VOL. XLI Number 19 Nov. 29, 2017 www ... · tive forces: The people you spend the most time with make a great im-pact on your mood. Make sure you spend time with people who share

VOL. XLI Number 19 Nov. 29, 2017 www.milwaukeecommunityjournal.com 25 Cents BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE PAID

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSINPERMIT NO. 4668

W I S C O N S I N ’ S L A R G E S T A F R I C A N A M E R I C A N N E W S P A P E R

How Opioids Are Affecting Millennials

PULSEPULSE OF THEOF THECOMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

Photos and question by Yvonne Kemp“Neither. Ishopped afterFriday, eventhough Satur-day was stillconsidered‘Black Friday.’”

EjeanJackson

“Seniors, peo-ple my age, donot want tofight the crowdof ‘Black Fri-day’ shoppers.I don’t shop on-line. Therefore,I did no shopping at all.”

BobbieLatham

“I didn’t do anyshopping on“Black Friday” asI don’t like busycrowds. I don’tshop on-line. Sothe little shop-ping I will do willbe catching the sales in the next fewweeks.”

VickieTurner-Estes

(Editor’s note:The followinganswer is anedited andshorter versionof the re-sponse.) “Thisyear I made a decisionnot to shop on “BlackFriday” and “CyberSaturday. I save money by finishing my holidaywith my family. Spending time with family issomething money can’t buy.”

MattieAllen

Did you do “Black Friday”Christmas shopping at an

actual store, or did youshop online?

Pat Baldwin, the University of Wisconsin-Mil-waukee’s first-year men’s head basketball coach,knows how much fans mean to the Panthers. Buthe wants his Panthers to mean even more to thosefans, as well as all of Milwaukee, and to do so farbeyond the basketball court.

“I think we need to be an integral part of what the city of Milwaukee does,”Baldwin said, “and I would love for that connection to happen.”

Baldwin insists his team be a visible presence in the community, and theteam certainly made noise with an early-season 74-56 win at Big 12 teamIowa State. It was another game, however, that had a wider impact.

The Oct. 22 exhibition game against crosstown rival Marquette Universitybenefitted survivors of devastating hurricanes in the American South andPuerto Rico. The game raised nearly $35,000 in support of hurricane reliefefforts.

But most of the time, the team’s community service will take place nowherenear a bouncing ball. In early October, the entire team and staff volunteeredat the Panther Prowl, a 5-kilometer race to raise money for UWM studentscholarships. Other connections will happen on a more basic level.

Like the girl in the Chicago-area hospital with whom he became pen pals.They met when he visited her during his previous role as assistant coach atNorthwestern University. Or the children in foreign countries whom he’llnever meet, but who receive food shipments Baldwin and his family helpedpack through the nonprofit Feed My Starving Children.

Baldwin’s family – wife Shawn, son Patrick Jr., and daughters Tatum,Brooke and Claire – have often been involved in outreach efforts. A quickscroll of his smartphone photos shows the family donning hairnets after help-ing fill food bags or dressed in running gear for the Race Against Hate, aChicago-area event that raised money for YMCA racial justice and violenceprevention programs.

“It touches our hearts,” the coach said, “to really see that we can, for a fleet-ing moment, be an inspiration for people, or make them smile, or forget abouttheir pain.”

UWM B-ballcoach Pat Baldwin emphasizes community serviceBy Dan Simmons

(continued on page 6)

A Thanksgiving Weekend Tradition Continues!

Christian Business & Professional Alliance and Pauline RedmondCoggs Foundation showcase teen girls and introduces them to

society through Debutante Cotillions

A Thanksgiving tradition was continued by two community organizations during the hol-iday weekend. The Christian Business and Professional Alliance (CBPA) (photo A) andthe Pauline Redmond Coggs Foundation, Inc. (photo B) held their respective DebutanteCotillions Friday and Saturday at the Milwaukee Hilton and Pfister Hotels. Jasmine Willis(standing front and center with her escort, Elijah Lock, a student at Milwaukee LutheranHigh School) was crowned 2017 CBPA Miss Debutante.

Jasmine is the daughter of Ron and Tammy Willis. She is a member of Holy RedeemerInstitutional COGIC and is a senior at Bradford High School in Kenosha. The cotillionwas the 37th held by the CBPA.

Debutante Kenady Alexis Beamon (pictured in photo B, seated center wearing glasses)was crowned Miss Debutante for 2017 during that cotillion sponsored by the Coggs Foun-dation.

It was the 44th year for the event. Beamon is the daughter of Alex and Nesha Beamon.She attends Rufus King International High School. Beamon was escorted by Alvin Cherry,a student at UW-Milwaukee. --Photos by Yvonne Kemp

ChristmasMemories!

What are your favoriteChristmas memories?The Milwaukee Com-munity Journal wantsto know! In 450 to 600words, provide us withyour favorite memo-ries. Send them to usby email to: [email protected] A limitednumber will be used,so get them to us byDecember 15, 2017. Welook forward to sharingthese precious memo-ries with our commu-nity!

UWM coach PatBaldwin knowshow important it isthat he, his familyand his Panthersare involved in giv-ing back to thecommunity. (UWM Photo/EloraHennessey)

A

B

After 23 years of serving as aMilwaukee County Supervisor,Michael Mayo, Sr. announcedTuesday he will not seek re-elec-tion to an eighth term.

The supervisor made the announcement at this time soas to allow potential candidates ample opportunity toenter the race and make their case directly to the citizensof the 7th District and for constituents to be able to makean informed decision as to who would represent them on

the Board of Supervisors.Mayo thanked his wife and family, the residents of the

seventh district and his many supporters for allowing himthe “honor” of representing the district. He also encour-aged all potential candidates for the seat to spend suffi-cient time in the community meeting and understandingresident concerns, challenges and aspirations.

Not ready to retire, Mayo says he plans to pursue otheractivities and ventures where he can utilize both his pre-government business experience and knowledge of avail-able economic development tools to continue to improveMilwaukee County and the surrounding communities forthe foreseeable future.

(Author’s note: I did a really dumbthing last week. A really, really dumbthing that could have cost my life.Read on and you’ll discover what itwas.)I have mixed emo-

tions about a pro-posal to placecameras at busycentral city inter-sections to trackreckless drivers.

