Milwaukee Community Journal October 21, 2015 Page 2 City’S Black Teen Birth
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BULK RATE www.communityjournal.net 25 Cents U.S. POSTAGE PAID VOL.XL Number 12 October 21, 2015 MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN PERMIT NO. 4668 The Milwaukee WISCONSIN’S LARGEST AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER OMMUNITYOMMUNITY As former Milwaukee Bucks Star VinOURNAL Mayor Tom Barrett’s Fatherhood Summit Baker (seated left) and Fatherhood OURNAL Initiative Executive Director Dennis Walton (seated right) listen, Mayor City’s Black teen “Celebrating 10 Tom Barrett extols the virtues and C importance of fatherhood during the C welcome and kick-off ofJJ the 2015 birth rate reaches Fatherhood Summit at Destiny Years of Building Youth Plaza last week. historic low Better Fathers Overall teen birth rate sees slight increase, driven by rise in White and Hispanic rates and Families” Article courtesy of Mil- waukee Department of Health and United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County One year after setting a bold new goal to reduce births to teens by another 50 percent by 2023, Mayor Tom Barrett and the city’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, led by United Bevan K. Baker Milwaukee Commissioner Way of Greater Milwaukee of Health & Waukesha County, have released the city’s 2014 “Births to girls age teen birth rates. According to data from the City of 17 and younger are a Milwaukee Health Department, the significant public total number of births to teens aged 17 and under dropped below 300 for health problem in the first time in history. However, because there are fewer our community. teens overall, the overall teen birth Baker rate ticked upward slightly from 22.9 We’ve made great births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 17 to 23.7 births per 1,000 females progress since 2008, ages 15 to 17. The overall rate remains at its sec- but these recent data ond lowest rate in recorded history. confirm that it will Compared to 2006 baseline data, Milwaukee’s teen birth rate has seen continue to take in- a 54 percent decrease since establish- ing a communitywide effort around tensive, innovative, the issue. In 2014, the rate for non-Hispanic communitywide ef- Black teens also dropped to a historic low of 27.0, while the rate for His- forts to reach our ag- panic teens increased to 25.5 and the rate for White teens increased to 9.2. gressive 2023 goal.” “Last year, we set a bold new goal --Baker to reduce teen births by another 50 percent by 2023,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “We know this will take an incredible effort to reach this goal, and this new data proves just how difficult the work will be. Every partner in this effort must rededicate themselves. Our children and families in Milwaukee deserve nothing but our very best work.” The new goal seeks to reduce the overall teen birth rate by another 50 per- cent while also decreasing the Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black rates by 50 (Left to right): MFI Executive Director Walton, Dr. Patricia McManus, execu- percent, lowering the overall teen birth rate, as well as the rate for each racial tive director of the Black Health Organization of Wisconsin, Mayor Barrett, and ethnic group, to below 15 per 1,000 for 15- to 17-year-old girls by 2023. and Sharon Robinson of the mayor’s office. Fathers getting help with drivers’ license recovery. The goal was set after the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative announced Hundreds of young Black fathers from it had surpassed its original goal to reduce teen births by 46% by 2015 three years early. Despite the slight increase, the 2014 data remains below the orig- our community descended upon Destiny inal 2015 goal. Youth Plaza on 76th Street on the city’s “The data illustrate that we cannot become complacent,” said Nicole An- northwest side to receive the tools to be- (continued on page 2) come better fathers for their children at the 10th annual Mayor Tom Barrett’s Father- PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY hood Summit. The summit was initially launched in 2005 by the mayor to increase the number QUESTION OF THE WEEK: of children with involved, committed and “During the 10th annual Milwaukee responsible fathers, thus creating stronger Fathers getting help with child support. families and communities. Fatherhood Summit, we asked four Former Milwaukee Bucks Star Vin Baker Baker with MCJ Associate delivered the keynote address. He talked Publisher Mikel Holt men how the event has benefited about his battle with alcoholism and life them and the community?” struggles. Married and the father of four children, Baker is currently in training to JAMES DELL manage a Starbucks franchise and is a WILLIAMS: WILLIAMS semester away from earning his Divinity “The Fatherhood (NOT RELATED degree. Summit was very TO JAMES): He has worked with youth and served helpful in supply- “Fatherhood Initia- as a volunteer high school basketball ing information re- tive has helped me coach in