(bright music) (upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Debbie Hamlett, General Manager of Milwaukee PBS.

Welcome to "Stories of Inspiration."

You'll see accounts of kindness and gratitude, human achievement, and celebration.

Milwaukee PBS showcases the people, places, and culture of Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin every week through our local productions like "Black Nouveau," "10 Thirty Six," "My Wisconsin Backyard," "Adelante," "Rhythm Cafe MKE," and "The Arts Page."

Our first story comes from "Black Nouveau" and a touching look at the annual daddy daughter dance held every February in Milwaukee.

- [Uzezi] It's moments like these that make Milwaukee's annual daddy daughter dance so special.

This was the 18th dance hosted by Milwaukee Rec.

Since 2003, men in Milwaukee have been taking their daughters to this dance.

The event has become a tradition for many fathers to the city.

That's why even after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, the dance was still sold out, nearing 1,000 attendees.

- Every year we have the pictures stacked behind each other, so we kind of could see the growth we've had since she was a little girl to being a young woman now.

This year I had to ask her that she wanted to go, because I didn't know if she was at the age where it could be kinda corny to go with your dad.

So she was like, of course.

So it did my heart good that she still went to hang out with her dad even though being a teenager.

- He's my dad.

I can never get sick of my dad.

He's always there for me.

He's funny and it's just great.

I love hanging out with my dad.

I think my dad is my superhero.

And so looking back on moments like this is just really amazing.

I see how happy he makes me and how happy I am when I'm spending time with my family and with my dad.

And it just, it's great.

It gives me a warm feeling inside.

- What is the importance of a day like this to the fathers?

- It gives them an outlet to understand that they have things that they can grow their daughter up with also.

So having them have a rich tradition in their family.

So this might be something that stems 10, 12 years.

If the kid is two years old, she might be doing this till she's 15 or 17.

- [Uzezi] Aiden and her dad Antonio have attending the dance since she was three.

Going to the dance is their tradition, but color coordinating outfits for the dance is their tradition within their tradition.

- So I think after like a couple times of us having different colors, we're not wearing the same color twice.

- [Uzezi] One of the purposes is to give fathers an outlet to show their daughters the proper way a man should treat a woman.

- Man, I love this.

I've been waiting for her to get old enough just to be able to take her to this.

It means a lot to me to be able to show her how a man is supposed to treat her.

One day she's gonna be a woman.

So just knowing that you're raising a woman, me making sure that I'm making the right decisions, and I'm presenting the right things to her, that she's able to choose the right person.

- [Uzezi] During this day, fathers show their daughters how a man should treat them.

The reward they get is the gratitude they receive back.

- Our next story comes from "My Wisconsin Backyard."

It's about human achievement and the important roles sports play in this feature called the Miracle League.

- [Leila] There are multiple Miracle Leagues around the state of Wisconsin.

- Dodgers on three, one, two, three.

- [All] Dodgers.

- Miracle League is a baseball program for kids and adults that don't fit into your typical able-bodied neurotypical sports programs.

It's a recreational sports option for basically anybody.

- It's two teams versus two teams, one team versus another team.

- So two teams play each other every Monday.

(crowd cheering) - [Leila] In a typical Miracle League game, everybody gets an at bat.

There's no strikes.

Everyone's on base.

The last batter of the inning hits a grand slam and brings everyone home, - [Announcer] Shot up the middle.

- A lot of the players will have one-on-one volunteers on the field with them.

Athletes who need maybe some physical help.

Sometimes they just need a little bit of support or encouragement.

- [Announcer] It's gonna score a run.

- [Leila] I think it's important to the kids because they get to see friends that they don't see in any other setting.

It's also an opportunity for them to have a recreational outlet that's not a therapy appointment, it's not a doctor's appointment.

It's something that's fun.

- I don't know.

I can't really say without kind of tearing up how things really do work with seeing the smiles on their faces and what they're able to do on a day in, day out basis.

Just playing sports or being part of a group like this, it's special.

- [Announcer] He showed that bat what's what.

- [Leila] We really try to let the parents be parents and sit in the stands and just participate if they want to, because they get to have a break.

