Date: 8/31/2022
Subject: LWVMC: Archive Weekly Update for April 21
From: League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County

Happy Thursday,

Here's this week's Update for League of Women Voters Milwaukee County (LWVMC) news, information and events.

Register Now for a Talk by Reggie Jackson

“The Hidden History of Diversity in America” takes a long look at American history and explores our national ambivalence about diversity and inclusion. We examine the legal and social treatment of Native Americans, enslaved Africans, White Ethnic immigrants (such as the Irish, Italians and Jews), as well as immigrants and refugees from Asia and Latin America – and how those experiences have led to the racial and ethnic disparities we witness today.

Community Voter Registration Available

Good news! We are once again receiving regular requests for in person community voter registration. The list of volunteers for this area of League work is several years old so your interests and availability may have changed. We hope that most of you who have done this work in the past will be willing and able to resume and some will be able to join this effort.

We also want to acknowledge all of the work members do in other areas including voter registration through other League initiatives. In order to fill all the community voter registration requests without flooding your inboxes, please complete the attached Community Voter Registration Availability form (button below). We would appreciate it if you would complete the form even if you aren't available so we can have a thorough and accurate update of the volunteer list.

If you have questions, please email Donna Spars at d.spars@lwvmilwaukee.org. And, most importantly, thank you!

Community Voter Registration Availability

WANTED: Creative Students on TikTok

We are looking for students who already have a good following on Instagram or TikTok (perhaps 1000+ followers) who have experience in creating messaging for these apps. Teachers of Art students, drama students, or student activists might have suggestions. Or maybe you know someone who fits this description. We are targeting students who represent the demographics of the Milwaukee Public School students.

The stipend for the student is $250. The link to the brochure is attached so you can download and print the flier. Please distribute and post where you think we might find individuals who fit this description. The student can access the rules of the work by scanning the QR code on the brochure. Thank you.

Get in the Game

Please greet your fellow League members at the Wisconsin Club, 5:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. on May 24 at 900 W. Wisconsin Avenue. This is a hybrid event, so you can join in person or by Zoom.

Enjoy drinks on the balcony and dinner in the ballroom with a program presented by Susan Holmes - selections from her co-authored musical about Victoria Woodhull, “Victory for Victoria!” Woodhull was the first woman to run for U.S. president (in 1872).

Then join us either in person or by Zoom for our LWVMC Annual Meeting!

Valet parking available. We hope to see you there!

Statement From LWVWI in Response to WI Supreme Court Legislative Maps Decision

Wisconsin voters are again subjected to vicious gerrymandering at the hands of politicians. SCOWI has chosen extremely partisan and gerrymandered maps drawn to secure party interests and not those of Wisconsin voters.

“We have worked for 10 years to secure maps free of partisan gerrymandering," executive director, Debra Cronmiller, said. "Yesterday's SCOWI ruling is a huge setback. Our advocates should be energized to mobilize and exert their local impact on our future elections."

The League is extremely disappointed in this decision. We commend our fair maps activists who have been working relentlessly for the past decade to educate and mobilize across the state. As always, the League will not stop until we have fair, transparent maps. The maps Wisconsinites deserve.

Election Matters 2022

Navigating the Post-2020 Election Administration Environment

In the wake of the 2020 election and the pandemic, controversies involving election administration have loomed large.

Join us for a Zoom webinar on Friday, April 29 at noon central time hosted by the Elections Research Center and the State Democracy Research Initiative.

Panelists Rebecca Green (William & Mary Law School), Kevin Kosar (American Enterprise Institute) and Tammy Patrick (Democracy Fund) will discuss election administration topics including absentee ballots, drop boxes, voter signature requirements, and more.

Learn more information and register for the event (button below).

Maryam Durani came to Milwaukee as a refugee in 2021. Durani was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, and is also the recipient of the U.S. State Department’s “International Women of Courage Award.” Free and open to the public. Registration required. Retired WPR radio host Kathleen Dunn is a LWVMC member.

Immigrant Rights are Human Rights

Hybrid Event

May 21 from 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Register here for No Studios’ Social Justice Summit 2022: Immigrant Voices. Sessions include: Allies in Immigration Reform: Disparate groups united on purpose; Art Activism: The role of art & media in shaping the immigrant narrative; a screening of Missing in Brooks County, followed by a discussion with the film’s director; Intersectionality: The differences in the lived experience between immigrant communities; and Limitations on the Law: Centering immigrant voices in the fight to end immigration detention.

Building a Community of Doulas in Milwaukee

Nationally, Black women are three times more likely than white women to die of pregnancy-related causes. In Wisconsin, Black women are five times more likely, making the state’s Black infant and maternal mortality among the highest in the country. Listen to this WUWM segment and find out how Milwaukee’s WeRISE Community Doula program is working to change that.

Living in Wisconsin: ‘Hmong people are truly American, if not more American than most Americans’

Read more about the trials and triumphs of several generations of Hmong people in Wisconsin.

Check Out LWVMC's New DEI Resource Page

Recording Available: Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Jay English

If you missed the LWVMC Members Forum on Saturday, April 9, with Pastor Jay English, you can view it now on Facebook.

In this talk, Jay English, pastor and creator of the Cross-cultural Literacy Program, discusses the tragedy of racial illiteracy and provides practical suggestions about how to bring people of various cultural backgrounds together to reach common goals.

Return to Previous Page