Artist Statement

 

I really enjoyed my service learning with Johnsons Park. It was truly amazing to be a part of such a revitalizing/reconstructive moment for this community. I enjoyed researching and looking back to its past history and I enjoyed documenting the current progress made. It seems, to me, that this neighborhood is destined to live/exist. Looking at its roots has shown me that the land of Walnut Way was cultivated by strong, hopeful, and courageous people who gave their all to build what it is now known as; the Historical Bronzeville. The struggle has and always will be the theme of Walnut Way/Johnson’s park but it is those very hardships that continue to be the driving force and heart of this community. Prior to this class assignment, I had never been to Johnson’s Park. I can remember my Grandmother telling me that Walnut Street used to be “Booming” as she would say. I remember her telling me it was an exciting place to hang out, shop, listen to music, and live. I could only imagine this “place” she was referring to, until now.

Of course I am aware of the negative connotations associated with “Milwaukee’s Urban Neighborhoods” and to a certain extent I can understand how people can adopt them, but I do feel that places like Johnson’s park spread undying hope. It seems as if it has been an extremely long journey, and an even longer road ahead. I can say that over the course of this semester I have learned the true meaning of perseverance. This neighborhood has seen so many transformations, but I do believe that the light is finally shining through. It is amazing how everyone in the community is coming together. For example, the Police District is working directly with residents to continue to lower crime, Alice’s garden is giving the community the opportunity to learn how to grow their own produce, and long-term residents have the opportunity to remodel/build their homes. I really feel that Johnson’s park embodies the true meaning of community and interconnectedness.

I really enjoyed my classroom studies as well as this final project. Watching documentaries such as, “Who killed Vincent Chin” has made me realize how the media can manipulate/influence the audience’s perceptions without the audience even being conscious of it. A good example of this is lighting and the focus levels of the camera. It made me think about watching the local news. Whenever there is a shooting or robbery in an “urban” area such as Johnson’s park the images are often dim in lighting and very choppy. When they interview residents after a crime takes place there seems to be a prototype that the reporters are drawn to, a somewhat consistent image of a particular group of people...

All in all I consider my experience in the classroom as well as JPNA to be very rich. On a basic level I learned how to blog! I have also learned how to video record and experiment with images and I do feel that I am able to critique and understand film production a little more. Most of all I am happy that I was able to create unbiased images and footage of Johnsons Park. I am proud to say that I have created media that doesn’t continue to further the stereotypes of Urban Communities. I know that as a class, we have all grown and expanded our perspectives. I know that from here on out, I will approach everything I see, read, and hear without preconceived notions; I recognize the importance of truly seeing something for what it is simply, and discovering its present beauty. 

Underground Railroad: Final Project Interview

This is the oral history of Caroline Quarlls and her journey through Johnsons Park, told by her Great, great, great granddaughter Kimberly Simmons. It was interesting hearing the story opposed to reading about it and seeing all of the roles and help she received, also the various connections between Caroline Quarlls and residents in Waukesha, Milwaukee, and other cities she fled through.  It was interesting to think about because despite the fact that there was so much racism and prejudice in Milwaukee, there were and still are people who believed in equality and justice. 

Interview with Kimberly Simmons

 

I really enjoyed my interview with the 3^rd generation Granddaughter of Caroline Quarlls; the first passenger on Wisconsin’s underground railroad in 1842. She is a strong leader and I am inspired by her dedication to educating her community and aiding other leaders to spread the history of African Americans throughout the Midwest region. She is currently residing in Detroit, MI and is the founder of the Quarlls-Watkins heritage project founded in 2003. This organization serves the community by keeping its history alive, Kimberly goes around to various sites, primarily to schools throughout the Midwest and gives presentations and lectures about the Underground Railroad, particularly her ancestry (Caroline Quarlls and Allen Watkins).

            One of the interesting things about this, is the fact that Caroline Quarlls traveled through what is now the Johnson’s Park neighborhood and because of that Kimberly has designated Johnson’s park as a National Historic site for the Underground Railroad network to Freedom organization.

