mcj january 28, 2015 edition

JJOUROURNALNALWISC O N S I N ’ S L A R G E S T A F R I C A N A M E R I C A N N E W S PA P E R

CCThe Milwaukee

OMMUNITYOMMUNITYVOL. XXXIX Number 27 January 28, 2015 www.communityjournal.net 25 Cents BULK RATE

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSINPERMIT NO. 4668

Milwaukee Recreation has partnered with the Milwaukee Fatherhood Ini-tiative and the Social Development Commission (SDC) to host the twelfthannual Daddy/Daughter Dance at North Division Community Center, 1011W. Center St., on Saturday, February 21 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The night willinclude dancing, food, prizes, and a live DJ.“The Daddy/Daughter Dance is a chance for fathers and daughters to dress

up and enjoy a great evening together,” says MPS Recreation SupervisorPercy Eddie. “This event provides a great way for young ladies to strengthentheir relationships with their fathers. We also encourage grandfathers, uncles,and other adult males who are father figures to sign up with the special little

ladies in their lives.”Fathers and daughters of all ages are welcome to attend. The cost is $25

per adult and $5 per child (limit 3 for every 1 adult). Doors open at 5:00 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5:15 p.m. This event is

limited to pre-registered guests only. The registration deadline is Monday,February 16. For more information, please call (414) 475-8811. To registeronline, visit www.MilwaukeeRecreation.net.The Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative is a non-profit organization with a

broad-based mission to improve the well-being of young people by increasing

MILWAUKEERECREATIONGETSREADYTO “DANCE,DANCE, DANCE”Twelfth Annual Daddy/Daughter Dance set for February 21

(continued on page 7)

Aldermen condemnstatements by oneof their own thatstreetcar would attract crimeA majority of Milwaukee’s alder-

men blasted fellow alderman JoeDudzik recently for saying the pro-posed $123 million downtownstreetcar project would be a magnetfor crime.Last week Dudzik—an opponent

of the streetcar being championed byMayor Tom Barrett, members of thebusiness community and a numberof the aldermen—called a WTMJ-AM afternoon news show, report-edly predicting their would be “acouple of assaults, or maybe a rapeor a shooting on one of these street-cars.“And the millennials who claim

they are going to be riding this thingare going to be nowhere to be seen,”added Dudzik on the radio program.“And we’re going to be stuck withthe ongoing maintenance cost for-ever.”The alderman pointed to the crime

problem on Chicago’s transit systemand the need for that city’s system tohave its own police force “that basi-cally ride on their streetcars just tokeep certain people off.”In a joint press statement, 12 of the

15 alderman condemned Dudzik’sremarks, calling them “hurtful anddivisive.”In the statement, the aldermen said

Dudzik’s comments regarding the streetcar were “baseless and do not warrantrepeating.”“The message of fear and divisiveness at the heart of the comments is not

what we stand for as members of the Common Council, nor does the messageresonate in our community.”The aldermen said they stand together and embrace the rich and diverse

city Milwaukee is that was built by generations of good hardworking peo-ple.“And we celebrate our neighborhoods where people of all colors, religions,

and ethnicities live, work and play together. We are united in our belief thatour city’s best days lie ahead.The aldermen also expressed disappointment in Dudzik for referencing

sexual assault, saying it was used as a “scare tactic” in a political debateabout a transportation project that was completely devoid of any basis infact.“Rape and sexual assault should never be used to advance a political po-

sition or to stir fear in the hearts of our citizens.”The joint statement was signed by: Aldermen Michael Murphy, Ashanti

Hamilton, Joe Davis, Sr., Nik Kovac, Robert Bauman, Milele Coggs, WillieWade, Jose’ Perez, Terry Witkowski, Tony Zielinski, Russell W. Stamper, IIand James A. Bohl, Jr. Two aldermen didn’t sign the statement: Aldermen Bob Donovan, who

has been the most outspoken opponent of the streetcar project since its in-troduction, and Ald. Robert Puente.

Dr. Charles E. Thornhill, pastor ofMt. Moriah Baptist Church (hold-ing microphone) explains theartist rendering of the new Mt. Mo-riah to congregants during the re-cent grand opening of theirChapel, located at 416 W. ChristineLane directly behind the currentchurch. The new chapel (built onthe same location where their Edu-cation Building once stood) repre-sents the completion of the firstphase of the reconstruction proj-ect, and will be utilized by Mt. Mo-riah minister, officers andcongregants while the currentchurch building is razed and re-built on the same property. Rev.Thornhill and Mt. Moriah were de-termined to stay in the communityand rebuild on the same landwhen they were faced with the re-alization the current structure wasdeteriorating and needed to be re-placed. The church has been wor-shipping and studying the Word atMt. Moriah and serving the Haram-bee community at their current lo-cation for over 50 years and felt aresponsibility to stay where theyare and provide service. The pas-tor, associate ministers, officersand congregants kicked-off thegrand opening with a march fromthe church to the new chapel. Anumber of political dignitarieswere on hand to speak to thechurch members, including MayorTom Barrett and Cong. GwenMoore. (Photos by Yvonne Kemp.More photos on pg. 4)

JAMES ROGERS: “I think the Brewerswill not have a collapse like they did in 2014.As long as the pitching staff stays healthy,they will continue into the post season.”

LAMARCUS ALSTON: “I think if we stayhealthy throughout the 2015 season, we canmake it to the World Series.”

MARQUISE SIMPSON: “If the pitchingstaff stays healthy and the boys keep hittingthe balls out of the park, we can win it all.”

SHANNON BEENE: “I predict we willmake it to the playoffs. If our pitching staffholds up and our guys keep hitting the ballout the park, we can go all the way.”

Milwaukee Brewer HectorGomez shows a young fan howto properly field a baseball dur-ing one of the clinics the teamheld during its annual pre-sea-son “Brewers On Deck,” thattook place Sunday at the Wis-consin Center. Brewer playersalso signed autofgraphs andtook photos with fans, and tookquestions from fans as well. TheBrewers On Deck featured anumber of activities for the en-tire family. Besides the auto-graphs and photos fromBrewers players, coaches andalumni, there interactive gamesin the Kids Area, Q&A sessionsand game shows with players,coaches and broadcasters.(Photo by Yvonne Kemp)

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:“What is your

prediction for the Milwaukee Brewersfor this 2015 season?”

MT. MORIAH BAPTIST CHURCH OPENS NEW CHAPELChapel completes first phase of project to build newchurch on same site in the community!

Rev. Thornhill with current and former political representatives who spoke to the congregants atthe new chapel and congratulated them on their accomplishment (left to right): Former State Sen.Gary George, Mayor Tom Barret, U.S. Cong. Gwen Moore, Thornhill, Milw. Cnty Sup. Willie Johnson,and Ald. Joe Davis, Sr. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)

PULSE OF THE COMMUNITYPhotos and question by Yvonne Kemp

Brewersand fanshave funtogetherat annualBrewersOn Deck

event

Compiled by MCJ Staff


Ald. Joe Dudzik“The aldermen alsoexpressed disap-pointment in Dudzikfor referencing sex-ual assault, saying itwas used as a“scare tactic” in apolitical debateabout a transporta-tion project that wascompletely devoid ofany basis in fact.”

