(bright music) (funky music) (funky music continues) - Hello, folks, and welcome to "Black Nouveau."

I'm Earl Arms, and this is our December edition.

As we move into the middle of this holiday season, we'll preview some of the sounds of the season from Adrian Dunn's "Wonderful: A Soulful Celebration," airing later this month on Milwaukee PBS.

Clayborn Benson, founder and head of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum explains Kwanzaa, its meanings and its history.

We'll remember the legacy of James Beckum, one of Milwaukee's Negro League players who taught the game to new generations of athletes.

And we'll tell you about the Wisconsin Shares program, helping disadvantaged families to find and afford quality child care.

But we began with a local family's effort to keep the accomplishments of one of their ancestors alive.

♪ Up above my head ♪ - [Everett] Last month, we visited the Milwaukee Rep's production of "Marie and Rosetta."

♪ I hear music in the air ♪ - [Everett] The true story of two Black gospel singers who pioneered the early sounds of rock and roll.

In the 1940s, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was an established gospel singer.

She met Marie Knight in 1946, and they started recording together.

That sound became the foundation for what was to become known as rock and roll.

By the time Knight left the duo in the mid 1950s, neither she nor Tharpe received proper credit for their contributions here at home.

But Sister Rosetta did become famous in Europe.

- She was the mother, not the godmother, but the mother of rock and roll.

She created rock and roll.

With fusing gospel and blues together with that electric guitar and using a resonator, she created a sound we had never heard before in this country or around the world, because that's what brought so many people from across the pond to America like the Beatles and folks like that, because of Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

- [Everett] She also helped start the careers of some of the early pioneers of rock and roll.

She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

Members of her family, who had migrated from the South and now live in Milwaukee, are doing their part to ensure that her place in history does not get overlooked.

- My name is Effie McGhee, and I am related to Aunt, we called her Aunt Sister Rosetta, as her niece.

She and my mom and the other siblings, they had the same daddy.

As a matter of fact, my daddy, my granddaddy had three sets of children, three families, so she was here from the second set.

(lively rock music) - Let's do that again.

(lively rock music continues) - I used to do little, not skits, but telling about the history of Aunt Sister Rosetta doing Black history at my church.

And then I did it for so long, and then we did that, for one of our family reunions, we did, we honored her.

It was in her honor.

We had T-shirts, and the program was about her.

- So I'm Rosetta Tharpe's great niece.

My grandfather was one of her younger siblings.

And as of lately, I've just been making it a point, I wanna say I started, I really got on it back in 2021, 2020, that range, and I wanted to bring awareness to her impact.

- [Reporter] You know, she was really unique as a guitar player.

She had a big influence on somebody like Chuck Berry, who was one of the most influential guitar players in the world.

(upbeat rock music) ♪ Didn't it rain, children ♪ ♪ Rain, oh, yes ♪ ♪ Didn't it, yes ♪ - Didn't it, you know it did ♪ Didn't it, oh, oh yes, how it rained ♪ ♪ I said it rained, children ♪ - So I published an article, self-published on "Medium" called "A Black Woman Pioneered Rock and Roll: Sister Rosetta Tharpe and the Retrieval of Her Legacy."

And the focus of my article was to just not only bring up her relevance and bring up what she has accomplished but to also leave a statement that she has family that's here, that's constantly celebrating her, and that's trying to push and keep her legacy alive.

And so from there, I went on to one of our other cousins who helped us.

We did a interview at a church.

Effie was there with me.

And Sister Rosetta also has two living siblings.

So her brother who went on tour with her and spent, I wanna say like a year living with her, he was present for it.

So just kind of keeping the family as involved as possible.

And then from there, I recently did a, I interviewed with this documentary "Archives on 4" with the BBC, and it went amazing.

- [Joan Armatrading] And you're obviously incredibly proud of Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

- [TeAnna] I think she ultimately chose her career.

She chose the potential of whatever else is out there.

It seemed like one of those decisions, sometimes religion can be a little hindering.

So who knows whatever pushback she may have gotten socially to choose to divorce and leave the church and go this direction.

But I do think that she made the best decision she could in choosing herself and choosing her own future and legacy.

♪ This train is a clean train ♪ ♪ This train, shh ♪ - [TeAnna] It was just, again, letting, you know, bringing that awareness to Sister Rosetta, her legacy, and just also kind of having a website, having a point of contact where as these articles and as these opportunities are coming up, just having a hub to keep proclaiming her legacy.

Sister Rosetta has made such an amazing impact on music culture.