                        I could literally feel the passion radiating from Kim as she talked about her newfound journey. She talked with me about how this organization has evolved into more historical research and how she is traveling around the country aiding other historic sites on how to preserve their history as well. She has come a long way, starting out in a career in banking. I recall her talking about how she found old photos in her mother’s attic and began to look for the missing pieces, discovering her Great, great, great grandmother, whom she had heard old stories about since her childhood. It is amazing how rich our history is, despite the fact that it hadn’t been recorded because of slaves being unable to write. It makes her journey all the more enjoyable, uncovering countless oral histories and looking for clues scattered around our homeland.

 

Further info: http://www.wlhn.org/wnf/about.htm            

Johnsons Park Neighborhood Meeting!

 

On April 20^th 2009 the Johnsons Park Neighborhood Association held their meeting at the J.O.Y. Center, which is owned by the Christ Presbyterian church. It was exciting to see 88.9 Radio Milwaukee host Adam there. Johnsons Park, among other Milwaukee Neighborhoods is getting lots of press lately, positive press. It seems that not only are residents of Johnsons Park taking notice but other communities as well and it was honestly amazing to be a part of that experience.

The meetings are typically held once a month, and this was one of the first meetings to be held in the J.O.Y. Center. It was nice to see businesses in the area coming together and opening their space for these types of meetings to be held, this just illustrates the strong sense of interconnectedness and community within Johnsons Park. The main topic of this meeting was how the funds from the Stimulus plan would be disbursed to not only the city of Milwaukee itself, but also Johnsons Park in particular. Tony advised the residents that more funding would be put towards Housing Grants for Lindsay Heights and foreclosure prevention. Also the Police District three, in order to increase policing/patrolling.  There was also discussion about upcoming events in the community such as the Neighborhood cleanup and the third year Summer Bike Camp/Swimming lessons. I was particularly interested in this because the neighborhood raffles off about four bikes each summer and the swimming lessons take place at the YMCA. It is a great success because it gives the children something fun/constructive to do, along with working with Alice’s Garden.

Throughout the meeting I truly felt a warm, welcoming sense of community. There is such a strong sense of teamwork and unity here. It is amazing to see everyone come together and share resources, despite our current economic state. In fact, I think that it was makes Johnsons park such a strong foundation; their hope, their vision empowered by the courage and dedication to the community

Milwaukee Bronzville: Walnut Way!

Initially I was somewhat overwhelmed and unsure about what I wanted my main focus to be for my final project on JPNA. After attending the last of a four part series of the Milwaukee Historic Society's presentations on Milwaukee Neighborhoods I became interested in Walnut Way/Johnson's Park history. It was amazing because I had never heard about the history of African American settlement in Milwaukee, it was fascinating to see that the residents from this era are still alive and continue to pass these oral histories. I felt compelled to do my final project on the juxtapositions between the two eras and I hope to inspire some curiosity for others to do the same! 

African American settlement began in Milwaukee from 1900s-1950s, due to labor shortages during WWII. This was an opportunity for African Americans to improve their own economic situations and they then began to migrate to Wisconsin in search of industrial, agricultural, and manufacturing jobs. Despite the fact that there was African American settlement in WI, this particular time period nearly tripled the African American Population by 600%. By 1945 there was over 15,000 African Americans living in Milwaukee. Because of racism/segregation, the African American residents in Milwaukee were restricted/limited to live in certain areas, forcing them to build their own community formerly known as, Walnut Way, our modern day Johnsons Park. The actual landmark begins at Walnut St., King Drive, and 12th street. Looking at Johnson's Park today, one would never know that it was such a thriving community, all of the businesses were owned by African Americans and celebrated the African American culture, residents can recall never having to leave their communities-they had their own barbershops, drugstores, restaurants, etc. Needless to say, this thriving community began to attract racially mixed clientele. So what happened to this thriving community? Towards the end of the 1950s the city planned to reconstruct HWY I-43, which cut directly across the neighborhood, destroying thousands of homes-snatching the heart out of this beautiful community. 

More Info: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/highlights/archives/2007/02/discover_milwau.asp

Kroening Building, Bronzville Milwaukee 1886  (North Ave.) 