MCJ File Photo

The Milwaukee Community Journal January 28, 2015

THETHEMILWAUKEEMILWAUKEECOMMUNITYCOMMUNITYJOURNALJOURNALPublished twice weekly,Wednesday & Friday3612 North Martin LutherKing Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212Phone: 414-265-5300 (Advertising and Administration) • 414-265-6647 (Editorial) • Website: communityjournal.net • Email: [email protected]/[email protected]


THETHEMILWAUKEEMILWAUKEECOMMUNITYCOMMUNITYJOURNALJOURNALPublished twice weekly,Wednesday & Friday3612 North Martin LutherKing Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212Phone: 414-265-5300 (Advertising and Administration) • 414-265-6647 (Editorial) • Website: communityjournal.net • Email: [email protected]/[email protected]

Opinion and comments expressed on the Perspectives page do not nec-essarily reflect the views of the publisher or management of the MCJ. Let-ters and “other perspectives” are accepted but may be edited for contentand length.

MCJ STAFF:Patricia O’Flynn -PattilloPublisher, CEORobert J. ThomasAssoc. PublisherTodd Thomas, Vice Pres.Mikel Holt, Assoc. PublisherThomas E. Mitchell, Jr., EditorTeretha Martin, Technical Consultant/Webmaster BillingDept./Publisher’s Admin. Assist.

Colleen Newsom,Classified AdvertisingJimmy V. Johnson, Sales Rep.CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Taki S. Raton, Richard G. Carter,Fr. Carl Diederichs, Rev. JoeMcLinPHOTOGRAPHER: Yvonne Kemp

PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVES QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “You can shine a lightin a dark corner and make life betterfor people living there in the dark.”--Late CBS/60 Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley speaking onjournalism and what reporters can do for the underserved.

We applaud 12 of the 15 members of Milwaukee’sCommon Council for immediately condemning thestatements made by fellow Alderman Joe Dudzik, whosaid the new downtown streetcar would attract crime,going so far as to even predict sexual assault.Dudzik, an obvious opponent of the streetcar like

several of his colleagues on the Council, called a radiostation last week critical of the proposed $123 millionstreetcar that will initially run through downtown withplans to expand it to other areas of the city, includingour community.Dudzik predicted on the program there would be as-

saults (especially sexual assault) and shootings on thestreetcars. He went so far as to make comparisons be-tween the streetcar and Chicago’s transit system, andthe defunct Northridge Mall on our city’s far Northwestside and downtown’s Grand Avenue Mall, which hadtheir struggles with crime—and the perception ofcrime.Dudzik’s comments had a racist undertone, espe-

cially when he talked about Northridge and Grand Av-enue, suggesting that what crime problems the twomalls were perceived to have had were caused bypeople of color.Dudzik obviously forgot about the only fatal crime to

Northridge was committed by a white male upon hiswhite wife. The male, Jessie Anderson, tried to con-vince police (to no avail) he and his wife were attackedby a “Black man.”If Dudzik thought his “scare tactic” would work to

help push the current campaign by Aldermen andstreetcar opponents Bob Donovan, Joe Davis, Sr. andTerry Witkowski (both Davis and Witkowski signed theCouncil letter condemning Dudzik’s statements; Dono-van did not) to get signatures to force a referendum onthe upcoming spring election ballot, he may have donemore harm than good to Donovan’s, Witkowski’s, andDavis’ cause.Dudzik’s radio statements were—and are—divisive,

hurtful, wrong…and racist in their intent given his refer-ences to Northridge and the Grand Avenue.There is probably no other punishment to levy at

Dudzik for his statements. Too bad. We will have tosettle for the united front presented by the Council andthe obvious embarrassment we hope it is causingDudzik who, as of this writing, has yet to apologize forwhat he said, only admitting his colleagues have ex-pressed their disappointment in his poor choice ofwords.We hope this experience will force the alderman to

think before he speaks when offering his opinion on is-sues of importance to the city and our community, par-ticularly if it relates to crime and race.

UNIVERSALLY SPEAKINGUNIVERSALLY SPEAKINGby Rahim Islam

Lest we ForgetMalcom X once said, “theoppressor will never feelthe pain of the oppressed.”The question becomes whoare the oppressors and whoare the oppressed. The state of Black America is in a serious state

of crisis. Despite our best efforts, to date, the gen-eral conditions within many Black neighborhoodsand our schools continue to deteriorate for way toomany Black families and their children. Blacks continue to lose ground in nearly every

category with “positive” demographics decreasingand nearly every “negative” demographic increas-ing. This dynamic has created alarming, nearly cata-

strophic disparities and multiple “risk” factorsamongst a large population of the Black commu-nity (this is a key issue that gets no traction). It isclear that the Black community in America is “op-pressed” and has been since the enslavement ofBlack people ending in 1865 after nearly 300years.

It is also equally clear that the oppressor, at leastduring slavery (approximately 400 years), havebeen white people and their white establishment. With the passing of landmark civil rights legis-

lation in the ‘60s and the general racial growth ofWhite people, public displays of outright racismare seldom tolerated at any level any more, butstructural racism is alive and well. While there areno more white slaveowners and the barbaric andcriminal chattel enslavement of Black people nolonger exists, Black people are still suffering sig-nificantly. The American institution of slavery represents

one of the saddest commentaries on man’s inhu-manity to man in modern history. The history ofthis period is so brutal and morbid that they willarouse hostilities at thought that these things oc-curred. As cruel and painful as chattel slavery was, it

was exceeded by the capturing of a people’s mindby imprisoning the motivation, perception, aspira-tion and identity in a web of anti-self-images, lan-guage, art, etc. Also gone are Jim Crow laws that supported ter-

rorist groups like the Ku Klux Klan and sometimesperpetuated the physical and psychological abuseof Black people for nearly 75 years after slavery. Today, nearly 50 years after civil rights legisla-

tion, the economic conditions and structuralpoverty for too many Black people threatens everyaspect of life that will continue for untold genera-tions. I contend, like wealth, poverty is inherited and

where one starts in life is extremely important andBlack people have never had the opportunity to notonly inherit wealth but to create wealth becausethey were enslaved and their labor was never com-pensated. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once stated that the

worst form of oppression is poverty and by thisdefinition the Black community in America isbeing oppressed. The more I study the conditionsfacing the Black man in America, the more Mal-colm X’s quote rings louder and louder in myhead: “the oppressor will never feel the pain of theoppressed.” My problem now is,what do we do? Do we just

give up trying to get people to understand how thecurrent white generations have benefited and are“privileged” as the result of the massive disadvan-tage (oppression) orchestrated against a wholepeople. Does the truth matter anymore? I can’t believe that, at the end of the day, the

truth will not prevail. There is a natural dispositionto argue the truth with the hope that everyonewould come to the same conclusion. It’s time for the white community to stop deny-

ing that this even happened, and to recognize whothe oppressors and who the oppressed were. It’salso time that the white community accept thebenefit and privilege this afforded them. I liken the current benefits of slavery to the per-

