Chartered March, 1990 – With a poverty rate that was one of the highest in the nation, fueled in large part by a staggering teen birth rate, a group of ambitious African American women accepted the challenge to make a positive difference in the lives of Milwaukee families grappling with the issues of education, crime and the cycle of poverty.
1990 Annual Breakfast with Santa – This spectacular holiday affair brings smiles and joyful tears to underprivileged boys and girls who receive Christmas gifts, a full breakfast, live entertainment and an abundance of festive cheer, along with their families. Santa also makes a guest appearance. This event is a partnership with a local women homeless shelter, Sojourner Truth House. This activities was conducted for over 23 years consecutively.
1990 Black Art Ancestry Legacy – In a brilliant collaboration with the Milwaukee Art Museum, members of the chapter brought forth a sweeping collection of art work depicting the African American experience. In spite of the harsh oppression of slavery, Americans of African descent, and particularly black women, managed to preserve the culture of their ancestry and articulate both their struggles and hopes in their own words and images.
1992 Healthcare Luncheon - “Doctor in the Delta” featured local Milwaukee native Dr. George Myers, a practicing physician in the Mississippi Delta. Dr. Myers’ presentation focused on the lack of health services provided to local residents of the Delta. So moved by the presentation, the chapter provided health supplies and a $5,000 contribution to support the efforts of Dr. Myers.
1992 Project Lead High Expectation – This dynamic program, Project Lead High Expectation, was implemented at Martin Luther King Elementary School. Members of the chapter had an opportunity to implement the five modules to students over a five year period.
1993 I Dream a World – In a collaborative effort with the Milwaukee Art Museum, members of the chapter were able to bring in a collection of 75 portraits that highlighted the achievements of a group of African-American women and their continued impact on the world.
1994 First Link Up Friendship – Members of all Wisconsin chapters of The Links Incorporated, gathered together to enjoy the beauty of friendship.
1994 Jacob Lawrence Art Exhibit – This intimate reception, in collaboration with Milwaukee Art Museum, was an opportunity for museum goers to learn more about Jacob Lawrence, whose artwork was on exhibit at the museum. Lawrence was one of the most important artists of the 20th century, widely renowned for his modernist depictions of everyday life, as well as epic narratives of African American history and historical figures.
1995 Coordinated Walk-a-Thon and Health Fair to raise awareness about health and fitness in an effort to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as other diseases that impact African Americans at a much higher rate. Participation included members of the Milwaukee (WI) Chapter, The Links, Incorporated, as well as minority physicians.
1995 First Ebony Fashion Fair partnership with Cream City (WI) Chapter – Along with raising needed scholarship funds for well-deserving college students, this traveling fashion show brought glamorous European fashion to hundreds of eager Milwaukeeans who were bedazzled the exhibition. The partnership ended as a result of the ending of the traveling show.
1997 Gordon Parks (Half Past Autumn) - This chapter-hosted reception at Marquette University was connected to the Half Past Autumn: A Retrospective. This memoir exhibition was by Gordon Parks, one of the most inspiring success stories of our time. He was a seminal figure of 20th century photography. With his deep commitment to social justice, he left behind a body of work that documents many of the most important aspects of American culture.
1997 John Hope Franklin – This chapter-hosted reception, in collaboration with Marquette University, honored John Hope Franklin, an American historian of the United States and the first African American to lead Phi Beta Kappa, the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, and the Southern Historical Association. He was born in Rentiesville, Oklahoma, in 1915, only 15 years after slavery had been abolished. His father practiced law and his mother taught elementary school, and from an early age the young Franklin learned the power of words and ideas. He is one of the nation’s greatest treasurers.
1998 Education Across the Miles- Members of the chapter, in a collaborative effort with the Wisconsin Cluster, donated funds to establish schools in South Africa. The “Education Across Miles” program provides educational opportunities for students who live in rural South Africa, including Durban and Soweto.
1998 Adoption of a South African Village – In collaboration with The National Links, Incorporated, members of the chapter adopted a South African village. Chapter members made black dolls and sent approximately 100 of them to South Africa.
1999 Nigerian Diplomats - Members of the chapter hosted a reception for visiting elected official from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, South Africa.
1999 Relay for Life – Members of the chapter were co-sponsors for Relay for Life, a national movement to raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer.
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