Wisconsin has the highest rate
of incarceration of black males

There was an excellent opinion in Sunday’s editorial section about a Wisconsin epidemic: imprisoning black men. The article presents the facts and the challenge to all us and talks about our need to fix the problem statewide. However, as the article points out the main contributor to incarceration of young African males is Milwaukee, especially North Central Milwaukee. Racism starts with small issues as the two below.

Like with any social justice problem of such proportion I like to break the problem down to smaller size, something we can do about it. For me now there are two issues where I can be service to Stop the Racism representing this article. One is to restore the basketball rim and board for full court basketball playing at Doyne Park in my neighborhood. Some years back when African American males started to play basketball, full or half court, at Doyne Park there was a move to take down the basketball courts, at least the full court one which is popular with young adults. Some of us fought this move based on racial prejudice although those trying to rid the rims kept associating basketball playing with violence and crime. It looked line in June of 2013 we were able to Resurrect the Rims, all four for full and half court playing. For a year all was well, basketball players were respectful and there was no crime reported in the whole neighborhood. After a firing of a gun in the park on July 4th the rim and backboard for full court playing was taken down. Although the incident was Not related to basketball playing the local Alderman, known for his prejudice in trying to prevent a health clinic for people with mental illness in ‘his” neighborhood with neighbors blaming basketball playing for all problems tried to get all the basketball courts and rims down. As I pointed out last night Racism has turned the park into a wasteland.

The other issue that further racism is the building of a St. Vincent de Paul Thrift store in the suburb of Greenfield, where it is not needed for millions of dollars of money that should go to poor, rather than build one in North Central Milwaukee where it is needed and would cost very little. I have written a lot about this violation of the Mission of St. Vincent de Paul on these Diary of Worm postings and on the web page, www.nonviolentcow.org.

If we win or lose these two issues to stop ‘racism’ it will send a message to all who promote racial segregation. Racism just does not happen. It is promoted by small steps like ridding a county park of full court basketball playing when blacks start to use it; or building a thrift store where there is no needy. Even if people admit it or not, it is racism. The battle, civil rights struggle, sends a message that some of us know it is ‘racism’, especially people who suffered effects of racism, like the needy in North Central Milwaukee or young men looking for healthy recreational activities. We will struggle to restoring one basketball court or one thrift store. We have seen the ugly face of racism and will not rest until all persons are treated equally.

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