Black Heritage Month

 

Black Heritage Month

 

Gwen Moore

Moore, who was born in Racine and raised in Milwaukee, graduated from Marquette University while a single mother on welfare. Her perseverance helped her become VISTA’s nationwide “Volunteer of the Decade,” and she was elected to the state Assembly in 1989 and the state Senate in 1992 (becoming the first Black woman to serve in that chamber). In 2004, Moore became the first African American – and only the second woman – elected to represent Wisconsin in Congress. She’s now serving her 10th term representing a Milwaukee-area district.

Black Heritage Month

Ulice Payne

Payne is noteworthy for his achievements in both the sports and business worlds. A member of Marquette University’s 1977 NCAA basketball championship team, he earned a law degree from the university and went on to be a managing partner of Milwaukee law firm Foley & Lardner before becoming president of trade advisory firm Addison-Clifton. Payne is probably best known as the “Jackie Robinson of the front office”: In 2002, he became the first Black president of a Major League Baseball franchise when he was chosen to lead the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

Black Heritage Month

 

Hank Aaron

Hammerin’ Hank may have been born in Alabama, but we in the Badger State will claim him anyway. He famously played his first minor league baseball season with the Eau Claire Bears in 1952, becoming the league’s Rookie of the Year at the tender age of 18. He went on to a legendary major league career, playing for the Milwaukee (then Atlanta) Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers, being named an All-Star 21 times, and setting the all-time home run record. Aaron died on Jan. 22, 2021, in Atlanta.

Black Heritage Month

 "The Symbol of the Unconquered" (1920) is a Western silent film and another major work by Oscar Micheaux, one of the first Black filmmakers in American cinema. The film features performers such as Lawrence Chenault, Walker Thompson, Iris Hall, and other actors connected to the Black stage and early race-film circuit. Like many of Micheaux's productions of this period, it was made specifically for Black audiences and directly confronted racial identity and white supremacy at a time when mainstream Hollywood glorified films such as "Birth of a Nation" (1915) by D.W. Griffith.

Following the success of "The Homesteader" (1919) and "Within Our Gates" (1920), Micheaux continued using cinema as a platform to challenge racial narratives and expand the representation of Black life on screen. "The Symbol of the Unconquered" combines exceptional cinematography and frontier imagery with race-conscious storytelling, placing Black characters within the Western landscape. Through this setting, Micheaux addressed issues of land ownership, migration, opportunity, and the social tensions that followed the Black movement beyond the South.

The film is particularly significant for its treatment of racial passing, colorism, and internalized prejudice, themes that Micheaux explored early in his career. Black newspaper coverage emphasized its political weight. The New York Age highlighted the film's depiction of the Ku Klux Klan being "put to rout," stating it as a timely resistance picture during the wave of organized white supremacist activity. The Kansas City Sun promoted it as an essential "all-star Negro production" and stressed that it presented Black life without the degrading "Uncle Tom" stereotypes. The Chicago Defender publicized the film's exhibition as an influential film, highlighting its dramatic storyline and production scale. These newspapers positioned the movie as both entertainment and socially relevant commentary. It was marketed as a serious, high-quality "Negro production," with Micheaux's reputation and the film's all-Black cast presented as points of racial pride and cultural advancement.

Like many of Micheaux's works, the film's social issues are layered and bold for the era. The production reflects an early effort by Black filmmakers to control their own image, tell complex stories about identity and survival, and counter degrading portrayals common in American cinema. Through "The Symbol of the Unconquered," Micheaux again demonstrated his commitment to portraying Black life through a self-defined lens, making the film a critical and foundational work in early Black film history.

Director: Oscar Micheaux

Writer: Oscar Micheaux

Starring Iris Hall, Walker Thompson, Lawrence Chenault, Mattie Wilkes, Louis Dean, Leigh Whipper, Jim Burris, E.G. Tatum, James Burrough, George Catlin

Storyline

Eve Mason (Iris Hall) learns of her grandfather's death, leaves her small Southern town, and travels west to inspect her newly inherited land. With help from her neighbor, Hugh Van Allen (Walker Thompson), she arrives at her grandfather's homestead. When the self-loathing Jefferson Driscoll (Lawrence Chenault) learns that Van Allen's property sits atop a vast oil reserve, he teams up with a group of unsavory criminals to threaten Mason and force Van Allen off his land.

Available on Blu-ray and streaming services.

Black Heritage Month

 

Black Heritage Month

Black Heritage Month

 

Creative Expressions-Lorinda Brooks

 

Black Heritage Month

 CEO: I am La’Tasia Brooks, a dedicated hairstylist. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, I approach my craft with meticulous attention to detail and a perfectionist mindset. The determination and pride I infuse into my business resonate throughout every facet of my work.

