Civil Rights Activism in Milwaukee

In the early 1960s, as members of Milwaukee's growing African American population looked beyond their segregated community for better jobs and housing, they faced bitter opposition from the real estate industry and union leadership.

In an era marked by the friction of racial tension, the south side of Milwaukee earned a reputation as a flashpoint for prejudice, but it also served as a staging ground for cooperative activism between members of Father Groppi's parish, representatives from the NAACP Youth Council, students at Alverno College and a group of Latino families.

Paul Geenen chronicles the challenges faced by this coalition in the fight for open housing and better working conditions for Milwaukee's minority community.