Milwaukee, WI

What residents want RNC attendees to know about Milwaukee

Published

1 year ago

July 15, 2024

What residents want RNC attendees to know about Milwaukee

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Milwaukee is in the national spotlight this week with tens of thousands of visitors in town for the Republican National Convention, or RNC.

The RNC, which convenes for four days and ends on Thursday, July 18, is held every four years to formally nominate the Republican Party’s nominees for president and vice president and flesh out the party’s platform.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters asked a cross-section of Milwaukeeans what they like most about their city and what they want the RNC attendees to know about their city. Here’s what they had to say.

Robert E. Holmes III, 54

Robert E. Holmes III
(Courtesy of Robert E. Holmes III)

Occupation: Business Owner

What I like best about Milwaukee: “What I like best about Milwaukee is the river. We can flow down inside downtown in the boats. We need an ethnic area by the river that grills food outside.”

What I want RNC to know: “I would like RNC to know how diverse Milwaukee is, and that reflects on the food we have here in Milwaukee.”

Christal West, 58

Christal West
(Courtesy of Christal West)

Occupation: Community resource and research specialist

What I like best about Milwaukee: “Milwaukeeans are good down home family people and love to be a service to each other.”

What I want RNC to know: “Milwaukee is culturally diverse, rich in resources and it’s like one giant family. You got some of the best hidden treasures in Milwaukee.”

Drea Rodriguez, 46

Drea Rodriguez
(Courtesy of Drea Rodriguez)

Occupation: Executive director of Peace Learning Center

What I like best about Milwaukee: “I love the neighborhood pride. We need to see more of it. When one takes pride in a home, they are more invested in their neighborhood.”

What I want RNC to know: “I want the RNC to acknowledge how lucky they are to be in a city as beautiful as Milwaukee and despite its past approval of horrible initiatives such as trickle-down economics, families of Milwaukee are committed to bridging divides and strengthening our communities.”

Rafael Mercado, 54

Rafael Mercado
(Edgar Mendez /
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

Occupation: Owner of Top Quality Services and founder of TEAM HAVOC

What I like best about Milwaukee: “What I like about Milwaukee is our diversity. We are so full of different ethnicities and cultures that there is always something going on.”

What I want RNC to know: “We are considered one of, if not, the most segregated cities in the U.S., yet I find that hard to see. We’re filled with every culture out here in this small but big city.”

Raymond Duncan, 44

Raymond Duncan
(Courtesy of Raymond Duncan)

Occupation: Special education teacher; member of Martin Drive Neighborhood Association Coordinating Committee

What I like best about Milwaukee: “Us as a neighborhood, we don’t charge fees or dues. We’re able to run a number of events that are almost solely potluck by nature, just bringing together different talents. And then that’s what we see with Milwaukee. Milwaukee can be this potluck of different people and groups and thoughts, and we can really solve problems.”

What I want RNC to know: “Milwaukee can be this home where I feel like it’s this big city, small town feel.”

Roderick Rush, 62

Occupation: Educator

Roderick Rush
(Meredith Melland /
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

What I like best about Milwaukee: “In the summertime, we’re the city of festivals. So you can’t lose for visiting Milwaukee during the month of July. … In general, we are a friendly place, no matter what your ethnicity or race is.”

What I want RNC to know: “It’s hypersegregated. But the people who live here, they know that … However, in summertime, and with sports, that seems to go by the wayside and people have a good time getting along with each other.”

Miriam Elizabeth Ramirez, 35

Occupation: Initiative coordinator at Muskego Way Forward

What I like best about Milwaukee: “We remain connected by the bridges meant to divide us. The Good land remains a place to call home for those that can appreciate its history, our skyline and architecture, and many fun festivals and food to enjoy throughout all four seasons. Milwaukee is home.”

What I want RNC to know: “Milwaukee is a place full of great potential where generations of people continue to create opportunities that represent our city’s diverse culture and community. (There are) a vast and valuable number of immigrant communities within our city who are involved in supporting the arts, music, education, health and wellness as well as business and historic social justice movements and more.”

Felice Green

Occupation: Director of programming at Milwaukee Water Commons

What I like best about Milwaukee: “I love my city, and I love what we stand for. And I think that Milwaukee has great lakes, great opportunities.”

What I want RNC to know: “Just like other big cities, we do have our challenges, but we try to come together to work out the challenges and work on the issues, for example, with pedestrian safety and reckless driving. … Spend some money in urban communities, Black and Brown communities while they’re here as well and learn each other.”

Howard Snyder, 74

Howard Snyder
(Courtesy of Howard Snyder)

Occupation: Semi-retired; former director of Northwest Side Community Development Corp.

What I like best about Milwaukee: “It’s easy to get around. It’s easy to live in. If you have kids, it’s a good place.”

What I want RNC to know: “It’s not Chicago, and we’re not a suburb of Chicago. We have an awful lot to offer. … Milwaukee is just not, it’s not a touristy place. You have to look a little bit. You have to work at it.”

