By Evan Casey and Karen Stokes Velvalea “Vel” Phillips, a Milwaukee legend, an advocate for civil rights who displayed courage under great pressure, died Tuesday. She was 94. Civil rights activist Vel Phillips was the first woman to sit on the Milwaukee Common Council. She was the first woman to serve as a judge in […]
Summit Exposes Truths About Poverty
By Karen Stokes Milwaukee residents, politicians, community organizers, faith based and the non profit community all came together to have a courageous and truthful conversation on how to dismantle poverty. Hosted by the Social Development Committee (SDC) The Summit on Poverty, Dismantling Poverty: A Courageous Conversation held at the Italian Community Center, 631 E Chicago […]
New Report Shows State and Local Governments Spend More on Incarceration than Education
By Karen Stokes The Milwaukee Courier A new report from the U. S. Department of Education revealed that the majority of state and local governments are investing more money on prison than on education. The report, Trends in State and Local Expenditures on Corrections and Education, released on July 7, showed that on the average, […]
Author Maggie Anderson will be the Keynote Speaker for Milwaukee Black Business Week
By Karen Stokes “The lack of economic and business power in the Black community is the single most salient, destructive and self perpetuated problem the Black community faces and still the most ignored,” said Maggie Anderson at TEDx Grand Rapids. Milwaukee Urban League and St. Mark AME Church are co-sponsors for the upcoming Black Business […]
Voters Must “Bring it to the Ballot” For the 2016 Election
By Karen Stokes Starting with the 2016 spring primary on February 16, Wisconsin voters must show acceptable photo ID in order to vote. Before 2003, not a single state required a person to present a photo ID in order to vote. Now as of February 2016, 33 states have enforced voter ID requirements. The ‘Bring […]
Sisters 4 Cure Celebrates and Educates at Second Annual Gathering
By Karen Stokes Sisters 4 Cure presented their second annual wellness event, Breast and Cervical Prevention & Survivorship, on Thursday at the Briggs and Stratton Corporate Auditorium, 12301 W. Wirth Street. The event celebrated breast and cervical cancer survivors, sharing mind, body and spirit self-care techniques and mindfulness practices known to improve quality of life […]
Milwaukee Business Leaders Invest in Future of Young Black Men with Wisconsin Scholars Program
by Karen Stokes It’s been three years since the first group of Milwaukee area students and their families gathered at Rufus King International High School for “Signing Day” to commit to participating in a scholarship pilot program, the Wisconsin Scholars. The program finances college for Black males from Milwaukee to Morehouse College in Atlanta. Business […]
Milwaukee’s ‘Growing Power’ Continues to be a Positive, Innovative Leader in the Community
by Karen Stokes Will Allen is passionate about growing food – healthy, nutrient rich food that people need, right in the areas where they live. He is concerned about the health and well being of people who reside in ‘food deserts’ that lack access to fresh fruits and vibrant green vegetables, and he wants to […]