them that put theirtrust in him.”—Proverbs 30:5

The Milwaukee Community Journal May 8, 2019 Page 4

WHO: (The name of your church)WHAT: (What religious or non-religious event are youholding or sponsoring at your church)WHERE: (The location of your church [the address])WHEN: (Day, Date, and Time)WHY: (Why is this event being held and the person orgroup, in or outside the church, who will benefit)

FIRSTFIRSTSUNDAYSUNDAYThe NEWMCJ Weekendfocus on the news andviews in Milwaukee’s Faith-Based CommunityIf you have news about your church

and its activities and outreach efforts,we’d like for you to place it in “FirstSunday,” the new edition to the Week-end Edition that will appear in areachurches on or before the first Sundayof each month. The information willalso appear on the religious page ofthe MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY JOUR-NAL. This new focus joins the Week-end Edition focus family, and is part ofour restructured roster of focuses,which includes: “Family Time,”“Health & Wellness,” “In The Black”(business and personal finance). Below is the list of things we would

like you to include when sending usyour news! Email your event news to:editorial@milwaukeecommunityjour-nal.comWe look forward to hearing from you

and putting your “good news” in theMilwaukee Community Journal.

Sunday has its own newspaper

A youth organization at Brentwood Church of Christ called theY.E.S. Group, will be holding its 4th annual Car Show June 15,from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the church’s parking lot at 6425 N.60th St. There will be a “50/50 Raffle,” music, food and (ofcourse) lots, and lots of vintage cars that have been lovinglyrestored by auto aficianados from the community. For more in-formation, contact Worley Hamilton at (414) 358-1926.

Brentwood COC youth groupto hold car show June 15

St. Catherine School will hold a gallery walk and stu-dent-led conversation about trauma, resilience and heal-ing on Thursday, May 9, at the school, located at2647 N.51st St. The event is called, “Dear Tragedy.”

The school invites the public to celebrate with them theresiliency of their youth by reading their stories and con-tributing to a conversation that continues to encouragehealing.

The event will be held twice, 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

St. Catherine School to holdconversation on trauma, resilience and healing

Religion, particularly Christi-anity, has played an outsize rolein African American history.

While most Africans brought tothe New World to be slaves werenot Christians when they arrived,many of them and their descen-dants embraced Christianity,finding comfort in the Biblicalmessage of spiritual equality anddeliverance.

In post-Civil War America, aburgeoning black church playeda key role strengthening AfricanAmerican communities and inproviding key support to the civilrights movement.

Here are five facts about the re-ligious lives of African Ameri-cans.1 Roughly eight-in-ten (79%)

African Americans self-identifyas Christian, as do seven-in-tenwhites and 77% of Latinos, ac-cording to Pew Research Cen-ter’s 2014 Religious LandscapeStudy. Most black Christians andabout half of all African Ameri-cans (53%) are associated withhistorically black Protestantchurches, according to the study.

Smaller shares of AfricanAmericans identify with evangel-ical Protestantism (14%),Catholicism (5%), mainlineProtestantism (4%) and Islam(2%).2 The first predominantly

black denominations in the U.S.were founded in the late 18th cen-tury, some by free black people.Today, the largest historically

black church in the U.S. is theNational Baptist ConventionU.S.A. Inc.

Other large historically blackchurches include the Church ofGod in Christ, the AfricanMethodist Episcopal Church(AME), and two other Baptistchurches – the National BaptistConvention of America and theProgressive National Baptist As-sociation Inc.3 African Americans are

more religious than whites andLatinos by many measures of re-ligious commitment.

For instance, three-quarters ofblack Americans say religion isvery important in their lives,compared with smaller shares ofwhites (49%) and Hispanics

(59%); African Americans alsoare more likely to attend servicesat least once a week and to prayregularly.

Black Americans (83%) aremore likely to say they believe inGod with absolute certainty thanwhites (61%) and Latinos (59%).4 The share of African Amer-

icans who identify as religiouslyunaffiliated has increased in re-cent years, mirroring nationaltrends. In 2007, when the firstReligious Landscape Study wasconducted, only 12% of blackAmericans said they were reli-giously unaffiliated — that is,atheist, agnostic or “nothing inparticular.”

By the time the 2014 Land-scape Study was conducted, thatnumber had grown to 18%.

As with the general population,younger African American adultsare more likely than older AfricanAmericans to be unaffiliated.Three-in-ten (29%) AfricanAmericans between the ages of18 and 29 say they are unaffili-ated compared with only 7% ofblack adults 65 and older who saythis.5 Older African Americans

are more likely than youngerblack adults to be associatedwith historically black Protes-tant churches.While 63% of theSilent Generation (born between1928 and 1945) say they identifywith historically black denomina-tions, only 41% of black Millen-nials say the same. (When thesurvey was conducted in 2014,Millennials included those bornbetween 1981 and 1996.)

