Author: Guest

Months ago I started working on a one man show. It was an idea that was born out of my need to provide the kind of leadership that reminds you of old generals that had done all the things they told their soldiers to do. My 2015 Independent Music Awards accomplishment, as the artist that won Best Spoken Word Album, gave me a unique set of skills. A combination of entrepreneurial drive and artistic audacity gave me the crazy idea to answer one question before I dіе. “Why can’t artists get loans for their art? It’s a business too...

Photo by Gage Skidmore and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 This essay is part of a series that explores the Muslim community in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Independent previously published an extensive interview with Janan Najeeb. It was an effort to help our readers better understand the people of Islamic faith who live in the city, and address questions that were not the usual fear-based reactions to news events. As a result of the positive impact and popularity of Najeeb’s profile, the Milwaukee Independent invited her to offer a continuing editorial voice about our Muslim neighbors and their shared stories...

This essay is part of a series that explores the Muslim community in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Independent previously published an extensive interview with Janan Najeeb. It was an effort to help our readers better understand the people of Islamic faith who live in the city, and address questions that were not the usual fear-based reactions to news events. As a result of the positive impact and popularity of Najeeb’s profile, the Milwaukee Independent invited her to offer a continuing editorial voice about our Muslim neighbors and their shared stories from the community. The Labor Day weekend tradition for the...

A travelogue of a Milwaukee woman’s trek to the Dakota Access Pipeline protest that highlights Native American injustices and environmental concerns. There are important issues that cross into the awareness of our busy lives, things we feel strongly about but for many reasons are unable to support with action. Amy Thomas is not an activist, but was moved to visit the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protest as a silent witness. With her two young sons, Thomas made the 1,500 mile round trip from Milwaukee and has this experience to share. I was browsing through Facebook one day in the...