She pioneered, she created rock and roll and just other various subgenres that came from there.

And so it's really important to keep that story alive, keep her history alive and making sure that these future generations as time passes that they're also aware of her and her impact.

So I just think it's very important to keep that voice going for her.

♪ This little light of mine ♪ ♪ I'm gonna let it shine, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ This still a light of mine ♪ ♪ I've got to let shine ♪ ♪ This little light of mine ♪ ♪ I'ma gonna let it shine, shine, shine ♪ ♪ Let it shine, I'm gonna let it shine ♪ - Finding affordable and quality child care is a challenge for many Wisconsin families, but parents don't have to navigate this issue alone.

The Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidies Program offers financial assistance to eligible parents struggling to afford quality child care.

Diana Rico, early childhood education ambassador with Milwaukee Succeeds, joins us to discuss the available resources, how to apply for assistance, and where the state ranks regarding child care affordability.

Thanks for joining us.

- Thank you for having me.

- Great, so what is Wisconsin Shares, and how do you qualify for it?

- Wisconsin Shares is a subsidy for families in Milwaukee to help cover the cost out of pocket for child care for their children.

There is an income limit, so it is based off your income, and whatever the families are awarded depends on that.

Like, say a family that is closer to the limit of that income will get funded less than a person whose needs might be greater.

So I can't give out an exact number of how much families get, but it is out there for families to take advantage of.

- What are some of the barriers families face when applying for subsidies?

- I think some of the biggest barrier right now would be lack of awareness.

Not enough people know about this.

It is not promoted enough.

It is not talked about enough.

And another barrier would be lack of knowledge of how to navigate the system.

For example, right now, everything is done on the internet through a smartphone or a computer.

Many people don't know how to use that.

You know, we wanna think, well, everybody knows how to navigate smartphones, but that's not the case.

Especially given the surge of immigrants in the last few years, we have people with language barriers that might not understand the system to where they can even understand the language to apply.

- So how expensive is child care?

You know, you hear all these stories that it's very expensive.

How expensive is it?

- It's expensive.

Nationally, Wisconsin ranks among the top 20 of the most expensive in the nation.

We have other major cities spending no more than 6 or 7% of their medium household income.

Whereas in Wisconsin, our families are having to spend upwards to 16% of their medium household income, which yearly comes to about close to $12,000.

And that is only for one child.

Now, taking into account families that might have more than one child needing child care, that amount increases significantly.

- Is that because Wisconsin charges more for child care compared to other states?

Or why is it so upside down here?

- I don't think there's a cutoff.

I don't think the amount that centers are allowed to charge is moderated by any agency, so it varies a lot.

A lot of things come into place as to how much centers can charge.

Some will be whether they're accredited through a certain agency, like NAEYC is one of them, and then their ratings kind of play a role into how much of a high quality per se the centers are, which would kind of give them a right to charge a little more than a home-based child care facility.

- We talk some about rankings, like a high-quality child care agency compared to a lower child care rating.

What's the difference?

How is a parent supposed to know which one is high quality versus which one is not?

- I think that would greatly depend on the family's needs.

For example, maybe as a parent, I would value more a smaller-sized classroom or group compared to a nationally accredited, bigger facility that will in turn have bigger classrooms, and my child might not be getting the same one-on-one attention.

As far as high quality, in order to be an educator, you know, you have to have the education.

You have to have the schooling for it.

So I believe that high-quality education can be, cannot be kind of just based off saying, "This is a high-end, you know, brand new facility" and then turn down the smaller facilities with the wrong idea that they may not be able to provide what you're looking for, because some providers decide to spend their funding or their money in other areas rather than a brand new building.

- Gotcha.

- You know, so I think, I think it would vary greatly depending on the need of the family.

- How did you become an ambassador?

- I became an ambassador because I know of the struggle.

I am raising a family myself, and I decided to go back and pursue my education as raising my children.

So oftentimes it took me many years, a lot of starting and having to quit because I didn't have child care available.

And in order to qualify for a lot of the child care subsidies or whatever, you have to be enrolled in an approved activity.

Sometimes the place where I was obtaining my education from wasn't considered an approved facility, so therefore I wouldn't qualify for child care subsidies.

And it's hard, paying for child care out of pocket on top of paying for my schooling when I'm not making any income myself, so I personally know the struggle.

- What are you hearing from lawmakers saying that, do you hear weird stories about maybe you shouldn't have a child if you can't afford it.

Tell us about some of that.

