Franky Beverly and Maze, Kindred the Family Soul, Gospel and Old Skool rap by such as Slick Rick, plenty of cultural attractions, music, food, discussion and even a specially brewed African beer are just a few of the attractions of the 3-day African World festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin now in its 24th year, which has had its ups and downs...
African World Festival 2006 Makes Big Splash African World Festival 2006 Makes Big Splash Franky Beverly and Maze Open Three Day Festival of Culture, Music and Fun on Milwaukee's Lakefront
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 [DENISE CLAYTON VIELEHR AND Kevin J. Walker, Netitor, stand by the Queen's Mask that is the symbol of AFW in this 2002 photo. Admittance through the gates of AWF is free in the beginning hours of the opening day for all those in African garb.]
Milwaukee, Wisconsin really busts out in the summertime. My theory, borne also by other lifelong residents, is this is because we don't have a lot of it, so we have to pack as much outdoor stuff as we can! Milwaukee's population is about one-third African Descended of its 590,000 people. Situated on the western shore of Lake Michigan, we're 90 miles north-northwest from Chicago, and about 300 miles due West over the lake from Detroit, with Minneapolis St. Paul some 400 miles to the northwest along Interstate Highway 94 that ties us-uns all together. We have one of the largest outdoor street festivals in the annual Juneteenth day celebration, although we can't hold a candle to places like Oklahoma who has a whole week of activities across the state to commemorate the notification of the last of the formerly Enslaved they'd been emancipated two years before by a slain president's proclamation. But we do have the 3 day African World Festival, on the Maier Festival Grounds always on the first weekend of August. In business for 24 years it has been one of the last festivals standing in a city known for its festivals. This AWF will already go into the memorable ones after its first day Friday. Landing Franky Beverly and Maze as the opening night's act insured a strong and enthusiastic crowd at the SummerFest grounds on Milwaukee's lakefront.
 [Franky Beverly and Maze opened this year's AWF 2006 to a standing room only crowd of 15,000 on opening night Friday] The weather was beautiful after a cold front came through and banished the 90 degrees-plus temperatures that had been plaguing the region, and so the temperature was a breezy 74 degrees into the evening while sailboats plied past the breakwater of Milwaukee's harbour. A gauzy gibbous Moon sailed overhead across the grounds; some couples and groups strolled along the promenade while others sat on the large blocks of the shoreline and either smooched, people watched, or ate the African dishes that were available. African vendors were hawking their wares from fine crafted jewelry, wood crafts, African Kente and Mud cloths to Shea butter and black soap in the central merchants zone that separates the two main stages for performing acts. On Sunday the concluding day these stages as well as the large Gospel "Tent" -- actually a canopied structure near the cut-off front of the grounds just inside the main gate -- will be taken over Sunday for the finalists of the summer-long contest to decide the winner of the Gospel Competition and who will take home the $10,000 purse. Whoever decided to front load the entertainment on Friday night accomplished a master stroke. Now some 20 thousands of people flocked to the first of three days, normally the weakest night and largely shunned by many vendors, thereby establishing a strong moneymaking and fun experience. A special brew called JuJu was made by Sprecher Brewing Company and was crafted especially for the festival. Based on African recipes it contains spices and ingredients that are familiar to anyone who has had and enjoyed Jamaican Ginger Beer. JuJu Beer has the taste of the British pub favourite Guinness Beer, a stout ale which many Africans prefer, but toned down greatly for American tastes from its characteristic dark colour and bitterness. Winners all around, and kudos to those on the new board who are finally getting their heads pointed in the right direction, and getting on the same page. Now if they could just continue this streak of logic and success orientation and put a big smile on the faces of local merchants and redo the illogical pricing structure, which has the effect of keeping them from participating fully in favour of large national and international nomadic goods purveyors who don't balk at the onerous fees. But I digress. Since about 10 million African Descended live within an arc from the Twin Cities to central Ohio, and this puts it into the zone of a day trip with an 6-8 hour driver max, we see lots of out of staters for our events.  Reggie Finlayson shows his drumming skills at a past African World Festival Also there is a strong component of non-African Descended who enjoy the activities of the African World Festival, including students, expatriate Africans, and past travelers to Africa who miss its attractions. The facilities and infrastructure for the AWF are a standout. The spacious grounds occupy a former Cold War Nike anti-nuclear missile base the federal government sold to the city for a dollar (the Doomsday blast vaults are still down below, filled in with sand and gravel). The City of Milwaukee is the owner and they use plenty of taxpayer money to keep it looking nice. Once known by the now embarrassing moniker AfroFest, it had in the beginning had little of African worldliness about it. Just an excuse for Black music in the pre-Rap era it was a 3 day festival of music and food that while welcome, didn't begin to address its vast potential for moneymaking or as an attraction and exposition for positive culture and achievements. Spotted on the grounds were Beverly Sanders-Gasper, Sam Moody, Brenda Pegues, Harrison Kern, MPD firebrand of late and many others. It was like Juneteenth Day, but without all the walking around. Plus it lasts longer into the night, and people have to pay to get