Category Archives: African American History

Veteran’s Day Tribute: Company F 29th Regiment USCT – WI African American Civil War Toops

Posted by the editor on

Something for Black Wisconsin to be proud of… here’s a brief history lesson of what your people have done for this country and some recognition is more than deserved on this day.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

On March 26, 1963, Secretary of War issued an order directing adjutant general Lorenzo Thomas to organize black regiments in the Mississippi Valley.  On May 22, the War Department established a Bureau of Colored Troops to handle the recruitment, organization and service of the newly organized black regiments commanded by white officers. The 29th Infantry Regiment was formed in Quincy IL.

Company F, 29th Infantry Regiment U.S. Colored Troops of the, 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 9th Corps of the Army of the Potomac was
the Wisconsin Contingent of the 29th.  The men of Company F served with distinction and valor on behalf of Wisconsin, seeing action in the Battle of the Crater, the Petersburg Campaign, the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, The Richmond Campaign, the Appomattox Campaign and the Rio Grande Campaign.  A small number of surviving members of Company F returned without fanfare to live and work the remainder of their lives in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin supplied one unit of black soldiers to the Union Army, Company F of the 29th Infantry, U.S. Colored Troops. Although credited to Wisconsin for recruiting purposes, most of Company F was actually raised in Illinois and Missouri, its soldiers taking the places of white Wisconsin residents who would otherwise have been drafted. Company F of the 29th arrived in Petersburg, Virginia, on July 22, 1864, in the heat of battle; 11 of its 85 men died the first week.

The roster of company F., 29th Infantry, U.S. Colored Troops, is online at Turning Points in Wisconsin History, as is a biography of the commander of the 29th Infantry, U.S. Colored Troops.

In the course of the war, many liberated slaves joined Wisconsin troops in the field and some came north with them when the war ended. In all, 353 black soldiers served in Wisconsin units. Read an interview with one of them, Peter Thomas of Racine, in our Local History & Biography Collection.

Rosters of all Wisconsin units and a summary of what happened to each one during the war are online at Turning Points in Wisconsin History, and you can view pictures of Wisconsin troops at Wisconsin Historical Images.

Calling All Civil Rights Leaders Past & Present in Milwaukee

Posted by Wonder Woman on

Between 1958 and 1970, a distinctive movement for racial justice emerged from unique circumstances in Milwaukee. A series of local leaders inspired growing numbers of people to participate in campaigns….

Calling All Civil Rights Leaders in Milwaukee

“We Are The Drum – A Rhythm In Wisconsin” – 2012

Since 1990, CAPITA Productions (City At Peace In The Arts) founded by Brother Booker Ashe and others has been presenting a Black History Program yearly for thousands in the Greater Milwaukee Area. 

This year we are adding a very special and overdue segment which will celebrate those brave marchers and demonstrators, from all backgrounds, who risked their lives for the cause of civil rights, especially in Milwaukee. It will be a dramatic reenactment of the Underground Railroad, prominent in the Waukesha area; the escaped slave Joshua Grover, and Fr. Jim Groppi’s “March on Milwaukee”.

For 200 consecutive nights hundreds marched for open housing through rain, snow and fear of physical attacks. These heroes have not been properly honored until now. Their stories should be known by our youth as well as everyone in Milwaukee and across the nation.

We are calling on those who lived this experience to share their stories with us in special listening sessions on Tuesday, November 15th and Wednesday November 16th from 5 pm to 8 pm and again November 19th from 10 am to 1 pm. We will meet at North Division Room #102, 1011 West Center Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

We are looking for all those who participated in the demonstrations, served on the NAACP Youth Council, Commandos, and all organizations that led or joined in some way, the historic Milwaukee’s Civil Rights Movement.

If you are interested in attending and would like more information please call 414-397-8661 or email arsmusic00@aol.com. (zero, zero). Otherwise we would love to see you at the meetings. Please share this announcement with everyone. We want to make sure we honor and thank you for your courage and brave acts that moved Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the nation so powerfully.

Thank you,

CAPITA Productions

An excerpt taken from

The Selma of the North:

Civil Rights Insurgency in Milwaukee

Patrick D Jones

Between 1958 and 1970, a distinctive movement for racial justice emerged from unique circumstances in Milwaukee. A series of local leaders inspired growing numbers of people to participate in campaigns against employment and housing discrimination, segregated public schools, the membership of public officials in discriminatory organizations, welfare cuts, and police brutality.

The Milwaukee movement culminated in the dramatic—and sometimes violent—1967 open housing campaign. A white Catholic priest, James Groppi, led the NAACP Youth Council and Commandos in a militant struggle that lasted for 200 consecutive nights and provoked the ire of thousands of white residents. After working-class mobs attacked demonstrators, some called Milwaukee “the Selma of the North.” Others believed the housing campaign represented the last stand for a nonviolent, interracial, church-based movement.

“We Are The Drum – A Rhythm In Wisconsin” – 2012 Show Dates:

 

Public Shows:

Fri, Feb. 24th, Sat., Feb. 25th, Fri. Mar. 3rd & Sat., Mar. 4th at 7:30 pm-

Tickets will go on sale on Dec. 1st

Student Shows:

The dates are: Tues. Feb.21st, Wed, Feb. 22nd, Mon., Feb.27th

 & Wed. Feb. 29th at 10am & 12 pm. tickets are $4 per child.

