Together: Views of Sherman Phoenix

Together, we make US better.

Right now, a large percentage of the developed world’s population is obsessed with borderline narcissism and self-promotion, so it’s a gasp of fresh air to be able to catch a vibe in Sherman Phoenix where everyone seems to be there to somehow make somebody else’s life better.

From the tenants who provide services to the community, produced BY the community; to the community leaders who host meetings there, discussing best practices to add value to the lives of others....

On any given day, you can walk in that building, that formerly served as a bank, and witness the beauty of unity. And while I admire it in all forms, I’d be concealing a big part of who I am if I didn’t express my admiration for black unity. The never-ending family reunion type vibe I get in here is a feeling that I crave every day.  

Community members enjoying the vibe on a Tuesday afternoon.

When Sherman Park State Bank was built in 1927 (according to wisconsinsinhistory.org), I’m pretty sure no one imagined that the establishment would survive a near brush with complete destruction and transform into an entirely different kind of financial establishment.

It became an institution that will increase the economic health of a community that has had its fair share of struggles. One that would provide real estate space for close to 30 businesses of color, in a community of color, to serve that same community, as well as people across many demographics who walk through there each day.

A List of Sherman Phoenix businesses at the front entrance.

92 years ago, I bet the architects of that building never imagined that 90 years later, the site they constructed would become an incubator for talent and business cultivation in the heart of a Milwaukee neighborhood that many would consider “troubled”.

However, many of us don’t see “troubled” when we think of the Sherman Park neighborhood.

At least I don’t. I think of being a kid, and playful walks to the corner store from at my aunt’s house on 34th and Auer.

A lot of us remember playing “carpet pool” with cousins, siblings, and friends at Mary Ryan Boys and Girls Club; or trying to sneak in the teen room, to see what the “big kids” were doing.

We think of BBQ smoke, our elders bumpin’ Frankie Beverly and Maze’s “Before I Let Go”, and family picnics at Sherman Park. Most of all, many of us think RESILIENCY!

Back in the Summer of 2016, the Sherman Park neighborhood was put to the test after a series of unfortunate circumstances that lead to unsettling tension between some of the community members, and the Milwaukee Police Department.

I asked Joanna Brooks, owner and CEO of Embody Yoga at Sherman Phoenix where she was when she first heard about the backlash that occurred after the killing of one of the community members, by a Milwaukee Police Officer.

This is what she said:

“I don’t quite remember where I was, but I remember exactly how I felt. I didn’t check the news that night, but I remember seeing it on people’s Facebook live, and feeling like I was there too. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had seen, and I woke up the next morning to drive down and see it for myself. I was sad, but hopeful at the same time, because of how the community came together.”

I was curious to know what Sherman Phoenix represents to Joanna, and she told me that “it represents an opportunity for true ownership, growth and an opportunity to help me legitimize my business.”

Hearing her response brought extreme joy to my heart. It’s inspiring to see how far she’s come, and, as she stated, “be given the opportunity to normalize the practice of yoga in the black community”. Joanna is revolutionizing how Yoga is practiced and is thinking outside the box about how she offers it to her Yogi’s.

I’ve been given the honor of being Embody Yoga’s official DJ, and have been part of some pretty fly events, providing a hard-hitting hip-hop soundtrack, while they’re on the mats.

Joanna Brooks, Owner and CEO of Embody Yoga instructs a class during one of her sold out special events.

Embody Yoga, along with the 26 other businesses in Sherman Phoenix are doing something for our city that hasn’t been seen, since a portion of the original Bronzeville neighborhood was demolished in the 60’s to make room for the construction of the freeway.

Sherman Phoenix represents the resurrection of two giants! That fateful summer night in 2016 was no match for the power behind Sherman Phoenix’s rise: and neither was the systematic destruction of the original Bronzeville, which served as the hub of black business, economy and culture in Milwaukee.

If you appreciate a good comeback story, then you have to be inspired by how that old BMO Harris Bank building withstood the fiery beatdown it took; to return not only to be operational again, but as a symbolic representation of community strength. This can easily be ranked as one of the best “rise from the ashes” stories ever.

"Sherman Rising" poster, located in Shindig Coffee.

Yep, I said EVER!

Just think about the amount of talent that’s being developed within the confines of that space at any given moment. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear Sherman Phoenix getting a lot of credit in the future, for being the place that incubated some of the most talented individuals to come from Milwaukee.

