Editor, Author at Milwaukee Independent

Artists announced for new Black Cat Alley murals

Posted by Editor | Apr 20, 2018 |

The East Side’s Black Cat Alley will kick off the installment of two new murals. Beginning on Friday April 20, visiting artist Adam Hernandez of Columbus, Ohio will begin work on a ten-foot piece titled “Godmask” from a series he has been pursuing in recent years. He will be at work on this piece for April Gallery Night and Day, April 20 to 21, and the public is welcome to visit and observe the work in progress. In May, work will begin on a larger mural in the alley. The new mural will be installed on a north-facing segment...

Chinese Supermarket opens in underserved neighborhood of the Near West Side

Posted by Editor | Apr 18, 2018 |

The grand opening of Mo’s Food Market 中華超市 China Supermarket kicked off on April 13 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a traditional lion dance. Wǔshī 舞狮 brings good luck and fortune in Chinese culture, and the owners hope that their new Asian store will help continue that economic transformation to the area. Located in the former MATA Community Media building at 2404 W. Clybourn Street, Mo’s Food Market brings a much needed fresh food location to the Near West Side of Milwaukee. Qing and May Mo purchased the building in September 2016 to convert into a grocery store....

Jane Bradley Pettit honored at final Bradley Center charity benefit

Posted by Editor | Apr 16, 2018 |

The BMO Harris Bradley Center held a special final season fundraiser and celebration on April 11 honoring Center benefactor Jane Bradley Pettit. The tribute event collected $401,200, more than twice the $200,000 campaign goal, to benefit 16 local charities dedicated to helping women, children, and families in metro Milwaukee. The Bradley Center saved professional basketball in Milwaukee when it opened for the 1988-1989 season. It was a state-of-the-art NBA arena that could seat 18,633. Thirty years later, as the Milwaukee Bucks prepare to open a new area in the fall, the sold-out Shine On program was one of the...

Participants of Milwaukee’s 1967-1968 Open Housing Marches honored at anniversary event

Posted by Editor | Apr 13, 2018 |

On April 11, Milwaukee-area realtors and city leaders gathered to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act and Milwaukee’s open housing marches that began on August 28, 1967, and lasted until March 14, 1968. During a news conference just north of the 16th Street Viaduct, former members of the Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council and Commandos who participated in the 200 days of marches were honored and thanked for their bravery and courage in demanding an open housing ordinance in the city and an end to housing discrimination. Alderwoman Vel Phillips and Father James E. Groppi were also...

Fidel Verdin: Guiding TRUE Skool to do the real work while others reinvent a broken wheel

Posted by Editor | Apr 6, 2018 |

Given a politically impactful name by his self-described revolutionary parents, Fidel Verdin uses hip hop and other urban arts to engage Milwaukee’s youth in social justice and personal healing. As the creative force behind TRUE Skool, he seeks to uplift the most vulnerable kids in the community through empowerment and leadership workshops. But for all his program’s success and impact in the lives of the young people it serves, the work done by his organization is often marginalized instead of supported in the same way as the generation of local youth have been discarded by institutional racism. | Q&A...

Robotics Week invades Discovery World with a cornucopia of technology

Posted by Editor | Apr 3, 2018 |

Coinciding with Spring Break for many area schools, Discover World participated in the National Robotics Week by hosting a four day technology festival from March 28 to 31. The week of events featured robots of all shapes, sizes, and uses with a chance to meet their makers. Local FIRST Robotics Teams showcased their engineering skills along with robots built for competition, industry, and entertainment. Robots operated on the promenade all week, along with educational labs that were filled with students. Rockwell Automation sponsored Robotics Week as part of the company’s commitment to developing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)...