inside. Hanging out and chillin' with the people was all well and good, but look, over there is the VIP area built by Miller Brewing, Milwaukee's largest brewer and funder of local causes. We're sure to know many of the people up there. We sure did! We saw Todd Curry; Eve Hall, WE Energy officials Thelma Sias and the New Guy, who just started on the job this week; Cecelia Gore, and Hansberry Sands Theatre Company executive director Diane Wilkins enjoying some rare time off as they prepare for their upcoming season. (Psst: Now you didn't hear it from me, but I have it on good authority that HSTC is going back to the Neo Classics of theatre, such as the late August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson.") Up in the VIP area looking out over the Miller Oasis we see also the likes of Tony Fikes; Mississippi soon-to-be relocatee Merrie Felder, herself a transplanted New Yawker; Penelope Stewart, former advertiser manager of 1290 WMCS-AM now of the Blood Center; Daphne and Ken Little; and Ron Webb, newly relocated to Las Vegas. Randy Williams, basketball coach was chilin' in VIP area with pals Jerome Cockingham, Teresa brown, and Stanthia Grier. "Its Spelled like Pam Grier," Stanthia added helpfully. Puzzlemaster Eva Roberson was up high with us in the VIP area of African World Festival with her hubby Rod. My smart, talented and beautiful niece Stephanie Collins was at AWF opening night with her lovely pals Aleta Parker, Toyia Davis and April Burns. They all work at Allstate Insurance, and so of course they were in the VIP mix. And here I thought Steffie had told the people at the gate that I was her Uncle Kev. Ponderosa Restaurant is a Black owned franchisee operation and did the catering for the VIP aerie for Friday nights AWF opening, and they laid it out quite well. They have an efficient catering business and many agencies and businesses make use of their services for their meetings. This is another example of AWF keeping it real and close to the community by putting money in the pockets of local Black-owned and operated business enterprises with proven track records, and also ones with traditions of community involvement. It being a Friday we had shrimp and sauce, meatballs, jalapeno poppers, assorted vegetables, and a fruit selection especially watermelon cubes. This was welcome even though the heat wasn't oppressive anymore. Lots of people are like me, practically Vegetarians and we welcome such expanded menus. Still, there were various forms of chicken wings, and meat raps and such. For dessert there were trays of chocolate covered strawberries, M&M trail mix with nuts, soft almond cookies, some mini-creampuff balls for those who were missing on the second of 9 days of the State fair on the other side of the county. But for many of us, this is a must attend event and a three day tradition. In fact, another idea they can have for free is a three day AWF Family Pass Angela Adams, executive director of African World Festival was basking in the glow of the best opening Friday night for an AWF. She wasn't impressed with my contention that a large downtown pool of people are used to going to the grounds during the festivals for their lunchtime, strolling, and buying, and they should have had a noontime opening but still have the ritual opening at 5pm, with the doves being released, and the libations and all. "I think we did just fine" Ms Adams said. Many of the people are volunteers who have to get done with work and other duties before heading to the grounds. This is one of the main reasons why the gates don't open until after 5 pm. But I maintain the AWF is turning their backs on a moneymaking avenue that will keep them in the black, and get this party started six hours earlier. But that's just me. ELECTRIC SLIDE FOR MATTIEBELLE Mrs. Thelma Sias-Adams organized a spontaneous Electric Slide when Maze launched into their signature "Joy And Pain." As the throngs writhed below to the tunes we were a bit jealous up in our aerie. Sure, unlike them we had a good view unblocked by the people standing atop tables, but they looked like they were having lots of fun down there, all packed together and a lot closer to the action. Franky Beverly and Maze tunes have long been used as dance class aids, and their songs are often used for Bopping & Stepping. "This ones for Mattiebelle Woods." I said to a neighbor as we danced to the beat. For her memorial last year at Clayborn Benson's Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum the assembled danced the Electric Slide in honour of the slide devotee who was perhaps the nation's oldest working journalist. Her birthdays every year of late were attended by the city's politicians and power brokers after they outgrew the neighborhood taverns she frequented. On their walls even now you can see Mattiebelle's pictures pasted up, she grinning in joy. Mattiebelle loved to dance, and explained this as one of the secrets of her longevity. Mattiebelle Woods at 102 years old danced onstage at the Apollo theater in Harlem, New York and this was another way in which the community is invigorated and connected through the ancestors, the honoured Old, and culture. We have to get back to the Old ways, and the ways that worked. A Wall of Honour for future African World Festivals is in formation, with an evolving list of local Milwaukee notables who have passed on. The list includes such as James Cameron, the creator of the America's Black Holocaust Museum which will be specially honoured at Saturday's festivities in the open air Cultural Area. Kathy Harrell Patterson, Arnette Shaw, Mattiebelle Woods, Wesley Scott, Paulette Copeland and others will be listed. A list for the future should have names such as the just departed Lorenzo Henderson, magazine publisher who died suddenly last week. FRANKY BEVERLY AND MAZE HAD THEM DANCING ON TOP OF TABLES "Happy Feelings", "Golden Time Of Day", "Southern Girls," were some of the popular tunes by Franky Beverly and Maze had the packed crowd dancing in their seats – those who were lucky enough to have seats. Many were content to stand, and many envied the separate ticked VIP