I imagine someone giving an award acceptance speech for a notable worldwide achievement, accepting a Grammy, Oscar, etc. and telling a story that points to Sherman Phoenix as being the place that provided the inspiration for whatever they worked on to receive that acknowledgment.

Creativity just feels so free flowing and natural in here.

Think of how many dollars are being circulated back into the hands of the gatekeepers of this beloved community, instead of being sucked out and poured somewhere that won’t have any direct benefit to the people whose hands it came out of.

Something else that blows my mind, is how amazing each of the businesses at Sherman Phoenix are in their own respective right, but then as a unit, they give off an aura of superhero like strength, creating a thriving sense of livelihood in the community.

That “superpower” seems to rub off too, because whenever I’m at Sherman Phoenix, I feel a sense of invincibility, and inspiration, and belief that I can accomplish anything.  

One of my favorite places to hang out at Sherman Phoenix, when I’m not shaking things up at Embody, is Shindig Coffee, formerly known as The Juice Kitchen. I’m a huge Hip Hop fan, and every time I’m in there, I sit as close as I can to the Wu-Tang Clan picture hanging up, because looking at it reminds me that I belong there. This is the only coffee shop I can go to, where I know I don’t need headphones, because the conversations are always ones I’m interested in, and the soundtrack is always right up my alley.

Manaan Sabir, Owner of Shindig Coffee, posing in front of the Wu-Tang poster.

Wu-Tang is one of my favorite groups ever, and I see so many similarities between them and Sherman Phoenix. For example, together, the group functions as a cohesive unit, achieving unparalleled success. But also, individually, each member has had success outside the group. Sherman Phoenix is similar in that way!

When I’m there, I feel like I can succeed as my authentic self, because I see everybody else there doing it!

At Sherman Phoenix, I’m compelled to be the best that I’m capable of being, and I’m moved to continue finding ways to add value to the lives of others. There’s an unexplainable sense of encouragement that comes from feeling good energy and seeing good ideas being exchanged by the people in that building.

At the beginning of 2019, I did something I should’ve done a long time ago and wrote out what my core values are in life. Even though those values were always on my mind, it wasn’t until I actually wrote them down and saw them on paper, that I was able to better identify with others who share the same ones as me.

Authenticity

Unity

Freedom

Creativity

Integrity

Discipline

Respect

This is what I wrote down, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that I see an expression of all of them at Sherman Phoenix, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

CW Connect /Adam Xander

Meet our NEW CopyWrite Connect, Adam Xander

We are always looking for members of our community to add to the conversation & #SupportTheLocal to become apart of the CopyWrite Family. For this spring we are teaming up with a creative to tell new stories from a new perspective.

SAY WHAT’S UP TO ADAM!

Born Joshua Adam Harwell, in Milwaukee, WI, Adam Xander is hard to describe in just a few words.

The several aliases he goes by is a dead giveaway to his multi-layered mind, and his different talents he attempts to figure out ways to make intersect.

Adam is a dedicated father before anything else, and to best capture what his life represents, he combined his middle name with his son's middle name and became known as Adam Xander; formerly known as DJ Adamocity to many since 2006.  

He believes creativity has no boundaries, and that no one should feel confined to only being able to satisfy a limited number of the things that bring joy to their lives.

As mentioned above, Adam wears several creative hats. DJ’ing has been his primary creative outlet for the past decade, but he found his passion for creative writing in college. He’s always loved the art of writing, but it was during graduate school that he saw how influential a well written publication can be for moving a group of people toward achieving a common goal. Whether that goal is to get others to take action on something, or to deliver a different perspective on an idea.

Adam also produces original music, and uses his ability as a connector, to assists nonprofit organizations and small businesses with their brand strategy and talent acquisition needs.

/CW

#SupportTheLocal - Blaze Pizza Fundraiser for Jazale's Art Studio

“Everybody eats B!”

So why not do it while supporting a good cause! Help us spread the work and make sure you get your Blaze Pizza While using this flyer on April 2nd, 2019 to help support Jazale’s Art Studio!

Save The date! RW Fem Fest coming May 26 - June 2

We are excited to be a Media sponsor for Riverwest FemFest and hope to see you there!

Check out rwfemfest.com for more details.