For more info on the student shows, call Liz Coleman- 414-807-7322

You can find more about CAPITA by visiting us on our Facebook Page

www.facebook.com/pages/Capita-Productions

or Twitter @CAPITAProd

“We Are The Drum” Wisconsin’s Largest Black History Program

Posted by Wonder Woman on

 AUDITIONS


Auditions Announcement

Wisconsin’s Largest Black History Program

This year’s “We Are Drum” auditions will be held once again at North Division High School Campus. 

Auditions are open to children 7 and up, and adults 18 and up.

Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. 

Audition Dates and Times

• Monday, October 24, 2011 – 4:00pm – 8:00pm

• Tuesday, October 25, 2011 – 4:00pm – 8:00pm

• Wednesday, October 26, 2011 – 4:00pm – 8:00pm

• Thursday, October 27, 2011 – 4:00pm – 8:00pm

• Saturday, October 29, 2011 – 9:00am – 1:00pm

• Tuesday, November 1, 2011 – 4:00pm – 8:00pm

• Wednesday, November 2, 2011 – 4:00pm – 8:00pm

• Thursday, November 3, 2011 – 4:00pm – 8:00pm

• Saturday, November 5, 2011 – 9:00am – 1:00pm

 

Location

North Division High School Campus
Auditorium
1011 West Center Street
Milwaukee, WI 53206 

NOTE: Please enter off of the recreation entrance, just east of the tennis courts.

Dancers must arrive prepared to dance with the appropriate attire.

Contact:

Camesha Mullner

camesha@capitaproductions.org

414.429.6573

http://capitaproductions.org/

We Are All Witnesses But To What?

Posted by Wonder Woman on

We Are All Witnesses But To What?

Black Athletes & The Black Movement Vs. Selling Their Brand

Back in the day, most Black athletes were not only about the business of winning, they were about the advancement of our people and improving our quality of life. These brave warriors not only took hits and punches in their respective sports, many lost revenue and major endorsements to promote Black Power and to keep our voice relevant in the political arena as well as the sports arena.

Significantly starting with the breaking out of Michael Jordan and others to follow; sure they are great athletic stars but they are making conscious choices to not take political sides. Instead they elect to become “brands” and sell their voices to the highest bidder.

Everyone associates MJ with Nike, but how many people want to take him to the hole on the sweatshops and Nike debate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_sweatshops)? Why won’t MJ take his money and create a Black factory in the urban areas, or demand that Nike do so?

Magic Ervin is known for doing business in the Black community but the list of Black Athlete Entrepreneurs grows shorter with every sport season gone by. Most are electing to create foundations (tax write offs some and others are legit foundations) and some are electing to put their money into causes, but yet and still very few are lending their power to our movement. They are not (to coin a current phrase) “taking their talents” back to the hood of things.

Muhammad Ali caused a national debate by not serving in the military. John Carlos and Tommy Smith shocked the world with their black-gloved fist held high to show Black solidarity. Now, the only movement we see is the campaigning for draft picks or monetary rights to jerseys and apparel. A far cry from the movement that was started not so long ago. We are still not free in this country yet WE entertain billions, even across the globe and create a ridiculous amount of revenue for the NBA and NFL cartels! Please see this article on how much they actually make off the backs of our people. Yet we see very little coming back to the Black community.

http://oneluvsports.blogspot.com/2011/06/one-luv-sports-evil-trolls.html

And if we are not seeing enough of them acting a fool on Twitter or some other social networking site, now their wives and baby mommas are reaping the rewards by showing up on reality TV, showcasing to the entire world the ignorance people to some degree are associating with modern Black culture.

No we all don’t have weave and we all are not angry! TV is a messed up place right now!

Who is the next Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul, Bill Russell, John Carlos, Tommy Smith, or Muhammad of our time?

Is it time to stop helping the Kobe’s, Lebron’s, Williams Sisters, and Tiger’s launch their brands and refocus them back to the real cause of empowerment, civil rights, and moving the entire Black race forward?

Peace Family,

WW

See below for an excellent piece on this topic.

Athletes and Politics

By JOCKlife Sports (Contributor) on September 26, 2008

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/61761-athletes-and-politics

In 1968, John Carlos and Tommy Smith took a stand. After medaling in the ’68 Olympics they climbed up on the podium quietly slipped a single black glove on their hand and with their medals draped around their necks, lifted their gloved fist above their heads as a salute to the millions of African-Americans at home who had yet to obtain their Civil Rights.

During those same Olympics, the future Heavy Weight Champion, George Foreman took a stand of his own. After winning the Gold medal in boxing, Foreman took a small American flag and paraded around the ring waving it gleefully, the antithesis of John Carlos and Tommy Smith.

One year earlier, another boxer made a huge sacrifice to take a stand against something he did not believe in. Muhammad Ali refused to take the step forward symbolizing the induction into the United States Army. Ali believed that the Vietnam War was unjust and that Blacks in America were being oppressed by the same government he was being asked to defend. No doubt Ali paid a heavy price for displaying such courage out of the ring. He was stripped of his title, denied the opportunity to make a living in his chosen profession (boxing) and generally vilified by the power structure. Ali never wavered. Today, he is known simply as the greatest!

Housing and the government solution?

Posted by Little tortillas on

Crony capitalism combined with big government solutions is a bad mix, this is the legacy of Democrats from New York to Detroit and yes here in Milwaukee. It sucks the vitality out of our communities and harms the good families that sustain them.