son who is criminally charged in a theft eventhough they didn’t “directly” participate (i.e. theydidn’t do the actual stealing). What they did was receive and currently use the

stolen property and therefore they are “conspira-tors” in the crime. After countless struggles,marches, riots, demonstrations, and the passing ofcivil and voting rights legislation, Black Ameri-cans have entered the new millennium the sameway they entered the previous four centuries, im-poverished. Blacks still bear nearly 10 times their propor-

tional share of poverty and all of its nasty deriva-tives (i.e. broken homes, drug abuse, incarceration,unemployment, etc.). The redistribution of wealth and power has

never been achieved nor has any compensationbeen given to Blacks for nearly 300 years of freelabor, what we really have seen in America is so-cial integration not economic integration. As Dr. Claude Anderson stated, “It is extremely

difficult for Black people to progress when thesame hands that held the whip still holds all of thewealth and power.” Maybe this is why the oppressor will never feel

the pain of the oppressed. One must look at the challenges when you argue

how the state of the Black man in America is con-nected to the role that the white ancestors playedand the overwhelming “stacking” of deck that con-fronts most Black people today. During this period that most white people want

to forget or try to downplay, they secured andamassed trillions of dollars in wealth and an eco-nomic system that is second to none in the worldthat will ensure prosperity for its owners for gen-erations to come. Whites control nearly 100 percent of America’s

wealth (est. $9 Trillion), its values as well as a sys-tem that supports the protection and growth oftheir wealth. THAT WEALTH, POWER, AND REAL AD-

VANTAGES HAVE BEEN PASSED DOWN TOTHE CURRENT WHITE GENERATION,WHILE BLACKS, FOR THE MOST PART,HAVE INHERITED POVERTY AND A WHOLEHOST OF DISADVANTAGES INLCUDINGTHOSE THAT ENGROSS AND FINALIZEBLACK INFERIORITY. Whites must come to understand the economic

disadvantage that today’s Blacks have inheritedwithin our capitalistic economy. I liken this tobeing in a gun fight with, not only no gun, but thecompetition is armed with high quality and highpowered weaponry. How can the Black man truly compete in Amer-

ica’s economic race when the competition has beengiven a 400 year head start? I recognize that white people do compete

amongst each other and with other groups and thisshould not be overlooked. However, this should not be confused with white

people being in competition with Black people, it’sabsolutely no contest, white people have a veryclear and lopsided advantage. The American institution of slavery was not only

a crime against Africa, Africans, and all of human-ity, but when expressed in economic terms, slaverywas the largest and most sustained economic wind-fall the world has ever witnessed; slavery was thecatalyst for a global economy creating wealth be-yond anyone’s comprehension. Not only did Americans become extremely

wealthy, but nearly all the countries of Europewere direct participants and beneficiaries of slav-ery on the backs of free black labor. When you consider the following two key facts

(there are so many more): 1) Black ownership ofthe nation’s wealth remain where it was in 1860near the end of slavery (pre-emancipation) at onehalf of one percent . After 150 years and 100%physical freedom; America’s token addressing ofsocial issues, Blacks still only own one half of onepercent of the nation’s wealth. Why is this? Wealth inheritance is the passing

of past benefits and gains from previous genera-tions and ultimately passed to future generations.Currently, nearly 90% of all of the nation’s wealthwas passed from one generation to another, thiswealth is forever locked up (i.e. cash, stocks,bonds, land, business, trust accounts, endowments,foundations, etc.). While not all white people are rich, there is a

massive disparity between the net assets of the av-erage white family versus the average Black fam-ily ($100k+ vs $6-8k). This plays out in educationopportunities, housing and neighborhood selec-tion, capitalization of entrepreneurial aspirations,and a genuine ability for self-determination forBlack people. When I was developing “market” rate housing

at price points at a million dollars there was no lim-itation of white buyers who could make nearly90% deposits ($900,000 cash) to outright cash pur-chases (100 percent). In all my adult life, I’ve onlyknown one Black person who could do this. In making inquiries to very successful white

businessmen on how they became successful es-pecially when everyone of them were born poor(rags to riches), every one of them had a familymember or friend that made a substantial invest-ment into the “start-up” of their business. Many times this was done several times before

the entrepreneur got it right (millions of dollars

were lost in the process), patient capital. This capital relationship would continue and

going forward these entrepreneurs had access tocapital that helped to expand their business alongthe way. Again, I know of no Black person that provided

seed capital for a startup business and if this didhappen, no way do we have Black people able to“loose” on their investment if they actually madean investment, our community doesn’t have thesetype of resources. The disadvantages of not havingcapital shows in multiple ways all have devastatingramifications on the suitability of a family and apeople (i.e. education, health, travel, exposure andcreativity, etc.). Capital resources (wealth) and access to quality

education are key factors that predestined theBlack community to becoming a permanent under-class trapped in poverty unless Blacks break thiscycle. Black people are still discussing reform goals

that Brown vs Board of Education has yet to re-solve nearly 60 years ago. In America it’s under-stood if you get a good education, there are nolimits to how high you can succeed, education,while not alone, can fundamentally change the tra-jectory of a people.

Let’s examine the Black man’s relationship withAmerica and education. We recently acknowledgethe 60th anniversary of the historic Supreme CourtRuling of Brown v. Board of Education whichproves less a cause for celebration and grounds forquestioning the current education inequities. The ruling was historic because it declared “sep-

arate but equal” not only is an impossibility, butunconstitutional. During the enslavement of Black people, there

were numerous states that had laws on their booksthat forbid Blacks to read and/or to be educated (itwas a crime)” upon the end of slavery; the majorityof Black people were illiterate. Blacks continue to fight for equality in educa-

tion. With Blacks lagging behind in every key ed-ucational indicator (i.e. literacy, academicachievement, reading, math, and science, highschool graduation, college graduation, etc.), thecurrent failing public school system will dictatethat these numbers remain and/or worsen. With a funding formula that funds nearly half of

public education coming from the taxes derivedfrom the valuation of real estate values. With ma-jority of Black people living in sub-standardneighborhoods where real estate values are eitherstagnate or in decline (the housing stock is fair topoor), it’s no wonder that public education can’tget up off its knees, it’s financially impossible. Contrary to this dilemma is that white neighbor-

hoods have appreciating real estate values andtherefore are able to derived far more (up to 50 per-cent more) local funds for the education of whitechildren, who have had education from its incep-tion. The funding issue continues to undermine the

delivery of quality public education and thereforesignificantly underserves Black children. Public education for Black children is still sep-

arate and still very much unequal. According tothe U.S. Department of Education in 2009-2010school years, there were nearly 8.2 million Blacksattending public schools and approximately400,000 attend private school (nearly 80 percentattending religious schools with the majorityCatholic Schools). What’s most astonishing is that nearly 77 per-

cent of all Black students attended predominantlyall black schools within urban cities with nearly 30percent of white students leaving public schoolsall together. The academic disparities are so alarming and

none greater than what is happening to Black boys,the school to prison pipeline is alive and strong. Not only are our school facilities unequal and

inferior, many of our schools lack the very essen-tials to educate our children (i.e. books, equipment,facilities, educational programs, summer school,etc.). Given the struggles that Blacks have had in this

country from the beginning, you would’ve thoughtthat at least one commitment would be fulfilled forBlack people, equitable schools. Lest we forget.In my upcoming article we will explore more

critical legacies of slavery that fundamentally crip-ple the Black community, and white privilege. --Rahim Islam is a National Speaker and