Modern Day: Walnut Way! 

Alice's Garden: Partnered with UW-M

Bronzeville Milwaukee Jazz Club

This Fall I had the pleasure of viewing the documentary "U People" I also had the opportunity to meet with the filmmakers Hanifah Walidah and Olive Demetrius.U People is an accidental documentary; the original intention was to film a music video, "Make a Move" by musician Hanifah Walidah, which later debut on LOGO. The video itself was a first of its kind, featuring an entire cast/crew of thirty women identifying as straight, gay, and Transgender. Once they began editing the footage, Hanifah and Olive began to take a closer look at the dialogue between such a diverse group of women, issues such as being gay/and or Transgender in the African American communities and the perceptions of roles such as "femme" and "butch”.

            Prior to viewing the film, the filmmakers Hanifah and Olive held a workshop titled, The Beautiful Obstacle: Beyond a Double Consciousness. In this workshop we were divided into groups and began to brainstorm/contemplate words that describe femininity and characteristics of African American women. After the list was created, we then, as a group had to create a silent, short performance illustrating the characteristics we felt were the most prevalent in front of one another. This exercise helped us to understand how identities are socially constructed and the fact that there are multiple interpretations within those constructions. It was an excellent prelude to the film.

            After watching the film I began to think about the concepts “Two Spirit” and “Transgender” and its connection with the African American community. Why is transgender identity viewed as taboo within the African American community? Why is there segregation within the gay community itself? Overall, I found the film inspiring and daringly raw- there was no filter. 

U People Website: http://iloveupeople.ning.com/

Artist Statement

Erica Woods

Film 150

March 27, 2009

 

Artist Statement

 

I know Johnson’s Park as a glimmer of hope. I wanted to find these small pieces and magnify them through their heavy, burdened flaws of poverty, litter, and misconceptions. It was difficult to find the opportunity to connect with the people of this community, as a result, I had to open myself up to listening to the environment and nature and tap into it’s voice. The photos I have selected do just that, tells the story, the contemplation of the heart of Johnsons Park. On the surface level, Johnsons Park was wide, empty and spacious, but the more I began to blend/merge within this community the more heightened my senses became. I began to notice life growing underneath all of clutter.

            The images I’ve selected illustrate the transition happening within this vibrant community. After sifting through all of the dead leaves, broken concrete, and construction there’s much inspiration lurking in alleyways, sidewalks, through worn windows, and solidifying itself in the soil of the land.  A new history is bound to immerge; new communities of people are alive and united.

            During this experience, I’ve discovered that the camera is a very powerful tool, and one of the most passionate forms of communication. It is not boggled down by oversimplified language, words that over generalize the feelings/perspectives of our existence as human beings in which we try so hard to express and ignite understanding/commonality with others.  Our vision, photographic memories are the solid moments in our lives when we are rectified as participants of and within reality, Photographs capture and preserve that. Confirm that. These are our creations, interpretations within our space, within our time.

            

JPNA:An Interpetation

Blog #6

Ethnographic films and photography are seemingly intertwined because they served the same purpose; to try to explore/expose different cultures and the way they lived. The ethnographic films were biased since their perspective was from white filmmakers and because of this native americans were viewed as subjects. Photos were used as a form of propaganda, native americans were seen with certain costume-like attire such as feathers, costumes, buffalo hides) and the lighting was often dark and shadowy subliminally communicating a savage like identity, these photos and films were seen by people who hadn't any weren't likely to connect with native americans which created a form of prejudice against them and allowed a genocide-like interaction to be accepted. The pictures of the women were indeed pornographic, the pictures possess a strong sense of masculinity due to the pose, the dark overcast in the photos and the strong, angular poses of their bodies. These photos reinforces the idea of the native american as a savage. Native American women were often viewed as too masculine, rather than courageous and strong and that is clear in the photos, yet the exposure of their breasts seems to be a form of mockery, as if exposing them in such a manner would obliterate any sort of fear/uneasiness most europeans had with the native american women's strength.