The proposal is being advanced locally and at the statelevel by two emerging Black leaders/lawmakers—Alder-man Cavalier Johnson and State Rep. David Crowley—as a new weapon to combat a tsunami of reckless drivingthat has resulted in hundreds of accidents, and a growingnumber of senseless deaths.

The last few years have witnessed the transformation

of the central city into the Wild, Wild West on Wheels.Drivers of stolen cars—most of them Black teens—haveadded to an escalation of reckless driving that defies logicand common sense.

I’m not exaggerating when I note that many of myfriends now take the long way around the central city to

Milwaukee CountySup. Michael Mayo willnot seek re-election Sup. Mayo


SIGNIFYIN’SIGNIFYIN’By Mikel Kwaku Oshi Holt

The Wild, WildWest on Wheels

MCJ112917 Pages_Layout 1 11/29/17 6:36 PM Page 1

MILLENNIAL VOICESMILLENNIAL VOICESN e w s a n d V i e w s f r o m t o d a y ’ s M i l l e n n i a l G e n e r a t i o n

The Milwaukee Community Journal November 29, 2017 Page 2

SafeRyde:A DrivingService forWomen

With an extra $30.00/day, I imag-ine a person would do responsiblethings like, pay up their WE energiesbill or other utilities. Catching dailyhappy hour specials on food anddrinks are also attractive spendingoptions.

More importantly $30.00 will fillthe tank of most cars, getting driversthrough at least the work week. How-ever, if you had to spend this amountdaily on one trip back and forth fromwork, you are sure to look for alter-natives.

$30.00 is the average cost of an

Uber/Lyft Ride if you were to get aride to and from a location, with taxiseven higher at approximately $35.00.With prices like these, it is of nowonder why a person without a carwould opt to ride cheaper optionslike the city bus at $2.25 per trip.

Unfortunately, in a city wherecrime rates are high, specificallycrimes against women, the pricecould end up being much higher.

Fueled by my male predispositionto protect, I started SafeRyde, a driv-ing service that targets woman whoare on the bus line come night fall.

Over the course of the year therehave been numerous reports of ab-ductions, both successful and at-tempted throughout the city ofMilwaukee.

Robberies were also happening towomen at an alarming rate with thecommon denominators between thevictims being solo traveling or thebus line.

Understanding the aforementionedcost of driving services and the dan-gers of the bus line, the service al-lows riders to pay what they can untilthe official app is launched.

When that time arrives, it will con-tinue to be significantly cheaper thanall other services, as safety is of main

In a World of MiseryChoose Happiness

The world we live in today can bevery dark and gloomy. We are sad-dened by the shootings, killings andracial injustice that occurs. We areeasily exposed to the negatives in oursociety.

We stroll down our neighborhoodsand it’s easy for us to see the effectsof poverty. When we turn on theradio and the news we see the chaotichate crimes in major cities.

Some of us live our lives strivingday to day just to get by. We set goalsbut we never accomplish them be-cause life gets in the way. We feelforced to live in the lifestyle about

how if it’s not one thing it’s another. I’m a firm believer that there is a

way out and that way out is you. I be-lieve that there is no way to controlwhat life throws at us but at least wecan choose how to react to the obsta-cles thrown our way.

With that being said I’d like toshare the five rules that I believe canhelp you to tap into your happiness.

1. Understand that happiness isa mindset not just an emotion:Many people believe happiness is ob-tained through financial status andmaterial things while I disagree.

Happiness must be created but inorder to create it, you have to knowthe things that make you happy.

2. Spend more time with your-self: Instead of telling yourself youneed to get out and have fun, try get-ting to know yourself.

Find out what your gifts and tal-ents are and learn to make that yourhappy place.

3. Surround yourself with posi-tive forces: The people you spend

the most time with make a great im-pact on your mood.

Make sure you spend time withpeople who share the same morals,values and beliefs as you. Ensure thatthe people around you motivate youto become your best.

4. Try new things: Don’t get stuckin the habit of doing the same activi-ties. Work towards a lifestyle of ad-

More Millennial Voices on page 7

Joshua Thomas


LaShawnda S. Wilkins





RELIGIONRELIGIONThe Milwaukee Community Journal November 29, 2017 Page 4

Franciscan Action Network Callson GOP to Pass Dream Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Franciscan Action Network urges Republicans to include the Dream Act in a continuingresolution or omnibus deal before they leave for the holidays. Because President Trump ended DACA, thousands ofDreamers spent an anxious Thanksgiving holiday. Because an arbitrary October 5th deadline was set for renewal ap-plications, and DHS refused to extend the deadline despite severe hurricanes, 10,000 Dreamers have already losttheir status.

"Most Republicans in Congress have expressed support for Dreamers and some have co-sponsored the DreamAct," said Sr. Marie Lucey, FAN Associate Director. "Now we call on them to attach the Dream Act to a CR or om-nibus bill in order to protect Dreamers before they leave Washington to spend the holidays with their families."

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The Milwaukee chapter of the National Black NursesAssociation (NBNA) will hold a Prayer Breakfast Satur-day, January 13, 2018, at Parklawn Assembly Church,3725 N. Sherman Blvd., starting at 8 a.m.

Each year the local chapter of NBNA opens their firstmeeting of the year with a Prayer Breakfast. It is veryspecial and popular event in the nursing community al-lowing nurses to reflect and fellowship. It’s an outstand-ing way for area Black nurses to launch the new year.This years keynote speaker will be Bishop Dr. CherylMcBride Brown.

Dr. Brown seeks to be known as a servant of God.She believes no single accomplishment or success truly

reflects the worth of an individual. The measure of a per-son is the adherence to life-long principles.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mar-quette University, a Masters of Education in Religiousstudies from Cardinal Stritch University and a Doctoratein Education from Capella University.

As founder and president of Believers In Christ Min-istries, Inc., she is the catalyst and overseer of a varietyof ministry programs. Dr. Brown's ongoing work includesprison ministry, local and national and international evan-gelism, youth ministry and K-12 education.