Writer, Convener of Philadelphia Community ofLeaders, and President/CEO of Universal Com-panies, a community development and educationmanagement company headquartered inPhiladelphia, PA. Follow Rahim Islam on Face-Book(Rahim Islam) & Twitter (@RahimIsla-mUC)

MCJ EDITORIALMCJ EDITORIALEmbattled Ald. Dudzikshould think twice before making statements,especially on issues ofcrime and race

Christian Couples Ministry (CCM) of the BrentwoodChurch of Christ will hold their 5th Annual Black Mar-riage Day Event on Saturday March 28, 2015 from 2:00- 4:00 pm at the church, 6425 N. 60th Street, Milwaukee,WI. The theme of the event will be Respect the Ring.The event will include entertainment by jazz vocalist

Cassandra McShepard and Evangelist Steven Thompson,Minister of the Central Church of Christ, will provide aninspirational message. At each event, special honors are given to the most

newlywed couple and the one that has been married thelongest. A dessert social will be held immediately follow-ing the program.Black Marriage Day is a national observance on the 4th

Sunday of March that celebrates marriage in the Blackcommunity. This event is open to everyone who believes in and

supports the value of marriage in the Black community;this includes singles and individuals from all cultures.Tickets are $20 per person and $25 for two, tickets can

be purchased in advance at Herb’s Hair Studio, 4800 N.Hopkins Street or at the event. For questions, please contact Thomas & Clarene

Mitchell, event organizers, at 414-736-1546 or [email protected]. The Black Marriage Day Event Facebook event page

is a source for more information as well.


WHAT’S HAPPENING...In Your Faith-Based Community

Brentwood Church of Christ’s ChristianCouples Ministry to hold 5th annualBlack Marriage Day event March 28

Eleventh (11th)annual relationship conference Valentine’s Day weekend eventIn celebration of the past success of the “Without Distraction”

relationship conference its 11th Annual event; a combination ofboth relationship education and entertainment has become oneof Milwaukee’s best social and romantic Valentine weekend ofthe year. Milwaukee has found this event to be rewarding for both sin-

gles and Married Couples. Dr. LaFayette Russell and Dr. IngridDurr Russell will be among the International speakers for thisyear event February 13th, 14th & 15th 2015. Venue- CrownPlaza Milwaukee Airport: 6401 South 13th St. Milwaukee WI.53221. Singles are the foundation of every marriage because a good

marriage starts with your singleness. Marriage brings you into atrue opportunity to express your love, feelings and what you aremade of. Understanding the process and learning how to unmask your

feelings is one of the basic keys to success. Sometimes people

adopt ways in their childhood development and influences thatbecomes the norm; consequently the norm to them could be anegative pattern that could sabotage their relationships. Recognizing and Identify those patterns could be the very an-

swer to probable cause. Being realistic about yourself and havinga realist view of others will help give you a solid building foun-dation to build on. Together we can discoverer what areas in your life that can use

some more fuel and Socializing with other singles or couples likeyourself is good for everyone!The week end event includes: Friday 6:30pm Meet/Greet Social (refreshments provided)

7pm begins with both Singles and Marriage Topics in two ses-sions. Building and keeping a healthy relationship with under-standing is power tools we are giving to our communities forFREE! Yes, we are making the “Relationship teaching sessions”absolutely free. That means no cost to get this wealth of infor-mation for life. Saturday at 11am combined Singles and Marriage session

Question & Answer panel discussion. The workshops is to em-power and remove all frustrations. We will cover all areas of relationship from personal, business

to finance. Each year there are numerous testimonies of this lifechanging event.Don’t miss the Saturday evening 7:00pm-Valentine’s Special

Eloquent Romantic Dinner Including; Live Music, clean Live

RELIGIONRELIGION

In Loving Memory

Quality Service...a tenured tradition

sincere concern at your time of need.

Offering pre-need, at need andafter-care services to families inMilwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and

other communities throughout our state.

Wyrick, Jessie M.Age 94 yrs. January 25, 2015.Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Jan-uary 31, at 11AM at Canaan Baptist Church 2964 N. 11th St. Visitation Satur-day 10AM at the CHURCH until time of services. The family is served by:Northwest Funeral Chapel/O'Bee, Ford & Frazier, 6630 W. Hampton Ave.(414)462-6020

Shelton, Ethel M.Age 92 yrs. January 25, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Monday, February 2nd at 11am at Mt. Zion BaptistChurch 2207 N. 2nd St. Visitation Monday 10AM at the CHURCH until time of services. The family is served by:Northwest Funeral Chapel/O'Bee, Ford Frazier, 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Ashford, Derrick D.Age 41 yrs. January 19, 2015. A Memorial service will be held on Monday, January 26 at 11AM at Pilgrim RestBaptist Church 3737 N. Sherman Blvd. The family is served by: Northwest Funeral Chapel/O'Bee, Ford & Frazier,6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Giles, Helen J.Age 86 yrs. January 21, 2015. Beloved mother of Vincent(Lanell)Giles, George(Carmen)Giles, Crandle Giles andRaymond(Brenda)Giles. Also survived by 12 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, 5 great-great grandchildrenand a host of other loving relatives and friends. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 29, at 11AM.Visitation Thursday 10AM until time of services at: Northwest Funeral ChapelO'Bee, Ford & Frazier, 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Coker, DorothyAge 80 yrs. January 19, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 27 at 11AM at Wisconsin Memo-rial Park "Chapel of Chimes" 13235 W. Capitol Dr. Visitation Tuesday 10AM at the "Chapel of Chimes" until timeof services. The family is served by: Northwest Funeral Chapel/O'Bee, Ford & Frazier6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Colbert, Jessie RuthAge 77 yrs. January 13, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 23 at 11AM at Northwest FuneralChapel. Instate Friday 10AM until time of services. Visitation TODAY 3-7PM(Family will receive guest from 6-7PM)at: Northwest Funeral Chapel/O'Bee, Ford & Frazier, 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Jackson, Beulah "Barbara"Age73 yrs. January 19, 2015. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, January 22 at 1PM at:Northwest Funeral Chapel/O'Bee, Ford & Frazier, 6630 W. Hampton Ave., (414)462-6020Hickman, Minnie J.Age 87 yrs. January 17, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 24 at 12 Noon at SiloahLutheran Church 3721 N. 21st St. Visitation Saturday 11AM at the CHURCH until time of services. The family isserved by:Northwest Funeral Chapel/O'Bee, Ford & Frazier, 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Mathis, Johnny R.Age 60 yrs. January 17, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 26 at 11AM at Monumental Bap-tist Church 2407 W. North Ave. Visitation Monday 10AM at the CHURCH until time of services. The family is servedby: Northwest Funeral Chapel/O'Bee, Ford & Frazier, 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Robinson, Jane (Nee Alden)Age 83 yrs. January 12, 2015. Beloved mother of Charles Alden of Saukville,WI and Humberto Robinson Jr. Lov-ing sister of William E. Alden. Grandmother of Brian Alden. Also survived by 5 great-grandchildren, and a host ofnephews, nieces and other loving relatives and friends. A Memorial Luncheon will be held on Saturday, January24 at 11AM at Northwest Family Activity & Event Center 4034 W. Good Hope Rd. The family is served by: North-west Funeral Chapel/O'Bee, Ford & Frazier, 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Lyles, Susie AnnAge 56 yrs. January 12, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 22, at 11AM. Visitation Thursday10AM until time of services at: Northwest Funeral Chapel/O'Bee, Ford & Frazier, 6630 W. Hampton Ave.(414)462-6020