I am interested in working on an archival history of Johnson's Park. I am very excited to research this neighborhood and see what it looked like before and how it has evolved over time. I am interested in hearing the stories of the Elders and also capturing the youth. I want to create a document that gives an overall historical, cultural snapshot of this neighborhood. I also want to allow my research through newspaper articles, old photos, etc. to speak my own interpretation of this neighborhood, and its energy. 

Blog 4

It is clear that the difference between Vin Diesel and Senna is based on their own individual experiences. For example, Vin Diesel did not gain acceptance from either worlds (Italian or African American) which was obvious in his short film multi-facial. In his experience, he was viewed as undefinable, casting calls either said he wasn't black enough/urban enough or italian enough. This forced him to embrace his undefinable-ness. He wanted to be recognized for his talent alone, opposed to being categorized by race. It seems as if Vin Diesel embraces this new idea of racelessness, which is ultimately where America is headed. Senna seems to feel more accepted in the African american community, it is true that African American communities have a stronger likelihood of accepting biracial heritage, opposed to white society. I think this is the very reason why she identifies as black, simply because of the welcoming acceptance and because of her strong pride in the culture. The standards of beauty within american films definitely adhere to European-american standards still, which means that despite the range of cultures onscreen, they all still represent those standards. For example, the film The fast and the Furious had primarily asian and latin american women cast, but they were all tall and thin, with symmetrical facial structures and no "exotic features". This is a European standard of beauty and doesn't represent all women of color or the beauty standards within their own culture. Another example is also taken from the Fast and the Furious. Vin Diesel was paired with Paul Walker(anglo-american actor) and they were viewed as a heroic team. The hero/leader of the film was Vin Diesel but he was paired with a white co-actor, whose role wasn't necessarily needed but makes the audience feel more comfortable with an undefinable main character because of his co-partner being white. This is also evident in Eddie Murphy's film Beverly Hills Cop II.

Erica Woods

Film 150: Multicultural America

Media Literacy Exercise

February 27, 2009

 

Operation Assimilation; The American Way!

There are two photos in particular that struck me as correlative towards one another in very interesting ways. They are titled:” Refrigerator” by Osa and Martin Johnson, 1920 and “Receiving Dolls” taken by Toyo Miyatake, 1943. 

These two photos capture a brief encounter of the assimilation into American Culture that all people of color have experienced throughout American History.

 

“Refrigerator”

 

This picture is very narrow and it seems to provoke the viewer to only focus on the woman in the picture, despite the fact that there are two others in the photo. There is shadow overcast on the two Native Americans and the lighting is centered on the refrigerator and the woman, who is holding an ice tray. Her smile is bright and captured fully, while it seems as if the Native Americans are also smiling, yet the photo was shot only getting a side angle of their smile, instead of a direct pose. It is evident that they are in a kitchen, due to the images of cans sitting above the refrigerator.  This photo was taken in 1920, which was during the time where Native Americans were living in poverty, suffering from various diseases and facing devastation due to the fact that they were being forced to migrate onto small reservations after the European settlers came over and took over the land. Neglected by the government, Native Americans had little to no resources such as food, shelter, etc. Concerned American citizens began to realize that the only way to help the Native Americans was to teach them to adopt certain customs, methods of survival of the American people (assimilation) which included using he refrigerator in order to preserve food, instead of the daily hunting that the Native Americans were accustomed to prior to the arrival of the European settlers. This photo was captured in order to illustrate the progress of the Native Americans into the American culture, which manipulates the viewer into thinking that there was a mutual acceptance and willingness to assimilate from the Native Americans, which history proves was not entirely the case.

            The second photo “Receiving Dolls” was taken in 1943.