She is the founder of the Kids Are Smart Child Devel-opment Center, and Christian Academy and High Schoolof Excellence.

Her success in producing quality schools has receivednational attention as a prototype for innovative and effec-tive education.

In addition to all of the above, she has organized Intel-ligence Inc., an educational consulting firm.

Dr. Brown has served in many capacities within theFull Gospel Baptist Church fellowship. She has beenGeneral Overseer, First Assistant to Bishop Jerome Rossin the Pastors’ Division and was consecrated to the Officeof Bishop, one of the first women clergy to have been be-stowed such a honor.

Local chapter of National Black Nurses Association to hold 2018 Prayer Breakfast

Though he was not an on-air per-sonality, Vernon Wilkinson, Jr. was awidely known figure in Milwaukee’sBlack community in the 1970s and‘80s. He spent 30 years in the radiobusiness in sales, working as a generalsales manager for radio stationsWNOV, WAWA, and WLUM.

Wilkinson passed recently at age 70in Paramount, Calif. on November 8.

Born in Milwaukee on April 30,1947 to parents Aldeen “T” Hall-Wilkinson and Charles Wilkinson, Sr.,Vernon loved music and believeddeeply in the power of education.

He graduated as homecoming kingfrom Lincoln High School in Milwau-kee, WI in 1965. After high school,he began a career in sales working forthe aforementioned radio stations.

Later in life, Wilkinson took the ex-

perience he had gained from working,and decided to go back to school todevelop more skills in education andmarketing. He earned an Associate’sDegree in Marketing from MilwaukeeArea Technical College (MATC) in2001.

Wilkinson was an exemplary men-tor and student, making the Dean’sList and being selected to give thecommencement speech at his owngraduation.

Some of his other accomplishmentsinclude: “Outstanding StudentAward,” “All USA Academic Team”,“The Torch Award”, third place in the“President’s Award” competition, andfirst place in the “Felber and RileySpeech” contest.

He went on to earn his Bachelor’sDegree in Educational Studies with a

specialization in adult education in2006; and a Master’s Degree in Ad-ministrative Leadership in 2008 fromUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee(UWM).

Wilkeinson is survived by brotherVaughn Wilkinson, brother CharlesWilkinson, sister Clarena Franks, for-mer wife Lois Wilkinson; six children:Latrice (Larry) McGlothin, DeavonRidgeway, Vanessa Wilkinson, Valerie(Arthur) Brown, Vernon Jr. “Vince”Wilkinson, and Jason Wilkinson; threegrandchildren: D’Naya Collins,Micah Brown, and Chloe Brown; anda host of other family members andlongtime friends.

A celebration of Wilkinson’s lifewill be held Saturday, Dec. 2, startingat 11 a.m., at On The Bayou, 2053 N.Martin Luther King Drive.

PASSAGESPASSAGESSanta visits childrenat the Salvation Army

PASSAGES: Vernon Wilkinson, Jr.PASSAGES: Vernon Wilkinson, Jr.

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus recently visited the SalvationArmy’s Milwaukee Citadel Corps and Worship Center,4129 W. Villard Ave. The event, called “Claus for a Cause,”featured free photos with Santa, gifts for children, food,and arts and crafts tables. Also on hand was new SalvationArmy officer Lt. Patricia Williams (pictured in the first andfourth photos). The Salvation Army is an evangelical partof the universal Christian church and has been supportingthose in need in God’s name without discrimination since1865. Nearly 33 million Americans receive assistance fromthe Salvation Army each year through a broad array of so-cial services. --Photos by Yvonne Kemp

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avoid high traffic streets including Fond duLac Avenue, North and Center Streets, Lis-bon, Appleton and North Avenues. In theirminds, conflict avoidance isn’t just a strat-egy to keep peace in your home. It’s truly amatter of life and death.

It’s as if thoughtless driving has becomea new sport, where callous and insane youngthugs and thugettes feel compelled to notonly risk their own lives, but nonparticipantsin their reckless game by running lights, zigzagging through traffic at high speeds anddoing daredevil acrobatics, including stand-ing on moving cars. Among the many deathsto result from these stunts was the senselessloss of a 16-year-old who was standing on amoving car driven by a teen relative.

Two babies were killed when a fool speddown Teutonia doing 100 miles an hour. Hewas in a hurry to get no-where, and his ex-cuses did little to ease the pain of the griev-ing mother.

A Washington high school student I at-tempted to mentor died after crashing onCapitol Drive last year. The young brother was observed driving at a high-speed past a police station moments earlier. Why he wasn’t stopped may havebeen rooted in the police policy not to chase speeders in high traffic areas.As a result, the teen joined a half dozen young Black men killed while speed-ing in as many months.

Most, it should be noted, were driving stolen cars.Some “good Christians” said they got what they deserved. I think those

who think that way will get what they deserve—on Judgement Day. Indeed,as I always say, Heaven is not going to be a crowded place.

One of the most publicized “accidents” of late involved a 71-year-old cross-ing guard, Andrew Tyler, who happened to be in the path of an uncivilizedthug who had no regard for public safety or common sense.

Those of us with a sagacity of brotherhood and humanity shed a few tearswhen it was learned Baba Tyler had to have both of his legs amputated as aresult of the accident.

Later we mourned with his family when it was revealed they were con-fronted with the decision to take him off life support, as medical treatmentcould not overcome his injuries.

Would a camera have identified the murderer? That’s debatable since thelegislation is geared only for specific street corners.

But the proposal could lead to the apprehension of other thugs who endan-ger us. Assuming they are penalized with something more than a slap on thewrist or a small fine, many will pay for their transgression with money madefrom selling nickel bags of “stink”, or “loud,” or whatever they are callingthat smelly weed that is polluting our polluted air.

But assuming the plan takes some of these thugs off the streets, and restoresa sense of peace and order in our community, it will be of benefit.

So why am I hesitating?Two reasons.The first is shared by many, if not most, activists of my era. Particularly

those of us who check under our beds and use a scanner to detect suspiciouselectronic devices planted in our home. We also look behind our car seats,and make sure our license plates are up to date and our taillights are in work-ing order.