Grant, LouiseAge 90 yrs. January 15, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 23 at 11AM at Tabernacle Commu-nity Baptist Church 2500 W. Medford Ave. Visitation Friday 10AM at the CHURCH until time of services. The familyis served by: Northwest Funeral Chapel/O'Bee, Ford & Frazier, 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

Staples-Genett, Bobby JoyceAge 67 yrs. January 13, 2015. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, January 24 at 10AM at Communityof Christ Church 12320 W. Bluemound Rd. The family is served by: Northwest Funeral Chapel/O'Bee, Ford & Fra-zier, 6630 W. Hampton Ave. (414)462-6020

J.C. Frazier, Funeral Director

Milwaukee6630 W. Hampton Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53218

Telephone: (414) 462-6020Fax: (414) 462-9937

Racine800 Barker St.

Racine, WI 53402Telephone: (262) 637-6400Fax: (262) 637-6416

Families served by:Northwest Funeral Chapel O’Bee, Ford & Frazier

Ernestine O’Bee, Founder

The General Baptist State Congress of Christian Education will be hosting its annual Leadership Conference Satur-day, Feb. 7, 2015 at Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, 2505 W. Cornell St., from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The themefor the conference is, “Spoken Word” (1John 1:1-4), with a minor theme fo “3D:Spoken, Written, and Living.” Formore information on the conference, contact Dean Hughes at 414-449-9272.

Baptist Sate Congress to hold ChristianEducation Leadership Confab Feb. 7

All Peoples Churchexpands ministryinto a new neighborhoodAll Peoples Church, a congregation

planted in the Harambee neighborhoodof Milwaukee is sowing seeds in a newpart of the city. As part of a new partnership with

Florist Avenue Lutheran Church, AllPeoples will offer a Sunday eveningworship service. Both congregations arepart of the Evangelical Lutheran Churchin America.The new worship service is called

SEEDS and is inspired by a Mexicanproverb: They tried to bury us. Theydidn’t know we were seeds. Rev. Steve Jerbi, senior pastor at All Peoples, said this

proverb captures the spirit of this new service. “In a part of the city living with poverty and violence

it is easy to see people being buried with struggle. Toooften those with the power to invest would rather coverit up with dirt. What we see in the Havenwoods commu-nity is a resilience and a

hope. No matter what gets thrown on them, they find away to not just survive but thrive. That is a resurrectionstory we are honored to join.”The new service will be led by Rev. Jerbi and minister

of music David Nunley. It will also incorporate the talentsof young adults and youth through spoken word and hiphop. While All Peoples develops SEEDS, Florist Avenue

will continue to offer worship and programs under theguidance of Rev. Carol Crietz.

“The staff of the Greater MilwaukeeSynod welcomes and encouragesSEEDS as a positive contribution to theSynod's emerging look at revitalizingministry on the Northwest side of Mil-waukee,” said Rhonda Hill, director ofdiscipleship and assistant to Bishop JeffBarrow.SEEDS begins February 8. There will

be an open mic at 5:00pm and worshipbegins at 5:30pm.

About All Peoples ChurchAll Peoples Church is a congregation

of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Rootedin theHarambee neighborhood of Milwaukee, the congrega-

tion is racially, culturally and economically diverse.Its commitment to racial and social justice has earned

it awards and recognition. For more information about All Peoples Church, visit

www.allpeoplesgathering.org.


Scenes from the re-cent grand openingcelebration of Mt. Mo-riah’s new Chapel,the first phase of thechurch’s project torebuild its church inthe community wherethey have been lo-cated for more than50 years. (Photos byYvonne Kemp)

MtMoriahBaptist ChurchChapelGrandOpening


Funeral services will be heldSaturday, Jan. 31 at GreaterGalilee Baptist Church forJimmie Ruth Beckum, the wifeof James Beckum, one of thefounders of the Beckum-Sta-pleton Baseball Little League.The funeral service will

begin at 11 a.m. with the view-ing starting at 9 until 10:45a.m. Visitation will be held Fri-day, Jan. 30, from 3 to 7 p.m.at Reid’s New Golden Gate Fu-neral Home, 5665 N. TeutoniaAve.

Funeral servicesset for JimmieRuth Beckum

Jimmie Ruth Beckum

The readings from scripture for this coming weekend are: Deuteronomy18: 15-20, 1 Corinthians 7: 32-35, and Mark 1: 21-28. The message is clear:God’s Word has power, if we let it.The first reading has Moses saying something that we can now attribute so

perfectly to Jesus: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from amongyour kin, and I will put my word into his mouth; he shall tell them all that Icommand him.” For our ancestors, there was “power” in words; especiallyof they came from the mouth of God.And Jesus became centuries later the very “Word” of God. In Mark’s nar-

rative under discussion, we have Jesus exercising the power of His word; hewas able to confront the evil spirit within a man and not run from the manbecause he would have made himself unclean. The evil spirit counted on Jesus not wanting to become unclean. If some-

one had an evil spirit the faithful would shun the person lest they become un-clean. So, it gave evil spirits the freedom to roam unchallenged. Even having

BREADIN THE WILDERNESSBy Fr. Carl Diederichs,All Saints Catholic Church

Jesus Christ: “Thevery Word of God”



Kaden Green got a chanceto meet the mascots of theMilwaukee Brewers andUW-Milwaukee sportsteams at the recently com-pleted Brewers On Deckevent held at the WisconsinCenter downtown. Besidesmascots, Green and otherchildren got to meet Brew-ers players and coaches,as well as partake in inter-active games in the kidsarea and the Brewers Com-munity Foundation Treas-ure Hunt and otheractivities, food and fun.(Photo by Yvonne Kemp)

Arts Education isbrought to the forefront in NextAct’s NO CHILD…This winter Next Act Theatre will take the opportu-

nity to say thanks to educators with their production ofNO CHILD… by Nilaja Sun. Marti Gobel brings to life 16 vivid characters – stu-

dents, principal, custodian, parents and teachers – to re-late this uplifting tale of one artist’s passionate quest toleave none of her children behind. NO CHILD… willplay January 29 – February 22, 2015 at Next Act’shome, 255 S. Water St., in Walker’s Point.NO CHILD… follows a teaching artist, Ms. Sun, who

brings her passion for theatre into a New York Cityclassroom. She challenges her students to become actors them-

selves and produce a play. Pushback from the “toughest class in the school”

doesn’t make it easy, but her unwavering belief that the

arts can enrich young lives ultimately wins the day. It is an inspiring story of trial, hope and belief in ed-

ucation, the arts and the best of the human spirit.This one woman play will be performed by UP-

