Artist's Statement

Milwaukee is one of the most segregated cities in all of the U.S., yet this astonishing fact is habitually looked over within our very own society. Segregation in a big city such as Milwaukee, can only lead to social inequalities. For anyone who has lived in Milwaukee, they know that they don’t have to go far to see evidence of this destructive circle of social injustice. Education is the foundation for anyone who wishes to alter their socio-economic status. For this reason, the proper teaching of history from a young age is crucial in an individual’s understanding of who he or she is. All too often, the writing of historical documents is left in the hands of the traditional American writers. To be more specific, here in America, the ideals of white Anglo-Saxons tend to overflow and engulf both our public and private school systems. I don’t point this issue out with hopes of denouncing our current approach to the teaching of History, or to deem the works of many historians unsatisfactory. But rather, I point this issue out to bring light to the fact that a great number of students are being stripped of their very own history and or culture. In Milwaukee for example, our community is so racially diverse that there are children from all walks of life. Why is it that a middle school Mexican American student must know all of the U.S. president’s, but can’t learn of Hugo Chavez, Che Guevara and other Hispanic icons? Why is it that an African American student learns that President Lincoln supposedly freed the slaves, but knows nothing of the many historic slave rebellions? One would think that with Milwaukee's rich Socialist and Progressive history, the flood gates of discrimination among race and class would never have come to pass. This traditional approach to teaching students must be broke in order for a greater apprehension of knowledge to be received. However, in order for such a change to occur, the writing of history must be conducted in a multi-cultural fashion. For the many faults Milwaukee holds, organizations such as the boys and girls club are truly an inspiration to the city. This is why I wanted my piece to focus on the good and the bad of Milwaukee. As much as this city can be cast in a bad light, the Vieau School simply exemplifies what it means for a community to come together for the greater good. As previous stated, education is the key to success, and without these schools success becomes a distant dream instead of a reality.