I also keep a clean pair of drawers in my trunk just to be on the safe side.They say it’s not paranoia if your fears or concerns are based on history,

and personal experiences. By that definition, I’m not being paranoid if I ex-press concern (fears) that not only is Big Brother (or Uncle, as in Sam) spyingon us, but he is undermining civil rights, sustaining the prison industrial com-plex and undermining efforts to empower our community.

The record shows Uncle Samuel flooded our community with crack to fundthe CIA, used us for medical experiments and created the welfare state to un-dermine our culture.

Government/police/military cameras on our street corners conjures up im-ages of the FBI’s COINTELPRO project, an FBI program used to spy onBlack leaders, to infiltrate Black organizations, falsely charge activists andeven murder “field slaves” they felt were attempting to tear down the wallsof apartheid.

Cameras invoke images of Martin Luther King’s phone being tapped, leaksof infidelity to the White media, and the killing of Fred Hampton and others.

For those of us who survived the 1970s revolt, cameras bring to mind Mil-waukee Chief Harold Breier’s Red Squad activities, a local project that mim-icked what the FBI was doing on a national level.

The unit spied on Black activists, eavesdropped, tapped phones and ha-rassed citizens of color. From what I learned, they also planted drugs on peo-ple, set them up for questionable prosecution, beat up more than a few, and

threatened their livelihood.I can attest to those tactics, as I experienced several assaults on my rights.You think I’m exaggerating? Read old editions of this publication. On the

other hand, if you truly believe white ice is colder, research the old MilwaukeeJournal and the Sentinel. You’ll find stories about alleged police involvementin the burning down of the Freedom House, their gassing civil right activists,unjustified mass arrests, and murdering innocent civilians in what many as-sumed were “warnings”, to the uppity slaves.

Long before the questionable shootings of the last couple of years, therewas the callous “murder” of Ernie Lacy who was choked to death by a mem-ber of Milwaukee’s Finest on Wisconsin Avenue.

He was suspected of being a rapist Breier identified as being “Black, some-where between 3’9” and 7’5”, between five and 85 years old, with a goatee.”In essence, every Black man in the city was a suspect, and subject to beingstopped, harassed and arrested.

Even though Lacy professed his innocence, he was said to have resisted(meaning he professed his innocence), and was choked to death.

During one of the marches to demand justice for Lacy we had to restrainourselves as Massa Breier personally led his troop of riot geared “officers”through the peaceful demonstrators, pushing and prodding us in an obviousattempt to incite a reaction.

Only the calming voices of Howard Fuller, Michael McGee and Vel Phillipsprevented the start of WWIII.

Phillips, who was the first and only Black statewide political office holder(she was elected secretary of state in part because we sent out pamphlets inoutstate Wisconsin with a photo we intentionally lightened to make her appearwhite), was denied re-election when “their” media revealed she sought anoutside investigation of Lacy’s killing.

(By the way, I was unceremoniously fired from a local news program whenI challenged the head of the police union to try that choke hold on me, onair.)

I can provide dozens of other examples of what we endured and how thepolice used technology to spy on us. But the point is, I’m hesitant to give“lawless” enforcement new tools to aid their war on citizens of these hereUnited States. And not just on the local level. Several weeks ago we reportedthe Trump FBI is targeting Black activists again through a new COINTELprogram!

Technology will help them carry out the Trump agenda, and obviously,cameras will assist in that anti-American endeavor.

But it’s not like Uncle Sam has ever stopped spying on us anyway. Lookaround, there are cameras everywhere, and the technology now exists to listento your conversations and look into your homes. Think about that the nexttime you…. I won’t finish that sentence because you know what you’re doingwouldn’t look good on the six o-clock news or on your Mama’s smart phone.

In fact, there’s a pending case involving police using cell phone towers totrack your location and activities. And remember, Apple had to go to court toblock the FBI’s effort to break their firewalls.

All of that said, something must be done to stop these Neckbone’s fromeroding our safety and sanctuary. People are being killed because of this phe-nomenon of reckless driving and car jackings.

Rarely a week goes by when I haven’t examined a report of ignorantteenagers having accidents while trying to evade police in a stolen vehicle,or of a careless driver hitting a bystander, or of road rage resulting in injury

I salute the workingwomen and men

Every day, I will be the firstto salute all those that work,tirelessly to help others riseabove their personal strugglesand maintain productive life-styles.

I salute those whose passionis their work and work theirlives away, those who aretwenty-four and not just nineto five.

My job has been to recognizethese people and embracethem.

It’s not hard. Their workspeaks for itself as do the peo-ple they actually help.

As I said at a recent confer-ence, crime and pain does payand many are allowed to keepcashing in, pretending to be-friend and care for those withlimited hopes and long-termgoals.

These are people that must

be exposed. We have to bethose that protect those weserve.

I learned also that hood hero-ism doesn't always last forever,but most refuse to step asidewith respect.

They will prefer to milk thebroken system dry, then crywhen someone, like myself,says, “It’s time to stop or toclose them down.”

We have to learn to policeourselves to have our owninner-city council of internalaffairs, as a community. Wemust create a system to holdeach other up and everyone ac-countable.

So, again, I salute and willcontinue to salute, all thosethat work.

Whether a solider, general,contributor or supporter ofthose out here struggling andachieving, I salute you.

Thank you for believing inreality and for not being afraidto share their dreams. Loveand togetherness will formpeace.

Torre M Johnson Sr./XMEN UNITED

THETHEMILWAUKEEMILWAUKEECOMMUNITYCOMMUNITYJOURNALJOURNALPublished twice weekly,Wednesday & Friday3612 North Martin LutherKing Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212Phone: 414-265-5300 (Advertising and Administration) • 414-265-6647 (Editorial) • Website: communityjournal.net • Email: [email protected]/[email protected]

Opinion and comments expressed on the Perspectives page do not nec-essarily reflect the views of the publisher or management of the MCJ. Let-ters and “other perspectives” are accepted but may be edited for contentand length.