ROOTED theatre’s Producing Artistic Director MartiGobel, last seen in PERFECT MENDACITY, 2013.Opening night is Friday, January 30. Tickets range

from $28 - $38 and may be purchased by calling 414-278-0765 or visiting www.nextact.org.Mary MacDonald Kerr will direct NO CHILD… and

comments, “In these times, in this city, I hope this storyinspires conversation about education and equality, ed-ucation and teachers, education and social change. Con-versation is what I always hope for when making ashow, and NO CHILD… is no exception.”NO CHILD… is sponsored by BMO Harris Bank,

City of Milwaukee Arts Board, Dorothy Inbusch Foun-dation, Inc., Herzfeld Foundation, Robb & Sally MarksEducation Fund, Robert W. Baird & Co., and SteiglederCharitable Trust. Next Act Theatre’s 2014-2015 Season is supported in

part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board withfunds from the State of Wisconsin and the National En-dowment for the Arts. Next Act Theatre is a proud member of the United

Performing Arts Fund (UPAF).

YOUTH&EDUCATIONYOUTH&EDUCATIONKids wereon deck atannualBrewersevent!

The Milwaukee Community Journal January 28, 2015 Page 6 The Milwaukee Community Journal January 28, 2015

Milwaukee Public Schools is mak-ing progress. More MPS students aremeeting reading standards. The MPS Class of 2014 earned

$31 million in college scholarships,an increase of $7 million from theClass of 2013 and U.S. News andWorld Report tapped four MPS highschools among the top 15 in the stateof Wisconsin. Under the leadership of MPS Su-

perintendent Dr. Darienne Driver, thedistrict is increasing efforts to im-prove student achievement evenmore. Over the next several months, Dr.

Driver and the Milwaukee Board ofSchool Directors will consider a se-ries of Strategic Objectives and a Re-gional Development Plan. Working in tandem, these two ef-

forts have the ability to jump startMPS improvement efforts. The Strategic Objectives are

aligned with the MPS Strategic Planand the administration’s goals: Aca-demic Achievement; Family, Studentand Community Engagement; andEffective and Efficient Operations.Each of these goals has a series ofprograms that will be developed. For example, the Academic

Achievement goal will include ef-forts to close the gap, educate thewhole child, refine the MPS experi-ence and rethink high schools.

I am excited to work with the ad-ministration to move these effortsforward and to work with the com-munity on shaping and implementingthese plans. The administration has also devel-

oped a Regional Development Planwhich is designed to increase the

number of seats in high-performingschools and improve the capacity forquality community support activities. The Regional Development Plan

has three main components: a Path-ways Plan, Spotlight Projects and Community

Cornerstone Projects. Each compo-nent of the Regional DevelopmentPlan will have community input priorto Board approval.The Pathways Plan increases the

number of high performing seats andre-establishes feeder patterns thatprovide parents and students withprogram consistency from kinder-garten through 12th grade. Facility improvements, instruc-

tional program support, communitybuilding, neighborhood outreach andtransportation redesign are key partsof this plan. The Milwaukee Board of School

Directors already approved a keymeasure of the plan which increasesspace for our popular Montessoriprogram.Spotlight projects improve enroll-

ment and performance by aligningand restoring specialty programs andcontribute to feeder patterns. Exam-ples of projects include an arts cam-pus development. Community Cornerstone Projects

create, restore and expand non-class-room-based opportunities that benefitstudents and the community. Projects such as Teachtown II – an-

other housing and professional devel-opment program for new educators –an expanded Newcomers Center forimmigrant families and Northsidecommunity recreation centers areamong the possible projects. These are well-thought out and

well-developed plans by the MPS ad-

ministration designed to improveoutcomes for our students and ourfamilies. Contrast our efforts to those in As-

sembly Bill 1, the school accounta-bility bill being pushed by someRepublican legislators.

It lacks details on how the pro-gram will be implemented. It wouldturn public schools over to for-profitcharter school companies. It hurts school districts and stu-

dents across Wisconsin by syphoningmoney slated for all public schools tofor-profit charter schools. Quite frankly, there’s more in this

proposed legislation that benefits pri-vate charter companies than Wiscon-sin’s children.The authors of Assembly Bill 1 are

planning to make changes to the bill,but their concepts remain flawed. Assembly Bill 1 is a step backward

and moves away from true trans-parency by allowing for a muddledgrab bag of different tests. Assembly Bill 1 experiments with

Wisconsin’s students and their edu-cational futures. Our children are too precious and

the outcome is too uncertain for As-sembly Bill 1 to become law.

Comedy, and bliss of Love in the air setjust right for the occasion. The cost is only$45 per person and couples $10 off. (Ad-vance only). Sunday at 1pm join us the close of the

weekend event. The entire family is wel-come to be apart of our special Worshipservice. The topic is “Kingdom Relation-ship.” Knowledge is powerful.” Plain and

simple we could all use some guidance tomaintain or build a long lasting good rela-tionship based on Biblical truth. Free Registration and (no cost for the

teaching sessions) . For additional information, tickets,

sales, groups, vendors, hotel overnightreservation, and other compliments pleasecontact us708-745-4393 or 414-520-1567 Web-site:WWW.withoutdistractionrelation-ship.com Email:i n g r i d d u r r 4 u@ y a h o o . c o mfacebook.com/Ingrid Durr P.O. Box170024 Glendale Wisconsin 53217. Web-site: WWW.withoutdistractionrelation-ship.com. Email:i n g r i d d u r r 4 u@ y a h o o . c om .facebook.com/Ingrid Durr. P.O. Box170024 Glendale Wisconsin 53217

Valentine’s Day weekend event(continued from page 4)

the proportion of childrengrowing up with involved, re-sponsible, and committed fathersin their lives.The Social Development Com-

mission (SDC) serves as a plan-ner, coordinator, and provider ofhuman service programs for low-income individuals and familiesin Milwaukee County.Milwaukee Recreation is a de-

partment of Milwaukee PublicSchools, established in 1911 toprovide the entire communitywith affordable and enrichingrecreational activities. For moreinformation, visit Milwau-keeRecreation.net or contactBrian Hoffer at (414) 475-8938.

