Author: Reggie Jackson

In recent months, I have had the privilege of traveling to places in Southeast Wisconsin that I never visited before. Some of these communities are just a short drive from my home in Milwaukee, but they seem to be a great distance away in some respects. I was invited to these communities to speak to adults and children about race. I never imagined that those communities would be interested in hosting a presentation related to race relations. I have been pleasantly surprised at how open those suburban towns and cities have been to such a difficult topic. We live...

This article is a prelude to an upcoming written series and public presentation by Reggie Jackson called “The 2.2 Million: An in-depth look at the creation of the largest prіsоn system in modern history.” In stark contrast to other high-rise buildings in downtown Milwaukee, there is a state prіsоn on the corner of 10th and Highland. It is called the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF). Most Milwaukeeans have no idea that the 12-story building is a medium security correctional facility right next to I-43. MSDF is emblematic of the role incarceration plays on the every day lives of Milwaukee’s...

Imagine a world where the most highly anticipated movie in the country is about a black superhero. Then look at the racial climate of the country over the past two years. This is 2018. America has gone from celebrating the nation’s first black president to having a man occupying the same office who refused to repudiate white supremacist in Charlottesville, South Carolina exactly six months ago. Now there is a movie based on a comic book character that shares a name with a group that was designed to protect blacks from racism. The first appearance of the character in...

As a city that was completely founded by immigrants, Milwaukee has been swept up in the recent surge of anti-immigration posturing by the President, which has led to heated debates about immigration and questions what America is and stands for. Trump infused race more deeply into the conversation by reportedly referring to Haiti and African nations as “sh*thole” countries. Those remarks, as well other anti-Muslim statements and disparaging words about Mexicans, show how powerful a role race, ethnicity, and religion are playing in the current discourse about immigration policy. Contrary to what most of us know about the history...

Milwaukee joins America in celebrating what should be the 89th birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on January 15. This man is a giant in American history. Yet most of us only know a few words he spoke at the end of a public address during the summer of 1963, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech. He was so much more that soundbite. His legacy has been stuck on that hot August day, nearly five years before his life was taken by an assassin’s bullet fifty years ago. Those famous words he spoke have...

“This is where we’re implementing it now. It’s been across the entire area, so outside of those zip codes we’ve already been doing this kind of a process. Now, we’re doing it consistently because we’re regionalizing.” – Patty Flowers, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross of Wisconsin In the most segregated metropolitan area in the nation, the American Red Cross of Wisconsin is segregating its response to helping families in need. A new policy, which apparently went into effect last week, was not announced to the public until December 27. The local Red Cross will now force residents...