MCJ STAFF:Patricia O’Flynn -PattilloPublisher, CEORobert J. ThomasAssoc. PublisherTodd Thomas, Vice Pres.Mikel Holt, Assoc. PublisherThomas E. Mitchell, Jr., EditorTeretha Martin, Technical Consultant/Webmaster

Billing Dept./Publisher’sAdmin. Assist.Colleen Newsom,Classified AdvertisingJimmy V. Johnson, Sales Rep.CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Richard G. Carter, Fr. CarlDiederichs, Rev. Joe McLinPHOTOGRAPHER: Yvonne Kemp

Our society has reached a placein time where we are beginning toexperience the worst public healthcrisis in America.

What was once a war on drugs,has now become more specificallya war on opioids.

Users of opioids are growing innumbers and there are many ex-perts who have grown to becomeconcerned about the outcome thiscould have on the millennial gen-eration.

While many studies show thatmillennials are less likely to takeprescription or illegal drugs tomake pain go away, there is stillthe possibility of influential babyboomers and generation x usersthat could affect our generation.

"I believe we are at the begin-ning of the epidemic," David Pat-terson Silver Wolf, a WashingtonUniversity expert on drug addic-tion and treatment said in an inter-view with Bustle Magazine, anonline American women's maga-zine founded in August 2013 byBryan Goldberg. The crisis hasbeen one that has experts baffled,yet understanding of the directionthis epidemic could turn.

The effect that the use of opioidshas on millennials is that we haveheard and seen the stories that sur-face after the use of these drugs gowrong.

There have been cases of heartattacks, system shutdowns,seizures and even worse, drugoverdoses.

The interesting part of this isthat over half of millennials reporthaving had chronic pain and si-multaneously refuse to take anydrugs, prescribed or not. As untra-ditional as we are, it is no secretthat we still find ways to march toour own cadences. Millennials

have reported changing theirlifestyle and habits.

This includes: exercising, eatingthe right foods, getting enoughrest, getting in shape mentally andphysically and an array of otherpro-health changes.

While over half of millennialshave been reported to keep awayfrom opioids, reports show that40% of millennials believe that isok to take drugs that are not pre-scribed to them.

This is where concerns from ex-perts like David Patterson SilverWolf have come about.

The problem is that many opi-oids are legally prescribed forthose who are in need of relieffrom pain and it doesn’t take muchfor a family member’s meds to beobtained, especially if they are inmedicine cabinets or kitchencounters.

Researchers say that the over-dose and use of opioids are notrare in generations like babyboomers. According to the U.S.National Institute on Drug Abuse,more than 2 million Americanswere abusing opioids in 2015.That included heroin and prescrip-tion opioids, such as painkillerslike Vicodin (hydrocodone), Oxy-Contin (oxycodone) and codeine.(Health Day 2017).

While that is happening, the rate

of heroin overdose death acceler-ated most among millennials.Medlineplus.org reported thatthose born in 1989 and 1990 were23 percent more likely to die of aheroin overdose compared withAmericans born in the late 1970s.

The situation is bad and amongmany of the “wars” that havecome about in our society, when itcomes to health and physicalstrength, the worst thing we can dois put toxins in our body that in thelong run, come back to haunt us.

The war on drugs is nothingnew to politics, society and socialgroups. The worse it gets, themore taboo it becomes. Awarenessto this epidemic and crises has tobe put on public display in the eyeof the people.

If you or a loved one suffersfrom addiction to pain killers, pre-scribed or not, there is help.

Coalition to Stop Opioid Over-dose: http://www.stopopioidover-dose.org

The Coalition to Stop OpioidOverdose

C/O Capitol Decisions Inc.101 Constitution Ave. NWSuite 650 EastWashington, DC 20001Phone: (202) 638-0326Fax: (202) 638-0353--Paishance Welch, Millennial Magic!

URBAN My URBAN My DIALOGUE...DIALOGUE...By Torre “ToeJoe” Johnson

MILLENNIALMILLENNIALMAGICMAGICBy Paishance Welch

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How Opioids Are Affecting Millennials

The Wild, Wild West on Wheels

Rep. Crowley

Ald. Johnson

(continued from front page)




Edible Marijuana Products PoseRisks to Children, Annalsof EmergencyMedicine StudyFinds

WASHINGTON, DC — As statesupdate marijuana regulations, emer-gency physicians should be mindfulof the likely increase in visits to theemergency room (ER), particularlyfor children who accidentally ingestedible marijuana or related products,according to a new study in Annalsof Emergency Medicine, CannabisIntoxication Case Series: The Dan-gers of Edibles Containing Tetrahy-drocannabinol.

Many edible candies or bakedproducts containing tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC) look like familiarcommercially available products. Forexample, children are known to inad-vertently eat gummies, because theylook and taste just like popular can-dies.

“Children – and even some adults– can have trouble differentiating be-tween candy and marijuana-infusededibles,” said Kathy T. Vo, MD, As-sistant Professor of Emergency Med-icine at the University of CaliforniaSan Francisco and lead study author.“Child-resistant packaging require-ments are getting stronger in somestates, but the close resemblance tofamiliar candies still poses signifi-cant risk to children.”

The nonspecific signs of THC in-toxication in children, coupled withthe potential reluctance of familymembers to disclose the possibilityof marijuana exposure, make it a dif-ficult diagnosis for emergency physi-cians, the study says. Immunoassays,or drug tests, for THC in childrenshowing signs of intoxication cansave time and money in the emer-gency room —if the results are avail-able in a timely manner.

“Signs and symptoms of THC in-toxication can be very similar toother common conditions,” said Dr.Vo. “Emergency physicians shouldconsider ordering tests for THC inpediatric patients with probablecause. This simple step could meanfewer diagnostic tests, enabling fasterand more accurate diagnosis andtreatment.”

The study findings include analy-sis from a case series in which chil-dren were unintentionally fedTHC-infused candy at a birthdayparty, resulting in 21 pediatric andadult patients treated at six San Fran-cisco hospitals. For adults, highdoses of cannabis can be associatedwith paranoia, reduced motor func-tion and other symptoms. Less isknown about the acute effects ofTHC on children, according to thestudy. In the cases analyzed, a major-ity of pediatric patients showed ab-normal vision, dizziness andlethargy. Other symptoms included

rapid heart rate, abnormally rapidbreathing or hypertension.

In one case, gummy candies weresent to a lab and found to containTHC but the results were not avail-able to the physicians during clinicalassessment.

