BULK RATE Fatal shooting of guard by cops shows fear of Black men trumps “good guy with a gun” narrativeU.S. POSTAGE PAID VOL. XLII Number 19 Nov. 28, 2018 www.milwaukeecommunityjournal.com 25 Cents MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN PERMIT NO. 4668 WISCONSIN’S LARGEST AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER PULSE The Thanksgiving tradition continues... COMMUNITYOF THE Sorority and Christian business organization hold their respective Photos and question by Yvonne Kemp debutante cotillions over the Thanksgiving weekend QUESTION OF THE WEEK: We asked four AKA and CBPA cotillion participants:“WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOUNG GIRLS TO HAVE THE DEBUTANTE EXPERIENCE?” (Their responses have The Pauline Coggs Foundation held its 45th Annual The Christian Business and Professional Alliance Debutante Cotillion at the Pfister Hotel recently. Six- (CBPA) held its 38th annual Debutante Cotillion the been edited for length.) “Being a debutante teen young women from Milwaukee public schools day after Thanksgiving in the grand ballroom at the and surrounding districts were awarded by the foun- Hilton Milwaukee City Center Hotel. Six high school in the 2018 Christian dation at this black tie event. The young ladies shown students participated in the event. They are (in no Cotillion was a bless- above who made their debut to society are (in no par- particular order): 2018 Miss Debutante Deanna Racks ticular order): Taylor Mack, Nevaeh Lucas, Rayanna (escorted by David Smith), Princess Wheeler (Bruce ing. It allowed me to Angel Stamps, Asani Blue, Lola Vernon, Marissa Morgan Furlow), Elonna Jones Turner (Rodrick Turner, Jr.), connect with other (2018 Miss Debutante), Ceria McGlothian, Morgan Martin Azariah Bryant (Aaron Wilder), Alicia Webb (Omari Walker), young women who (1st runner-up), Africa Pippin, Zahria Green, Chamira Amanda Patton, D’Naya and Devian Williams (David James). Inset photo at right is of Bishop Sedgwick Daniels Collins, India Nia Chante Wilkerson, Kayla Zenai Sherod, Ken’Triana Sheri McDade, of Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ, and Jasmine Willis, the 2017 are talented and DEANNA and Sydnee Christina Lynnette Roby-Washington (inset photo). -Yvonne Kemp photo CBPA Miss Debutante.—Kemp photos ambitious. This ex- RACKS perience was impor- 2018 CBPA tant, for it represents QUEEN When racism my faith, family and church, all of which are Continuing my mission of very important to me.” hides behind As a debutante, I startin’ some mess wearing gained valuable expe- rience and developed free speech life skills like public myI assumed Confederate I didn’t have baseball cap Baraboo school district cites constitutional speaking, interper- to wear my bulletproof sonal communication vest (yeah, I have one) rights as reason it won’t punish dozens of and social interaction. when I decided to roam White students doing Nazi salute in photo As a Christian, I devel- oped a sense of re- DEVIAN throughout three con- Compiled by MCJ editorial staff sponsibility for loving WILLIAMS nected southeastern coun- After investigating a photo that went viral of white and serving others. As 2018 CBPA ties adorned in a ball cap male Baraboo High School students giving Nazi a young woman, I fos- 1ST RUNNER-UP with a confederate flag salutes, sparking condemnation by Jewish organiza- tered a positive self- gracing its front panel. tions, Baraboo School District officials will not pun- motivated mindset to set and achieve goals, and By Mikel Kwaku Oshi Holt As noted in part one of my col- ish the students involved, citing their First follow through with them.” umn last week (MCJ November 24 editiion), I antici- SIGNIFYIN’ pated that most Whites would ignore, applaud or show Amendment rights. “The bonds I have some form of discernment. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Baraboo School District built with my beauti- Having survived the civil rights campaigns of the 60s Administrator Lori Mueller said recently the students are protected by ful debutante sisters and 70s, starting with my initiation as one of several the First Amendment, and since the photo was taken off campus by a and the experiences hundred Black youth to participate in the Open Housing photographer not paid by the school (but who does happen to be one Marches, I expected some White Milwaukeeans to val- that have assisted my of the students’ parents), no disciplinary action would be taken. idate their allegiance to the confederate flag, even if During the Viet “As previously stated, we cannot know the intentions in the hearts growth are what has wasn’t a verbal recognition. Nam war, it wasn’t of those who were involved,” Mueller wrote after claiming to have made this opportunity What I didn’t expect was a warm greeting from an unusual to see done a 10-day investigation involving local