My journey into this career traces back to the sanctuary of my early years, where art class provided solace and a profound sense of peace. It was within those moments of creative expression and exploration that the seeds of my current career were sown. Today, I derive immense joy from the creative process, viewing each appointment as a canvas upon which I can weave my artistry. Just as art class once offered tranquility, I now find solace and fulfillment in the mastery of my craft.

I am thrilled to have discovered a career path that not only aligns seamlessly with my passion for art but also brings boundless happiness and fulfillment to my professional journey. Welcome to the Savage Family, book your next appointment with the link in bio

Hair: @savag.ehair

Wig: @savag.ehair

Makeup: @__facesbychloe

Lashes: @bossylashco

Phylinese Brooks

Actor, Self Taught Photographer

Phylinese Brooks was proudly born and raised in Freeport,IL and currently resides in Chicago, IL. Phylinese is a Columbia College Chicago trained actor, self taught photographer and overall creative. This August will be 3 years since the launch of her business UBX3 Photography. Which stands for Unapologetically, Big, Black and Bold. Her mission is to use her crafts to give a voice to those who are silenced. Phylinese is currently the resident and founding Photographer for Chicago based dance company, We Are Dance Collective. Phylinese’s love for her community and the art, inspired the launch of Elevated Voices with Alana Paige in 2021. Through Black art, expression, and voices, Elevated Voices hopes to cultivate a more profound and vital understanding of one another. While also creating a space for Black creatives of all mediums to thrive, feel empowered, seen, and heard. Phylinese believes an artistic approach to building community could bring so much light and healing to the 815. Phylinese would like to thank God, her late mother Deshonne Williams Russell, family and the Freeport community for her success.

Winning Speech - Otis Marks III

2026 Foley MLK Jr. Oratory Competition Houston

 Winning Speech - Otis Marks III

Winning Speech - Otis Marks III

Black Heritage Month

 

Black Heritage Month

 

Black Heritage Month

These swaths of fabric are what's left of the mandated uniforms worn by enslaved Blacks in the South. Often referred to as "negro cloth," it was a sturdy weave of cotton or a cotton-wool blend, described as coarse, rough, and uncomfortable. The cloth was designed for maximum durability and minimum cost. While often unbleached (off-white or brown), it was also produced in solid colors or simple patterns such as stripes and checks. On some plantations, enslaved individuals were forced to spin and weave their own "uniforms" to further reduce costs for the enslaver. Field hands wore the coarsest negro cloth, but domestic servants were sometimes dressed in finer textiles to reflect the wealth and status of their enslavers. Relying on their agricultural knowledge of cultivating indigo in West Africa, the enslaved eventually made dye from the indigo that turned the "negro cloth" blue, which became the precursor to modern day denim. #blackhistorymonth2026

 

Black Heritage Month

 Note: The person in this picture is Helen Kane, the person the cartoon caricature image was based on, not Esther Jones, referred to in the article. For additional information, see: http://www.littlethings.com/real-betty-boop-baby-esther...

No, the cartoon character Betty Boop is visually depicted as white, but she was heavily inspired by the unique "boop-oop-a-doop" scat-singing style of a Black jazz performer from the Harlem Renaissance, Esther Jones (stage name "Baby Esther"). While early cartoons sometimes showed her with darker skin as a Polynesian or Native American character, the main inspiration was Jones, whose style was copied by singer Helen Kane, leading to a lawsuit and revealing the Black artist's significant, uncredited influence on the iconic character.  

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1AVuhBD8wA/

Black Heritage Month

 Meet the Director

Actor, writer and director Keya Hamilton grew up in a home where music and creative expression were at its center. She is best known for her role in the Hallmark Christmas movie Christmas in Harmony.

Keya began her adult acting career in theater, touring the US, performing in stage plays. In addition to working on the stage, Keya has worked on countless independent films, series, and commercials. After working with and being inspired by Kelly Fremon Craig and James L. Brooks on Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, she decided to take the plunge into directing. Keya is excited to be directing her second film.

Black Heritage Month

 

Warning - Long, long-new-and-improved remixed rant...

In celebration of Black History Month, I’m revisiting a piece I wrote about Techno a few years back. And yes—Techno is Black History. Since originally publishing the piece through Charivari Detroit and TV Lounge, alongside the Techno Original and Community series, I’ve been honored to work with some of Detroit’s greats: Juan Atkins, Alan Oldham, Unkwn.IO, DriveTrain, Santonio Echols, Tom Linder, Brian Bonds, Keith Tucker, Bill Stacy, DJ Psycho, DJ Krazy and the young guns carrying the torch, including Dantiez Saunderson, DJ I.V., AMX, DJ Sphinx, Henry Brooks, and so many more. I’ve expanded the piece just a bit and added a few more voices to the narrative.