past years. garding my child become a better fa- The summit is organized and sponsored support issues and ther and a better by the city, the Milwaukee Fatherhood Ini- resolving them.” man. I thank God for the Milwaukee tiative, Milwaukee County Child Support Walton Fatherhood Initiative.” Services, Center for Driver’s License Re- covery, and the Social Development Com- mission. As with past summit’s resources were LARON LANDO “The provided to help fathers with employment, GLADNEY: CALDWELL: “The Fatherhood child support, driver’s license recovery, Fatherhood Sum- mit has helped me Summit has helped criminal record expungement, financial lit- Photos by eracy, health screenings, education re- find a way to get me with the things I sources, housing and family services. my drivers’ license needed to accom- During the summit’s 10 year existence, Yvonne back, and also plish: Employment, more than 10,000 men from the commu- helped me get child support and nity have been connected to the afore- Kemp started on my child support. I come healthcare. Just meeting different people mentioned services. Destiny Youth Plaza every year and it gets better and bet- from all walks of life sharing the same is located at 7210 N. 76th St. Various organizations were on hand to offer services to the men ter.” problems and getting help we all need. related to a wide range of issues they face connecting or recon- necting with their children. Thank you Fatherhood Initiative.” The Milwaukee Community Journal October 21, 2015 Page 2 City’s Black teen birth (continued from page 1) sive 2023 goal.” rategresano, Vice President reaches of Community Impact for United historicAlong with e ducation efforts, a public low awareness strat- Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. egy has sought to speak to teens about how getting preg- “We have new young people entering this critical age nant negatively affects both young men and young group each year, and we need to redouble our efforts to women in both the short term and the long term. In addi- ensure success for them and for our entire community as tion, efforts have emphasized encouraging parents to talk we work toward our new goal.” to their teens about the issue. The campaigns have also The goal is supported by the continuation of an un- brought attention to the problems of sexual violence and precedented all-hands-on-deck approach adopted by the victimization of teens. Milwaukee community since 2008. “Our past success shows that we as a community can The effort is led by United Way of Greater Milwaukee come together to meet a tough goal,” said Betsy Brenner, & Waukesha County, which brought together a diverse President and Publisher of the Milwaukee Journal Sen- collaborative of community stakeholders that included tinel and co-chair of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention local businesses, media outlets, health care providers, Oversight Committee at United Way of Greater Milwau- schools, and community- and faith-based organizations. kee & Waukesha County. “Births to girls age 17 and younger are a significant “But to meet this new goal, and to reverse the 2014 public health problem in our community,” said Commis- data, we will all have to recommit ourselves to a lot of sioner of Health Bevan K. Baker, who also serves as co- hard work.” Company tasked to manage FSET chair of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Oversight *The State of Wisconsin Vital Records office has not Committee at United Way of Greater Milwaukee & yet confirmed the 2014 birth figures for Milwaukee. Waukesha County. Therefore, the currently-reported 2014 rates are based programResCare was one of the key at partners Fatherhood involved with the Mayor Barrett's Summit 10th Annual Fatherhood Summit. “We’ve made great progress since 2008, but these re- on preliminary City data that have not yet been certified ResCare manages the FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) program for the State of Wisconsin cent data confirm that it will continue to take intensive, by the State. Department of Health Services. Through the program, FSET participants get assistance with securing em- innovative, communitywide efforts to reach our aggres- ployment, training and access to support services. In addition to supplying employers for the job fair, ResCare provided education and onsite enrollment for the FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) program! The above photo includes some of the ResCare team that was on site for the two day event: Mark Shaw (Job Developer), Roshay Mal- one (Job Developer), X'antony Brookens (Business Services Man- ager), Clarene Mitchell (Community Engagement Manager), Agatha Hodgson (Job Developer/Wo rk Experience Coordinator) and Antione Dukes (Job Developer). PhotoMCJ by Yvonne Publsiher Kemp to be honored with Media Hall of Fame Induction Milwaukee Community Journal Publisher Patricia O’Flynn Pattillo will be one of eight outstanding journalists and media profes- sionals who will be inducted into the The Milwaukee Press Club’s Milwaukee Media Hall of Fame on Friday, October 23.