It’s 2011, and we think that things change right? Not exactly. My home city of Milwaukee has a slogan: “a great place on a great lake”. Well, the problem with that is not so great when it’s deemed as a segregated city. For those on the outside of Milwaukee, yes, it does have a problem with race. Recently today, I viewed a column on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and one of the reporters, James Causey (who is an alum of my high school) hit the nail on the head (or in the cheese) when those logged in on the JSOnline website to Eugene Kane’s Mayfair Story, approximately 400 (YEP 400) comments directed were coming from that well, see things that are racist. The Mayfair story if you were wondering, is about the recent melee at our Mayfair Mall on January 2nd.
With those comments flooding in like crazy, it’s no wonder that Milwaukee as good as it is, has heads behind the masks when it comes to being as a segregated city. Want more proof? Take a look at last year in 2010. Bradford Beach. This is one of our city’s best beaches. Many folks last year came out after a melee in-sued by a couple of (in Eugene Kane’s words) knuckleheads. And when the story made the JSOnline website, Over 500+ comments came from everywhere and mostly it was folks who still see black folks today as a prime enemy. And folks who probably never been in the inner city, or worked with African-Americans in Milwaukee or any part of the state, and still assumes that Eugene Kane is a “Race-Baiter”. I don’t care about those having 93QFM with the radios turned up. Big deal.
By the way, have those dissed Eugene Kane actually met him?
Lot of you reading this are probably asking: “Is Milwaukee really like this? I thought you guys were nice and all. But I had NO idea that it’s a racist/segregated city”. This is beyond Laverne and Shirley. And The Fonz. The Breweries, The Milwaukee Bucks, Brewers, Green Bay Packers, etc. Look at the history. Statistics, Crime, Race Relations on the job, etc. Those will tell you. But it should not hinder you about living here nor visiting here. If stuff like this happens in Milwaukee, it could happen anywhere. Maybe in your town or state.
Last year, I was a” hater victim of race” when there was a settlement case involving me and 390+ African Americans were denied of a company to get in – Dresser Waukesha. I was one of those who turned in a resume at a job fair in 2006, and never got a call back nor a letter response in the mail. Until August of 2010 came, I got this form in the mail along with a statement that the reason I didn’t get hired nor trained with Dresser Waukesha (see the file Waukesha_Third_Amended_Complaint) is because I happen to be African-American. So I filled out the form and mailed it. When October came, I went to my house and there was a check from the Reed vs Dresser Settlement, and I was awarded over $5000.00. And just recently, I was awarded over $200.00 additionally. And other African-Americans in the case probably got the same amount equally.
See what I’m getting at? Yep. I was disrespected in the Milwaukee area because of my race. And I’m sure that there are others that read this on the Journal Sentinel’s website said something like, “oh they’re crying out racism over a job they didn’t get”. They don’t know (I can’t say the word) about the horror we went through. So they don’t get it. And they never will get it. This is on-going thing here.
There are some or most who say that “blacks need to take responsibility of what they present, show, display and act”. For once, I agree. HOWEVER: Whites, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans and others have to do the same! Everyone is held accountable for all actions. Don’t just say black folks. If the blacks need to be accountable, your ethnic group needs to be accountable. If the black family needs to be accountable, then YOUR family needs to be accountable. Until Milwaukee, and the rest of America figures that out, the road stands still.
Most folks (particularly Caucasians on JSOnline) kept bringing up Bill Cosby in Milwaukee. Yes, I heard what Cosby said. No need to bring it up. He once said a bone chilling comment for the city in 2004: “Milwaukee, you are a city that has been put on notice. I didn’t do it. You notified yourself.” Just remember he said MILWAUKEE. Not Black Milwaukee. Not White Milwaukee. Not Hispanic Milwaukee. Not Asian Milwaukee. Not German Milwaukee. Not Irish Milwaukee. Not Arab Milwaukee. Just Milwaukee. – And the same can be for the State of Wisconsin and it’s problems of not moving forward with a potential High Speed Rail project that would have benefited the needs of our economy. Bill Cosby also decreed that he’s not coming back to Milwaukee every year just to re-baptize the whole city! Do you hear me, Brew City? Leaders like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders are not going to reappear! So in regarding this, it’s either put up or shut up.
This may be a new year. But for situations like this; the more things change, the more things stays the same.
Time to get work, Milwaukee.