The frame of this photo is a bit wider, the viewer can catch an overall glimpse of the surroundings, and it seems like a nursery. The lighting is very bright, indicating a happy setting, particularly because all of the young girls appear to be smiling. It also very interesting that the girls are standing in a somewhat straight line, which curves in a slight circular motion towards the far right-hand side. This location of this photo is actually an internment camp. Taken in 1943, just a year after the United States forced all Japanese Americans to relocate from their homes due to the war, which created a somewhat uneasy relationship between Japanese aliens and the U.S. Government, which led to the migration of over 100,000 Japanese Americans who lived in states bordering the Pacific Ocean. This photo was taken by the American Friends society, which is an organization of American citizens who step in and help civilian war victims. This organization donated the dolls to the Japanese American girls and represents a re-assimilation process, a year after the Japanese Americans were banned from their homes and placed in these internment camps, they were then still taught to assimilate into the American culture in these structured environments and totally reliant on the U.S. government for housing, Medicare, food, etc.

            In conclusion, it is evident that Native and Japanese Americans had to assimilate into the American culture, in order to survive, literally. It was also interesting that in both photos, though taken roughly twenty years a part, both minorities were receiving “gifts”. What does it actually mean to assimilate into “American” culture, how can it be defined? “White patriarchal capitalism, ideas about race and ethnicity are constructed and circulated in ways that tend to keep white privilege and power in place”(Benshoff and Griffin, 51). Giving these dolls to the Japanese girls and the refrigerators to Native Americans, communicates that this is the cultural “norm” and diminishes the basic survival skills that ethnic groups had been using for centuries. It is sort of a way to phase out cultural customs and align under one ideology as people, at the same time assimilation into white culture is viewed as the normal, human experience, a form of cultural invisibility as explained by Benshoff and Griffin, “The White power base maintains its dominant position precisely by being consistently overlooked…unexamined in most mainstream texts”(Benshoff and Griffen, 53). Until America begins to question whiteness as a culture and not an ideology, we are all conforming to some form of assimilation, how can America pride itself on rich culture and diversity with such a monotonous cultural voice?  Films help us examine multicultural stereotypes/misconceptions and in time will hopefully celebrate our true, multicultural American people.

Works Cited

 1.Harry M. Benshoff and Sean Griffin, “The Concept of Whiteness,” America on Film 
(Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2004) Pg 53-55. 



2. Marita Sturken & Lisa Cartwright, “Viewers Make Meaning,” Practices of looking: an Introduction to Visual Culture. 2nd ed (New York City: Oxford University Press, Inc, 2001) 49-59.

3. Memorial Hall Museum Online American Centuries...view from New England. 23February2009. Pocumtuck ValleyMemorialAssociation. <http://www.memorialhall.mass.edu/turns/view.jsp?itemid=13161&subthemeid=18>

4. The virtual museum of the city of San Francisco. 22February2009.

< http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist10/relocbook.html>

 

 

 

 

 Pg 45.

           

 

After slavery was abolished in 1865, African Americans wanted to expand their horizons and look for other jobs opportunities, which eventually led to the "Great Migration" in Northern cities such as; Chicago, Harlem, Detroit, etc. These job opportunities were granted to African Americans primarily because of contract disputes with European Immigrant workers, and the desperate need for cheap labor. 

The production code was implemented in a hopeful attempt to abolish negative stereotypes of African American roles in film however, the roles of African Americans on film were still subservient but were not as blatant as before. The roles of African American actors became domesticated, for example Dorothy Dandridge played the role of a "jungle goddess" the "tragic mulatto" for which she received an Oscar, we can see similar instances of the same stereotypes today, such as Halle Berry's role in Monster's Ball (sinful miscegenation)for which she also won an Oscar. It almost seems as if this production code was put in place to quiet down the protests about the negative stereotypes of African Americans, and yet films still create the same characters, subliminally. 

It is also evident that Blaxploitation films were a result of the production code, because of the attempt to expand on the identity of African Americans outside of the mammie, coon, etc.  During the late 60s and 70s African Americans were becoming more aggressive with their approach towards equality, movements such as the Black Panthers emerged during this time frame.These films made poor attempts to "capture the black experience" produced by white filmmakers the actors portrayed pimps, hoodlums, and drug dealers, which ultimately provoked the African American youth to imitate these roles, given that they appeared to be glamorous/admirable. 

