Final Project Description

For my final project I plan to conduct research and develop a media archive surrounding the history of Johnsons Park and the Neighborhood Association. Initially the project will focus on the association's beginning and the reason for its' introduction into the community. I will also concentrate on the specific demographics within the communities served. This will include statistics and feedback regarding the levels of education, income, employment, and crime that exist in these areas. The project will include an overview of all JPNA programs currently underway and describe any recent successes or failures that have resulted from these efforts. As a major part of the project I will discuss the long term initiatives and goals of Johnsons Park and the Neighborhood Association. In order to most accurately document and present the history of this organization I will review newspaper articles, look through JPNA archives, participate in community meetings, and interview important members. Included below is an article out of Milwaukee’s Journal Sentinel that really inspired me to document the history of this association for my final project.

Johnsons Park is growing into its own
Cultural center would be latest part of redevelopment of area

By FELICIA THOMAS-LYNNfthomas-lynn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 9, 2004

As the sound of saws and hammers signal the flurry of more homes being built throughout the Johnsons Park community, a new plan is being crafted to build a cultural center that complements the area's changing landscape.

Once a sea of boarded-up homes and vacant lots, the central city community is enjoying new prosperity as more people relocate there, bringing with them higher incomes and lower tolerance for the criminal element that, at one time, ruled the neighborhood.

"You have a whole new class of people of color coming in who are voters, who keep up with local and national politics, and who have views on how positive they want their neighborhood to be," said Tony Gibson, who heads the Johnson Park Neighborhood Association.

What they didn't want to see, Gibson said, was vast acres of the local park, at N. 17th St. and W. Fond du Lac Ave., which anchors the community, "gobbled up" by the proposed African American World Cultural Center.

No problem, according to organizers of the plan, which had called for a 45,000-square-foot facility that has been scaled down to 10,000 square feet. The performing arts facility and computer center and library have been cut from the plan.

"We had to re-approach the whole project," said Tyrone Dumas, chairman of the center's board.

"What we've done is taken into account the community and the new housing in the area. It really signals a new beginning. We're excited."

Dumas said the price for the facility drops considerably from $10 million to $2 million, a much more palatable figure that brings more partners to the table.

The center, which has county and city approval, has been in the planning stages since 1996. Because of difficulty in raising funds, the plan has stalled, Dumas said, adding that the goal is now to break ground next summer.

The revised plan breaths new life into the project, organizers say, and County Executive Scott Walker has placed $100,000 in the proposed county budget for the project.

Residents in the community - which is part of the Lindsay Heights housing development that is bounded by N. 12th St. on the east, N. 20th St. on the west, W. Walnut St. on the south, and W. Locust on the north - have worked hard to improve the area's image.
The shift began about two years ago when Gibson created the neighborhood association shortly after he moved into the area.

The group's first meeting was at his home, and "at the time there were five open and active crack houses across the street," Gibson said.

"The drug dealers were lined up across the street trying to intimidate the people coming to the meeting," he said. "It was very challenging."

But residents in the area didn't back down.

In addition to the monthly association meetings, residents use e-mail and phone tree lists to keep in touch with each other concerning any suspicious activity in the community.

When there were construction thefts at some of the work sites, the group - which now has 70 members - hired a private security firm to patrol the area.

"We're learning that with the right kind of neighborhood organizing, good elements can win out over bad elements," said Gibson, adding that the fight to reclaim the neighborhood is an ongoing battle.

Earlier this year, a 14-year-old boy was beaten by up to 20 people following an argument that erupted into a shoving match that ultimately moved to nearby Johnsons Park, only a few blocks from where Charlie Young Jr. was beaten to death by a group of children and young adults nearly two years ago.

Residents and organizers of the cultural center believe it will go a long way toward revitalizing the area.

To this end, the center will build upon the community's efforts to improve the neighborhood and highlight the area's history, said Rick Norris, a project leader.

He said the center's mission is to provide a positive image for African-American culture and help develop a greater public appreciation for cultural diversity.

Along with offering meeting and banquet space, the center will also have a cafe patio and outdoor stage for jazz concerts. The facility will also have a visitors center and exhibit hall where people can learn more about the site's history as part of the original route of the Underground Railroad.

From the Oct. 10, 2004, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel