Early Days
Bronzeville around the time of WWII.
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Resources
Barbera, Improvised World, pp. 52-65, 71, 77 African Americans newly arrived to Milwaukee were directed to Walnut Street where, if they were lucky, relatives or friends would take them in. Norma Jean Sims
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Surveying the neighborhood in 1939, a Milwaukee Journal reporter observed the rundown appearance of the neighborhood and noted its relatively high death rate, the consequence, he said, of “poor housing, hard and hazardous jobs, and faulty eating habits geared to lean pocketbooks.” He commented on the racial mix of the neighborhood, where “Negro children play around the feet of bearded Jewish elders conversing in Yiddish.” He sought out nightclubs where the owners “cater to and expect white patronage, although there are always enough Negroes around to provide atmosphere.” Finally, he observed, reassuringly, that “contrary to the general belief among whites, there is not much serious crime among Negroes. The great majority of the offenses they commit consist of misdemeanors, and are usually committed, not against a white, but against other Negroes.” Source: Milwaukee Journal, “Milwaukee’s ‘Harlem’ Is a Busy, Changing Community,” Nov. 26, 1939.
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Formal and informal housing discrimination confined African Americans to some of Milwaukee's oldest and most undesirable housing. They carried on as best they could in difficult conditions ("polar existence").
“The present [1942] Milwaukee Negro district is one of the oldest sections of the city. It is what in the early days of the City of Milwaukee … was the "Gold Coast." ... Here lived the wealthy people and here they constructed many large homes. Although many of the [original owners] have moved out of the district they still retain ownership of the houses. … Many of them have been turned into rooming houses having many one and two room apartments in which several people are crowded into one room.” Imse, “The Negro Community,” pp. 8-9, 11.
"Rats and roaches was everywhere." William "Monk" Campbell
"It was an attic apartment." Martha Freeman
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Photo: Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee
"Milwaukee's Negro Community," March 1946
This report draws a detailed picture of the Bronzeville neighborhood at the end of WWII. Among the key findings: A combination of "gentlemen's agreements" and restrictive racial covenants confined the city's non-white population to a small, overcrowded district just north of downtown -- comprised of the oldest and most rundown housing stock in the city. The degree of segregation in Milwaukee was similar to what was found at the time in Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia. The black unemployment rate was 51%, compared to 17% for whites. Those blacks who did have work were employed almost entirely in unskilled, low-wage jobs, most commonly as laborers, janitors, porters and domestics. |
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How did folks get along back in the day?
"My dad worked three jobs." Martha Freeman
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"You didn't lock your doors." Irene Goggins
"Folks looked out for each other." Evelyn Williams
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Second Great Migration
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Milwaukee's black population expanded dramatically after WWII.
Why did they come to Milwaukee?
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"My father...came up here and got a job and got a place." LeHavre Buck
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The need for labor during the late forties and early fifties finally opened up the industrial segment of the economy to African Americans. … Overall, though, advancement was slow and black workers continued to suffer from hiring discrimination, union restrictions, and unequal wages and benefits. Jones, “Selma of the North,” p. 27.
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Finishing a casting, Crucible Steel Casting Co. Photo: Wisconsin Historical Society
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A Vibrant Community
Seventh and Walnut Streets, looking west, ca. 1951. Photo: Wisconsin Black Historical Society
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J. Anthony Josey (center) is feted by the Mary Church Terrell Club upon his inauguration as “mayor” of Bronzeville. Photo: Wisconsin Black Historical Society
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Social clubs – big and small, formal and informal – brought folks together in Bronzeville to socialize, network and get things done in the community.
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Social club matinee at the Flame night club. These events were a source of classy entertainment and a fundraising opportunity for community groups. Photo: Paul Geenen
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Community groups and the county-run Lapham Park Social Center offered classes to help newcomers from the rural South adjust to urban life.
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Homemaking class at the Lapham Park Social Center. Photo: Wisconsin Black Historical Society
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The children of Bronzeville had a wide variety of recreational opportunities. Parks, the Lapham pool, after-school programs, community centers, sports leagues, and social clubs were all close at hand. If they needed a break from organized activities, there were street games, fishing and the zoo. Or they could just hang out with friends and family. The front porch was a favorite spot when the street lights came on.
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In 1940, a Milwaukee Journal reporter praised the newly-opened Lapham pool as a “Shining Mirror of Democracy” where blacks and whites mingled freely without conflict. Milwaukee Journal, “Shining Mirror of Democracy is Bronzeville Swimming Pool,” July 14, 1940.
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Black police officers such as the legendary Felmers Chaney were authority figures who belonged to the community, even if they didn't necessarily live there. They were embraced and respected by the law-abiding folks in Bronzeville.
Felmers Chaney (left) on patrol in 1968. Photo courtesy Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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"You didn't want to run into Brother Chaney." William "Monk" Campbell
"They were respected people." Irene Goggins
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"The Scene"
From a 1939 edition of the Milwaukee Journal: "By day, except for a few loiterers here and there, [Walnut Street] presents a sedate business appearance. But by night electric signs light up, the sidewalks take on life, couples appear walking hand in hand, the younger crowd comes out – especially on Saturday and Sunday nights – laughter is heard and gaiety prevails.” In Bronzeville, the reporter found a profusion of Negro business enterprises, including some professional offices, a co-operative store, and an estimated 12,000 African American residents [the official 1940 census was 8,800, but that was likely an undercount]. Source: Milwaukee Journal, “Milwaukee’s ‘Harlem’ Is a Busy, Changing Community,” Nov. 26, 1939.
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"We could get into the back room of the Pelican Club." William "Monk" Campbell
"Black and tans" attracted a mixed-race clientele. Photo: Wisconsin Black Historical Society
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"In the community there were two types of people." Reuben Harpole
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Decline
The original Hillside Terrace housing project is in the background of this photo. The site of the much-larger Hillside Addition is in the foreground, with demolition already under way. Photo: Wisconsin Black Historical Society
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"They put me out of the neighborhood." William "Monk" Campbell |
Twelfth and Walnut Streets, 1958. Photo: Milwaukee Public Library.
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"Disruption of a business...is devastating." Fred Reed
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Rebirth
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The Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District was conceived in 2005. The expressed intent was to recreate a bit of the old Bronzeville on North Avenue between King Drive and Seventh Street. According to the plan it was to be a place "specifically focused on the attraction and promotion of African-American arts, entertainment and culture. Bronzeville will be a year-round tourist destination celebrating a rich cultural heritage by offering authentic ethnic music, art and cuisine." Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee (2005), "A Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District: Redevelopment Plan Amendment to the North Seventh Street-West Garfield Avenue Redevelopment Project Area."
Progress to Date:
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"We are on track." Rock Marcoux and Ald. Milele Coggs (2017 interview)
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