Photo via Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
On December 14, 2020, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors issued an official resolution to mark the 200th consecutive day of The Peoples Revolution (TPR) march for racial equality. In it, the march is noted for its significance to an earlier Milwaukee protest, the 200 day Fair Housing March of 1967-68 lead by civil rights leader Father James Groppi. Sponsored by Supervisor Ryan Clancy and supported by 13 county supervisors, the resolution celebrates the actions taken by Milwaukee county residents in the name of racial justice. Its six paragraphs list TPR’s 10 universal demands and acknowledge its mission to achieve social justice. The document concludes with a recognition and commendation of The Peoples Revolution “for their dedicated efforts, leadership and contributions in the fight for equality by helping create a safer Milwaukee by amplifying the people’s voice, long live the revolution.”
Local mainstream media did not report on this historic resolution. The TPR march has since surpassed 250 days as the protest continues.
TPR is Milwaukee’s iteration of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Founded in 2013 after the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s killer as a social mechanism to confront the pandemic of police violence against the Black community, BLM’s recent awakening came with the extrajudicial execution of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police officers on May 25, 2020. The spontaneous protests that arose in response spread across the nation. Milwaukee, already under the duress of segregation and racial inequality responded in kind. Launching its march on May 28, TPR signaled its intent to not only repeat Milwaukee’s Fair Housing March’s 200 days of protest, but to continue marching until they had achieved positive change.
When Movements Intersect
What may be viewed as additional aspect in TPR’s making of Milwaukee’s Black history is the intersection of liberation movements it has created. Today’s marchers reflect a unique diversity compared to their 1960s forbearers. Namely, it includes the out, open and active participation of the Black LGBTQ community. While BLM’s founders included several women who identified as LGBTQ, the movement’s evolution did not maintain a high profile queer contingent. However, our local activists changed that.
The high profile participation of LGBTQ leaders is truly historic. To be fair, Black activism with the gay community has been vocal in the past, although often dismissed. However, with the Pride March for BLM lead by Broderick Pearson, not only LGBTQs but the community at large took notice. Within the ranks of the TPR march, some familiar faces have become synonymous with the movement. Ironically, Milwaukee Pride, in solidarity, began posting TPR information on its social media page. The practice became controversial with some members of the community questioning (embarrassingly) why it was that Milwaukee Pride would be so politically engaged.
Meanwhile, in the shadow of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and on the eve of February 1, the first day of Black History Month, it was announced that the Black Lives Matter Global Network had been awarded Sweden’s Olof Palme human rights prize for 2020. The citation of award noted the BLM foundation had “in a unique way exposed the hardship, pain, and wrath of the African-American minority at not being equal to people of a different color.” It also recognized it as a force that had mobilized 20 million Americans, as well as millions more worldwide in its cause.
BLM has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize as “as an important worldwide movement to fight racial injustice”. The nominating Norwegian politician has since been the target of threats and hate messages.