- We've heard it, you know, as to a lot of people in politics would say, "Well, nobody told you to start a family."

You know, "You made that choice, so deal with it," when sadly, I mean, why does it have to come to that?

Why does it have to come to people having to decide whether they want to pursue having a family and decide between that or a career?

- [James] Gotcha.

- Which in turn, it's happening, and it's affecting majority women because we all see it, you know, and part of it as the way our society is structured.

Women are seen as the caretakers.

So say you're outta college, you have a career, you start working, once you get married and you decide to start having a family, you know, it's often assumed that, well, the wife stays home with the children, you know, many times leaving their career.

- [James] Gotcha.

- So, yeah, - I understand.

Well, thanks a lot for joining us, and this is a issue that people should look into.

Thanks.

- Yes, definitely.

Thank you for having me.

- [James] Appreciate it.

(funky music) - We note the recent passing of two icons.

Nikki Giovanni was a poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator.

She was a major figure in the Black arts movement of the 1960s, writing about Black joy.

She left us at the age of 81.

Here in Milwaukee, Elder James Beckum left us at the age of 95.

A talented baseball player, Mr. Beckum played for two Negro League teams, but it's his work with the youth in Milwaukee with Beckum Stapleton Little League that'll be his legacy.

In 2015, we were at then Miller Park when he was honored for his career in the Negro League.

- Thanks for coming.

- Well, it's good to see you guys come down.

- Well, sure.

- You know, it was good.

- James Beckum says his favorite memory of playing in the Negro Leagues is Jackie Robinson.

Why Jackie?

- Well, because of his age.

You know, he was the first guy who came into the set and because of the treatment that he had to take to make it work.

- [Aaron] Beckum not only played baseball.

He has coached Little League ball for over 50 years.

It's his passion, and he wanted to talk about that more than his actual career.

- That came by my pastor, Brother E.B.

Phillips.

He's the guy who put pressure on me to do something with the kids.

At that time, I was still playing ball.

I was at the age of 33 then.

You wouldn't, you know, but I was still playing.

And he was telling me about the kids, that they'd get chased off the ball field.

And that was true, because I was probably one of the guys who chased them off the ball field, because you have to get a permit, and the child could not get a permit.

It'd take an address to get that permit.

And he kept pushing me.

He said, "I want you to be that person to get the permit for these kids so they can practice ball and take 'em off the street."

- [Aaron] Beckum runs the Beckum-Stapleton Little League.

This Milwaukee-based youth baseball program happens to be the longest-running inner city baseball league in the nation.

- It's a good game.

It's a good sport.

It's a clean sport, you know?

It teaches the kid, in Little League baseball, you know, we try to develop him into the growth that he can, and preach, come to play high school ball and college ball, you know, and his attitude.

(lively drum music) - Kwanzaa is a celebration of African American and Pan-African culture celebrated during the last week of the year.

Created by activist Maulana Karenga based on various African harvest traditions, it was first celebrated in Los Angeles in 1966.

Two years later, according to Clayborn Benson, the founder and director of Wisconsin's Black Historical Society and Museum, Milwaukee became the second city to celebrate Kwanzaa when Karenga visited our city and held a Kwanzaa ceremony at the Panthers Den.

Kwanzaa celebrations became a staple of the museum in the 1980s and grew to accommodate hundreds of participants up until the pandemic.

Since then, the number of attendees has been smaller, but it's picking back up.

We thought this would be a good time, though, to ask Clayborn Benson about Kwanzaa and its importance.

(mellow drum music) - [Narrator] The seven principles of the Nguzo Saba, umoja, unity.

- Umoja means family sticking together, identifying, knowing who you are, understanding your mission and your goal.

(bright music) - [Narrator] Kujichagulia, self-determination.

- Kujichagulia.

♪ Kujichagulia, Kujichagulia ♪ It means to self-determination.

When I say it, it's supposed to ring in my soul because it's the energy I need to get off my butt and do those things that I want to do.

(lively music) - [Narrator] Ujima, collective work and responsibility.

- Ujima, collective work and responsibility.

It takes all of us to do this, not just one person, not just a daddy or just a mama.

It takes the collective to make that movement occur in your life and everyone, to learn, to keep the house together, to work the job.

Everybody supposed to support each other.

(lively music) - [Narrator] Ujamaa, cooperative economics.

- Cooperative economics, how do we spend our money?

How do we manage those dollars in a way in which they benefit not just this moment in time but long term, through insurance, through education, through purchasing of a car, all of the things in terms of how we manage our money.