(continued from page 1)

Daddy/DaughterDance

MPS moves forward on plans to improve; Assembly accountability bill troubles continueby Dr. Michael Bonds,MPS Board president

communityjournal.net

Aldermen condemn negativestatements of one of their own regarding streetcar and crime(continued from page 1)But in a statement he released on

Monday, Puente explained he did notsign the statement because he wasunable to obtain a transcript of whatDudzik said, nor the draft of thestatement of the other aldermen.However, Puente stressed in his

statement he “wholeheartedly”agreed with the other aldermen oncehe read what Dudzik said and thestatement by his colleagues.Puente said he was particularly of-

fended by comments Dudzik madeabout the long closed NorthridgeMall on the far Northwest side of thecity, which lies in Puente’s district.On the radio show, Dudzik said

the streetcar will have the same fateas Northridge and the Grand AvenueMall downtown. Both malls werebelieved by many to draw criminalactivity. “I don’t want to make it a racial

thing,” Dudzik said, “but you look atwhat happened to Northridge (and)Grand Avenue Mall. I believe thosesame things will happen to the streetcar.”At Northridge Mall in the late 80s,

Jessie Anderson killed his wife in theparking lot of the now defunct TGIFriday’s, which was located acrossthe street from the mall, claiming aBlack man killed his wife andwounded him. However, police in-vestigators found Anderson’s claimsto be false.“After reading the transcript of

comments Alderman Dudzik madeon the radio program, I am especiallyoffended by the reference he made toNorthridge Mall, and I share thestrong belief that the alderman’scomments were divisive, hurtful andjust plain wrong,” Puente said.A spokesperson for the mayor said

he was “shocked” by what Dudziksaid, adding of all the irresponsiblestatements made about the streetcar,his is among the worst.In a statement to Fox6 News Mon-

day, Dudzik would only say his fel-low aldermen let him know he used“unfortunate phrasing” and that itwas all he was going to comment on.Sources for this story: MJS,

Fox6News.com, and city hall.


RAISING MONEY FOR YOUTHTO VIEW MOVIE SELMA - Kudosto the brothers Richard Lewis, man-ager at Concurs Motors and VincentLyles, Greater Milwaukee Boys andGirls CEO for seeking to raise$50,000 to send students to see themovie “Selma”. This movie will def-initely have an impact on how theywill see the world. MKE BUSINESS NOW ENTRE-

PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT – Is de-signed to provide information and resources toentrepreneurs interested in starting and growing busi-nesses. This event will have workshops, vendors and more. It

will be held Saturday, January 31, 2015 at the MilwaukeeMath and Science Academy 110 West Burleigh Ave. from10AM – 2:00PM.DEDICATED TO BLACK WOMEN THAT GOT

BLACK MEN’S BACKS – Brothers make sure you getthe Black women you want to get sponsored in the Feb-ruary 5th edition of the Milwaukee Community JournalNewspaper by the January 31st deadline. The cost is $25 per listing. This page initially appeared

in the January 7th edition. Recognize the Black womenthat have supported your efforts that are alive or havejoined the world of your ancestors. Contact Tony Court-ney at 374-2364.

FRESH PERSPECTIVE ART STORE – Featuring theinspiration and talent of Wisconsin Black males. 2200 N.Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Friday, February 6, 2015from 6PM – 10PM.MEN OF AFRICAN DESCENT MEN’S CIRCLE -

Men of African Descent are invited to come togetherweekly strategizing session on healing ourselves andhealing our community. The first, second and third Mon-days are for men of African Descent Only. On the fourthMonday men of other ethnic groups that are our allies areinvited to join us. These meetings are held at the Body and Soul Healing

Center 3617 N. 48th St. 6PM – 9PM. The first meetingwill be held Monday, February 2, 2015.I can be reached at Coffee Makes You Black 2803 N.

Teutonia Ave. Tuesday thru Saturday after 10AM. Callme at 374-2364.

KALEIDOSCOPEKALEIDOSCOPEthe MCJ l i fes ty le & en te r ta inment sec t ion

FROMTHEBLACKBy Tony Courtney

Fresh PerspectiveArt Show and SaleNext month Wisconsin’s African-American men will

unveil their art and crafts at the Fresh Perspective ArtShow and Sale. At least 40 artists will participate in this event in a

spectacular former bank space in Milwaukee.The Fresh Perspective Art Show will allow everyone

to experience their inspiration, intelligence, imagina-tion, and diligence under one roof. The art will reflect the broad diversity of men in the

black community of Wisconsin. Participating artist Ken Brown says, “It is very en-

couraging to see black male artists being given newand exciting opportunities to feature and sell theirwork.”There will be 3 Fresh Perspective shows in all, two

in Milwaukee and one in Racine. The first Fresh Per-

spective show took place on February 1, 2014 at theCoffee Makes You Black Coffee Shop, where about300 visitors saw 20 black male artists show and selltheir works.Their work includes paintings, sketches, ceramics,

photographs, quilts, woodcarvings, screen prints, andmulti-media sculptures. Though the Fresh Perspective Art Show is not a ju-

ried affair, many skilled artists will participate, includ-ing a number from the Wisconsin 30 exhibition at theMilwaukee Art Museum.The Fresh Perspective Art Show and Sale is free for

the artists and attendees and, furthermore, the artistskeep 100% of their sales. The artists are the core of this organization and have

been meeting to organize these events. The first Fresh Perspective Art Show and Sale will

take place on February 6 & 7 at 2200 North Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr. Drive in Milwaukee.6th 6 pm-10 pm7th 11am-3pmA second Fresh Perspective show will take place

later in February at the Racine Arts Council, 316 6thStreet in Racine. 27th 6 pm-10 pm 28th Noon-4 pmA third show will take place on March 11 at the Jus-

ticePoint, Inc. open house at 205 W. Highland Avenue,Suite 201, in Milwaukee from 5-8 p.m.

King of Glory hosted their second annual Royal Masquerade Ball and Benefit Concert on January17, 2015 with special guests the legendary Isley Brothers. The goal of the event was to raise aware-ness around the need to license quality foster homes in Milwaukee in order to keep black childrenconnected to their families and community. Some funds raised also benefited Black Child Devel-opment Institute-Milwaukee. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)

Milwaukee native Carl Wesley, Jr. newchief executiveofficer for Center for Self-SufficiencyHe replaces organization’s founderan CEO Angela TurnerThe Board of Directors for the

Center of Self-Sufficiency (the Cen-ter) announced today that AngelaTurner, founder, president and chiefexecutive officer (CEO), will leaveher position on January 12, 2015. Her departure comes after a year-

long succession plan. After an exten-sive search and screening process,

Milwaukee-native Carl Wesley, Jr.,assistant director of P.E.O.P.L.E.(Pre-college Enrichment OpportunityProgram for Learning Excellence) atthe University of Wisconsin-Madi-son, has been named the new presi-dent and CEO, effective January 20,2015.“We thank Angie for her service to

the Center and look forward to start-ing a new chapter,” said William Sul-ton, Chair of the Center’s Board ofDirectors. “We are grateful for Angie’s lead-

ership and the many hours she hasworked with us to ensure the transi-tion leaves the agency strong and in-tact,” said Mr. Sulton.Carl Wesley has served in increas-

ingly responsible roles at the Univer-sity of Wisconsin-Madison. He served as assistant director of

P.E.O.P.L.E. before being promotedto his current position as director.Carl has a Bachelor of Science de-gree in Criminal Justice and twoMaster’s degrees in Adult Educationand Counseling Psychology from theUniversity of Wisconsin-Platteville;and he is currently completing a doc-torate degree at Edgewood College.Carl is married with four children. “The Center will continue to pro-

vide outstanding evidence-based pro-gramming and services under Carl’sleadership. “He has the background, qualifica-

tions and experience to expand theCenter’s activities and improve thelives of those we serve,” said Mr.Sulton.