J.C. Frazier, Funeral Director

In Memorial

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5 facts about the religiouslives of African AmericansBy David Masci,courtesy of pewresearch.org, posted February of 2018

The Milwaukee Community Journal May 8, 2019 Page 5

PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVES “You must never be fearfulabout what you are doingwhen it is right!—Rosa Parks

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Ever since DonaldTrump’s shocking win inthe heated 2016 election,Democrats, Independ-ents, and Republicanswith a conscience —have all found them-selves increasinglyalarmed by the foolish-ness taking place in theOval office, and set theireyes on 2020.

As for who the Democraticcandidate will be still remains tobe seen, but many of us hopedthat it would be a woman and/ora person of color. Given the pres-ident’s penchant for normalizingwhite supremacist rhetoric it onlymade sense that this story wouldculminate in a minority comingforward to save the day.

But with just over 18 monthsleft before America casts its bal-lot, some of us are having tocome to terms with the reality thatwe may not end up having thefairytale happy ending that we’dhoped. And that the person whogets us out of this mess may endup looking eerily similar to thejackhole who got us into it.

The Booker and Harris conundrum

It’s clear to anyone followingpolitics that Sen. Cory Bookerhas not only welcomed, but attimes perhaps even courted, theperception that he’s been a risingstar in the Democratic party thelast few years.

At 50, Booker looks a good tenyears younger than his age, is amasterful wordsmith, and despitenot having a Michelle equivalentby his side, used to be toutedpretty shamelessly as, “the nextObama.”

But over time the public startedto see his mask slip a bit, and justas quickly as he gained favor inthe Black community, his veneercracked. And in recent months,Booker has been met with accu-sations of being disingenuous anddare I say it — corny. And I don’tmean corny in the endearing wayeither, but more so in the, “You’retrying too hard, relax homie” kindof way.

Then there was Sen. KamalaHarris, the quick witted, formerD.A whose bravery in the face ofbigotry and meme worthy side-eyes made her a viral sensationamongst older Black people andmillennials alike. For many of us,her strength and grace under firemade her seem like the perfectcandidate.

Unfortunately for Harris, soonafter she announced her candi-dacy (on Martin Luther King Dayno less), Black Twitter startedpulling up receipts about her trackrecord as a lawmaker in Califor-nia and quickly surmised thatwhile her campaign relied heavilyon our community’s support, herpolicies weren’t always kind toour community itself.

And just like that, her approvalratings (understandably) took ahit, with misogynists everywhereseizing this as a chance to unleashtheir disdain for Harris’ genderwhile hiding behind those of uswho actually had legitimate reser-vations about her politics.

To be fair, both Booker andHarris have confronted those whoslam them for being inauthenticand/or problematic opportunistspandering to the Black vote. Butlike most things these days, per-ception is still reality. And witheach day, their chances of beatingthe Trump seem slimmer andslimmer.

In fact, according to MSNBC,despite the public’s rallying cry

for more diversity in politics, JoeBiden, Beto O’Rourke and BernieSanders are all leading in pollsahead of their Black and/or fe-male opponents.

Just another old white guy

After months of refusing toconfirm the obvious, last weekthe former vice president JoeBiden, finally announced his can-didacy for President.

In his first official campaignvideo “Uncle Joe” lookedhealthy, rosy cheeked and earnestas he called out Trump’s tyrannyand vowed to bring this countryback to the values it once helddear.

Some people saw this and ap-plauded, while others rolled theireyes and made snarky commentsabout the mini scandal thaterupted weeks earlier aboutwomen coming forward to com-plain about how touchy feely theformer veep was.

In response to the backlashBiden addressed the critics, saidhe took full accountability for hismissteps, vowed to do better, andeven issued yet another apologyto Anita Hill for the way he epi-cally failed her during her battleagainst Supreme Court JusticeClarence Thomas.

Whether you like the man ornot, his response was exactlywhat we often say we want fromour politicians. Yet the unwaver-ing dismissal from many in theBlack community felt almost akinto the “I guess I’m with her,” sen-timents directed to Hillary Clin-ton in 2016.

And while those memes werefunny, and I even personallyagreed with the sentiment attimes, in retrospect I find myselfasking, “What did that really ac-complish?”

Sure we called out Hilary forbeing a career politician, but ourquick wit and wig snatching digsstill got us Trump.