 “My father is an icon and influencer of African American culture in Detroit, so I’d love to keep his legacy alive by educating the following generations while promoting the highest standard of Techno music through the business that he started, Metroplex Records.”  Milan Ariel Atkins

“Techno is more than just music to me—it’s a spiritual movement rooted in Black innovation, an underground language of resistance, futurism, and freedom. It’s in my blood!” Dantiez Saunderson

“Techno…the art form that moves humanity through an exchange of thoughts and emotions by the creative implementation of rhythm, melody and machinery.” DriveTrain

“Techno is using an electric current to convey an emotion or capture a moment in time to share with others. If it lacks soul, it's dishonest.” Brian Bonds

“Techno being a part of black history doesn’t mean it should be left in the past. The goal has always been futurism, and I’m thankful to play a role in paving it forward.” DJ I.V.

Techno is Detroit. Techno is part of Black history. Techno is culture and with all that being said it takes more than staking your claim or dropping your internet opinion to maintain. Artist and artistry need support. Culture isn’t preserved by comments, likes, or algorithm-friendly takes—it survives through participation. Buying the records. Paying the cover. Booking the artists. Giving them room to fail, evolve, and grow. Drop a Techno artist name here that you want to shout out that has not been mentioned. Come check out what the new gen is putting down out here. Stand in the room where the sound is moving air, not just data. The scene is still evolving and thriving. Come hear for yourself…

1. “Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM), which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). Use of the term "techno" to refer to a type of electronic music originated in Germany in the early 1980s. In 1988, following the UK release of the compilation Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit, the term came to be associated with a form of EDM produced in Detroit.” 

2. “Detroit techno is a type of techno music generally including the first techno productions by Detroit-based artists during the 1980s and early 1990s. Prominent Detroit techno artists include Juan Atkins, Eddie Fowlkes, Derrick May, Jeff Mills, Kevin Saunderson, Blake Baxter, Drexciya, Mike Banks, and Robert Hood. Detroit Techno resulted from the melding of synth-pop by artists such as Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder and Yellow Magic Orchestra with African American styles such as house, electro, and funk.”

The top two paragraphs were taken from Wikipedia, and both entries came up as my first options googling Techno or Detroit Techno. With its popularity came debate, and you can read online ad nauseam what is gospel. Techno history is difficult to define because stories and memories differ from artists, journalists, and fans depending on whether you trace it back to Detroit, Berlin, or the UK.  And that tension—between lived experience and written history—is where culture often gets flattened into soundbites. However, most credit Disco, Chicago House, German electro-pop, Kraftwerk, Yellow Magic Orchestra, and George Clinton as Techno’s forbearers.

The necessity to add “Detroit” to Techno also appeared to be an afterthought along with worldwide success. Could a multi-million-dollar music genre be the creative output of some young Black dudes in the Motor City?  That question alone tells you how radical the answer was—and still is. And despite location, access to key technology such as the Roland TB-303 and TR-808 made it feasible and inexpensive to perform the sounds necessary for this music.  But tools don’t make culture—people do. And people make culture in community.

The building blocks of a sound. Writer Sammy Lee in an article for Red Bull Magazine “The city's youth craved escape – and club culture provided just that. Run by party-approving Mayor Coleman Young, late ’70s and early ’80s Detroit was awash with huge disco parties and after-hours clubs with open-minded music policies that encouraged DJs such as Ken Collier – “the Frankie Knuckles of Detroit” to play everything from disco edits and European synth-pop to new wave and the early sounds of Chicago house. The key influences on Techno, was music played by DJ Ken Collier and Detroit's iconic late-night radio personality the Electrifying Mojo.” The influences on these pioneer Techno artists in most articles are the two key figures above and the popular notion of Detroit as a failed Industrial complex with delapitated housing, widespread unemployment and crime.

This notion of urban decay and financial collapse had nothing to do with spawning the Detroit electronic music scene, nor was it indicative of the living conditions of most participants.  The reduction of Detroit Techno to “music born from ruin” is lazy storytelling—it ignores joy, ambition, curiosity, and teenage obsession with sound systems, fashion, and dance floors. What is rarely spoken about is the huge party scene of teenage African Americans, with an audience concentrated in a half dozen public high schools that spawned a full culture and appetite for the music known here as Progressive.  This wasn’t escapism—it was world-building. These dance tunes landing after Disco but before House and Techno were the sonic signature of an ongoing love letter being written to this culture. This was the first influence of many pioneers of both House and Techno. Yet those chapters are often footnotes, if they’re mentioned at all. Articles and opinions of those not there have become the basis of pseudo-facts, while direct quotes and history from actual architects of Techno don’t always make the cut. When history is told without proximity, it tends to favor neat narratives over messy truth.