Elijah Holbrook, 32

Elijah Holbrook
(Courtesy of Elijah Holbrook)

Occupation: Coffee sales associate

What I like best about Milwaukee: “What I like best about Milwaukee is the beautiful trails, parks and beaches allowing people to get outside, be in nature and see some of the best views the city has to offer while running, biking or walking..”

What I want RNC to know: “I would want the people of the RNC to be open-minded about Milwaukee and all cities. They aren’t the dangerous, crime-infested war zones conservative media often paints them to be.”

Diego Avila, 29

Occupation: Quality Engineer

What I like best about Milwaukee: “I love the size of this city. Small enough to allow you to connect with your community and people in your neighborhood while still being culturally diverse and vibrant. It is so easy to find your niche and make friends as an adult out of college and outside of work.”

What I want RNC to know: “I wish people understood that there are so many programs and activities coordinated by people in the city who want to make this a safer and more accessible place for everyone.”

Gary Zajackowski, 38

Gary Zajackowski
(Courtesy of Gary Zajackowski)

Occupation: Factory worker

What I like best about Milwaukee: “Milwaukee is underrated. Slept on. Anyone determined to focus on negatives is missing out, and we don’t need them anyway. Always something to do. … We have basically anything a big city has, but you can get across town in 20 minutes, in bad traffic.”

What I want RNC to know: “Most people you come across are nice. Anyone willing to get acquainted with Milwaukee will probably find things they love. If you’re miserable here, you’re probably miserable anywhere, anyway.”

Victor Cambell, 66

Victor Campbell
(Courtesy of Victor Campbell)

Occupation: Musician

What I like best about Milwaukee: As a drummer, I’ve traveled all over the world, so I am comfortable saying Milwaukee is a great place to live.

What I want RNC to know: Milwaukee has its issues like driver’s education safety. We need people to gain knowledge and the wisdom to put guns down, but on the flip side of that, the history of this city is beautiful and rich if you’re willing to get to know it and the city does have some great things going on.

Dominic McCallum, 18

Occupation: Student

Dominic McCallum
(Trisha Young / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

What I like best about Milwaukee: “I moved here from Dallas not too long ago, so Milwaukee was really different. I like that Milwaukee feels like a hometown. Everyone knows everyone and it feels like a safe community.”

What I want RNC to know: “I think people should know that there’s a lot to do here and people are friendly. You just have to be open to experiencing the city.”

Maurice “Moe” Wince

Occupation: Owner and operator of Sherman Park Grocery Store

What I like best about Milwaukee: “One of the things that I love to share with folks that I love about Milwaukee is the fact that it has amazing opportunities for businesses to start as well as entrepreneurship.”

What I want RNC to know: “While you’re here in Milwaukee, I strongly encourage you to not only come to Sherman Park neighborhood but visit all the other amazing neighborhoods and the business improvement districts, so that you know that the city of Milwaukee is not just a place to be, but it’s also fun to be here.”

A version of this story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, a nonprofit news organization that covers Milwaukee’s diverse neighborhoods.

News414 is a service journalism collaboration between Wisconsin Watch and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service that addresses the specific issues, interests, perspectives and information needs identified by residents of central city Milwaukee neighborhoods. Learn more at our website or sign up for our texting service here.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee woman attacked inside her home, neighbors charged

Published

10 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee woman attacked inside her home, neighbors charged

article

Tazjah Smith, Domonick Farmer

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County prosecutors accuse two people of attacking their neighbor inside her home earlier this month.

Charges filed

In court:

Court records show 22-year-old Tazjah Smith and 21-year-old Domonick Farmer are each charged with burglary and battery to an elder. Farmer is also charged with pointing a gun at the neighbor.

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Both Smith and Farmer made their initial court appearance on Thursday. Smith’s bond was set at $5,000, while Farmer’s was set at $2,500.

Neighbor attacked

The backstory:

It happened on Jan. 2. A criminal complaint said a 72-year-old woman said she was home when her upstairs neighbor, Smith, pounded on her door and accused her of “stealing groceries.” Smith then forced her way into the home and hit the victim in the face.

Court filings said the victim told police she was on the floor when she saw Farmer, who also lives upstairs, come in and tell Smith to “bear her a**.” The 72-year-old said Smith then hit her several more times before Smith and Farmer went upstairs.

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A witness said Smith also told Farmer to “get the gun,” and that Farmer came back with a gun that he “placed to the head” of the victim, according to the complaint. The witness said he told Farmer that it was “not worth it.” The witness also said Farmer demanded $20,000 and searched the home before they left without any money.

At the scene near 12th and Locust, court filings said police found “signs of a struggle” – including a cabinet door off its hinges, clumps of hair on the floor and a dented can of vegetables. The victim’s face and eye were swollen, and she was taken to a hospital.

Police found Smith and Farmer in the upstairs unit. Prosecutors said Smith “appeared to be covered in sweat with fresh scratches.” Officers searched the unit and found two guns, which matched descriptions provided by the victim and witness, and “small amounts” of methamphetamine and marijuana.

The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwauke County District Attorney’s Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.