They get to sit in the stands and they get to talk to somebody that understands what they're going through better than anybody else in their lives.

- It's really cool.

The community's really cool.

Everyone in the stands cheers for every child that's up at bat and everyone gets each other high fives when they make it home or on home plate.

- We can't do this without volunteers.

Volunteers are the most important part of this program.

We've got volunteer coaches who are coming every week.

We've got volunteer, what we call buddies, who are with the athletes one-on-one.

Some of our athletes are a little bit more independent and just want somebody to hang out with and dance with in the outfield.

But we really are so reliant on volunteers to make it happen.

Don't have to be an athlete, don't have to be anything I guess, just as long as you wanna come out and volunteer and help, especially these kids.

- [Leila] Absolutely do it.

Whatever's holding you back, don't let it hold you back.

If you've been thinking about it or considering it, absolutely do it because it's such a rewarding experience and the kids are so inspiring to watch.

- [Eric] They can do anything they put their minds to with the volunteers.

- [Announcer] Opposite field bomb from Theo.

- [Eric] They can do anything they want.

- You are watching "Stories of Inspiration."

It's a sample of the storytelling you see every week from our local shows on Milwaukee PBS, and it's your support that makes this possible.

Our local programs like "Adalante" and "Black Nouveau" provide important perspectives from diverse communities.

"10 Thirty Six" tackles important topics like mental health, education, and veterans.

And "The Arts Page" and "Rhythm Cafe MKE" highlight the creativity and passion of artists and musicians from our neighborhoods.

And "My Wisconsin Backyard" explores the wonders of Wisconsin.

Whether you've been watching Milwaukee PBS for a long time or just discovered it, it's your support that makes these important and award-winning local programs possible.

Please take a minute right now to make your contribution, whether it's $10 a month or $100 a month, no matter the amount, every donation makes a difference.

Call the number on your screen or go online to milwaukeepbs.org and thank you.

Our next feature comes from "10 Thirty Six" where we learn how participating in sports can create a special bond and offer lessons for life.

(bright music) - [Nicholas] Basketball is more than a game because it teaches you discipline.

It teaches you how to be consistent.

It teaches you to show up even when you don't want to.

- [Donovan] I think it was more than a game for us because we kind of built a family.

- [Derwin] It gave me an outlet.

I could feel like it kept me out of trouble.

- [Narrator] When Derwin Quin heard that we were interviewing former players of the Northcott Hoyas basketball team, he wasn't gonna be left out of the lineup and miss an opportunity to talk about Dr. Charles Waisbren, the physician and coach teaching those life lessons.

- I flew all the way up here from Brandon, Mississippi solely for this interview.

I booked me a ticket, I came today, and I leave tomorrow morning.

This is the only reason I'm here.

- [Narrator] For all three of these players, basketball was more than a game because Waisbren was more than a coach.

- He was always in our corner and we respected him as a father figure.

- Stern for sure.

But I think he just requires a lot from his players because he gives a lot to his players.

- It just felt like a family, felt like vacation every weekend.

- [Narrator] Waisbren coached his young players to a state championship in 2003, but that's not what he's most proud of.

- Yeah.

- Thanks guys.

- Thank you.

- You know y'all are my favorite?

- I don't get to tell you too often.

- And it brought tears to my eyes what wonderful young men they are.

We did love them, and to have someone in their corner, I think is really very important.

- [Narrator] It all started in 1997 with a book.

- All right, here we go.

Let's go.

The most influential book for me really was "Hoop Dreams."

And it really started a lot of what I'm doing now.

If you look at City of Milwaukee kids, everyone's aspiration is to go to the NBA and the truth is no one's going to the NBA.

I like to tell them that "Hoop Dreams" is great, but you need to learn how to read and write and go to school and have a plan B. I've been doing this for 24 years.

So I like to develop a program of fourth or fifth graders and really stay with them until high school.

- [Narrator] Waisbren originally launched the program out of the Northcott Neighborhood House, and only recently migrated to the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center as the Layups and Literacy program putting a stronger emphasis on an educational component.

- Okay, we're on chapter four.

Straighten Up Patty.

