(light chiming music) (light upbeat music) - Hello, everybody.

And welcome to "Black Nouveau".

I'm Earl Arms, And this is our November edition.

This month, in our American Dream segment, Alexandria Mack introduces us to a Somali refugee who has created one of Milwaukee's best restaurants.

James Causey sits down with Milwaukee's top cop, Jeffrey Norman, and I'll introduce you to the new head of the city of Milwaukee's Office of African-American Affairs.

But first, in honor of Veteran's Day, we want to remember the first time Milwaukee's Stars and Stripes Honor Flight took its first full plane of Vietnam War veterans to Washington, D.C. - [Everett] The Vietnamese War further divided a nation that was also in the midst of a civil rights struggle.

Almost 3 million United States service men and women saw duty in Vietnam between 1955 and the war's end in 1975.

And more than 12% of those serving were African American.

(intense explosion) - I was drafted in '68, and I was assigned to a Seminal First Mains outfit when I went to Vietnam, and I ended up being in the supply, but it was kind of boring to me.

So, I ended up being a shotgun rider for all convoys.

Well, we'd load up supplies, and well, wherever we go to Tan Son Nhut, Lai Khe, Long Binh, Saigon, and you ride shotgun through all for the driver, in case you get hit.

- [Everett] Was that dangerous?

- Somewhat, you know, we could load up once or twice where we'd be like, Hey, and we couldn't come back down because they had discovered the regular artillery got all their BDMs from north Vietnam, so we couldn't come back down.

But other than that, you know, you just kind of taking the day as it goes.

Did my two year's service, a year in Vietnam, about 13 months in Vietnam.

And then came back, stateside.

- Everybody else in my neighborhood was getting drafted.

And I said, that's not gonna happen to me.

I said, I want to be able to choose and make the choice as to where I go, and when I go, and that kind of thing.

So, that's when I volunteered.

- [Everett] He enlisted in the Air Force, did his basic training in Texas and became an aircraft mechanic.

Stateside, he learned how to operate the B-47 bomber.

When he was transferred to the Philippines, he learned about the C-130 cargo.

- They gave me an assignment of a C-130 that I was the crew chief on.

I was responsible for all of the maintenance and the upkeep of that plane.

And everywhere that plane went, I was on it.

In that particular realm, they sent us on a two-week rotational into Vietnam to go in and run sorties up and down the coast, delivering various things, food, and fuel and water and all of that stuff and going, picking up bodies and doing the injured, bringing them back to the processing center in Saigon.

So, I did that off and on for like eight months.

And the longest I stayed in Vietnam was like three weeks.

- [Everett] Both men returned home safely from the war, but they did not receive a hero's welcome.

- So when I got out in California, I went to two junior colleges there in California and everywhere I went, it was all these protesters.

Everybody was protesting, the Vietnam war.

- Turned back wasn't a welcome turn back, not like today.

We know we will, you know, there was a war where we killed babies and, and some time we got spit on, I mean it's just, it wasn't a welcome back.

It was like, we weren't welcomed back.

- [Everett] But that changed last September, the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight took it's first full plane of Vietnam veterans to Washington, D.C.

Since 2009, the all volunteer organization has transported over 5,000 veterans from Southeastern Wisconsin, to see their national memorials.

And now Vietnam veterans are being honored for their service.

- The experience is very important.

It's important that we let everybody know that their service, whatever their role was, they didn't get to ask for which job they got.

They took whatever they got, and whatever role they played is significant.

And it's worth being thanked for.

(1940's music playing) - The day's events started early at Mitchell Airport.

(1940's music playing) The veterans wear the blue shirts and their guardians are in red.

(1940's music playing) Arriving in the DC area, they get a rousing welcome.

(crowd cheering) - Thank you.

- Thank you for your service.

Welcome to Washington, D.C. - (indistinct) - [Everett] And the police escort.

- (indistinct) - (indistinct) - Arlington National Cemetery, offers a quiet reminder of the human price of war and the sacrifice many Americans have made.

(heavy music) So, does the Vietnam Memorial.

- Do you know what?

They're not forgotten, are they?

- No, no, we never forgot them Nobody cared.

