WUWM race

On Monday, people around the United States are honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Many remember King at the head of the civil rights movement — a man who fought for the rights of all people and preached non-violence.

But according to Cedric Burrows, an assistant professor of English at Marquette University, we don’t always get the full picture of who King was.

Milwaukee has been called one of the most segregated cities in America, and one of the worst places for black people to live and raise their families.

With this in mind, today's Beats Me question put me in the position to try and offer some insight into this question: 

What's the cultural experience for being black and male in Milwaukee?

The Milwaukee Urban League is celebrating 100 years of service to the community.

The local chapter is an affiliate of the National Urban League that began in 1910. At the time, millions of African-Americans were migrating north from southern states in search of greater opportunities.

The League's mission is: "Empowering Communities. Changing Lives."

Updated on Tuesday at 9:40 a.m. CT

The Menomonee Falls School Board voted 5-2 on Monday to retire Menomonee Falls High School's "Indians" nickname at the end of this school year. 

Wisconsin has some of the worst disparities between black and white people in the country. That's according to a new report that outlines the causes of these disparities — and possible solutions.

Despite the job market doing better than it has in previous years, some people are still having a hard time finding work. That's especially true for black Wisconsinites.

In 2018, the black unemployment rate in Wisconsin was nearly three times that of whites, according to American Community Survey data.

With street names like Winnebago and villages such as Mukwonago, there's no denying the historical presence of Native Americans in Wisconsin.

That spurred one of our listeners to reach out to Beats Me:

"What groups of Indigenous people lived in southeastern Wisconsin?"

We're going to answer that question. But we're also going to explore the importance of not just talking in the past tense when it comes to Native Americans.

Pow wows date back hundreds of years. These celebrations of native culture and traditions bring native people together to sing, dance and drum in honor of their heritage.

The tradition continues right here in Milwaukee, and they're not just for native people to enjoy.

I went to the 15th Annual Hunting Moon Pow Wow that took place recently at the Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee. It's a three-day competition that includes dancing, drumming and singing.

Milwaukee-area photographer Corey Fells has unveiled a new documentary and photography series – and this time, he's putting men under the spotlight. His name may be familiar because we met Fells at the beginning of the year, when he introduced his “100 Womxn Project.” That project highlighted millennial women of color in Milwaukee.

Gov. Tony Evers has declared the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day in Wisconsin — the day federally recognized as Columbus Day. The state joins a growing list of others, such as Minnesota and New Mexico, that have chosen to celebrate native peoples instead.

Women and people of color are drastically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). According to the Pew Research Center, black people only make up 9% of STEM jobs. Hispanics are7%, Asians are 13%, and whites make up 69% of STEM jobs.

Jet Constellations CEO Nadiyah Johnson thinks those numbers are alarming.

Bela Suresh Roongta is a woman of many titles. She’s a published author and a clothing designer. She’s also the Pfister Hotel’s current narrator in residence, which means she tells the stories of guests, staff and visitors of the hotel through blogs.

But Roongta’s own story is one about becoming confident in her identity to become the woman she is today.

Hip-hop and chess may seem like an unlikely pair. But a new club has combined the two in a way that’s educating young people about the art of chess and the art of making music.

The Hip-Hop Chess Club celebrated its grand re-opening Tuesday at Flip 'N' Styles, a barbershop on Milwaukee's south side. Even from the rear of the shop, you could hear the echo of ODB’s Shimmy Shimmy Ya hit you as you walk through the doors.