In other instances, children wereadmitted to the hospital for observa-tion but THC levels were not con-firmed until after discharge.

“The market for edible marijuanaproducts is expanding. More publiceducation about the potential hazardsof these products could save a childa trip to the ER,” said Vo.

Annals of Emergency Medicine is

the peer-reviewed scientific journalfor the American College of Emer-gency Physicians, the national med-ical society representing emergencymedicine. ACEP is committed to ad-vancing emergency care throughcontinuing education, research, andpublic education. Headquartered inDallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chaptersrepresenting each state, as well asPuerto Rico and the District of Co-lumbia.

A Government Services Chapterrepresents emergency physicians em-ployed by military branches andother government agencies. For moreinformation, visit www.acep.org.

YY&&EEY O U T H & E D U C A T I O N

Milwaukee Public Schools celebrated the completionof its new culinary arts lab at Washington High Schoolrecently. Community partners, donors and culinary artsvolunteers were on hand to view the new space and enjoygourmet refreshments prepared by students.

Washington High School is located at 2525 N. Sher-man Blvd.

Thanks to generous donors and community support, thenew culinary arts lab is equipped with commercial-gradeequipment so students can learn and work on the samekinds of equipment that local chefs work with every day.

This is the second year of the MPS culinary arts pro-gram. Using a national curriculum called ProStart thatwas developed by the National Restaurant AssociationEducational Foundation, students can take part in a two-year program that will prepare them for careers and fur-

ther education in the restaurant and hospitality sector.Across the country, culinary arts jobs are in high demand.

"We hear so much about the skills gap these days," saidDr. Darienne Driver, MPS superintendent. "This programjump starts students to accelerate their employment andpromote their success in further education."

The ProStart program has been implemented in a totalof four MPS schools: Bay View, James Madison Aca-demic Campus, Vincent High School, and Washington.This year, 478 students are enrolled in the program.

Students participate in three classroom sessions andtwo labs every week.

During labs, volunteer chef mentors from across thecity work with students to fine-tune skills, answer ques-tions about the industry, and help students develop a pro-fessional demeanor for future employment.

Baldwin said the Panthers program will work closely with the Boys & GirlsClubs, a favorite cause throughout UWM’s athletics department, via a numberof events and partnerships. He’ll also help grow Pounce’s Pals, the Panthersfan club for kids in school through eighth grade.

Many of the overriding messages will be geared toward preparing childrenfor success, helping kids “think about school and how student-athletes per-form, and what it takes to get to this level,” Baldwin said.

He’s seen the impact even small gestures by his players and staff can haveon kids. Children may start out a bit awestruck of college athletes, but theycome away motivated after seeing how players and staff care about them andreach out in a more personal way.

“I think we need to take a leadership role,” Baldwin said. “Anything wecan do, whether it’s boosting spirits or motivating young people to succeedin school, I just think it’s an added bonus to the community.”

UWM’s next home game is against Montana State on Saturday, Dec. 2, at3 p.m. at UWM Panther Arena. For tickets or more information about gettinginvolved with UWM athletics, visit mkepanthers.com.

(continued from page 1)

UWM B-ball coach Pat Baldwin emphasizescommunity service

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Alliance of Black School Educators (MMABSE) recently heldits 43rd Fall Conference at the Potawatomi Hotel. One of the keynote speakers to addressthe gathering was Milwaukee Urban League (MUL) President /CEO Dr. Eve Hall. She isseen above (seated center) with (seated, left to right): Dr. Patricia Ellis, 2017 MMABSE FallConference co-chair; Catherine E. Miles, 2017 MMABSE Fall Conference co-chair); (stand-ing, left to right): Mondell Mayfield, past MMABSE president (2002-2004); Dr. Rogers E.Onick, current MMABSE president; Dr. Shandowlyn Hendricks-Williams, MMABSE vicepresident. The theme of this years conference was: “Promoting Excellence For All: Imag-ine the Possibilities--Photo by Yvonne Kemp

MMABSE holds Fall Conference

Ribbon Cutting hel forNew Culinary Arts LabCulinary arts students will learn restaurant skills in state-of-the-art classroom

MILWAUKEE NARIHONORS GPS EDUCATIONPARTNERS WITH “BUILDING MILWAUKEE”AWARD

Milwaukee NARI, promoting professionalism in the home re-modeling industry and fostering consumer confidence for more than55 years, announced that GPS Education Partners of Waukesha, anonprofit organization bridging key community stakeholders to de-velop and accelerate the employability of tomorrow’s workforce, isthe recipient of the 2017 “Building Milwaukee” Award. JoshBrown, Milwaukee NARI President, presented the award to AndyHepburn, Chief Innovation Officer, at Milwaukee NARI’s monthlymembership meeting on Tues., Nov. 14.

The “Building Milwaukee” Award was created to recognize ef-forts made by individuals and businesses who concentrate on im-provements assisting in the growth or positive impact of ourcommunity.

Founded in 2001, GPS Education Partners has served more than500 students at nearly 50 high schools, partnering with more than

115 businesses throughout Wisconsin. Focused on guiding youngpeople toward technical careers, more than 300 students haveearned their high school diploma through the program, learninghard, soft, and life skills while obtaining pathways to meaningfulcareers.

“A significant challenge impacting the home improvement indus-try is the need for skilled workers,” Brown said. “It is impressiveto see an organization like GPS Education Partners lead the way inour community, carving out a pathway for young people to explorecareers in manufacturing. Participating students are obtaining realworld experience and training that will enable them to becomequickly acclimated to careers in the field. GPS Education Partnersis truly making a positive impact on our community”

Brown said Milwaukee NARI recognized GPS Education Part-ners for its community efforts in addressing manufacturing work-force development needs through a unique program bringingtogether educators, businesses, and communities all working to-gether to solve their growing workforce gap.

Since its inception in 1997, the “Building Milwaukee” Award hasbeen presented to several Milwaukee area individuals and busi-nesses that have positively impacted the area’s growth, includingWisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Bud Selig, Kohler Co., MichaelCudahy, Barry Mandel, Gary Grunau, the YMCA of MetropolitanMilwaukee, Willie G. Davidson, Joseph Chudnow, Sue Black, andformer Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist.

or death.Speaking of road rage…Last week I almost blew it when a Neckbone blocked the driveway at a

central city McDonald’s causing a traffic jam and inciting a half dozen infu-riated customers.