- They do now.

They do now.

- When I arrived in Vietnam, my first letter home, mom and dad, my first letter back, they told me that he got killed.

- [Announcer] Halbert Algee.

Mail call, Algee.

- [Everett] Coming home, the vets received mail call.

- Oh, this is great.

This is real great.

Seriously guys, oh.

This, this was from Paula.

I'm gonna frame this and keep this.

Fantastic.

- Wow, that's pretty cool.

- [Everett] And finally, the welcome home they deserve.

- Welcome home.

- Thank you for your service.

(everyone laughs genuinely) (musical ballad playing) - He was appointed to the Milwaukee Police Department in 1996.

As a officer, he served in district one, district two in a technical communication division until his promotion to detective in 2002.

For the past year, he has served as an acting police chief.

By the time this interview airs that acting title will more than likely be removed from his title.

Chief Jeffrey Norman, welcome to Black Nouveau.

- Thank you, James.

- So, you told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that, you know, one of the things you wanna do is change the culture of the Milwaukee Police Department.

What did you mean by that?

- I believe the big thing is, what it means to be truly community engaged.

Having a proactive and interactive, engagement citywide, for our city.

I believe it's important that all members of the Milwaukee Police Department, understands what that mission means and do their respective roles in regards to being human to each other, human to our city.

- So, we talk about community policing.

How will you tackle community policing?

What would your approach be?

- Well, it's important to have the right leaders in place.

I think that it's important to understand as in Jim Collins' book "Good to Great" has the right people on the seats on the bus.

So, leadership is a core part of that strategy of engaging and understanding that those who are having to lift and help them with the lift, but also understanding who our partners, we have a number of different partners in our community, whether they're Safe and Sound, Office Virus Prevention, different individuals who are always working on the front lines in regards to engaging with our community, but also understand that it's a collaborative effort with elected officials and most important with our residents.

- So, you talk about working with community officials and people like that.

How haw that support been over the past year or so?

- I've been pleased in regards to that we've been having some regular dialogues, understanding that it's an ongoing process.

This should never be enough.

We should always be striving for more.

I always tell my team communicate, communicate.

And when you think you communicate enough, you communicate some more.

So when it comes to working with our community, we have a lot to work on regards to rebuilding trust in some areas, holding on and restoring and maintain trust in many others.

But we know that we all have to do our own part.

And so that's important regards to understand that, you know, we do have some great conversations and great action items with our elected officials, with our residents, with our community stakeholders, with our business community.

But I'm never say I'm satisfied with where we're at or what we're doing.

- So, a lot of officers no longer live in the city.

So, can you actively have a strong community policing when they don't even live in the city?

- It's all about expectation, James.

Again, this is a lot of legal aspects in regards to how we got there for officers being able to live outside the city, but the expectations are the same.

And as the leader, the executive leader modeling what I believe in.

I'm a resident of the city.

Been a resident of the city, born and raised in this city.

So, understanding that I am showing my commitment.

Hope to inspire others, but at the end of the day, professionalism, engagement, no matter if you live in the city or outside of the city, the expectations still the same.

- Is there any kind of incentive you could give officers to move back to the city?

Because, I'm trying to figure out if you believe that a officer is better if they live in a city that they serve.

- Well, I will say that having skin in the game, along with having the professional responsibility, is a great dual purpose.

I believe there is some encouragement in regards to knowing that things that are affecting your neighborhood is important for you to be part of the solution.

The incentives, unfortunately, is not in my department.

I know that we have, you know, a lot of different elected officials.

We have unions.

I know that we work between our city and our particular respective unions for the supervisors and for our frontline officers, in regards to monetary, whatnot.

But I can do my part by again, being very vocal, being very proactive in regards to what I feel.

I think it is important for us to stand on our principles and understanding that if you don't believe it and actually have the actions behind it, you don't have any credibility.

- Our last police chief had a difficult time really describing the police department strategy.

What will your strategy be in addressing crime, in addressing a lot of the issues that we're dealing with right now?

- Community engagement is at the core.

You don't know how to respond to concerns, if you don't have a regular robust communication, with your respective partners and also the residents.