Go ahead Michael.

- She said this time all the time drove me crazy.

- [Charles] With Silver Spring All Stars, I have a, a formal literacy program an hour before practice, so I think it's very important for them to experience books and it's a lot more than just teaching literacy though.

- [Narrator] Jarryl Robinson enjoys reading as much as he likes a tough drive to the bucket.

- I read fairytales, action books, I read a lot of books.

- [Interviewer] What books are you reading downstairs right now, the team reading?

- "Patina," it's about a track team.

There's four books of the track people.

There's Patina, Lou, Sonny, and Ghost.

We already read "Ghost" and that book was just amazing.

- [Interviewer] Do you think your reading's gotten better from coming here?

- A lot, I'm now just learning that I can read at higher levels.

I didn't know that before until I came here.

- It's just a wonderful thing to be able to continue parenting when your grown kids are out of the nest.

- [Narrator] It was Waisbren's son, Sam, who played on the Northcott team for seven years, who revitalized the Layups and Literacy program, a legacy that will live on for a long time.

(somber music) - Well obviously Sam was the light of my life.

He loved being part of the program and he was just a absolute delight and very funny.

Continuing to do the program reminds me of my son Sam as well.

Died in a horrible elevator accident in New York City.

And it was an outpouring of grief.

And we started a GoFundMe page to really help fund this program, which has helped.

I've always paid for everything myself, but having the extra funds, I'm able to hire Milwaukee public school teachers to help me with the literacy program.

The teachers were uncomfortable coming in during Covid.

I've sort of self-taught myself how to teach literacy from the teachers.

I think of myself as an essential worker, not only as an internist where I continue to work during Covid, but I think I'm an essential worker as far as these children.

Let's go, good pass.

- [Narrator] Dr. Waisbren has always been an essential worker, even before the pandemic, as he helped shape his young players into the men they are today.

For Quin, who now owns his own painting business, that meant bringing in the right mentors.

- One of my favorite parts of this program is he introduced us to three Black men who looked like us who were successful.

And I like to thank him for that, for bringing them in here and letting us see kind of a glimpse of what we could have if we work for it.

- Come on Izzy, finish it, go hard.

I use basketball as the carrot.

I know basketball is a huge draw, particularly in the city of Milwaukee.

A lot of it is about developing relationships, them developing a relationship with me and me developing a relationship with them.

Good finish, EJ.

Go hard though, go hard.

- Music has the ability to energize, soothe, and inspire.

"Rhythm Cafe MKE" introduces us to Stephen Hull and how his mother influenced his music career.

(upbeat music) - It's a balancing act.

♪ If I should take a notion ♪ My name is Stephen Hull.

I was born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin.

Thanks to my parents and their love for Motown and just good house music, I took an early interest in in making a little bit of noise myself.

♪ If I take a notion ♪ ♪ I wanna get up, down, go down to the ocean.

♪ If I had to label my sound, I'd say it's a semi progressive blues.

I like being able to go back and do songs from the early 1900s as well as playing my own original music that is composed modern day.

What really stands out to me when it comes to my own music is that it involves so much of tradition as well as modern influence.

So it's never gonna be something that is strictly rooted in one era.

I started playing piano when I was about six years old and I would always walk up to pianos and I would play them real softly, you know how the kids would just walk up and hit all the keys.

I just wanted to make pretty sounds.

And so my mom decided, yeah, we should get him some piano lessons.

♪ But I'm sittin' in my garage ♪ ♪ And I wonder what I'm doing ♪ Well a couple years went by and I was like, this isn't really what I'm feeling.

So I took some years off and I decided maybe I wanna play guitar.

And so I asked my mom to buy me a guitar and she looked at me and she goes, "There's a piano in this house that you don't play."

And she was right.

So I decided that I would babysit and cut grass all summer to make sure that I could buy one.

♪ I really thought that life ♪ ♪ Was sweet as a piece of cake ♪ I had ordered all the right things and everything came but the guitar, so I was almost crying to my mom.

I was like, mom, why would you cancel the guitar?

That was the one thing I wanted.

And she looked at me and she's like, "Calm down, I didn't cancel anything."

