Rae Johnson

Satin Doll Lounge On the outside, the black-painted brick and checkered patterns of red, black, and white could leave someone dizzied, but the interior of Satin Doll’s Lounge did the opposite. Opened in 1977, the legendary jazz club owned by Minnette D. Wilson, known as “Satin Doll,” was a safe, invite-only haven in the heart of the city, located between 23rd and 24th Street on West Fond Du Lac Avenue. […]

This April, a critical referendum passed by a slim margin, allocating $252 million to Milwaukee Public Schools over four years. Now is a pivotal moment, and district leaders urgently need your input to share the future and ensure the district “best meets the needs of students, staff, families and community to prepare every child for success in college, career, and citizenship.” Ways to Engage and Provide Feedback to MPS According […]

New signage at Johnsons Park, 1919 W. Fond Du Lac Ave., will be unveiled on May 4, 2024, at 1 pm, to reveal the full names of the people the park is named for. Clarence and Cleopatra Johnson were a community-mined, entrepreneurial couple that will finally have their legacy known to many Milwaukeeans. Clarence Johnson graduated from Tuskegee Institute and moved to Milwaukee with his wife, Cleopatra, in 1921. The Johnsons owned […]

Governor Tony Evers announced that the State Capitol and Executive Residence Board granted final approval for the installation of a sculpture to honor and memorialize the life and legacy of Wisconsin trailblazer Vel R. Phillips.  When unveiled in June 2024, the sculpture of Phillips, commissioned by artist Radcliffe Bailey, will be the first of a person of color to be honored on the Wisconsin State Capitol Grounds. The stature will […]

Zilber Launches Cash Program for Pregnant Women in Milwaukee In an innovative collaboration, the Zilber Family Foundation and The Bridge Project have introduced Milwaukee’s first unconditional cash program. Its aim is to empower low-income pregnant people. This initiative will provide 100 eligible participants with direct financial assistance to support their needs during the crucial early stages of their baby’s life.   “This represents a significant step towards increasing economic mobility, addressing […]

UW-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts announces the opening of Pipeline. This compassionate and relevant playdemonstrates a mother’s struggle to secure the best future for her son while balancing the desires of the community that molded him. “This is not a lighthearted play, but it is an important one,” said Katie Avila Loughmiller, Director of Pipeline.  The intimacy of this timely conversation comes to the Kenilworth Five-0-Eight stage and raises […]