Strength and Resilience
Strength is the unending force that keeps Washington Park together. Strength takes many forms—a person, a house—but in the end keeps the community together as a community, rather than just streets in Milwaukee. Stories of strength sustain the neighborhood will also speaking on broader themes of economics, politics, race, and Wisconsin as a state. Without stories of strength the community of Washington Park becomes merely a neighborhood. The following stories are examples of strength in the community:
Neighbors Provide Community
Charles Carmickle talks about good neighborly behavior on his block.
Community Forces
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Pat Gleason reflects on his involvement with the Washington Park Partners.
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Rukiya Alexander of Our Next Generation talks about the many community events that ONG participates in.
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Homes as Forces of Strength
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Lois Luglio talks about her home and how it has remained the same and changed over time.
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The Browns talk about Thanksgiving at their house.
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Rosalind Cox talks about how her home is a haven to her.
Resilience indicates both the presence of personal strength and the will to overcome challenges. Resilience is found not just in the stories that people tell, but in the physical environment as well. The displaying of community art on West Lisbon Street shows the commitment to exhibit the beauty of Washington Park. Transforming previously abandoned houses and creating homes is a demonstration of resilience through commitment to the neighborhood community.
Resilience through the Built Environment
Buildings in Washington Park, such as the ubiquitous duplex design, demonstrate resilience through their ability to accommodate diverse configurations of inhabitants.
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Dave Boucher describes the building that houses Amaranth Cafe and Bakery as an old leather shoe, comfortable for people who walk in and built to last.
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Every interviewee we spoke with, including Dave Boucher here, touched on their experience in a duplex, reflecting the resilience of these buildings across a swath of uses and backgrounds.
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Resilience through Identity
Resilience is made possible when members of a community build vision around its unique and valuable assets.
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Muneer Bahaudeen, a local artist, talks about the potential for a neighborhood market that reflects the cultural diversity of the Washington Park neighborhood
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Dave Boucher describes how community members started up a garden by identifying opportunities that would engage the neighborhood
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Rev. Joan Baumann talks about her personally overcoming tragedy.
Resilience through Relationships
In challenging times, communities find resilience through relationships that create opportunity and strength.
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Artist Muneer Bahaudeen explains the value of human connection when confronted with financial struggles
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Chocolate maker and entrepreneur Dan Bieser talks about the importance of building relationships
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Pat Gleason talks about his struggles with the city government in getting the Bus Stop Coffee Shop up and going.