Spike Lee became a success because his films showed African Americans as they are; human. His films are about the struggles of the African American people such as racism, double-consciousness, and their dreams, which are just like every other American, to have an education, raise a family, experience happiness, pain, etc.  It is still a struggle today for Spike Lee to find funding for his films and as a result he does have to conform to the societal demands of Hollywood productions. For example, he made the film Inside Man, a more socially accepted film with a diverse cast, in order to get funding for the film Miracle at St. Ana which told the story of African American soldiers in World War II after having a dispute with Clint Eastwood because of the lack of African American soldiers represented in his film "Letters from Iwa Jima" which also told the story of WWII. Spike Lee's films are definitely telling the stories of African Americans, unbiasedly and overall, I believe Spike Lee is an incredible filmmaker, it is sad though that even in today's era he along with other people of color still have to conform to a "cultural norm" in order to be broadly accepted among all American people. 

Othering can be defined as; The process of defining one group against another. It is a defense mechanism that one group of people use to identify an unlikeable trait that they see within onto another group and apply negative judgment towards them because of it. Hollywood has a tendency to include "token" ethnic characters in mainstream films in order to prevent racial tension between themselves and their audience. If Hollywood films choose to include "ethnic characters" their roles are often "cliche" and "stereotypes" usually with negative, subliminal connotations. 

Initially Irish Americans did succumb to these stereotypical roles as well, such as the drunken, fiery-tempered working class. However, once the Irish chose to assimilate into the American culture their roles began to change, becoming more a part of the cultural "norm" and widely accepted as "white/standard". The black face was used by Jews to illustrate the extreme differences between themselves and the Irish in opposition with African Americans. Since white Americans viewed all of these groups as subordinate, it seemed as if the Jews and Irish americans used the black face in order to gain more acceptance at the attempt to assimilate into the white culture. On the other hand, the fact that this act was combined with Yiddish it also seems as if these acts were magnifying the confusing parody of racial categorizations defined by white culture. 

I think it is important to study race and racial images simply because it is such a huge factor in our culture. America is obsessed with categorizing and labeling people and it is impossible to be oblivious to that. Perhaps it is also a flaw, and understanding and depicting racial images can help us understand what happens in our minds and how these prejudices manifest. Whites are often viewed as the "norm" or just plain human beings, the are judged based on the content of their character opposed to the color of their skin and all of the negative connotations associated with that particular skin color. Examining whiteness is going to be misinterpreted as reverse racism, white people are going to assume the role of the victim and by examining their role even more, will not change the glorifying of their whiteness even more. The paradox remains the same; whites are seen as human beings and our sub-consciously used as a form of ideology; what everyone should try to measure up to. 

Blog #1

I am really excited to be doing service learning at the Johnsons' Park Neighborhood association. I was particularly in awe of the fact that Joseph Zilber donated 50 million of his own money to revitalize this community, I am excited about the fact that they have Alice's garden because it is very rare for urban environments to have affordable produce in their neighborhood. I also thought it was interesting that the money donated was used to build better homes in the area and also to renovate older homes of the lifetime residents as opposed to tearing those down and rebuilding the whole neighborhood, that shows me that the neighborhood is interested in preserving their community while also  strengthening it with more resources. I love the fact that the residents determine what is needed and that they have created an organized environment, I am also glad to see that the crime rate has been lowered and I am glad that this is one of the first steps that the City is taking in order to  revitalize within instead of from the outside in. I know it will be that much more successful from this approach. 

Blog # 2

It is quite obvious that lynching, although dehumanizing to the African American peoples, was quite empowering for whites during the late 1800s through the early 1900s. The fact that image was marketed and distributed all over the United States illustrates that. Whites wanted to reinforce a sense of unity among themselves and felt the need to do so by creating this notion of superiority over African Americans. They would sell pictures/images of the lynching and also other items used during the process such as chain links, teeth, etc. Photography was the primary driving force for this ideal, people from the North for example, even if they hadn't come into contact with an African American could still be a part of this cultural practice. 

Moving forward in time, African American artists are using the very same images that once dehumanized an entire race as framework for provoking thought and understanding about the history of our nation and the idea of trying to overcome such brutality. It is interesting how African American artists are taking the photos of lynching to provoke an anti-lynching discourse.