MKE Industry Mixer ( Press Write Up)

Milwaukee has really been trying to step up their networking game lately, and making sure to include the creatives in the city. Every other day I see a new event I’m invited to on Facebook where creatives are coming together to meet and possibly collaborate on projects. The most recent event I went to was the MKE Industry Mixer, hosted by DJ Rickey Allenz from v100.7. This mixer was packed with people in the music industry from popular DJ’s to local artists, radio personalities and more. I tried to talk to a little bit of everybody in each category to see what they thought of the event to really give y’all a good feel for what went down if you missed out!

DJ Rickey Allenz was the mastermind behind this beneficial event, and for this to be his first one, he did a bomb job. He wanted to have the industry mixer because he feels like he’s in tune with a lot of Milwaukee artists, however, some DJ’s just don’t know what’s currently hot in the streets. The point of the mixer is to bring artists together with DJ’s because in hindsight, artists without DJ’s are practically nothing. The DJ is the one who’s going to play your record in clubs, on the radio, etc. They can help spread your music to a wider audience who might not normally get to hear it on a regular basis if, for example, the artist mostly promotes it within their own community. DJ Rickey Allenz is a DJ for v.100.7, WNOV and KBBG 88.1 in Iowa. Other DJ’s have connections in other cities as well, so if they know you and like your music, they can promote your songs in those areas. That is called a PLUG ladies and gentlemen!

Allenz used to be an artist himself, but he didn’t know the game well enough, so he fell off of it. He said some DJ’s will hustle an artist and charge them money to play their music and then possibly not fall through with actually playing it. That’s not what Allenz is about. If he likes it, he’ll play it, simple. He’s always willing to help an artist grow and put them on game if they’re willing to help themselves.

Two artists who I was able to speak with at the industry mixer were @NuMoney2mm and @_sgodjayy. They both came and either performed or had their music played that night. NuMoney performed one of his songs, and he says the DJ/Artist duo is a great relationship. The artist has a product the DJ demands and the DJ can be the start of everything. He says, you never know a connection someone might have with someone else who can get your foot in the door.

@_sgodjayy had one of his songs played and was literally geeked when his song came on lol. Jayy says every platform is a good one, it just depends on how you use it. He gets excited for his music and takes pride in his craft and creativity because “when you take pride in what you do, it shows.” You have to have confidence, he says, or else you’ll limit yourself.

I met the lovely DJ Trustar, aka the Trap Princess and the first female Core DJ in Milwaukee, and she says it’s important for DJ’s to come to events like the mixer. Sometimes DJ’s don’t talk on the mic and artists don’t know who they are so it’s good to get your face out there. For example, a lot of people don’t even know she IS DJ Trustar, since she doesn’t talk on the mic much, if at all. People are usually surprised when they find out she’s a woman, especially since she really knows how to throw down on the 1s and 2s, which usually isn’t expected from a woman DJ (btw, that’s a whole topic for a different day that can be dissected when y’all are ready lol).

Lastly, I spoke to the very personable radio personality, Promise from v.100.7! A few Milwaukee artists might know him from his radio segment, “Heat from The Street.” Promise resurrected the segment when he first came to v.100.7 because he wants to help artist get more exposure. Promise tries to be pretty hands on as far as trying to make sure the city hears different sounds and styles, because a lot of the time people get boxed into whatever part of the city they’re in. He also says social media has ironically made people antisocial. Promise says, “In the music industry everybody wants to be heard, but a lot of people don’t know the right approach.” Networking events like the mixer are a great opportunity for media professionals to interact with artists and put them on game. It gives them a chance to get in front of each other and learn how to talk and be more personable instead of hiding behind a screen. Also, it helps for people in the industry to put a name with a face or a face with a voice.

Overall, I thought the event was a great opportunity for people in the industry to mix and make those connections to further grow their careers. There weren’t just DJ’s in attendance either, club promoters, music producers, sound engineers and other journalists with media platforms came as well, s/o to Brittani and A Sit with Britt.

My only concern was the fact that there weren’t a lot of artists there. The DJ’s did their part and showed up. I was introduced to plenty of them such as, DJ Heathen of v.100.7, DJ devast8 and DJ Cell of the Recordbreakers, etc. I’m not sure if it was the promotion of the event, artists just not wanting to come or what. But, I see a lot of artists complain that there aren’t events like this, then when there is, no one shows up. Like I’ve tried to drill into your brains throughout this entire article, this industry mixer was a great opportunity for everyone involved, so if someone can let me know the reason why more connections weren’t made on the artist side, please enlighten ya girl! Hopefully DJ Rickey Allenz and other DJ’s throw more networking events like this in the future because the concept is great and can really elevate the music culture here in Milwaukee (which you know CW is all for).

