Author: NNS

By Max Nawara • Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service When Earnell Lucas first entered the race for Milwaukee County Sheriff in March 2017 he had his doubts about running. Now, Lucas is excited to take on the role of sheriff on Janurary 7 and walk back decisions about immigration and relations with the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) made by his predecessor, David Clarke. “I’m going to be the sheriff of all people in this community,” he said. Lucas recently invited Milwaukee County residents to the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2620 W. Center St., for a community discussion about his plans...

By Sarah Lipo • Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service When a massive fire broke out at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1046 N. 9th St., on May 15, three bells in the steeple of the church remained. Now, a nonprofit organization called The Bells of Milwaukee seeks to refurbish the bells, so future generations can hear them ring. Trinity Lutheran dates back to the 1870s, according to Michael Horne, a longtime local writer and managing director of The Bells of Milwaukee. Horne said the church would be responsible for fixing the bells, but his organization would help with researching and raising money....

By Analise Pruni • Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service The president of the Milwaukee County Transit System, along with several bus drivers, successfully argued against a proposal that could have put law enforcement officials on buses to enforce fare collection, among other policy changes. The Milwaukee County Transportation, Public Works and Transit Committee voted 3-2 against the policy, which would have prohibited MCTS from providing service to anyone who does not pay the proper bus fare. Vice Chairperson Dan Sebring, who proposed the policy, stated that MCTS loses an average of $336,000 annually from bus fare evasions. That represents about...

By Naomi Waxman • Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service America’s Black Holocaust Museum’s 2017 Founder’s Day event honored Dr. James Cameron’s legacy through a discussion of America’s complex racial history and steps that could be taken toward reconciliation and healing. In 1995, Georgia native Karen Branan discovered that her great-grandfather, once the sheriff of Harris County, sanctioned the lynching of four innocent African-Americans. Deeply shaken by this revelation, she spent the next 20 years uncovering painful truths about the legacy of mob violence against African-Americans lingering in her own family and community. Her work culminated in the publication of a...

By Naomi Waxman • Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service A city infamous for significant racial segregation and high rates of incarceration of African-Americans, Milwaukee is also home to a successful community of black professionals seeking social events, networking opportunities and career advancement. Success in Milwaukee requires building strong relationships. When Ross Terrell, 22, received word that Wisconsin Public Radio had offered him a job, he found himself wondering, “Who wants to move to Wisconsin?” A Georgia native who cut his reporting teeth covering the 2015-16 University of Missouri protests as a student journalist, Terrell made an effort to learn more...

By Adam Carr • Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service Darryl Johnson heads an effort that has resulted in millions of dollars in development and initiatives that have improved the quality of life in the Harambee and Riverwest neighborhoods. Like other neighborhoods in Milwaukee, the North Side neighborhood of Harambee was devastated by the departure of major industrial companies in the 1990s. The mass exodus left thousands jobless and a glut of empty industrial buildings in the neighborhood. Two decades after the collapse of the area’s industrial economy, Darryl Johnson, who grew up in Harambee, is guiding its revival as executive...