February is Black History Month. Based on Wisconsin’s demographics, there wasn’t a large black population here to create an extensive history. But, despite the limited numbers, there is actually an African American historical narrative that goes back to the 18th century. Still, even by the mid-1960s, at the time of the tumultuous civil rights struggle, blacks in Milwaukee, where their numbers are most concentrated, accounted for only 15% of the population.
African Americans suffered the same indignities in our fair city as in the more familiar, Deep South bastions of segregation. Wisconsin and, in particular, Milwaukee share the burden of a tarnished historical record when it comes to issues of racial equality. Milwaukee in the ’60s was among the nation’s most segregated cities. Now, 50 years later, it still is. In fact, some surveys rank Milwaukee as the country’s most segregated urban area.
By extension, February is Black LGBT History Month. Here in Milwaukee, it is difficult to find any information about the local African American LGBT experience. And there are apparently no events scheduled to celebrate it. The Milwaukee LGBT History Project website does mention three individuals of color (among more than 180 personalities, from activists and bartenders to philanthropists and politicians). Two, Donna Burkett and Manonia Evans, stand out. Their story is significant.
In 1971(!), Burkett and Evans, a lesbian couple, applied for a marriage license at the Milwaukee County Clerk’s Office. It was refused, of course. They then sued, citing the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process. Their action was part of the first nationwide attempt to achieve marriage equality. It took more than four decades but now universal marriage equality in all 50 states appears to be in the offing. Last year Burkett received an award for courage from the LGBT Community Center.
Among African American LGBT allies is Milwaukee civil rights and social justice advocate Lloyd Barbee. His service includes a successful federal lawsuit against the Milwaukee school board to undo racial segregation in public schools. During his 13 years in the state Assembly he introduced legislation in support of LGBT rights.
Throughout our gay community’s development, there were many other African Americans involved in the struggle. There were black-owned bars and businesses. For the most part, although their impact has affected our greater community, they remain unknown. Meanwhile, in their fight for basic rights and acceptance, black activists and leaders continue making history but may not make preserving it a priority. Sadly, white LGBT historians simply overlook the contributions of their black brothers and sisters. Perhaps it is too complex for them.
The UW-Milwaukee LGBT Archive actively seeks personal papers and other ephemera relating to Milwaukee’s gay history. Materials documenting African American contributions to that history are particularly underrepresented in its collections. The Archive encourages anyone in possession of such material to donate it, or even provide oral accounts to record. Perhaps in the coming years, a black LGBT historical legacy will evolve. We can all learn from it and, one day, celebrate it.