Eddie Fowlkes stated, “I was influenced and first started wanting to be a DJ at a Charivari party hearing the DJ play seamless music” (Darryl Shannon). Derrick May stated, “There is no Derrick without Delano” (Delano Smith). Jeff Mills stated, “Delano Smith influenced most if not all the early pioneers of Techno.” Juan Atkins stated, “his nemesis was Direct Drive” while trying to get his Deep Space DJ collective up and running (Darryl Shannon). Mike Banks before UR attended many of the parties with either Darryl Shannon or Delano Smith on the decks. Both DJs Alton Miller and DWynn of Music Institute fame were first exposed to Delano Smith and Darryl Shannon. Santonio Echols went to Mumford High School and one of his earliest influences to be a DJ (Darryl Shannon).  This may be an unpopular opinion, as so many have written and pontificated otherwise, but DJs Delano Smith and Darryl Shannon are two of the most important early influences in the electronic music community that spawned Techno. Detroit’s contributions from the early ’80s forward played a major role in the worldwide expansion of this music and its associated culture. Lofty concept? Maybe. But culture doesn’t ask permission to be accurate—it just keeps showing up.

We are prone to seek out origin stories and creation mythos, but over the years the supporting cast and time-and-chance nuances can be forgotten.  Writer Dan Sicko’ “Techno Rebels” book took a shot and Kristian Hill’ “God Gave Them Drum Machines” brought his vision to the big screen. The electronic music culture in Detroit is a grand story with many voices. And culture, like Techno itself, was never meant to be a solo performance. There will be more films, books, articles, lectures, and conversations—and it will take all of them. Not to crown a single truth, but to protect the plurality of voices that built this thing. But for now, just to make it a bakers dozen more Detroit influences, I’ll add to the conversation these next eleven to both Delano and Darryl above. Alan Oldham and the Fast Forward Radio program on WDET. Cliff Thomas and Buy Rite Records. Michael Higgins (RIP) and the Park Avenue Club and Leland Hotel. Stirling Silver and the Liedernacht. George Baker and the Music Institute. Norman Archer (RIP) and Archer Records. Nat Morris and The Scene. Carol Marvin and the DEMF. Joy Santiago and the Moshi Company. Morris Mitchell (RIP) and True Disco. Rik Davis and Cybotron.

Delano Smith notes that today it’s a numbers and popularity beauty contest.  That shift matters—not because success is bad, but because metrics don’t equal meaning. The industry has been financialized. Techno and House have been whitewashed. And yet, paradoxically, that global embrace is what allowed the music to survive at scale. It’s a double-edged sword, and Detroit artists have learned to walk that edge with intention.

Many Detroit artists continue to find success as the Detroit pedigree carries weight worldwide.  But pedigree alone doesn’t feed artists, fund studios, or sustain scenes. Detroit veteran DJ/Producers like Jeff Mills, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Carl Craig, and others stay in high demand with the Techno purists and the ever-growing legions of worldwide Techno lovers. Veteran performers and Brands (Underground Resistance, Scan 7, Aux88, Detroit Techno Militia) are legends in their hometown and abroad. While many of the early pioneers have also transitioned into other sounds, there is no lost in drive - only refinement.

Santonio Echols notes that freedom from financial pressure has allowed him to return to passion.  That statement alone should make us question what we ask of artists - and what kind of ecosystems we build around them.

Track Master Lou speaks of bridging the gap between OGs and the new generation.  “I have been around in the very DNA of this thing. Me, Terrence Parker (TP) and Marc Kitchen (MK) were Separate Minds. The thought was all the different minds together to create separate tracks. I hope this music continues to go on. I want the Detroit OG’s and newgen little g’s to bridge the gap and come together. “ That bridge doesn’t build itself. It requires intention, humility, and spaces where respect moves both directions.

The years have spawned legions who continue to represent. Dru Ruiz reminds us this is Black music. “all of me that I am is because of black men and women. This is black music and I’m proud to scream it from the roof. I would be nothing if it wasn’t for Mike Huckaby, K-Hand, Claude Young and Tim Baker believing in me.” Luke Hess reminds us authenticity is the Detroit standard. “I think to truly rep the Detroit reputation it’s important to truly express who you are and stay true to your roots. True Detroit artists don’t waver from their inspiration and they don’t bend or cater to whatever is popular or trending. Repping Detroit means to stay genuine and true, to work hard, to contribute to your community in a positive way, and to keep pushing the boundaries of creativity into the future.” Together, they point to a truth: Detroit isn’t a sound—it’s a code of conduct.

