When LaWanda Brooks-Barksdale received a cancer diagnosis that impeded her ability to work, she decided to do something special for her neighborhood, she formed an outdoor activity and learning center for the children in the area.
Miss LaWanda, as she likes to be called runs the Northside Youth Organization Program, and she along with three other volunteers from the area, Miss Reese, Miss Brenda and Miss Diamond set up the outdoor center four days a week, Monday through Thursday off of Fond du Lac Ave., across from the Fondy Farmer’s Market.
She …

By Jacqualine S. Williams
African World Festival made an impressive comeback last Sunday after recovering from financial difficulties and a violent incident that cast an uncertain cloud over the future of the successful family event.
With a new board of directors led by Milwaukee businessman, Mark Wade, organizers took a two-year hiatus to fundraise, re-group, conduct community outreach activities and strategically plan the one-day event.
The opening ceremony moved from the Cultural Area to the Miller stage, the main stage for the festival. “The festival is all of ours . . . We …

The Potawatomi Bingo Casino Main Stage for the 2010 Wisconsin State Fair, presented by U. S. Cellular will continue to offer an eclectic mix of music that appeals to the diverse Fair audience. The 2010 Fair will take place Thursday, August 5 through Sunday, August 15 at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis.
On Friday, August 6, Michael Jackson fans of all ages will have the opportunity to relive the hit songs of the late music legend’s career complete with an extraordinary laser spectacular when the Potawatomi Bingo Casino Main …

Being shown at the MWA is Evelyn Patricia Terry’s pastel “Watermelon Slice,” which has become a 2010 addition to the museum’s permanent collection. This artwork, along with 23 others by well-known state artists, was donated from the MillerCoors Collection to the MWA this year. “Watermelon Slice” will be unveiled as part of the exhibition “A Case of Wisconsin’s Finest: New Art Acquisitions from the Miller- Coors Collection” at a special reception on August 3 at the MWA. The exhibition will be on view from August 4 – December 30, 2010.
Terry …

The Terry McCormick Gallery, located at 2522 North 18th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53206 is hosting a reception on Gallery Day, July 24, 2010 from 12 noon to 5 pm. One of several featured artists, Ras `Ammar Nsoroma, will create “incredibly lifelike” portraits on the spot for attendees at “incredibly reasonable rates.” Scheduled pre-registrations for portraits can be requested by calling 414.264.6766.
`Ammar has painted approximately one hundred murals throughout Milwaukee and the United States. Many of his subjects represent people who have contributed constructively to the advancement of the community that …

Juneteenth Day 2010, the first celebration since the holiday was made official opened in grand style with the annual ribbon cutting ceremony and parade. Pictured above are state officials, Miss Juneteenth of 2010 and her court. The street festival began at Burleigh and ended at Center Street. The weather was hot and sunny, and there were no reported negative incidents. (Photo by Robert A. Bell)

Wisconsin State Fair officials are excited to announce new attractions and activities for the 2010 Wisconsin State Fair. In addition to the beloved, highly anticipated traditions Fairgoers look forward to, this year’s celebration will showcase a variety of new family friendly shows and displays, agriculture experiences and breathtaking horticultural exhibits. The 2010 Wisconsin State Fair, presented by U.S. Cellular, will take place Thursday, August 5 through Sunday, August 15 in West Allis.
Fair officials are excited to announce a new interactive exhibit that will be a blast from the past for …

Film review By Kam Williams
Hollywood is in the midst of a full-blown revival of eighties classics, and the latest beneficiary of that sense of nostalgia is The Karate Kid. The 1984 martial arts hit was a modestly-budgeted revenge flick about a 98-pound weakling who gets bullied by classmates after he and his mom relocate to California. But the newcomer is soon befriended by his apartment building’s Japanese janitor, who teaches the boy karate by putting him on an unorthodox training regimen that’s doesn’t involve any fighting.
Other than the setting shifting …