MOVIN’ ON UP!

MEETING OF MINDS TO SAVE YOUNG BLACK MALE LIVES--Staff members from the Boys&Girls Clubs of Greater Mil-waukee had coffee and talked about Club program for boys of color and young Black males. The staffers are front row, left to right):David Muhammad, Dr. Glen Matthews, Walter Goodwyn, Michael Waite, Reggie Riley. (Back row, left to right): Leighton Cooper, TonyLittle, Sam Williams, Robert Jackson, Michael Chishom, and Charles Brown. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)

Carl Wesley, Jr.

Legendary Isley Brothers perform to benefit local children


King of Glory hosted their second annual Royal Masquerade Ball and Benefit Concert on January17, 2015 with special guests the legendary Isley Brothers. The goal of the event was to raise aware-ness around the need to license quality foster homes in Milwaukee in order to keep black childrenconnected to their families and community. Some funds raised also benefited Black Child Devel-opment Institute-Milwaukee. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)

5 ReasonsKids Should PlayOrganizedSportsEntrepreneurs & FormerPro Athlete Explain Life-long LessonsLearned in Youth Competition

In the past 30 years,obesity has more thandoubled in young childrenand quadrupled in adoles-cents, potentially leadingto a host of chronic dis-eases later in life, accord-ing to the Centers forDisease Control. Conversely, the CDC reports that

regular physical activity provides along list of physical benefits for chil-dren, but that’s not all. Daily exercise also promotes men-

tal and emotional well-being that in-cludes self-esteem. “By now, I don’t think anyone is

surprised that regular exercise isgood for children and inactivity isplaces them at risk for illnesses laterin life, but when you take a momentto consider the data in-depth for chil-dren who exercise and play organ-ized sports, the details of a child’sfuture come to life,” says DanyelSurrency Jones, president of PowerTo Give and co-founder of Power-handz Inc., (powerhandz.com), acompany specializing in athletictraining products to improve per-formance in baseball, basketball andfootball.Danyel and her business partner

and husband, Darnell Jones, a formerprofessional basketball player whoalso co-founded Powerhandz, wantkids in their community and beyondto benefit from the values learnedfrom youth sports. That’s why they created the Power

To Give program, which promotespositive development. “We believe in the power of sports

to change a kid’s life for the better,”says Darnell, who lists five signifi-

cant benefits of youth sports.• Cultivates a positive attitude:

Sports are demanding. Come gametime, a young athlete wouldn’t last

long with a negative mindset. “Prac-tice is no cakewalk either,” Darnellsays. “As adults, we understand the need

to hype ourselves before hitting thegym. The rewarding feeling we get

walking out from the gym is similarto what young people feel after agame or tough practice.” • Offers a sense of accomplish-

ment, confidence and self-esteem: Asthe CDC noted, simply being physi-cally active builds self-esteem. We are physical beings who are not

meant to sit in front of a videogamefor several consecutive hours.“Again, if you’re a physically activeadult, you feel that sense of accom-plishment in outdoing your last per-formance at the gym,” Danyel says. “Kids feel a similar

way learning new skills and succeed-ing in a game, except more so.” • Builds better peer relationships:

Kids want to fit in, but it’s not alwayseasy. Organized sports hurdles the high

wall of social awkwardness so manychildren feel. Team sports such as baseball, bas-

ketball and football demand partici-pants to work together for a commongoal, which is a valuable lesson someadults still haven’t learned while in-teracting at work. • More restraint in avoiding risky

behavior: Ideally, parents can gettheir children engaged – in anythingthat’s productive, really. Bored or disengaged children have

a way of getting into trouble. A stu-dent is less likely to misbehave inclass or break the law if it means get-ting kicked off the team of a sportthey love. • Greater family attachment and

frequent interactions with parents:Famous athletes say it all the time,“Thanks Mom. Thanks for driving me to and from

practice, and thanks for showing upat the games.” And that doesn’t even count help-

ing a child with actual practice –playing catch, squaring off one-on-one, etc. About Danyel Surrency

Jones and Darnell JonesDanyel Surrency Jones is COO

and Co-Founder of Powerhandz Inc.,(powerhandz.com), which specializesin performance-enhancing trainingproducts for athletes. Danyel is a business leader who

led sales and marketing departments

for over 17 years, sat on non-for-profit boards and invested in earlystage companies. Darnell Jones is anentrepreneur and investor, athleteand sales professional. Before cofounding Powerhandz, he

was a team captain and academicall-conference basketball player at

Mesa State College before he wenton to play for the Utah Eagles of theformer Continental Basketball Asso-ciation. Danyel and Darnell createdthe Power To Give- Building Char-acter Through Athletics, which helpfund athletic programs in financiallychallenged communities.

Jesus Christ: “Thevery Word of God”

MARQUETTE LOSESTO GEORGETOWNMarquette Golden Eagle Guard Jajuan John-son passes the ball around Georgetown For-ward Paul White during the Golden Eaglesloss to the “G-Men” at the BMO Harris BradleyCenter recently. (Photo by Bill Tennessen)

THE SPORTS PAGETHE SPORTS PAGE

the man in the synagogue wouldhave made the “clean” a target of un-cleanliness.But Jesus spoke as someone with

power and authority and the evilspirit recognized this and even chal-lenged Jesus: “Have you come to de-stroy us? I know who you are – theHoly One of God!” Jesus, not afraidof becoming unclean, ordered theevil out of the man. And now, notonly was Jesus not unclean but nei-ther was the man. That is why those in the synagogue

said: “What is this? A new teachingwith authority. He commands eventhe unclean spirits and they obeyhim.”Remember, this story comes at the

very beginning of Mark’s Gospel. Itwas the story that set the tone of thewhole gospel. Jesus spoke with au-thority and none of the purity codeswould prevent him from exercisingthat authority.We claim to be followers of Christ,

at least many of us do. What “powerand authority” do we give Jesus’words? Do we see them as a chal-lenge to us to live a new way, a waythat empowers us to want to removethe evil spirits we find?Jesus spoke with authority and

power. Those powerful words cometo us for a response. If we simply seethem as a personal comfort and notas words that compel us into action

for others, we will be like our ances-tors who were afraid of becoming un-clean and simply turned away forpain and suffering, hunger and thirstof those who not “clean” like theywere.Being a Christian today is not for

those who have a “me and Jesus”faith and ignore those who Jesuscared for the most: the poor, the sick,or the ignored.

(continued from page 5)


“Mister Speaker, I am proud that the Milwaukee Community Journal hails from the4th Congressional District. It has consistentlyinformed, analysed and entertained readersfor nearly 38 years. I am pleased to givepraise to Patricia O’Flynn Pattillo and her stafffor providing a voice to the community andproviding educational opportunities to students. I wish them many more years ofsuccess.”--A segment from Cong. Gwen Moore’s remarks she made on the Congressional Record paying tribute to the Milwaukee Community Journal’s Dr. Terence N. Thomas Scholarship Annual Brunch

mcj january 28, 2015 edition

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