And so now, two years, and aton of crimes against humanitylater, I am no longer laughing atthe Biden jokes and instead findmyself grappled with fear thatDemocrats — Black voters inparticular — will be too busycalling Booker corny, cussing outHarris for her track record, andmaking jokes about Biden beinga creepy old grandpa to actuallyget us the win we so desperatelyneed.

This isn’t the time to be funnyor impress your timeline withdroll observations about how, ifwe vote for Biden, we’d just beswitching out one “old whiteguy” for another.

It also isn’t the time to votesymbolically for people who looklike you but don’t stand a chancein hell of winning on your behalf.

Instead, what we more intelli-gently could be focused on isstrategy, laser focus, and unshak-able execution — the very thingsthat helped the GOP win lasttime, even though they werepushing a candidate whose intel-ligence is questionable and whomany suspect only ran for presi-dent for bragging rights and a taxwrite-off.

So what’s the answer?In a world where the women

and Black people running for of-fice are slipping in the polls andwhite men of varying qualifica-tions are getting much more pressthan some of them deserve (orknow what to do with) it may feelto many people of color thatwe’re already screwed anddoomed to a repeat of 2016.

But I’m here to tell you that’snot the case.

Instead of basing your decisionon optics or familiarity, I wouldwholeheartedly encourage every-one to put aside their emotionalallegiances and approach this ob-jectively. If you’re not sure howto do that, no worries. I made youa list.

First ask yourself whose plat-form speaks most to what youcare about. And please note I said“most” because it’s highly un-likely that any candidate willmake you completely happy.

Then keep an eye on the polls,candidate profiles (both televisedand written), upcoming debates,and campaign rally videos. Usethese data points to assess who isgaining momentum versus who isstarting to slip.

Also be willing to honestlyadmit who you — even if be-grudgingly — think has the bestchance of not only winning theprimaries but also beating Trumpin the election.

And once you’ve done this in-telligent analysis of the landscape

before you, then cast your votefor who you feel is the wisest in-vestment. Even if it’s someoneyou wouldn’t personally inviteover your house for dinner.

What I just outlined above is acompletely accessible way forjust about anyone to be engagedand do their part this election sea-son. But the days of casting unin-formed/emotional ballots, orchoosing not to vote at all, are be-hind us. Quiet as it’s kept, a lot ofRepublicans cannot stand Trump,yet because their party — at timesunscrupulously — is more fo-cused on victory than clever ban-ter, they still successfully got himover the finish line.

And as much as I hate to admitit, if we stand any chance of beat-ing this man child who lied hisway into the White House, we’regonna have to beat his base attheir own game.

Before I end this, I also want topoint out, while Biden andSanders are currently in the lead,I think it is irresponsible to speakin absolutes about who we planto, (or refuse to), vote for thisearly in the game.

Because the truth is, many lib-erals and independents who arecivically engaged, are gonna votefor whoever isn’t Trump any-ways.

So I’m not personally investedin pushing anyone in a directionthey’re uncomfortable with. AllI’m asking is that we stop under-mining the efforts of those seek-ing to dethrone #45, chill out onthe snark against our own, and in-stead amp up the informationsharing and advocacy to get peo-ple to the polls.

This election is not a joke. Wecan all laugh after we win.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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

Opinion and comments expressed on the Perspectives page do not necessarilyreflect the views of the publisher or management of the MCJ. Letters and “otherperspectives” are accepted but may be edited for content and length.

Patricia O’Flynn -PattilloFounder, PublisherRobert J. Thomas, Co-FounderAssoc. PublisherTodd Thomas, Vice PresidentMikel Holt, Founding Editor, Associate PublisherThomas E. Mitchell, Jr., EditorTeretha Martin, Terri’s InnovativeComputers: Billing Clerk, Pro-

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Reader responds to Habari Gani story on pastorwho kicked grade school girls out of Christianschool because they were born out of wedlock

Mr. Wilson, have you nodecency sir? Per the arti-cle (Ohio Mother Says HerKids Were Kicked Out ofSchool For Being Born Outof Wedlock—May1, 2019edition of MCJ) "SummerGrant’s daughters Sum-mara and Summaia, whowere fourth and secondgraders, went to ChapelHill Christian School foryears." And now with 30days left in the school yearyou boot them out by wayof an arbitrary and capri-cious decision? Where doyou come off snooping into

a person's private life andwhere does that powercome from?

I also noticed (via theschool’s website) that yourentire staff is caucasian. Isthis one of your "many"reasons? What does itmatter if the children wereborn with different fathers?

Why are you punishingthem for circumstancesthat are beyond their con-trol?

From the video Summaraand Summaia appear to bewell behaved and edu-cated children.

