Author: Staff

Milwaukee’s Harbor District awarded first-ever “Trash Free Waters” grant for Kinnickinnic River clean up

At a press conference at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the selection of the first-ever Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Trash Free Waters grant. Harbor District, Inc. was selected to receive a $492,300 grant to construct and install a trash collector on the Kinnickinnic River just south of W. Becher St., about a mile south of the conjunction of the Kinnickinnic and Milwaukee Rivers. “After years of neglect and decline, the Kinnickinnic River is experiencing a rebirth as local and federal partners remove concrete channel, restore its...

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Focus Finder: Milwaukee Film awarded grant for accelerator program to elevate diverse voices in film

Milwaukee Film was recently awarded a $25,000 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to assist with the rollout of the organization’s new Focus Finder accelerator program. As part of Milwaukee Film’s mission to elevate diverse voices in film, Focus Finder is a storytelling accelerator designed to build a small cohort of emerging local filmmakers from underrepresented communities. The program will combine the best parts of mentorship and fellowship in order to strengthen emerging voices in Milwaukee’s film industry pipeline. “The NEA’s support will allow us to continue to amplify the voices and strengthen the...

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Ongoing COVID-19 crisis moves Milwaukee’s “Storm the Bastille” run into a virtual space for 2020

Because of the lingering impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, the East Town Association has transformed the annual “Storm the Bastille” run on July 9 into a virtual event, allowing for mass participation while protecting public safety. The non-profit organization spent weeks considering health conditions around the summer season, and what measures were necessary to mitigate any concerns and challenges for hosting large gatherings of people. With guidance from elected officials, its Board of Directors, and community leaders, it made the difficult decision not to host events in June and July for all of its annual events including: Thursday night...

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Siri shortcut helps Black drivers safely record their encounters with police during traffic stops

When VHS video cameras became affordable consumer products, the public was able to actively document actions by law enforcement officers as a tool to demand accountability. The iPhone and services like iCloud have made the recording and distribution pipeline for those recordings far more instantaneous. For all the filmed incidents of extrajudicial executions like Philando Castile and George Floyd, far too many other tragic interactions have not been. With the availability of video cameras within mobile phones, people of color have been able to record their encounters with police during traffic stops. The point of contact has consistently shown...

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Juneteenth flag to fly for first time over State Capitol and City of Milwaukee building on June 19

A flag that celebrates Juneteenth, the day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, will fly over the Wisconsin Capitol for the first time in state history. It will also be displayed at a City of Milwaukee building for the first time. Governor Tony Evers announced the state’s decision on June 17. The Juneteenth flag will fly over the Capitol’s east wing on June 19, replacing the rainbow gay pride flag for one day. That flag has been up all month, flying for the first time in Wisconsin history last year. “As a state that sees...

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Almost 2,000 images from 12 Milwaukee protest events used to make photo mosaic honoring George Floyd

As community murals get installed in Milwaukee to honor Civil Rights leaders and people of color who have been killed by police, social media platforms have been flooded with livestream videos from protest marches and pictures documenting nearly a month of demonstrations. These moments from local street protests, chronicled in powerful still images, flow in a linear stream each day from numerous sources like an online river. The illustrated portrait of George Floyd, who was killed by Minneapolis police, has become the memorable and historic icon of a movement seeking reforms to law enforcement and racial justice for people...

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