WUWM: Race & Ethnicity Reporting

Gov. Tony Evers has called COVID-19's impact on Milwaukee’s black community a "crisis within a crisis.”

Research in the Centers for AIDS Intervention at the Medical College of Wisconsin is looking at how racism and homophobia influence HIV prevention efforts among young black gay and bisexual men in Milwaukee — specifically, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment. PrEP is a daily medication taken to prevent HIV.

The coronavirus began spreading rapidly in Wuhan, China, late last year and now affects thousands globally. There are currently more than 100,000 cases in the United States.

The American Psychological Association defines trauma as an emotional response to a terrible event like a natural disaster, an accident or a rape. But trauma can have many “flavors,” according to Joshua Mersky, Ph.D.

He’s a professor of social work in the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare at UWM. He says, "Typically speaking, we’re talking about profound adversities that have long lasting consequences."

Terrance Sims has been teaching at the MPS school Milwaukee College Prep for about six years. Each February for the last four years, he's been using photography to actively engage and celebrate Black History Month with his students.

If you scroll through Sims' Instagram, you can find photos he's taken, recreating images of influential black figures. They might be from the civil rights era, academia or the entertainment industry.

Our Black Women Firsts series has been highlighting black women in Wisconsin who are the first to hold their titles in their industries. We close our series with Rosy Petri, the first black woman to be the artist in residence at the Pfister Hotel. Petri says she didn't know beforehand that she would be the first woman of color to fill the position.

In honor of Black History Month, we're highlighting several black women making history in their roles and industries here in Wisconsin. The series is called Black Women Firsts. 

In honor of Black History Month, we're highlighting several black women who are making history in their roles and industries here in Wisconsin. The series is called Black Women Firsts.

In the first installment, we hear from Carolyn Stanford Taylor, the first black woman to lead Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction. She was appointed by Gov. Tony Evers at the beginning of 2019, and previously served as assistant state superintendent.

African American men and women in the armed forces, past and present, are being honored in a new mural at the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center. It’s the first work dedicated to black veterans in the war memorial’s 62-year history.

Dozens of veterans, military families, and others gathered for the mural’s unveiling on Monday.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, known more commonly as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, revealed that they would be stepping back from their royal duties earlier this month. That news sent waves through the media — both in the U.K. and the U.S.

Many questioned their decision. People wondered how the married couple would make their own money, and what "stepping back" means.

On Monday, people around the United States are honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Many remember King at the head of the civil rights movement — a man who fought for the rights of all people and preached non-violence.

But according to Cedric Burrows, an assistant professor of English at Marquette University, we don’t always get the full picture of who King was.

Milwaukee has been called one of the most segregated cities in America, and one of the worst places for black people to live and raise their families.

With this in mind, today's Beats Me question put me in the position to try and offer some insight into this question: 

What's the cultural experience for being black and male in Milwaukee?

The Milwaukee Urban League is celebrating 100 years of service to the community.

The local chapter is an affiliate of the National Urban League that began in 1910. At the time, millions of African-Americans were migrating north from southern states in search of greater opportunities.

The League's mission is: "Empowering Communities. Changing Lives."