authorities, parents and elderly White woman in Menomonee Falls who white American so valuable for me. I MARISSA witnesses. “thanked me” for my service. (I don’t know if she was soldiers showing would encourage “Moreover, because of students’ First Amendment rights, the district MORGAN confused, or reliving past experiences, although there off the Confeder- young women to re- AKA were crazy House Negroes and “Capitalist Coloreds” ate “stars and is not in a position to punish the students for their actions.” flect on themselves bars” at the battle The controversial photo was reportedly taken in 2017 before the QUEEN who fought for the Confederacy during the civil war.) and become a debu- Nor did I expect that most Whites—fro front (as the sol- Baraboo High School junior prom, and only recently started circulat- dier at left is ing on social media after journalist Jules Suzdaltsev called it out on tante. We are role models for the youth and show m both sides of the racial divide—would engage me in conversations while oddly ignoring the stars and bars doing) or in their Twitter. what true Black Girl Magic is.” that stared them in the face. tents on the base. (The Community Journal reported in its November 14 edition iden- “I believe that the In retrospect, I assume they were disassociating them- And it’s why I was taken aback when a pair of tified the students involved where all the male members of the grad- selves from the racists, tacitly expressing their support debutante experience cashiers at a suburban business engaged in a conversa- uating class of 2018.) for diversity and racial equality. tion when they saw me. From their disposition I could Baraboo, a suburb of Wisconsin’s reputedly progressive state Capi- is unique and benefi- Only a couple of White folks asked me why I was only assume they were discussing whether to serve me tol Madison, is no stranger to outwardly racist displays. As the MCJ cial for every individ- wearing the hat (especially if I was wearing a Obama or call the manager. reported in its November 14 front page article, the city came under ual who participates. or Black Power T-shirt I usually wore) at the various Could my hat be offensive to some customers? That national scrutiny several years ago when a group of students drove stops during my sojourn for truth, injustice and the From this endeavor, I was my point. around the city waving Confederate flags. (un)American way. cultivated an engag- (continued on page 5) In response to the District’s announcement, Suzdaltsev posted a ing connection with MORGAN screenshot of a conversation with a Baraboo High School student my community. UWM BASKETBALL COACH claiming that the school has a history of double standards when it MARTIN comes to who gets punished and who doesn’t. Consequently, I was AKA “I also went to Baraboo High School, and have had some problems able to better educate PAT BALDWIN TALKS ABOUT 1ST RUNNER-UP with the boys in the prom picture,” the student explains in the mes- myself, and people PANTHER TEAM’S UPCOMING sage. with whom I encountered, about health dispari- “The day after President Trump was elected, I heard one of them ties that greatly impact people in Milwaukee.” ALSO... shouting “White Power!” in the hallway. I immediately went to a ALSO... TRIP OF A LIFETIME (PG. 3) (cotinued on page 3) Send your announcements to: [email protected] The Milwaukee Community Journal November 28, 2018 Page 2 Black teachers improve outcomes forResearchers Black found that black stu- studentspositive short-term causal impact of One black teacher dents who were matched with a black students having black teach- black teacher in kindergarten were ers, in which their end-of-year test before third grade as much as 18 percent more likely scores were higher than black stu- increases the than their peers to enroll in college. dents who didn't have a black Moreover, those who had at least teacher. But this is the first research chances a black one black teacher in kindergarten showing positive long-term causal through third grade were about 10 impact. child will enroll in percent more likely to be described The teaching workforce is over- The holiday songs, the shining lights and the college by their fourth-grade teachers as whelmingly homogenous: Teachers smell of apple cider candle scent never ceased "'persistent' or kids who 'made an of color represent 18 percent of ed- Article courtesy of effort' and 'tried to finish difficult ucators, and black males represent to give me a holiday rush that couldn’t be Lauren Camera, U.S. work,'" the researchers found. They just 2 percent, according to Depart- topped. News and World Report were also slightly more likely to ask ment of Education statistics. As an adult, Christmas has somewhat of a questions and talk about school sub- This, while approximately half – education reporter different meaning now.