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Meeting Date:
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8/31/2023 - 5:30 PM
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Category:
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Report of the Committee on Accountability, Finance, and Personnel
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Type:
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Action
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Subject:
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11. Action on a Request to Approve an Easement Between Milwaukee Public Schools and Wisconsin Historical Society at North Division High School Located at 1011 West Center Street
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Strategic Plan Compatibility Statement:
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Goal 3 Effective and Efficient Operations
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Attachments
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1. MPS-WHS State Historical Marker Maintenance Agreement
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File Attachment:
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Background:
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The Wisconsin Historical Society would like to install a Wisconsin State Historical marker on the North Division High School Property. This historical marker would commemorate and celebrate the history of the St. Boniface Church site as part of a larger project to commemorate the Open Housing Marches and Civil Rights History of Milwaukee.
St. Boniface and its campus at 1122 W. Clarke St. were the epicenter of Milwaukee’s civil rights movement. A Catholic church with a predominantly Black congregation, St. Boniface served as a hub during the 200 consecutive days of open housing marches from fall 1967 to spring 1968. Strategies and routes for marches were organized in the church’s basement by the NAACP Youth Council Commandos. Marches were planned, started, and ended at the church. St. Boniface supplied food, lodging, medical attention, and transportation to the movement. Father James Groppi served at St. Boniface from 1963 to 1970 and advised the NAACP Youth Council during this period. Father Groppi was the successor to John Givens, who advised the group during its early forays into nonviolent direct action. In 1965, St. Boniface was slated to be the site of a Freedom School, offering lessons on Black history and activism. This plan was prohibited by Catholic officials, leading to protests by the NAACP Youth Council and its allies. Luminaries from the nationwide civil rights movement, including Fannie Lou Hamer, Hosea Williams, Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory, and Roy Wilkins, visited St. Boniface to attend rallies, marches, and strategy sessions. The sanctuary, school, and other structures comprising St. Boniface were demolished in 1975 to make room for expansions to North Division High School. The parish moved to North Teutonia Avenue and West Center Street. The history of St. Boniface illustrates the importance of local churches and their congregations in the organization and enactment of civil rights activities.
The Administration is seeking the Board's approval to enter into an easement with the Wisconsin Historic Society to allow public access to the historic marker and acknowledge the history of the site but also to provide an educational opportunity for the students of the school.
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Fiscal Impact Statement:
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There are no expenditures associated with this item.
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Implementation and Assessment Plan
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Upon Board approval, the attached easement between Milwaukee Public Schools and Wisconsin Historical Society at North Division High School for public access to the historic marker shall be executed.
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Recommendation:
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Your Committee recommends that the Board approve the easement between Milwaukee Public Schools and Wisconsin Historical Society at North Division High School for public access to the historic marker.
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Approvals:
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Recommended By:
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Signed By:
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Jacqueline M. Mann, Ph.D. - Board Clerk/Chief Officer
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