Keith Stanley is the Executive Director of the Avenues West Association and former Staff Assistant to Common Council President Willie Hines.
I have heard that Milwaukee will be the next Ferguson, Mo. I disagree with that statement. Here are my reasons Milwaukee will not be the next Ferguson.
#1 – The Nonprofit Community
Milwaukee may have too many nonprofits and programs; however, they are addressing a need. City Youth Development, Social Development Commission, Running Rebels, Urban Underground, Neighborhood House, City of Milwaukee Earn and Learn, Ald. Hamilton’s “Let’s Be The Change” — and the list goes on of very diverse programming that engages youth.
#2 – Police Chief Edward Flynn
If you have ever had the opportunity to have a one-on-one with the chief, I believe you will be struck by one in particular characteristic: the chief is real. He understands the reality of crime, racism and urban life. In fact, he understands it better than most Wisconsinites.
#3 – Residency Requirement
Having cops who care and have the experience of working, living and understanding both minority and urban communities is really important.
#4 – Fewer Dense Urban Centers
Milwaukee, working with local and national developers, has been really good at spreading, diversifying and supporting populations. Although we have segregation, we do not have high-rise, high-density apartment buildings like Cabrini Green was in Chicago. The multi-million dollar Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee project in Westlawn is a good example.
#5 – It’s Not An Option
It’s not an option for Milwaukee’s young black community to riot and loot. To say that it could not happen would not be accurate; however, there have been many opportunities and such behavior was not the outcome.
Here are some reasons that Milwaukee could become Ferguson.
#1 – Politically Deaf Politicians
I like some of the people who are declaring and exploring a mayoral candidacy. However, some seem to be politically deaf when it comes to youth, in particular black youth.
#2 – Militarization of the Police
This is an issue across the country and specifically in minority communities.
#3 – Removal of the Residency Requirement
Less diversity, less experienced cops and a lack of understanding of the urban dynamic continues to destroy what little trust there is between communities of color and the police force.
#4 – Hyper-segregation in Our Communities
People who live together understand each other better. As we continue to see more hyper-segregation in Milwaukee people do not have the opportunity to understand, work and depend on each other. It is these factors that make a city such a dynamic place to live.
#5 – Outlets for youth
We need outlets for youth. Funding and supporting youth programming is important and provides an outlet for their energy.
#6 – Media
Media has and will highlight any and all negative aspects of minority communities while flagrantly ignoring the good stories, people and organizations that make this community very special.
#7 – Absence of Black Parents
We need more black parents heavily involved in their child’s life. Engaging their children at school, in community and in extra-curricular activities is so important.
Brenda Bell-White says
1. I totally disagree with the author Keith Stanley; his article is fictional in nature. The author’s description of the state of Milwaukee is inaccurate here is why:
1) the non-profit community is not a cure all, engaging youth without engaging parents/adults via family sustaining wage employment, affordable and safe housing; coordinated and result orientated programs! The non-profit community in Milwaukee has served the non-profit organizations well, but has done little to change the disenfranchised population that ids rich in poverty and little too opportunities – this is the same disenfranchisement experienced by Ferguson and other communities in America.
2) Chief Flynn is one of the main reasons Milwaukee is like Ferguson and other police state communities in America; he doesn’t have a clue or better yet doesn’t care about the realities of racism, urban life and crime! The chief is responsible for a) racist policies, procedures and practices i.e., racial profiling aka “traffic stop initiative”;
b) dehumanizing and demeaning practices of making brown and black boys/men/people sit on the street curbs while police complete their background checks – Mayor Barrett thinks this practice is ok as he states “it is to keep them from running away” – but white people are not subjected to this same mistreatment!
c) Flynn’s racial profiling “traffic stop initiative lead to the sexual assault of 49 and counting (some have placed the number as high as 62) black people all were men except 1 – all of these victims were first “traffic stop initiative” stops! d) the chief has been successful in convincing the mayor, the common council, the white population and obviously some “head in the sand” black people as well that racial profiling brown and especially black boys/men/people is justifiable because of it is pro-active policing because of crime statistics, people committing the crimes are brown and black and black people want crime to stop in their neighborhood – over-policing a select group(s) and having a community under siege is not and never will be OK.
