Joanne Johnson-Sabir on Economic Development in the Central City

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The world seems frayed these days, torn by violence, inflation, war, woke-ness, COVID, smartphone addiction and just plain anger. Milwaukee’s central city is not immune. But for these Black residents, probably the foremost issue is how to boost business development.

Working outside the fray is one of the city’s innovators, JoAnne Johnson-Sabir. Several years ago, she partnered with Milwaukee developer Juli Kaufmann to transform the BMO Harris Sherman Park bank that was burned during the 2016 unrest into a shopping and wellness hub. They called it the Sherman Phoenix. The space opened in December of 2018 and is presently home to many Black-owned businesses, including JoAnne’s second venture, the Shindig Café, in partnership with her husband Manaan Sabir.

I met Johnson-Sabir inside the Sherman Phoenix surrounded by customers socializing at communal tables bordered by store fronts. Through her gentle demeanor, she articulated sound business ideas.

Tell me about your background, your family, where you grew up, schools you attended. How you got to be you?

I grew up in New York. My parents were both social workers and community change agents. At a young age, I was indoctrinated into serving the greater good. For undergrad, I went to Clark Atlanta University [a Historically Black College] in Atlanta. For me, college was beautiful, a Black mecca for Black excellence. I liked having professors of color. The experience taught me that if you see the possibility, you can achieve it. I majored in psychology and pre-med, but I realized my work should be in community engagement. 

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I went back to New York and worked as a Director for Resident Life at Hunter College. I also worked with children and young people. I think I helped them by living my story as a physical representation of Black success. On 9/11/2001, the World Trade Center disaster happened, and I was close by. I walked 127 blocks to my home in Harlem and decided I needed a change. I ended up moving to Milwaukee where my mom was a director of community development. 

Her mother Sharon and husband Larry Adams developed Walnut Way, one of the most successful real estate projects in the central city. In 20 years, they have restored dilapidated homes, built a community center, transformed vacant lots into gardens and orchards and developed venues for economic development.

You were in your early 20s and starting over in a different city. What did you do in Milwaukee?

I began working in social welfare as a case manager for the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare Services. I was working for the Medical College of Wisconsin and doing research in community development. During that time, I earned my masters degree in social work at UWM. Eventually, I went to work with my mom at Walnut Way. We did our first development, Innovations in Walnut Commons, on 17th and North. I hired Juli Kaufmann as the developer. 

Johnson-Sabir married, and with husband opened The Juice Kitchen, a successful venue in the Walnut Way Commons. The juices they sold were Sabir’s health and wellness drinks.

Growing up in New York, I had not experienced segregation until I came here. When the 2016 uprising happened in Sherman Park, my alderman said the Black community needed a Juice Kitchen to lift the minds and spirits of our residents. The developer Juli Kaufmann and I put together a business development in Sherman Park in the BMO bank building burned from the uprising. That was the birth of the Sherman Phoenix. Now in 2022, we have a thriving development model and a great consulting team to focus on building businesses even including patenting. 

I read that you are involved in something called Freedom Endeavors, Inc.   

Freedom Endeavors is another consulting firm that I own. We consult on new businesses and developments and also do physical developments. It’s a strategic leadership resource business based on my skill set. 

Let me quote you: “I knew one of the pathways in community work had to be centered on the economy. I asked myself, ‘How do we create a pathway so that people can sustain themselves? Creating businesses is a good pathway for wealth to expand in the community.’” How can the central city expand Black owned businesses?

I think the expansion happens through support of the residents. I just came from Atlanta where people show up and are enthused. You can try to create anything, but the proof in the pudding is the community rising-up to support the endeavors of the Black business owners. The call-to-action rests with the people. In the Sherman Phoenix, we have all these beautiful Black businesses, these wonderful entrepreneurs. The residents need to show up and support them. 

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In December of 2017, you started out with about 20 Black-owned businesses. Are most of businesses in the Sherman Phoenix still Black owned?

Yes, they are. We now have 29 businesses here. We also have a new American Family Insurance Agency coming online. We have two other areas of the complex that need remodeling, but otherwise, we are near capacity.  

Quoting you from your Sherman Phoenix website: “Community conversations identified a need for safe, welcoming neighborhood spaces, and certain leaders in the community decided to take matters into their own hands in order to foster change.” What are you doing currently? What are your business plans for the future?

My plans are in consulting and leadership development and developing apps. Through the Sherman Phoenix Foundation, we are looking to develop a consulting group and take some of our ideas across the nation. I’m taking my strategic business skills on the road. I’m looking at Atlanta, Dallas, and Miami. 

How do you go about that?

By building relationships. A national public relations agency. Working with American Family Insurance. 

We can’t wait for the federal or city government. We have to prepare ourselves to act and create opportunities.