I was directly behind the driver and admit I was in a hurry to drop off mygranddaughter.

(I’ve had several bad experiences at different McDonald’s in the last month,and won’t be returning to the one on East Capitol or Port Washington Roadto get coffee since I can’t see paying $500 for a cup at Starbucks. Poor cus-tomer service at both places convinced me that take-out at Coffee Makes YouBlack is worth getting out of the car. But that’s another story for another time.)

Anyway, after sitting behind the driver who ignored the honking from theother cars for several loooonnnnng minutes, I decided to get out of my car topolitely ask the culprit to move to the side.

In retrospect, that was a dumb thing to do, for several reasons, not the leastbeing I was unarmed.

I tried to explain in a civil voice our predicament, but the “lady” merelygave me a finger and returned to her cell phone. Even though I felt likecussing her out (or pulling on her weave), I restrained myself as a McDonald’smanager emerged from the restaurant with the woman’s order (which I as-sumed included a side order of chitterlings and a 12 oz. MD 20/20).

I asked him to explain the situation to the lady, but he simply said she wastold to park off to the side, but apparently didn’t understand English. In anyevent, the problem was resolved at that point.

In other words, what’s the sense in trying to apply logic to an illogical per-son. You can get killed doing that.

I offer that scenario (photo of vehicle included; I think her license was ex-pired as well), because it gets to the heart of a cultural phenomenon that hasredefined our community: a generation of uncivil, disrespectful and insolentNeckbones who threaten the communal paradigm we fought so hard tostrengthen.

You can put the blame on poverty, or children raising children who them-selves didn’t have a parent to instill within them the values and mores thatwe were strengthened by.

You can blame racism, educational apartheid or the false belief in a WhiteSanta Claus. Blame whatever or whoever you wish, but the reality is we aretoday confronted with an ever growing segment of our community who couldcare less about biblical principles, the struggles and sacrifices of our ancestorsor the laws created to improve the quality of life of all people.

I can’t pinpoint a single causation for this phenomena. But that’s the lastthing on my mind when I see a young driver zipping through a funeral pro-cession, or a young “sister” speeding through a red light with a two-year-oldbaby jumping up and down in the passenger seat.

The problem is attitudes and lifestyle, and as I’ve been telling folks foryears, you can’t legislate stupidity, racism or civility.

And cameras on street corners are not going to change that fact.In fact, while I applaud the brothers for advancing the legislation, it’s ques-

tionable whether the criminal justice system will take the necessary steps toeradicate the problem.

Just a few weeks ago, Mayor Tom Barrett took a step to the right (or somesay in the right direction) when he appealed for stricter laws to address thisproblem. He noted that one of the thugs involved in a serious auto accident—while a passenger in a stolen car—had been convicted eight previous times,but was still on the streets to threaten other lives.

The flip said of that coin is that while we are saying “lock them up,” “re-move them from the streets,” most of our “leaders” are decrying the criminaljustice system and “Uncle Sam and Aunt May” for locking up all the brothers.It’s a conspiracy they say, which implies allowing the thugs and thugettes toliterally get away with murder.

I don’t’ know the answer to this, other than to suggest we move our peopleback to the Baobab tree where they can stand in a communal circle underGod’s shadow. (If you don’t understand that metaphor, you’re probably read-ing the wrong column.)

For the most part, systemic, cultural change will probably take a generationor two to take root. Thus, the short-term solution may rest with our sacrificingour civil liberties to “arrest crime.”

Cameras on every corner will not correct the problem, but they are possiblya piece of a larger—very large—puzzle.

The question is can you trust Uncle Sam to restrict its use to real crime pre-vention?

Shem Hotep.

(continued from page 5)SIGNIFYIN’SIGNIFYIN’



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CORRECTION!: The MCJmisspelled the last name ofNED L. MOTON, one of therecent inductees into theNorth Division Hall ofFame. We wish to apologizeto Mr. Moton for the error.

The newspaper with its finger on the pulse of our community is ONLINE! Go to :milwaukeecommunityjournal.com

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concern not financial gain. Imagine a young woman getting off an 11-hourshift, has to take a 2 hour bus ride to pick up her child, if she has any, thenget back on the bus in pitch black darkness to get home. Distracted by herchild and fatigue, she may not pay attention to the group of guys, who arecircling the block or the foot steps in the dark. Situations like these are morecommon then not; fueled by anger it is my desire to decrease this numberdramatically.

SafeRyde is available after the hours of 7pm - midnight Monday-Friday.Due to daylight savings time, an appointment can be made for an earlier timeas well as daylight driving if needed. Until SafeRyde becomes an official ap-plication that is downloadable on all phones, riders can contact me at 414-999-5202 to schedule a ride at night. Women especially those with kids,please stay off the bus at night your life is worth way more to me then anyprofit, certainly more then $30.00/day.--Joshua Thomas


SafeRyde: A DrivingService for Women

venture. It’s mentally healthy to create new memories and step outside ofyour comfort zone.

5. Help others: A lot of times we feel our situations are so bad that thingscouldn’t be worse.

But if we take a deeper look we will find that no matter where we are inlife we are in a position to help someone who is less fortunate. This help doesnot have to be monetary, it can be through reference or even blessing otherswith a gift that we naturally carry.

Take these five rules of happiness and begin to apply them to your currentlifestyle. Watch how amazing the life you live can be.

--LaShawnda S. Wilkins


In a World of MiseryChoose Happiness

MillennialCity Authors

In the city of Milwaukee, thereare a lot of talented individualswith talents that many may notknow have existed. One of thosetalents that may not be recognizedas much, are from the literaryworld.

Writing is often seen as therapy for the mind and soul. For many au-thors, their craft is often left unseen due to fear of criticism. However,there are many authors who are highly gifted and should be held to ahigher prestige. Amongst many of those talents is one in particular thatmany should watch out for in the future.