The police department is a service operation.

We provide a service.

We don't tell the public what we're gonna do.

We respond to what the public wants from us.

What we're hearing, fighting crime is you know at top of list, reckless driving is at the top of list.

But they also want to know, who are their officers?

It's important to be able to have that understanding that this is not some type of this, you know, speaking words, you actually have to have action behind it.

Being a part of the town halls, being part of, you know, crime and safety meetings, being part of the good things also out there in regards to seeing the type of activities of a community garden, or, you know, our kids playing.

We are apart of the fabric of this neighborhood.

So, the strategy in regards to having effectiveness and how to use and deploy resources.

'Cause it's finite.

There's no unending supply in regards to officers and vehicles, whatnot, but being smart by working with our partnerships, you know, Office Violent Prevention, Credible Messengers, like I said, Safe and Sound.

These individuals who are out there seeing what's going on, other tools besides our law enforcement aspect of it, but also other government partners.

We work closely with Department of Public Works, Department of Neighborhood Services.

So working with our partners, understanding what is the need and what is the information we're getting, is how we can be effectively address those concerns in our community.

- Okay, well, thank you.

That's about as much time as, as we have here today, but we will continue our conversation with acting police chief, Jeffrey Norman, during a web exclusive at milwaukeeepbs.org.

(light upbeat music) - All local programs here at Milwaukee PBS are featuring profiles of area residents who are following and fulfilling their American Dreams.

Mariano Avila is the catalyst for the series and he joins us now, Mariano, thank you so much for joining us.

Talk about this series and what it's about and what people can expect to see.

- Thank you.

The American Dream series here in Milwaukee PBS is, this big idea of getting the community to participate in storytelling and capturing a moment in American history that we're going through from different perspectives, not just our own.

And so we will be telling the stories that we find interesting, asking people the question, what is the American dream to you?

And we will also be trying to elicit stories from the community so that people can tell us what they think it means to them.

- What do you hope to hear from the community?

Or what do you hope people learn about the community with this series?

- I think this is an interesting time in history.

We just went through a great economic depression and then we went through a pandemic and we went through, you know, a tumultuous presidency and we're heading into midterms and then another election.

So, it's a moment in history that could pivot our American narrative and our hope is that we capture a snapshot from different perspectives so that we can see what people are thinking and feeling about this American project.

And can I ask you a question now?

- On my show?

I'm just kidding, go ahead.

Absolutely.

(laughs genuinely) - Well, the good question on your show is what does the American dream mean to you?

- I usually asked the questions here, but I'm actually glad you did that because no, I think the American dream is a prosperity for those behind me, but also those in front of me.

So future generations, being able to have a space where my children and my children's children can live and prosper and be free to pursue their dreams.

So, no, thanks for asking.

Wow, give me something to think about so.

Now, looking forward to the series, Mariano, thank you so much for joining us.

- No, thank you Earl.

- And now we hear from the owner of the Blue Star Cafe who shares her journey of fleeing from Somalia civil war in the 1990s to owning one of the top restaurants here in Milwaukee.

(upbeat music) - I like to call my mom a workaholic, because of how much work she does everyday.

Comes here bright early in the morning, and then starts cooking, starts setting everything up, staying here in the morning.

Usually she doesn't have all her workers here.

So it was like usually her serving, taking the orders, just doing a one woman show.

And that's usually her day-to-day.

And that's like repeated every single day until the place closes.

- Everyday I cook.

Everyday I cook the same thing.

Six days a week, 11 to 9.

My name is Alia Muhyadin.

I'm owner of Blue Star Cafe.

I opened in 2012.

I like to cook the food.

Because I'm 14 years old and I have little restaurant and back home, I cook.

The same thing right now, my food.

I cook that.

- [Female Reporter] Six days a week, you can find Alia Muhyadin in Blue Star Cafe whipping up customer favorites.

Like sambusa's, goat meat and her adored rice.

The hours are long, but it's a way to bring a taste of her Somali roots to Milwaukee.

Fleeing the east African country in the '90s, Muhyadin looked to escape a civil war and start a new life for her and her family.

- America, we come for my brother-in-law.