Stephen's Spot 
This is no suprise, Milwaukee’s problem with race
Posted: January 7, 2011 in Decision Factors, Editorial, Life, Local, News and politicsTags: 2010, Bill Cosby, Black Crime, Bradford Beach, Dresser Waukesha, Eugene Kane, James Causey, JSOnline Comments, Mayfair Mall, Milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Race, Segregated City, Wisconsin
It’s 2011, and we think that things change right? Not exactly. My home city of Milwaukee has a slogan: “a great place on a great lake”. Well, the problem with that is not so great when it’s deemed as a segregated city. For those on the outside of Milwaukee, yes, it does have a problem with race. Recently today, I viewed a column on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and one of the reporters, James Causey (who is an alum of my high school) hit the nail on the head (or in the cheese) when those logged in on the JSOnline website to Eugene Kane’s Mayfair Story, approximately 400 (YEP 400) comments directed were coming from that well, see things that are racist. The Mayfair story if you were wondering, is about the recent melee at our Mayfair Mall on January 2nd.
With those comments flooding in like crazy, it’s no wonder that Milwaukee as good as it is, has heads behind the masks when it comes to being as a segregated city. Want more proof? Take a look at last year in 2010. Bradford Beach. This is one of our city’s best beaches. Many folks last year came out after a melee in-sued by a couple of (in Eugene Kane’s words) knuckleheads. And when the story made the JSOnline website, Over 500+ comments came from everywhere and mostly it was folks who still see black folks today as a prime enemy. And folks who probably never been in the inner city, or worked with African-Americans in Milwaukee or any part of the state, and still assumes that Eugene Kane is a “Race-Baiter”. I don’t care about those having 93QFM with the radios turned up. Big deal.
By the way, have those dissed Eugene Kane actually met him?
Lot of you reading this are probably asking: “Is Milwaukee really like this? I thought you guys were nice and all. But I had NO idea that it’s a racist/segregated city”. This is beyond Laverne and Shirley. And The Fonz. The Breweries, The Milwaukee Bucks, Brewers, Green Bay Packers, etc. Look at the history. Statistics, Crime, Race Relations on the job, etc. Those will tell you. But it should not hinder you about living here nor visiting here. If stuff like this happens in Milwaukee, it could happen anywhere. Maybe in your town or state.
Last year, I was a” hater victim of race” when there was a settlement case involving me and 390+ African Americans were denied of a company to get in – Dresser Waukesha. I was one of those who turned in a resume at a job fair in 2006, and never got a call back nor a letter response in the mail. Until August of 2010 came, I got this form in the mail along with a statement that the reason I didn’t get hired nor trained with Dresser Waukesha (see the file Waukesha_Third_Amended_Complaint) is because I happen to be African-American. So I filled out the form and mailed it. When October came, I went to my house and there was a check from the Reed vs Dresser Settlement, and I was awarded over $5000.00. And just recently, I was awarded over $200.00 additionally. And other African-Americans in the case probably got the same amount equally.
See what I’m getting at? Yep. I was disrespected in the Milwaukee area because of my race. And I’m sure that there are others that read this on the Journal Sentinel’s website said something like, “oh they’re crying out racism over a job they didn’t get”. They don’t know (I can’t say the word) about the horror we went through. So they don’t get it. And they never will get it. This is on-going thing here.
There are some or most who say that “blacks need to take responsibility of what they present, show, display and act”. For once, I agree. HOWEVER: Whites, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans and others have to do the same! Everyone is held accountable for all actions. Don’t just say black folks. If the blacks need to be accountable, your ethnic group needs to be accountable. If the black family needs to be accountable, then YOUR family needs to be accountable. Until Milwaukee, and the rest of America figures that out, the road stands still.
Most folks (particularly Caucasians on JSOnline) kept bringing up Bill Cosby in Milwaukee. Yes, I heard what Cosby said. No need to bring it up. He once said a bone chilling comment for the city in 2004: “Milwaukee, you are a city that has been put on notice. I didn’t do it. You notified yourself.” Just remember he said MILWAUKEE. Not Black Milwaukee. Not White Milwaukee. Not Hispanic Milwaukee. Not Asian Milwaukee. Not German Milwaukee. Not Irish Milwaukee. Not Arab Milwaukee. Just Milwaukee. – And the same can be for the State of Wisconsin and it’s problems of not moving forward with a potential High Speed Rail project that would have benefited the needs of our economy. Bill Cosby also decreed that he’s not coming back to Milwaukee every year just to re-baptize the whole city! Do you hear me, Brew City? Leaders like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders are not going to reappear! So in regarding this, it’s either put up or shut up.
This may be a new year. But for situations like this; the more things change, the more things stays the same.
Time to get work, Milwaukee.