Author Olivia Shaw ReelOlivia Shaw, creator of Kindred Inspirations, originates from the

Brew City, with a passion in her heart for writing. Along with being atalented author, this young lady is also a staff writer for GF Lifestylefor Everyday Women.

Her works are endless, as she has a new release upcoming titled aChristmas Miracle, a holiday themed novel that will no doubt spreadcheer as the year progresses. Author Olivia is a very humble spirit,who would give her all to make sure that others are held to the sameregard that she’s held in. She’s a constant example of what Milwaukeedoes exhibit constantly, a good natured, positive, loving attitude. I per-sonally can’t wait to see what else she has to offer in the next upcomingyear. --Quardeay Julien

Quardeay Julien

What is NetNeutralityand WhyYou ShouldCare?

In the 90’s, receiving an AOL diskin the mail seemed like a grandevent. Although my family and Imostly let them gather dust in a neat,little stack on the side of our modem,we still felt compelled to keep thedisks. We never actually considerdsubscribing to the internet service.

Imagine if those same AOL diskscontained your monthly Facebookaccess.

For just $6.99, you had access toall of your friend’s posts for the year,but this doesn't include your sub-scription to Netflix. That would comein the mail on a separate disk and fora separate fee.

This is just one example of whatthe landscape of internet access couldlook like if the FCC votes to repealnet neutrality.

The ACLU describes Net Neutral-ity as, “..applying well-established“common carrier” rules to the inter-net in order to preserve its freedomand openness.

Common carriage prohibits theowner of a network that holds itselfout to all-comers from discriminatingagainst information by halting, slow-ing, or otherwise tampering with thetransfer of any data.”

Essentially, if a provider decidedthat a certain website’s political con-tent didn’t match their own, theycould choose to limit the access tothat website.

This is problematic on many lev-els, especially for communities ofcolor. Consider the spread of theBlack Lives Matter movement. Muchof the traction that the movementgained was through organizing gath-erings and peaceful protests throughFacebook.

If the FCC repeals the Obama-eraadministrations protections on NetNeutrality, access to this contentcould be limited. Impoverished indi-

Sarah Thomas




viduals could face financial hard-ships when deciding on how to payfor their access to Facebook, let aloneother websites.

This could also potentially harmsmall businesses. High speed internetservice providers could make it moreexpensive to maintain domains andcharge some businesses more for ac-cess to the high-speed internet.

For example, with a tier-basedpricing structure, small businessescould potentially have to shell out in-creased fees for access to the ISP’sservices.

For the Black community andBlack-owned small businesses, hav-ing limited access to these servicesmeans that they would not be able toeffectively service their communi-ties.

The vote on Net Neutrality goes tovote on December 14th, 2017. Thereare several ways to get involved:1. Send a letter to Congress.

There are websites dedicated toproviding supporters with a pre-writ-ten script to send. Battleforthe-net.com is just one of those websites.2. Call your representatives

The Free Press Action Fund willgive you numbers to call based onyour zip code.

Their website, act.freepress.net,also provides you with a samplescript so that you can clearly conveyyour support 3. Spread the Word

Share this article with others.Share links to the resources that pro-vide scripts and contact numbers tocall. Our rights to gather online andopen internet access is at stake.

Supporting Net Neutrality will in-sure that the rights and the internetremain accessible to everyone.

--Sarah Thomas


What is NetNeutralityand WhyYou ShouldCare?

PHOTOPThe Fresh Coast Basketball ClassicThe Fresh Coast Basketball Classic City / Suburban showdown washeld on Thanksgiving weekend at the UW-Milwaukee Klotsche Cen-ter. (A)The Scholarship winners from around the city left to right: 1.Cameron Leflore Rufus King High School; 2. Trinity Riley Rufus KingHigh School; 3.Jaymes Warrior Barack Obama high school; 4.LaDae'meona McDowell Hamilton High school; 5. Dawt Lang SouthDivision High school; (B) The Drumline showcase was won by RufusKing.(C) Fresh Coast Classic Board of Directors (left to right): VictorBarnett, Dawn Barnett, Willie Wade (Chair),Russell Stamper II, RWThomas, GM. --Photos by Kim Robinson

Millennials lose tastefor dining out, getblamed for puzzlingrestaurant trendArticle courtesy of CNBC via “The Rundown”

Restaurant sales growth has been slowing at apuzzling pace usually seen in a much weaker or

even recessionary economy.Bank of America Merrill Lynch economists say

millennials are to blame.Ahead of Wednesday's government retail sales re-

port, the economists studied restaurant sales, whichhave seen a steady decline in their growth rate forthe past three years.

The economists expect activity picked up in Octo-ber after weakness due to Hurricane Irma, but theoverall trend remains slower and growth remainsdepressed year over year.

"It stands out as a bit unusual how soft restaurantspending has been considering where we are in thebusiness cycle," said Michelle Meyer, head of U.S.

economics at BofA Merrill Lynch. "The consumer should be spending more on a

broad range of items. But we've seen restaurantsslowing more akin to a recessionary environment."

Restaurant sales are a component of monthly re-tail sales data.

The BofA economists expect retail sales, based onaggregated Bank of America credit card and debitcard data, grew 0.2 percent in October excludingautos, or 0.4 percent when excluding autos andgasoline.

Restaurant spending has been on a deceleratingtrend but it's still positive.

LET’S EAT!

For For 41 YEARS41 YEARS , the , the MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY

JOURNALJOURNAL has consistently has consistently informed, analysed and informed, analysed and

entertained readers. entertained readers. For For 41 YEARS41 YEARS , the , the

COMMUNITY JOURNAL COMMUNITY JOURNAL has has provided a voice to the provided a voice to the

community, providing community, providing educational opportunities toeducational opportunities to

students. We have kept the students. We have kept the community’s faith, stayedcommunity’s faith, stayed

the course, and kept our finthe course, and kept our fin --ger on the pulse of our comger on the pulse of our com --

munity for munity for 41 YEARS.41 YEARS. ..Your..YourMilwaukee Community Milwaukee Community

Journal!Journal!



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VOL. XLI Number 19 Nov. 29, 2017 www ... · tive forces: The people you spend the most time with make a great im-pact on your mood. Make sure you spend time with people who share

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