e) UNLESS, A BROWN OR BLACK PERSON IS ACTIVELY COMMITTING A CRIME, OR PART OF AN INVESTIGATION OF A CRIME ALREADY COMMITTED – BROWN AND BLACK MEN SHOULD NOT BE STOPPED FOR BOGUS TRAFFIC STOPS AND MADE TO SIT ON THE CURBS LIKE DOGS! After all, white folks are not subjected to this demeaning treatment.
f) Flynn’s unscientific and delusional theory that crime creates poverty is also disingenuous; Flynn knows as well as most that poverty, lack of equal opportunity and access as well as racism creates crime! No matter how many times Flynn states this non-scientific theory will never make it true!
g) Flynn’s policing and leadership skills are non-existent – this is not good policing it is lazy; it promotes intimidation and harassment policing!
h) There are 2 realities in Milwaukee, Ferguson and nation-wide one for brown and especially black people and one for white people and others! Flynn know this all too well and is exploiting white folks fears of black people and a few disingenuous black folks that not only look the other way, but volunteer to write articles to convince all the good white people in the city “don’t be afraid” – Milwaukee is already Ferguson!
3) Police residency requirement has done nothing to stop racial profiling, mistreatment, excessive use of force against and even the killing of unarmed brown and especially black people by white police officers! The Milwaukee brown and black community is sick of it! Just like Ferguson.
4) Milwaukee is hyper-segregated, Milwaukee has one of the highest African-American male unemployment rates in the country; Wisconsin has the highest incarceration rate for African-American males in the country; Wisconsin is the worst place for black children to grow up; Milwaukee has 5 instead of 1 black alderpersons, same difference as Ferguson for the size of our city – these 5 alderperson’s do not have enough votes to out vote the white majority – do you see the Ferguson similarity? The City of Milwaukee is ran by a white mayor (who is also out of touch), a white police chief (who doesn’t care about brown and black people
if he did he wouldn’t implement racist policies), white commissioners running all departments except for 2 – Just like Ferguson and other communities in America!
5) Martin Luther King Jr. offered his thoughts on the type of civil unrest that devolves into violence and looting, saying:
“It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.”
Mayor Barrett, Chief Flynn, the white community and black nay-Sayers are delusional at best, and flat out lying to themselves at minimum! As an African-American mother, grandmother, woman I am outraged by the ill treatment of the people that look like me, my sons, my grandsons; I’m further outraged by how white people in this city are not outraged by this differential treatment and how they have bought into Flynn’s deceptions hook, line and sinker! So, you can only imagine how outraged African-American boys and men are – Milwaukee and the rest of the country have the opportunity to insure that Milwaukee being like Ferguson does not stay on the projectory to become a riot, due to not being heard!
Anne C. says
GOD BLESS BRENDA BELL-WHITE and the many other REAL people who have chosen to share her response via social media outlets. This article is delusional; this city represents the epitome of the nonprofit industrial complex. Flynn’s view that crime creates poverty (which I have heard him speak about in person) is at the heart of the colorblind racist and militaristic policing of the poor that is alive and well in Milwaukee. Between Singleton’s STOP Program and Flynn’s entire approach, it is clear that they have worked hard on one thing: renaming and reframing racial profiling as “proactive policing”.
Milwaukee NNS thank you for reassuring us that TRUTH cannot get published, only that which supports and/or is funded by the leadership protecting the the status quo.
The road to hell is paved with good [nonprofit] intentions.
ann parsons says
During the riots of the 1960s, Milwaukee was ‘quiet’. A visiting journalist ask Mayor Henry Maier, that due to the large Black population why Black here hadn’t rioted, the Mayor’s response was, “Our Negroes aren’t like that”. http://www.milwaukeesfinest.net/1967/Riots.html http://www.putnampit.com/milwaykeepress/riots.htm Who was the Mayor NOT talking to?