Features:
UMOJA Publisher/Editor: A Yearning for Absolute Equality
It still tickles me to this day when I think about how Rev. Jessie L. Jackson Sr. cupped my face with both hands and kissed me in front of the entire Milwaukee Journal newsroom. I worked as a copy kid while studying journalism at Marquette University when he met with the newspaper’s editorial board to discuss his decision to run for president of the United States.
Acknowledging America’s Original Sin:
A landmark moment in American history happened with a stroke of a pen as President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Yet, after decades of effort and advocacy, most Americans admit knowing little about the significance of this momentous triumph.
Happy Juneteenth Holiday “Doc” MYERS
You did it Doc! Although President Joe Biden didn’t call your name at the bill signing ceremony, your spirit was in the room. Your biggest cheerleader Ms. Opal Lee was there to represent you and the thousands of individuals and volunteers around the country that made this holiday possible. I talked with her in February and she was just as energetic as ever.
A Lifetime in the Making for Freedom Fighter Opal Lee
President Joe Biden graciously knelt before Opal Lee to look her straight in the eyes and thanked her personally for her dogged determination in making Juneteenth a holiday for all to observe. Elated, itching to do a holy dance, the 94-year-old civil rights activist reveled in the moment.
Juneteenth Commemorated for First Time as a Federal Holiday in Madison
Sense of community is what Annie Weatherby-Flowers savors. It’s deeply ingrained within her. That feeling of belonging and shared commitment to be together was birthed at Juneteenth celebrations in her hometown of Milwaukee.
Hundreds Celebrate Golden Anniversary of Milwaukee’s Juneteenth
Milwaukee holds the distinction of hosting one of the oldest Juneteenth celebrations in the country. This year marks the city’s 50th anniversary of the annual event, which honors the day in June 1865 when the Union Army brought word of the Emancipation Proclamation to Texas, freeing the last of the country’s enslaved African Americans.
Goodman Community Center CEO Letesha Nelson
In the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, author Harper Lee writes: “You never really know a man until you understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This quote is said to be a derivation of an old Cherokee proverb which states, “Don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.”
Black Barbershop Is Cultural Institution and Cutting Health Disparities
Aaron Perry walked into B. Right Barber & Beauty shop in Sun Prairie with a TV crew from Good Morning America in tow. It didn’t distract the youngsters busily building color pieces on a LEGO® table. But, a handful of men getting fades and beards lined up in barber chairs raised an eyebrow or two.
Calling all artists!
Put your artwork on a UMOJA cover! Works selected will fit the monthly editorial topic and reflect the county’s unique stories, history, and people.
UMOJA Inside:
Cover Artwork
Cover: Illustration:All Different Now Artist:E.B. Lewiseblewis.com
Publishers Note
UMOJA Publisher/Editor: A Yearning for Absolute Equality
It still tickles me to this day when I think about how Rev. Jessie L. Jackson Sr. cupped my face with both hands and kissed me in front of the entire Milwaukee Journal newsroom. I worked as a copy kid while studying journalism at Marquette University when he met with the newspaper’s editorial board to discuss his decision to run for president of the United States.
Juneteenth
Acknowledging America’s Original Sin:
A landmark moment in American history happened with a stroke of a pen as President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Yet, after decades of effort and advocacy, most Americans admit knowing little about the significance of this momentous triumph.
Juneteenth
Happy Juneteenth Holiday “Doc” MYERS
You did it Doc! Although President Joe Biden didn’t call your name at the bill signing ceremony, your spirit was in the room. Your biggest cheerleader Ms. Opal Lee was there to represent you and the thousands of individuals and volunteers around the country that made this holiday possible. I talked with her in February and she was just as energetic as ever.