Techno is Detroit culture. It is still inspiring to see newcomers pick up the craft. Every new artist is proof that the culture wasn’t archived—it’s alive. From Black Moonchild, “Techno is the soundtrack of my life. I was drawn to it because of its avant-garde and experimental nature. Techno in Detroit is Afrofuturistic and rich with raw artistic expression. Created by and for my people. It’s the sound of the community I love. When I hear it, I think dancing, laughing, joy, and good times.” to Henry Brooks, “ being considered one of the next generation Techno artists in Detroit is not something I take lightly. To hold this torch, to me, means to carry the legacy and ethos of Techno – which is to experiment, explore, and push sonic boundaries. As each day passes, I continually strive to become a better artist and am always pushing myself out of my comfort zone.”, the next generation isn’t just inheriting history; they’re interrogating it, expanding it, and pushing it forward.

Now for the sake of argument, I have no dogs in the fight of who created what first or who is the best. There are pioneers and forgotten heroes. There are fabrications among fabulous facts and hidden truths among loud myths. But Detroit has been at the center of the conversation for decades. And the real work now isn’t arguing ownership—it’s practicing stewardship. Most importantly, there is a new creative generation repping the Detroit name and flying the Techno flag on the battlefield of originality and relevance.  And that flag doesn’t stay raised by discourse alone -it stays up because people show up. Detroit intends to always have someone on the field.

So, from this limited point of view, I will refer to this entire list as Detroit Techno Originals. 42 Detroit Techno Artists (just a small sample) you should get to know and SUPPORT while celebrating Detroit’ contribution to Techno from its beginning to the future.

 

Black Heritage Month

You graduated from college, you have a good job, and you are looking for your first apartment. It’s an exciting time! But when you meet the landlord, they turn you away because of the color of your skin. Would you let racists tell you where and how to live? Or would you fight for change like Vel Phillips did?

Velvalea Rodgers was born in Milwaukee on February 18, 1923. Vel was a great student and earned a scholarship to attend Howard University in Washington, DC. She graduated from college in 1946. In 1947, she met and married Dale Phillips. Together, they went to law school. Vel graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison Law School in 1951. She and Dale moved to Milwaukee to start a business and raise a family.

Vel and Dale both experienced systemic racism in Milwaukee. White people made it very hard to find work or places to live outside of a small area in Milwaukee called Bronzeville. Bronzeville was a neighborhood on the city’s north side. Most of its residents were African Americans. The leaders of Milwaukee refused to pay for repairs to the roads and schools within the community. Schools were neglected. There weren’t many jobs. White landlords would not rent to Black people outside of Bronzeville. Black families could not buy homes in other parts of the city. Something had to be done.

Vel wanted to make people’s lives better, so she decided to run for office. She knew it wasn’t fair that people could not live, work, and go to school where they wanted because of the color of their skin. She believed that everyone should “Live where you want to live.” Vel ran for a seat on the school board. She won the primary, but she lost the election. It was the first time an African American woman had won a primary! She didn’t stop there. In 1956, Vel won a seat on the Milwaukee City Council. Vel became “Madam Alderman” and went to work for the people of Milwaukee.

Vel first proposed her Fair Housing Law in 1962. The law would make it illegal to discriminate against people because of the color of their skin when renting or selling homes. The law was voted down six times. Activists began protesting against the unfair treatment of African Americans.

Vel participated in nonviolent protests. Still, she was eventually arrested at a rally. Vel and Father James Groppi led protestors for two hundred nights of marching. Night after night, they marched from the Inner Core and across the 16th Street Viaduct. Every night their march ended in South Milwaukee. Angry white men and women lined the streets. They swore at the marchers and threw rocks and bottles at them. Mayor Maier tried to stop the marchers with a curfew. Tensions rose between the protestors and the police. The National Guard was called in. Finally, in 1968, the city council passed a Fair Housing Law for the city of Milwaukee. The marchers had won!

Vel Phillips’s career included many “firsts.” She was the first Black woman to graduate from UW-Madison’s law school. First to win a seat on Milwaukee’s City Council. First to be an appointed judge in Wisconsin. First to become Secretary of State for Wisconsin (or anywhere in the US). Even though she passed away in 2018, the Vel Phillips Foundation still works to help people achieve their dreams.