seating area in front of the stage, central and roped off, and their view of the concert unspoiled by those standing on top of the picnic tables. Local Milwaukee Black businesses should get the same deal as in-state students for their university tuition, and for the same reasons. Its just right to treat your own with the First Fruits, and to be treated special, especially by those whom you have helped on the path to success. AWF used to have a role as the place to have an Africentric wedding, with Jumping the Broom ceremonies and everything. The other than businesslike prices have driven many couples away, but that's what you get with a board composed of people with Non Profit attitudes who don't know anything about the constant adjustments that are needed to keep customers happy, let alone the Art of the Deal. Angela Adams has a flair for organization and discipline, and this AWF 24 is an auspicious indicator of continued success. Still there are ways in which AWF can be vastly improved. The power balance of Milwaukee is nowhere near the population ratio and the local population is notable for its many negatives regarding childhood fire deaths, 80 percent of Bloack babies are born out of wedlock; persistent housing and business loan discrimination; a horrific public education system that has a 50 percent dropout rate overall and much worse for African American males; and an endemic Culture of Poverty that has some families into a fourth generation of membership of the Underclass which is about a third of the citie's Black population of 270,000. THE DECLINE AND FALL OF AFROFEST The present African World festival is a reincarnation of sorts. It fell apart early on, about 6 or so years into its span from a combination of in-fighting, and growth pangs after it was wrested from the cadre of the first generation of locally born and raised Black Milwaukeeans called the Young Milwaukeeans. They had banded together to try and elect the first Black Congressman from the city's 5th district in Orville Pitts, a onetime Alderman of the Milwaukee city council. After failing in their political quest but still invigorated, the Young Milwaukeeans joined with another group of youthful upstarts to make their play for a Black-owned and operated festival at the lakefront, along with the other ethnic festivals such as Festa Italiana, Polish Fest, Irish Fest, German Fest, and Fiesta Mexicana. They were told it couldn't be done; wait and gather your strength; go slow and do it right; get some Corporate Blacks with the know-how of financing, managerial, expertise and connections to make this a success; don't embarrass yourselves by certain failure after reaching too far too high and too fast. CORPORATE & POLITICAL NEGROES ATTACK AFROFEST, LAUNCH HOSTILE TAKEOVER But in the mid 1980s they did succeed, bringing in such acts as The Chi-Lites, the Temptations revue, the Temptations revue with Dennis Edwards; the lovely, late, doomed Phyllis Hyman; Alexander O'Neal; and others such as a Chicago based magician who performed with soul before anybody heard of the UniverSoul Circus which is coming to these same grounds at the end of August. But their success drew the attention now of the well-connected and politically powerful who envied the festival they made against their experienced advice. And now those same Corporate Negroes, Non Profit agency heads and the politically connected undertook to take away this now valuable festival which had proved itself. The battle for control damaged AfroFest almost mortally, and succeeding festivals were hollow since among other things the volunteer base the festivals depend upon was demoralized. This is why people often say "I've been to almost all but three or four AWFs" because the AfroFest 5,6,7 and thereabouts were largely a waste of time, and not worth anybody's money. One infamous one I called "Pamphlet Fest" because of the truncated grounds that you could throw a rock across and hit the other side was given over to Non Profit agencies to tout their organizations' outreach for health and lifestyle issues. I didn't go to the next one, thank you very much, but neither did a lot of other people. The organizers regrouped, cast out the old devils whose evil spirits polluted the concept of a Black-run festival and reincarnated itself as African World Festival. It was to be run by people in the community, have an African centered worldview, and actually have some real Africans in the mix. Hands were reached out to the Motherland, and African merchants responded, principally the Senegalese whose merchant caravans ply the festival circuit from one end of America to the other. Now the African World Festival is in position to fulfill the promise it has because of the local and regional population and the appeal of the music, food, and cultural aspects. Next year is the 25th anniversary of AWF and we hear they have something special planned. Landing someone of the stature of an Al Green was suggested, or someone else who would have the appeal of a mature, employed culturally cognizant crowd with old-style family values. --kjw --
kevin j. walker, Netitor
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Local Milwaukee Politics
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Our Partner:Kevin Walker
Mr. Walker is a print journalist who often includes Science and Travel articles among his forays on political and societal observations. A past professor of Journalism at his Alma Mater of Marquette University, Walker has written extensively for several newspapers on urban issues, and is presently compiling his essays on the phenomenon of intractable trans-generational familial poverty into the book in progress "The Culture of Poverty," based on his observations on the effects of Welfare Reform in his hometown in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He often writes from an Undisclosed Location in the Hidden Valleys retreat inland from the Mississippi River in western Wisconsin, where he indulges in his first intellectual love, amateur Astronomy and stargazing.
Milwaukee, WI, 53202
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