/Intern Carrie for CW

Riverwest FemFest 2019 Deadline Coming Soon!

We want you to apply!!!

PERFORMERS | VISUAL ARTIST | WORK SHOPS
*Application deadline is February 28, 2019*

This year we are behind the scenes consulting with Riverwest Fem Fest to make sure we bring all the city out including YOU to be apart of the action. We want Women/Femmes of all backgrounds, ethnicities, classes, and creativities to be apart of this years festival. As a women owned business CopyWrite will stand with all of those determined to make positive change in the movement!

APPLY HERE

S/O to "OUR" representation at Milwaukee City Hall (Colin Kaepernick to be featured in city’s 28 Days of Black History)

This morning Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, Alderwoman Chantia Lewis, Alderman Khalif J. Rainey, Alderman Cavalier Johnson and Alderwoman Nikiya Dodd of Milwaukee, released a statement standing behind Colin Kaepernick to be featured in city’s 28 Days of Black History!

The statement follows:

It is unfortunate that certain state legislators in Madison have worked in opposition to theirAfrican American colleagues to block Wisconsin native Colin Kaepernick from being included in a state Black History Month resolution. But here in Milwaukee we welcome the addition of Mr. Kaepernick to our city’s 28 Days of Black History project and look forward to his profile being featured on our city’s main page and on the City Channel. As we note in the project – an effort to celebrate Black History Month by featuring those who have left their mark on Milwaukee’s Black history – Black history is still being written and is ever developing.

We understand that Mr. Kaepernick is a controversial figure, but black history makers tend to be controversial by nature. Few, if any, were accepted by the broader society when they were doing their work, but in hindsight, our nation recognizes that their counter-cultural actions were crucial to the growth of our country. Mr. Kaepernick was born in Milwaukee and his willingness to stand up for what he believes and against the violent and oppressive (and sometimes deadly) treatment of Black and Brown citizens by law enforcement has brought attention to some of the most important issues of our time. Quite simply, by doing so he has made history.

Additionally, he has donated generously to help many worthwhile causes across the U.S., including two Milwaukee groups, the I Will Not Die Young Campaign and UrbanUnderground.

Unlike some in Madison we are truly honored to feature Colin Kaepernick as part of ourBlack History celebration.

Look lets make this clear we are SOCIAL, not POLITICAL. But if there is ever a time to remember the historical implications of our political representation not standing up with “our” people, it is now.

Collin is controversial in the same way MLK, Gandhi, Rosa, Baldwin and so many others have been. History is then. History is now. History is tomorrow.

STOP BLOCKING OUR HEROES TO SOOTH YOUR CRIMINALS.

/CW

Carrie’s Curl Conversation: Natural Hair in Milwaukee

Have you read Issue 13 Rebellion?

Feature article Carrie’s Curl Conversation came from a sit down with women talking about natural hair.

Check it out and let us know what you think.

Hair is the subject of an ongoing conversation in the black community. Whether you wear it straight, in a low cut, throw a wig on it or put a relaxer in it, hair is something black women love and can talk about all day long. But something that gets less attention is the hair that black women are born with—their natural hair. Natural hair has been a hush-hush topic since, well, forever. But now, more women are going natural and more women are talking about it.

Black Women and hairstylists discuss the controversial topic of natural hair. Although the natural hair movement is progressing, in Milwaukee and other non-metropolitan cities, the knowledge of natural hair is still scarce. Carrie Mahone, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee journalist, has the much-needed curl conversation to find out why.

/Carrie (the Intern)

Issue 13: Rebellion Out Now!

If we are defiant, it is only out of suppression. Tiptoeing through society has left us off balance, anxious, and unable to continue to survive playing it safe. This issue of CopyWrite is a Rebellion in its process. Our features are unorthodox characters with rule breaking methods. Interviews with Dream Lab owner Shawn Dekay, Leevel Ford, Mudy, Kane Rulan, Ex Fabula Feature Camille Davis & more.

-Click Here to witness the Rebellion-

/CW

Triskaidekaphobia ? Neveeeeeerrr! Issue 13 coming soon!

/CW