Author: Lee Matz

Return to Ukraine: A trauma loop of travel from Milwaukee to a country still at war a year later

Return to Ukraine: A trauma loop of travel from Milwaukee to a country still at war a year later

Posted by | Jul 24, 2023

Return to Ukraine: This feature is part of an original Milwaukee Independent editorial series that recorded news from areas across Ukraine, including Milwaukee's sister city of Irpin, from June to July of 2023. It was the second time in the span of a year that the award-winning Wisconsin news organization traveled to the country during the war. The purpose of this journalism project was to document a humanitarian aid mission by the Milwaukee-based nonprofit, Friends of Be an Angel, and report about conditions 17 months after Russia's brutal full-scale invasion. mkeind.com/returntoukraine “To be a witness does not consist in...

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Historic Milwaukee: What it takes for Pabst Mansion to preserve its 1893 pavilion for future generations

Historic Milwaukee: What it takes for Pabst Mansion to preserve its 1893 pavilion for future generations

Posted by | Apr 14, 2023

The Pabst Mansion announced publicly on March 24 that it plans to submit an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) from the City of Milwaukee’s Historic Preservation Commission. The purpose of the COA was to meticulously deconstruct and preserve salvageable elements of the pavilion structure adjacent to the historic Pabst Mansion. Originally added to the property as a free-standing airing porch, it would be reconstructed and possibly reattached. “With new, advanced technology right here in Milwaukee, we will be able to restore the pavilion as it originally existed on the Pabst property,” said Mame McCully, Interim Executive Director...

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Déjà vu of Photojournalism: Forced progress, brutal invasion, mother nature, and the detritus of life

Déjà vu of Photojournalism: Forced progress, brutal invasion, mother nature, and the detritus of life

Posted by | Apr 7, 2023

Back in March, I stood among the ruins of a neighborhood in Antakya, Türkiye. The Biblical city, once known as Antioch, had been devastated by the February 6 earthquake. As I took pictures of the collapsed residential areas, a member of the Turkish Red Crescent team I was embedded with pointed out some litter in the ruins. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a family photo album scattered among the crushed bricks and concrete. As I focused on the sight with my camera, I had a flashback to an identical moment twenty years before. I was living in...

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From Milwaukee to Istanbul: A visual diary from a city at the crossroads of Europe and Asia

From Milwaukee to Istanbul: A visual diary from a city at the crossroads of Europe and Asia

Posted by | Mar 28, 2023

Earthquake Mission in Türkiye: A massive earthquake struck Türkiye and Syria on February 6, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions homeless. Milwaukee Independent was invited by a team of American doctors and clergy to document conditions in the hardest hit parts of Türkiye a month later, embedded with the Turkish Red Crescent, Türk Kizilay. This special series offers a snapshot of the situation in Adiyaman and Antakya in images, with stories from first responders and survivors of the unfolding natural disaster. mkeind.com/earthquakemissionturkiye Istanbul is a place where antiquity and modernity intersect. With a history spanning over 2,500 years,...

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Earthquake Mission in Türkiye: Documenting vast devastation with the Turkish Red Crescent

Earthquake Mission in Türkiye: Documenting vast devastation with the Turkish Red Crescent

Posted by | Mar 27, 2023

Earthquake Mission in Türkiye: A massive earthquake struck Türkiye and Syria on February 6, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions homeless. Milwaukee Independent was invited by a team of American doctors and clergy to document conditions in the hardest hit parts of Türkiye a month later, embedded with the Turkish Red Crescent, Türk Kizilay. This special series offers a snapshot of the situation in Adiyaman and Antakya in images, with stories from first responders and survivors of the unfolding natural disaster. mkeind.com/earthquakemissionturkiye On March 16, a handful of doctors and clergy from American universities completed a weeklong review...

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One year later: Why Ukraine must fight and peace advocates should stop collaborating with Putin

One year later: Why Ukraine must fight and peace advocates should stop collaborating with Putin

Posted by | Feb 24, 2023

“Calls for peace that suggest Ukraine should give up its territory simply to end the war will condemn Ukrainians in occupied territories to what will likely be unspeakable horrors, and will provide a precarious foundation for lasting peace.” – Oleksa Drachewych I have reflected on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over nearly each of the last 365 days of this past year. It has not faded from my attention. For the one year anniversary, the Milwaukee public may show a modest amount of interest on the morning of February 24, before returning to self-absorbed issues later in the day. I...

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