(ominous music) - [Narrator] Nia, purpose.

- Nia, that vision, that third eye, that vision into tomorrow.

Are we planning?

Are we thinking about the future?

What is it we want to do?

How do we navigate our way to accomplish this goal?

Nia, that third eye, that vision.

Oh, also to see beyond the presence to, somebody says Santa Claus is coming down the street.

(laughs) I know Santa Claus ain't coming down the street, but that Nia, that third eye gives me the vision.

I know the truth and not truth.

Nia, an important purpose, important, that vision to think about tomorrow.

(lively music) - [Narrator] Kuumba, creativity.

- Kuumba, oh, my goodness.

Kuumba tells us that everybody has value.

Everybody is special.

Use the term creativity, but all of us are different, every one of us, not just in terms of art, but in our behavior, the way we walk, the way we talk, all of us, even if you come from the same roots and the same beginning.

And it's important to recognize differences and love and embrace differences.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Imani, faith.

- Imani, the last and the most important one, Imani, to have faith that always is always is owed.

Give it the, your brothers and sisters grace and understand that we all make mistakes.

Let's not triple that mistake and make more mistakes.

Imani, to have faith that this is going to be okay.

Whatever it is that you found yourself into, Imani.

Those are the seven principles of the Nguzo Saba and certainly tools to use to govern your life by 365 days out of the year.

(gentle music) (funky music) - Next week, Milwaukee PBS will present Adrian Dunn's "Wonderful: A Soulful Celebration," produced in cooperation with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Here's a preview.

(audience cheering) - Come on and get on your feet in this place.

Come on, stand up on your feet!

Come on and stand up on your feet!

Somebody say hallelujah!

- [Audience] Hallelujah!

- [Adrian] Come on!

(upbeat music) (audience cheering) - Come on and make some noise!

(audience cheering) (upbeat music continues) Hallelujah!

♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ - Hallelujah!

♪ Hallelujah ♪ - [Adrian] Hallelujah.

♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ - Halle!

♪ Halle ♪ - For the Lord!

♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪ ♪ Reigneth ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ - Come on, put your hands up.

♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ - Halle!

♪ Hallelujah ♪ - Hallelujah!

♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Halle ♪ - [Adrian] For the Lord!

♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪ ♪ Reigneth ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ - For the Lord God omnipotent reigns, reigns above the heavens and the Earth, and for that, y'all wanna sing, y'all wanna shout, y'all wanna lift up our dreams because this is season to keep believin'.

Come on, come on, come on.

This is the season to keep believin', get up.

It's not about the presents, not about the gold, not about the glitz, not about the crafts, but it's all about the fact that Christ reigneth forever and ever and ever, and He shall!

♪ He shall forever, he shall forever ♪ ♪ He shall forever, he shall for evermore ♪ ♪ He shall forever ♪ ♪ King of kings ♪ ♪ He shall forever ♪ ♪ He shall forever ♪ ♪ Lord of lords ♪ ♪ He shall forever ♪ ♪ King of kings ♪ ♪ King of kings ♪ ♪ Lord of lords ♪ ♪ Lord of lords ♪ - He's the King of kings!

♪ King of kings ♪ ♪ King of kings ♪ ♪ Lord of lords ♪ ♪ Lord of lords ♪ - [Adrian] He shall forever!

♪ Forever ♪ ♪ Forever ♪ ♪ Forever ♪ ♪ Forever ♪ ♪ Forever ♪ - Sing about the Lord, forever.

♪ Forever ♪ - Give me one more time.

♪ Forever ♪ - Give me one more time.

Sing!

♪ Forever ♪ - Give me one more time, sing!

♪ Forever ♪ - [Adrian] For evermore!

♪ Forever, King of kings ♪ ♪ Lord of lords ♪ - He's the King of kings!

♪ King of kings ♪ - Lord of lords!

♪ Lord of lords ♪ - Sing me!

♪ King of kings ♪ ♪ Lord of lords ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Lujah, lujah ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) - [Adrian] Come on and make some noise in this place!

(audience cheering and applauding) - Adrian Dunn's "Wonderful: A Soulful Celebration" airs December 23rd at 8:00 PM on Channel 36 and again on December 24th at 8:00 PM on Channel 10.

And don't forget to check us out on all our social media platforms.

And finally tonight, from the "Black Nouveau" family to your family, however you choose to celebrate this time of year, best wishes for a safe and prosperous holiday season and a happy 2025.

(bright music)