WUWM: Race & Ethnicity Reporting

Monday the country commemorates the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Milwaukee has been celebrating King for 35 years with events at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. 

Social injustices in America came into sharp focus on Aug. 28, 1963. On that day, thousands gathered at the Washington Monument, and more around their radios and TV sets, to hear the King deliver his now famous “I Have A Dream” speech.

If you ask a group of people what it means to be an American, you might get a different answer from each person. For instance, responses based on someone's political beliefs, family history, military record, or other life experience.

But what does it mean to be an American for people from underrepresented groups in an era when civility and tolerance are sometimes in short supply?

A Milwaukee photographer has given minority women from the city a chance to make their voices heard  — through pictures. Corey Fells created the "100 Womxn Project," which is currently on display at the Museum of Wisconsin Art in Washington County.

The exhibition features photos of millennial minority women  — people Fells says may rarely get a chance to share their perspectives on life.

In 2018, issues regarding race and ethnicity in the state of Wisconsin made headlines often. As we head into the new year, let's recap of some of the top stories from the last 12 months.

The police encounter with Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard, Sterling Brown, happened nearly a year ago, but it’s one that’s still fresh in the minds of many Milwaukeeans.

There’s a creative new way for Native American students to learn about their culture thanks to a coloring book series on Ojibwe traditions, which is by a Wisconsin author. Writer and illustrator Cassie Brown hopes her coloring book will prevent Native American kids from experiencing what she did.

Brown grew up in the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwe Community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She says she never saw much representation of American Indian culture in her schools — and it was painful.

Updated at 3:52 p.m.

A former Milwaukee police officer who was fired for racially insensitive social media posts appealed his termination during a two-day hearing before the Fire and Police Commission. But he will not be getting his job back, as the commission upheld the decision to fire him.

In January, Erik Andrade was one of several Milwaukee police officers involved in a controversial altercation with Milwaukee Bucks player Sterling Brown.

Marquette University hosted a summit Thursday meant to help young black, Latino and Native American men succeed in school — and life. The event theme was developing brotherhood among young men of color in Milwaukee and participants came from public schools across the city.

Milwaukee's Midnight Basketball League is wrapping up its latest season. But the program's impact on the lives of the players is much bigger than having a safe place to play basketball.

On a recent Wednesday night, groups of young men filed into Bradley Technology and Trade High School on Milwaukee’s south side for the Midnight Basketball League. The first game of the night was set to begin at 8, followed by games at 9, 10 and 11.

Young people in Wisconsin are helping lead the charge this election season with a message for everyone to get out and vote. Here in Milwaukee, that means going to door to door asking people if they plan to vote and providing voter guides with information on the candidates.

Some of those leaders are young people of color. This past Saturday, dozens of high school and college students spent part of their weekend canvasing different neighborhoods to make sure people get out to vote.

The documentary Circles highlights the need for juvenile justice reform — with a focus on one family's story.

The film, which is featured at the Milwaukee Film Festival, follows school counselor Eric Butler. He does restorative justice work with youth in an Oakland school — giving kids that have dealt with the trauma of the system or their environment a safe space to be heard.

A whirlwind of events has surrounded Shorewood High School’s planned production of To Kill A Mockingbird. The superintendent of the Shorewood School District, Bryan Davis, addressed members of the media Wednesday afternoon to confirm that the school would part ways with the idea of putting on the show.

Following pushback for the play’s use of the n-word, it went from being a three-night event, to a one-night showing followed by a community talkback session.

Baseball is considered America’s favorite pastime. It’s always drawn fans to the ballpark for food, beer and fun. It’s no different for fans going to Miller Park, especially since the Milwaukee Brewers’ latest winning streak has revamped Milwaukee's love for baseball and the team. However, most of the fans filling the seats in Major League Baseball, like the players, are predominantly white.

When you think of a family, what comes to mind? Whatever the image — a mother and father with two children, a single parent, or siblings and friends — it can differ across cultures. A new exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum shows how the definition of family varies in the black community.

Hundreds of people came together at new the Fiserv Forum this week to discuss ways to heal the Milwaukee community from the effects of trauma.

The three-day Healing Trauma, Healthy Communities Conference kicked off Wednesday night with a community gathering. 

The sold-out event introduced the audience to what trauma is, its effects, and how to heal going forward.

How important is it for a student to be taught by a teacher of the same race? That's something that's been on the mind of community member Ann Stanton, so she submitted a question to Beats Me — our series that allows you to ask questions about race, education, innovation and the environment.

“What is the ratio of black students to white teachers, and the black teacher makeup in MPS? What impact does that have on student achievement?”