Milwaukee students learn of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy through service

The first time Jessica Erdman participated in City Year Milwaukee's yearly Martin Luther King Day of Service event, it was held virtually.

It wasn’t quite the same.

She had heard from other corps members how fun the event had been in years before the COVID-19 pandemic forced it go go virtual. This year was her chance to experience it in-person.

She was among the more than 300 volunteers who descended on Carson Academy of Science as part of an effort to beautify the school.

“I really enjoy being able to see other volunteers, people from previous corps. Obviously working with the kids here is really fun,” said Erdman, 23, of Manitowoc. She is now a team leader at City Year Milwaukee. “It’s like the energy and the joy that you see throughout the day being able to see other people make a difference alongside you.”

The national holiday honors the slain civil rights leader's commitment to social and racial justice. It is the only federal holiday designated by Congress in 1994 as a National Day of Service – a “day on, not a day off.” The holiday encourages all Americans to improve their communities through volunteering.

City Year’s event at Carson Academy is among serval service projects occurring across the city Monday.

Volunteers painted murals, constructed bookshelves and little libraries to help beautify the school’s campus, located at 4920 W Capitol Dr. It marked the first in-person volunteer project for the nonprofit service organization since the start of the pandemic.

City Year Milwaukee’s Vice President and Executive Director Dr. Stephanie Maney-Hartlaub called it amazing to be back in person after a three-year absence.  The in-person activity generated a lot of interest and led to a 40% increase in volunteers this year. 

"Folks are really excited to come out,” Maney-Hartlaub said.

People, she added, are getting back to into that mindset of being in service to their community, which was a tenet of Dr. King.

“It's really getting back to all of our humanity and being in shared a space,” Maney-Hartlaub said. “After the pandemic, I think that's something that we're all longing for, more of that human connection in service to a cause greater than ourselves.”

When students return to school Tuesday, they will see brightly colored murals painted on the walls. Some murals offer words of inspiration such as “Be Yourself" and “Radiate Positivity.” Others are in keeping with the school’s academic theme with STEM-focused arts and a mural of Black scientists chosen by the students.

Principal Erika Minzlaff can’t wait to see the students’ reactions to the improvement. Parts of the school were closed off to get everything ready. She said the students knew something was happening for MLK Day but not actually what.

“As the students move throughout the building that is what I am most excited to see their reaction to everything,” Minzlaff said.

New this year was a youth service project at Carson. Middle school students from Bruce Guadalupe Community School wrote notes of encouragement and made friendship bracelets for Carson Academy students.

The projects allow youth to understand the importance of being in service to others, Maney-Hartlaub said.

But this service project marks a lot of firsts for Mikayla Shorty, 20, an early education major at MATC. This was her first time as a City Year Corps member. It was also her first time ever doing a service project on MLK Day.

“Instead of just sleeping in on my day off, I just wanted to do something to make a difference,” Shorty said.

She, too, hopes that the students at Carson Academy see the murals, the positive messages on the walls and be inspired by them.

“I feel like the home environment and school, in general, don’t give out enough positive messages,” she said. “I hope just walking in the hall seeing these messages will make them think that, ‘Hey I can do this.’ ‘I can get through this class.’ One little thing can make the whole day.”

It was a family affair for the Balsigers of New Berlin. Chrissy Balsiger and her oldest daughter Alyx Knueppel were busy painting little libraries. Her youngest daughters were on another floor making friendship bracelets and tie blankets.

Knueppel, 20, a student at Mount Mary University, had some apprehensions when she got her assignment for the City Year service day.

“They told us they put us on construction, and I get a little nervous,” she quipped.

But the effort, she said, was worth it to give the students a better learning experience.

“I think about how I would have felt if I had come into school one day as a kid and my entire school was just so colorful. Hopefully, it will inspire some kids,” Knueppel said.

Sisters Amalia and Sloane Balsiger, ages 9 and 7 respectively were in the "kids zone" cutting fabric to make the tie blankets. Amalia didn’t mind giving up her day off.

“I wanted to come here and I am happy that I did .... because I’m doing good for other people.” Amalia Balsiger said.

The Milwaukee Public Library named after the civil rights leader offered a myriad of cultural events to honor Dr. King’s legacy. Youth made various arts and crafts projects that exemplify peace, unity and fellowship. There were also performances by the Alliance School of Milwaukee Chorus singing the Black National anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” hip hop performance from TRUE Skool, and West African dance and drumming by Xalaat Africa Youth Ensemble.

Chandra Martinez, of Milwaukee, has come to this event for the past three years. She said it was important for her son, Jadon, who’s half Puerto Rican, to understand his culture. She also brought along her 7-year-old mentee who for the first time heard the Black national anthem.

“I was surprised,” Martinez said. “In school, we were taught the two different anthems. This anthem connects us to our culture and they are not getting this in school.”

Martinez said she has always had this type of cultural program in elementary in the 80s. But she is glad she brought them both. When asked what was her son's favorite part of the program he said: “I like the African dancing.”

Dozens of jars were decorated to show appreciation for seniors and veterans as part of 5 Points Neighborhood Association’s MLK day of service project. The jars were filled with inspirational messages. The effort was a token of thanks for the elders and veterans who sacrificed to make this country a better place, said Sy Smith, a board member with the neighborhood association.

Many seniors in the area marched with Father James Groppi and then-city councilwoman Vel Phillips for fair and open housing. They also worked with Brother Booker Ashe who fought for racial justice during the civil rights era and founded the House of Peace.

“It ties into all the social justice aspect that Dr. King was pursuing,” Smith said. “They took the initiative to challenge a lot of racial discrimination and actions. The veterans were fighting wars in other countries while still being denied things here. We want to appreciate what they’ve done and what they lived through. This is just a little small token.”

The activity is an intergenerational teachable moment for young people, she added.

“We want to make sure that young people sit and learn and appreciate and show them we haven’t forgotten about you," Smith said.