Every day, people are released from prison and return to communities across the state to rebuild their lives. Wisconsin has an incarceration rate of 676 per 100,000 people and, notably, imprisons Black men at a higher rate than any other state in America. The barriers people face when they are released can be overwhelming and are considered partially responsible …
My maternal grandparents were a huge part of my life. They were at every school play, every softball game, every recital, every doctor’s appointment, everything. My father was not in our lives, but I lived with my mom and my sister, and my grandparents were basically like second parents. Especially my grandpa. I always felt …
“I couldn’t see what the other kids were seeing.” Read More »
Dom: My mom’s Italian and my dad’s African American. It was interesting growing up in a multiracial family, because I felt like I was different and was not exactly sure where I fit in. At school I wasn’t treated as a white student, and I didn’t really fit in with the black students, either. Photos by …
I grew up in Cusco, Peru, which is an incredible place to grow up. My great-grandfather was the president of Peru and then my dad was the mayor of Cusco. People come to Cusco from all over the world. We grew up entertaining all kinds of people in our house. We always knew that we …
“I wanted to help marginalized people learn about their rights.” Read More »
My husband and I were together for a long time, but after our kids were grown our marriage came to an end. Before we split, I had been running my own business—a consignment shop in Chicago. But, then I was on my own, and I needed a job with benefits and, I decided, a change …
My father named me Sagashus, and he never let me forget what it meant: wise, shrewd, calculating. He knew what his lifestyle was—four generations of sex work, surrounded by drugs—and he saw something different for me. Photos by Megan Monday “By naming me Sagashus, he was giving me a direction and a vision to break …
“My mom trained me to believe I can make a difference.” Read More »
Dorecia: I found out that I was pregnant when I was 17 years old. I was scared, I didn’t know what to do, and I hid the pregnancy for as long as I could. Photos by Megan Monday No one knew for six or seven months. I was always a good student, I even skipped a …
FROM HERE TO HER Artist Collective is a group of women in Milwaukee who come together to share and show their work. Photos by Megan Monday Each year, the Collective chooses a theme on which to center their show. Co-curators Katie Mullen and Rosana Lazcano said this year’s theme, “Mothers of Our Nations,” was intended to …
The Power of Wisconsin Women, Art, and Social Change Read More »
Dr. Bola: “My husband, Philips, got a job in the Paper Valley and we moved here 20 years ago. Photos by Megan Monday I’m a professor of multicultural education now, but at that time I was just finishing up my PhD from Penn State. Appleton appealed to me because I am a small-town person. I’m …
“It’s important for all of us to work towards acceptance.” Read More »