Crime and Public SafetyNewsMilwaukee

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Milwaukee, WI

Dear Mama: An Open Letter to My Mother, Girtha Myers – Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper

Published

22 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Dear Mama: An Open Letter to My Mother, Girtha Myers – Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper

Dr. LaKeshia N. Myers

By LaKeshia N. Myers

Message to readers: This article is a reprint of my editorial originally published in the Milwaukee Courier on May 11, 2024. I present it today, in honor of my mother, Girtha Myers, who passed away on January 3, 2026. She was the embodiment of grace and tenacity, and for me, she was perfection in human form. Rest in peace, Mama. I love you.

Dear Mama, As I approach my fortieth birthday, it occurred to me that quite a bit has transpired in the time we have known each other. While I often joke with you and dad that my arrival was, “the best thing that ever happened to you,” only lately have I considered that my birth propelled you both into a stratosphere of the unknown. In an instant, you transitioned from young people who lived footloose and fancy free and were transfixed into a new world with a new title, parents. Two people with whom new names were given, “Mama” and “Daddy.” You both have excelled at those roles, exceedingly and above what could ever be asked.

Only now that I am older do I fully appreciate the identity shift that was probably required of you when you became my mother. The weight of responsibility that was heaped upon you and the fear of the unknown. But as time went on, I’d like to think we learned to complement each other. You desired obedience and taught me to have respect for myself and others; to treat people as I would like to be treated; and that my name was one of the greatest assets I had in this life and to protect it at all costs.

I get my work ethic from you and daddy equally, but my ambitious nature is all you. My commitment to community and tendency to over-commit to too many organizations and projects is something I picked up from you along the way too. You always said, “If you want something done right, do it yourself”—I think I may have taken that one a little too far sometimes (smile). But you provided me the opportunity to thrive, experience the world, travel, question authority, have a voice, and love myself.

Like most parent/child relationships, ours has endured many seasons. As I approach forty, I am reminded of its significance in our faith. Forty represents transition, signifies new life, new growth, transformation, a change from one great task to another. As I watch you now, aging gracefully—with now more locks of grey, we have entered yet another period of transition, where sometimes I feel more like your parent than your daughter, and you behave like a rebellious teenager (go figure). I am thankful for the opportunities of laughter, solace, and discipline.

Thank you, for being my mother. Now that I am older, thank you for being my friend. You are a wonderful mother. You are the perfect mother for me. I love you. Love Always, LaKeshia

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Milwaukee, WI

Chief marketing and communication officer named to Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 | Marquette Today

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Chief marketing and communication officer named to Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 | Marquette Today

Lynn Griffith, chief marketing and communication officer, was named to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list.

Griffith leads Marquette’s Office of Marketing and Communication, a team of 30 talented professionals who work to elevate and differentiate the Marquette brand via strategy and planning; brand management; media relations; internal communication; presidential communication; social media; issues and crisis management; advertising, digital and creative services; video; and editorial content, including the university’s flagship alumni publication, Marquette Magazine.

Under Griffith’s leadership, Marquette’s marketing and communication team has been recognized for excellence, winning multiple National Collegiate Advertising awards, Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter Paragon Awards. In 2024, the university’s digital storytelling strategy was named a Ragan’s PR Daily award finalist. Marquette is ranked a top 55 most trusted higher education brand in the U.S. by Morning Consult and its social media is No. 5 in the country for higher education social media engagement by RivalIQ.

During her nine years at Marquette, Griffith has been tapped for multiple university initiatives, including co-chairing the university’s Crisis Management Team, co-leading the university’s Convention Steering Committee ahead of Milwaukee hosting the Republican National Convention in 2024, and serving on Mission Priority Examen and presidential inauguration planning committees.

An engaged member of the Milwaukee community, Griffith serves on the board of directors of Menomonee Valley Partners and on the marketing committee of VISIT Milwaukee. She is a member of TEMPO Milwaukee and the Arthur W. Page Society, as well as the Marquette Mentors leadership council, on which she also serves as a mentor. She recently completed the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ 18-month Ignatian Colleagues Program for lay leaders.

Griffith is a two-time graduate of Marquette, earning a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and writing intensive English and a Master of Business Administration.

40 Under 40 honorees were selected based on the impact they have had in their jobs, in the community and on Southeast Wisconsin overall. The Milwaukee Business Journal reviewed hundreds of nominations to curate its 34th 40 Under 40 cohort.

In addition to Griffith, seven alumni were named to the list:

David Griggs, co-founder of One 5 Olive LLC
Jordan Komp, senior principal and Milwaukee office director at Thornton Tomasetti Inc.
Avery Mayne, attorney at von Briesen & Roper, s.c.
Brian McClaren, principal of H. Knox Development Company
Emily Tau, director of public affairs for Milwaukee County
Jessica Shepherd, director of financial planning and analysis at Baird
Mike Wanezek, partner at Colliers | Wisconsin

The 40 Under 40 honorees will be celebrated in a forthcoming special edition of the Milwaukee Business Journal and at an awards presentation on Wednesday, March 11, at the Baird Center.

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