Juneteenth
A Lifetime in the Making for Freedom Fighter Opal Lee
President Joe Biden graciously knelt before Opal Lee to look her straight in the eyes and thanked her personally for her dogged determination in making Juneteenth a holiday for all to observe. Elated, itching to do a holy dance, the 94-year-old civil rights activist reveled in the moment.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth Commemorated for First Time as a Federal Holiday in Madison
Sense of community is what Annie Weatherby-Flowers savors. It’s deeply ingrained within her. That feeling of belonging and shared commitment to be together was birthed at Juneteenth celebrations in her hometown of Milwaukee.
Juneteenth
Hundreds Celebrate Golden Anniversary of Milwaukee’s Juneteenth
Milwaukee holds the distinction of hosting one of the oldest Juneteenth celebrations in the country. This year marks the city’s 50th anniversary of the annual event, which honors the day in June 1865 when the Union Army brought word of the Emancipation Proclamation to Texas, freeing the last of the country’s enslaved African Americans.
Feature
Goodman Community Center CEO Letesha Nelson
In the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, author Harper Lee writes: “You never really know a man until you understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This quote is said to be a derivation of an old Cherokee proverb which states, “Don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.”
Juneteenth
Black Barbershop Is Cultural Institution and Cutting Health Disparities
Aaron Perry walked into B. Right Barber & Beauty shop in Sun Prairie with a TV crew from Good Morning America in tow. It didn’t distract the youngsters busily building color pieces on a LEGO® table. But, a handful of men getting fades and beards lined up in barber chairs raised an eyebrow or two.
Community & Creatives
Meet Black Teen Author Tikeh Tazeh:
A Group Health Cooperative obstetrician encouraged Yvonne Tazeh to eat well, exercise and read aloud to the growing baby in her womb. The advice came repeatedly with each pregnancy wellness visit.
Community & Creatives
12 Must-Read YA Novels to Read This Summer By Black Authors
Young adult literature is growing in popularity with readers of all ages. So, for all of your heartwarming coming of age needs, your dramatic romances, and sci-fi thrillers, here are some of the best new YA books you’re going to want to read ꟷ before the cool kids are all talking about them.
Community & Creatives
A Mountaintop Experience at APT
It is undeniable that American Players Theater’s 2019 production of Fences was a groundbreaking fete for what can now be regarded as that venerable theater company in Iowa County. Having experienced this season’s Mountaintop, in a socially distanced configuration of the Touchtone Theater, we can officially declare that APT’s Fences production was not a one trick pony, as far as showcasing Black actors and presenting culturally resonating themes are concerned.
Community & Creatives
Urban League Steps Up to Boost BIPOC Community Vaccination Rates
Some squinted their eyes shut. Many held their breath. And others, well, the nervous ones, needed coaxing from family members to roll up their sleeves and receive the COVID-19 vaccine at pop-up clinics inside the Urban League of Greater Madison on the city’s South Side.
Community & Creatives
Madison Public Library is launching in-person, informal outdoor events for kids and families beginning this Saturday, June 12 as part of their We Read program. On select Saturdays throughout the summer, Madison Public Library youth service librarians will be hosting Serendipity Saturdays simultaneously at multiple library locations.
Community & Creatives
How to Become a Teenage Author
An author writes books and publishes them on Amazon, an eBook or a physical copy, and sells it to readers. A teen author is not employed by anyone and their own pay is their own responsibility.
Summer Camps
Madison School District Offers Free Meals This Summer
The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) Summer Food Program provides free meals during summer vacation.
Summertime Cookouts
No Bake Lobster Mac and Cheese By Acclaimed Chef G. Garvin INGREDIENTS • 1lb. cooked elbow macaroni • 2lbs. shelled lobster meat • 8 oz. smoked cheddar, shredded • 8 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded • 2 ½ cups milk • 8 oz. Velveeta, cubed • 2 ½ cups half-and-half • ½ tsp. kosher salt, plus [...]
UMOJA Shorts
LaVar Charleston Named UW–Madison’s Next Chief Diversity Officer University of Wisconsin-Madison LaVar Charleston, an innovative leader and accomplished researcher with nearly two decades of experience related to diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education, has been named to lead the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Charleston will serve as the university’s chief diversity [...]