And so the next day she went up and got one of the guitars for me and she brought it back and I was all sulking and so upset.

And she goes, "I got something in the trunk."

Go get it out of the trunk."

I open up the trunk and I see the guitar sitting there and I'm like, mom, thank you so much, thank you, thank you, thank you.

And that was the start of a lot of headaches for a lot of people ♪ Hey hey, Get mad ♪ ♪ When a snake starts being a snake ♪ Finding one sound is often a journey that we all take.

I personally started out trying to be the best Albert King I could, but I realized he's already lived his life and he's gone now and I should probably start trying to sound like me.

And so you throw together a bunch of different influences and add in things you see and ideas you might have, and eventually you'll sound just like you.

♪ Long if I do, if I do ♪ - Artworks for Milwaukee's Environmental Arts Program has a goal to bring awareness to freshwater management with an intensive art internship for area teens, which helps develop skills and confidence on how to work together through the process of creating.

"The Arts Page" has more on this unique program.

(upbeat music) - [Sandy] The first part of the journey for these young professionals began in Milwaukee's Garden Homes neighborhood.

Phase one of their project, storm drain murals, was to get a tour of the north and east stormwater basins in Milwaukee's 30th Street Corridor.

The tour was meant to be educational and inspirational.

They learned about how the city manages flooding during storm season and saw some past artworks for Milwaukee intern mural projects.

- So my interns there, they're all in high school, so some of them know what they wanna do, some of them don't.

Just honestly, they're just a bunch of curious, amazing students and they really just want to learn and help other people learn too.

- [Sanyd] Also part of the day was a trip to Green Tech Station just south of the stormwater basins.

Green Tech Station consists of several green infrastructure projects.

Sarah Brigant from the NWSCDC showed the interns around and talked to them about all the good the station does for the environment and the community.

- Pretty much today was just giving a small tour of inner nature spots in Milwaukee that are built to help the environment.

So that's really what we wanted everyone to learn today.

And outside of that, just be more conscious of why we're doing a public art project on storm drains.

- [Sandy] Phase two of the project was community outreach.

The Pulaski Park neighborhood was chosen to be the site of the storm drain murals.

At the Pulaski Park Pavilion, the artworks interns participated in a gathering for residents together with the 16th Street Community Health Center and MMSD.

Community members were able to paint their own ideas for the storm drain murals.

This gave the interns valuable input on which ideas residents liked best.

- And they were given instruction to just paint whatever they want.

So we're getting a lot of environmental themes, rainbows, clouds, water, birds, that kind of stuff.

It's important aesthetically definitely because storm drains aren't the most beautiful objects on the streets.

So just beautifying the community in any way is a benefit I think to any neighborhood.

We have a very valuable resource in Milwaukee with the rivers on the lake and it's important to remember what it takes from the community to make it clean and keep it clean.

- [Sandy] Phase three of the project was submitting the various forms and paperwork required to paint on city property.

A long and arduous process for sure, but the project was officially approved by the city and the artworks interns could get to work.

Over the course of several Saturdays in the fall of 2022, the interns primed, sketched, and painted two storm drains on South 15th place just off Cleveland Avenue.

(upbeat music) (artists chatting) Finally, after months of hard work, here were the final storm drain murals.

- Our final story comes from "Adalante."

We'll meet Wence and Sandra Martinez and how working together led them to express their culture in a meaningful artful way.

(gentle music) (Wence speaking Spanish) (Sandra speaking Spanish) (Wence speaking Spanish) - [Sandra] The most important evolution (speaking Spanish) is maestros, a mentor.

(speaking Spanish) (Wence speaking Spanish) (Sandra speaking Spanish) (Wence speaking Spanish) (Sandra speaking Spanish) (Wence speaking Spanish) (Sandra speaking Spanish) (Wence speaking Spanish) (Sandra speaking Spanish) (Wence speaking Spanish) (Sandra speaking Spanish) (Wence speaking Spanish) (Sandra speaking Spanish) (Wence speaking Spanish) (Sandra speaking Spanish) - Thank you for joining us for "Stories of Inspiration."

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(bright music)