WUWM: Race & Ethnicity Reporting

We're looking at the impact of using "loaded" words, such as labels that describe certain areas of Milwaukee, in our latest Beats Me. For example, "inner city" is a term that may ignite many thoughts.

In discussions about the health and safety of water, it’s typical to hear from experts, public health officials and government leaders. But you don't often get the opinions of younger people who are just beginning to learn and care about natural resources.

Young people working with Cream City Conservation Corps are having some real conversations about the environment. August Ball leads the discussion at the group’s regular Tuesday night meeting in the Silver City neighborhood on Milwaukee's south side.

Since the beginning of the year, our I’m An American series has featured the stories of Muslim, Hispanic and Hmong people, who’ve talked about how the label “American” fits into their identity. Now, we hear from a Native American man who offers another unique perspective.

I first met Michael Zimmerman at the Indian Community School in Franklin, where he was teaching a biweekly Ojibwe Language course.

Editor's note: This piece was originally published on March 5, 2019. 

When you’re in your local corner store or gas station, it may not cross your mind that companies are using tactics to push certain products to specific customers. In Milwaukee County, there's evidence that tobacco products are targeted toward low-income communities and neighborhoods of color.

The presence of Native American people in Wisconsin dates back thousands of years — before any of us knew America's Dairyland to be what it is today. But as the population decreased, so did the prevalence of its languages.

However, places like the Indian Community School (ICS) in Franklin, Wis., are continuing to move the culture forward and keep the languages current with biweekly language courses.

If you ask a group of people what it means to be an American, or whether they consider American to be part of their identity, the answer can vary. You may even run into someone who isn't quite sure how to answer.

That was the case for Ramiro Castillo — a Hispanic man in New Berlin who’s featured in the latest installment of our I'm An American series.

Husband. Father. Owner of his own construction company. Community activist. These are just a few of the words that I came to realize describe Ramiro Castillo.

For the last two days, hundreds of young black men in Milwaukee were at the center of conversation about how to thrive in society as men of color. It was the sixth annual Summit on Black Male Youth that gave them the platform to do so.

About 700 young black and brown boys filled the Wisconsin Room inside the UWM union Tuesday for day two of the summit.

The UWM African American Male Initiative organizes the event, and this year’s theme was Black Boys Thriving: Reimagining the Narrative.

As freeway routes were constructed in the 1960s, lots of Milwaukeeans were impacted — houses were demolished, businesses had to relocate. In part due to the upheaval, some communities still haven’t recovered decades later.

One of our community members heard stories about a freeway spur running through Milwaukee’s central city in the 1960s and wanted to know more. So, she submitted the question to Beats Me — our series that allows you to ask questions about race, education, innovation and the environment. 

Wisconsin’s Legislative Black Caucus is celebrating Black History Month in Milwaukee and Madison with events throughout February that address issues facing the black community.

If you plan to visit the Milwaukee Art Museum in February, you can expect to be immersed in Haitian culture — by watching performances, or creating your own Haitian-inspired art. The museum is using Haitian dance, music and storytelling to celebrate Black History Month.

Schools across the country are participating in the second annual national Black Lives Matter at School Week. It includes events and lesson plans centered around affirming the lives of black students. And Milwaukee Public Schools has joined in, with its own Black Lives Matter Week of Action.

If you ask a group of people what it means to be an American, you might get a different answer from each person.

That’s what Race & Ethnicity reporter Teran Powell is exploring for people from underrepresented groups in our series, I’m An American.

This time, she talks to a Hmong woman whose family journey to the United States tells a similar story of many Hmong families who came to this country in search of new opportunities.

Milwaukee's 53206 ZIP code incarcerates the highest rate of African-American men in the United States — a statistic that disproportionately affects African-American families that live in those neighborhoods. 

Those numbers personally affected Beverly and Baron Walker’s family — Baron Walker was incarcerated for more than 20 years.