Their mother has done afine job along with theschool as well. I don'tknow the marital history ofSummer Grant nor is it anyof my business, but howdare you charge her withadultery? What evidencehave you presented?

And who appointed youto do so? Re-admit thechildren immediately sirand then pray for forgive-ness during this HolyWeek.

You and the school willbe all the better.Joe Bialek

Biden over Booker or Harris?: Why Black votersmay have to check their allegiances in 2020We were happy about seeing womenand people of color running in the2020 election, but white guys areagain leading the polls. Still thatdoesn't mean we should throw in thetowel

By Blue Telusma-courtesy of the-grio.com, posted April 2019

Joe Biden Cory Booker Kamala Harris

SIGNIFYIN’ will return next week!

The Milwaukee Community Journal May 8, 2019 Page 6

The Milwaukee Community Journal May 8, 2019 Page 7

the school district. The survey revealed twice as many Black voters view

MPS unfavorably as did those who view it favorably,47% to 24%. And that unfavorable impression was con-sistent among survey participants of all educational levelsbut was significantly higher for Black Milwaukeeanswith bachelor’s degrees.

The higher the income, the more unfavorable the per-centage, with over 60% of those making over $50,000 ex-pressing dissatisfaction with MPS.

Those educational snapshots no doubt fed the strongsupport for educational options—school choice.

Not surprisingly, the lower the income, the larger thesupport for school choice, with 49% of those making over$75,000 expressing support, while 65% of low-incomevoters approved of the programs, which allow parents toopt their children out of public schools to attend chartersand private schools with redirected state funds.

The success of many private and nearly all non-instru-mentality charters serving lower income African Ameri-can students no doubt fueled the support as much asdissatisfaction with MPS.

The success of many “choice” schools was obviouslya strong appeal to Black families, despite attacks on theschools by many Democrats and the teachers’ union.

Earlier this week, US News and World Report maga-zine listed Carmen Charter School as the top school inthe state of Wisconsin.

The only other Milwaukee high school to make the topten was Ronald Reagan; a college bound MPS schoolwith admission requirements that lock out most AfricanAmerican students.

According to the most recent state Department of Pub-lic Instruction “report card,” two of the top five schoolsin the state were Milwaukee College Prep charters.

Thought nonsensical to most, it is expected the localteachers’ union will pressure the school board to termi-nate contracts with all non-instrumentality charters, in-cluding Carmen and Milwaukee College Prep, despitetheir unprecedented success in educating low incomechildren.

Nonetheless, the local teachers’ union (MilwaukeeTeachers Education Association) considers “non-instru-mentality charters” a threat to the union because they arefree to employ teachers and staff who are not membersof the union.

Last month, the MTEA was successful in coordinatingthe campaigns of five new board members, which meansthe union has a significant majority on the school boardand can effectively control its agenda and policies.

Last week, the union issued a series of demands to theboard for higher pay and control over the district finances.There has yet to be a response from the board.

The survey also revealed that only a slight (one per-centage point) believed the city was heading in the rightdirection. Black voters believe the greatest threat to thecity is crime.

(continued from front page)

Survey reveals Black Milwaukeeanssupport educational options Wade

According to the indictment: “Al-derman B was not aware of Wade’srepresentations and had never offeredor agreed to accept any bribe.” SilkExotic isn’t named in the indictment.

Wade’s administrative leave iswithout pay, according to EmployMilwaukee board chair Don Layden,who was informed by Wade of thepossible charges about a week ago.

Layden said the city workforceagency takes its public trust role se-riously and that because of its strongstaff, it will be able to continue itscommunity work.

The mayor’s office has reportedlynot made any comment as of thiswriting. Layden said Mayor TomBarrett has been kept up-to-date onthe situation and supported the deci-sion to place Wade on leave.

In a statement, Barrett said he was“shocked” when he learned of the al-legations against Wade. He made itclear he will not tolerate corruptionin government at any level.

--Sources: bizjournals.com andjsonline.com

(continued from front page)

Due to the street construction on Teutonia Avenuein the vacinity of the popular coffee house/cafe“Coffee Makes U Black” (CMUB), customers canuse the parking lot of Trinity Baptist Church.CMUB is located at 2803 N. Teutonia Ave. Trinity islocated next door at 2829 N. Teutonia Ave. Fre-quent diners and coffee/tea lovers of this commu-nity mainstay can continue to support thebusiness...as well as enjoy the mango tea!

CMUB open duringstreet construction!

Got something to put in the MCJ? Send it toeditorial@milwaukeecommunityjournal.com

The Milwaukee Community Journal May 8, 2019 Page 2