Author: Editor

After nearly three decades, the only remaining African-American owned bookstore in Wisconsin closed on July 8. Carla Allison, owner of the Reader’s Choice bookstore, officially retired at the age of 74. Her books have inspired and educated children of color over the past 28 years. “My fondest memory of being here is putting the first books on the shelf the day we opened, in the knowledge that I’m going to serve the community,” said Allison. “This has been the work of mission for me. It is not a profit point, but a service to the community. I’m gratified and...

Area residents are well aware of the developments under construction in Milwaukee’s downtown, from the Streetcar to office buildings and the sports complex. While those big budget projects continue to disproportionately grab headlines, the bigger story is how this latest renaissance cycle has spread outside of the city center and taken root in the supporting neighborhoods. The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is a Milwaukee branch of the New York-based organization that was started by the Ford Foundation in the 1970s. It has worked to assist in the revitalization of distressed communities, and remove the barriers to and stereotypes...

Even in the Age of Emoji and digital publishing, the human touch of painting signs has been making a slow comeback across the country and the style now adorns Milwaukee’s Pabst Brewery. Once the only way to display advertising and signage, the commercial art form was obliterated with the advent of computer technology during the 1960s. Vinyl signs began to offer photorealistic displays that broke with the quaint and vintage look of the past. Yet anyone who has taken cross-country trips in the family car can still come across the remains of the painted sign heyday, with faded pigments...

Health care advocate Cathy Myers delivered a petition in support of Jack, a boy with a rare genetic disorder, to Senator Ron Johnson’s office in Milwaukee on June 29. While the Republican bill in the United States Senate continues to suffer from recent setbacks, residents of Wisconsin have remained committed to stop the Ryan-Trump Health Care Plan. At stake is the loss of health coverage for 22 million Americans, with a direct impact to Milwaukee’s underserved population. One of the challengers for Paul Ryan’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, Democratic congressional candidate Cathy Myers, launched a petition...