He come, he sponsor for us, because it's the, my brother, my country its a civil war.

It's too bad.

I have little children, four years old and three years old.

After that he's sponsor.

I come in Milwaukee and Chicago.

I move here in 1997.

I got the job in a Jewish Home, Care Center, 1414 Prospect.

I'm working 14 years.

That one, I collected my little money.

I keep it.

I don't take food share.

I stop everything.

I work myself.

- [Female Reporter] All the while a childhood dream bubbled under the surface.

- Whole time I'm screaming, I say, "Oh, I like."

If I see the business or outside, or the restaurant or the store, I like, I say, "Oh, I like to open the restaurant or the store."

We put inside the meat, the chicken, or some people we order with the chicken.

Some people order with the veggie and we make it with veggie with fresh one and we make the chicken and Somali style steak, with the beef steak, the small pieces we want inside and a little salad.

We make it like sandwich.

- [Female Reporter] That long awaited aspiration, has now fit the bellies of thousands.

And is one of Milwaukee's top restaurants in the past decade.

Not bad for the city's only Somali restaurant.

- I think food is one of the biggest ways for people to get introduced into a culture.

And I think that was the importance of the restaurant was creating something that introduces Milwaukee to a community that has always existed here.

My mom came in the '90s.

There was always Somali's here.

It was just, there was nowhere to showcase that there were Somalis here.

- We don't have any Somali food in the Milwaukee.

Minnesota, we have a lot.

Here, no.

I try.

Now everybody love my food, because I cook fresh food.

- [Female Reporter] In a childhood dream, born long ago in Somalia, has also given her family a chance.

An American Dream.

- 'Cause everybody love it, because I make a little money and I give my mom, she lived in Kenya.

She's 85 years old.

This one is my sister.

A lot of people in live in my, Kenya.

- The story has meant, like, it's meant like a really good example of like what resilience looks like.

So, I really use my mom's story as a story of what resilience and constant dedication to success of you and your family can do for you.

I think at the end of the day, the true American Dream, the realistic one is like finding a place in your life where you feel happy with what you have and what you did in your life.

And I see that in my mom, how she looks significantly more happier now, not working a minimum wage job at Jewish Home Retirement Center, but has something that she's wanted since she was a kid.

Is like owning a restaurant and working it and being her own boss is something that she always wanted to do since childhood.

- I'm happy right now, everything.

I'm owner in a Blue Star Cafe and my children right now, all everybody grown up.

I'm so happy.

(light upbeat music) - Those are scenes from the 16th annual Fatherhood Summit held last month at MATC.

The fatherhood initiative is one of the major programs now coming under the city's new Office of African-American Affairs and speaking of we're joined by its director, Darryl Davidson.

Mr. Davidson, thank you so much for joining us.

- Thank you for having me.

- First off, Mr. Davidson, talk about the office and talk about the priorities you have for it.

- The office of African-American affairs is a one-stop shop, that's going to be primarily service oriented.

So, we have jobs and job consultation through "Employ Milwaukee".

We have an outreach activity that's taking place through the Medical College of Wisconsin.

The hub is also going to have the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative, which is going to give it's referral services that are connected to driver's license recovery.

We have a relationship with Milwaukee County Court System and the fatherhood initiatives relationship with the Milwaukee Child Support System will be maintained.

And so we do have social services and we also have employment services, and we're looking forward to many opportunities in the community that are going to allow us to be a strong hold in the future.

- We were talking a little bit before this, and you said that this is an office for everybody.

So, how is that the case specifically for a women as well?

- Well, this is an Office of African-American Affairs thematically, because African-Americans have not fared as well as other populations in the city.

So we want to have that focus primarily because if African-Americans are uplifted and empowered, then we know that we're going to have better outcomes for the rest of the city environment.

But what we do want to make sure everyone is clear, it's a Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative that is in the building, but we do care about mothers.

We do care about women.

We care about the girls and also the large population of non-fathers.

So we're looking forward to all populations of people, being able to access this building and its resources.

- Are there some goals or some measurable goals that you have for this office and how do you see those coming about?

- Well, we do plan on working with our school systems in various capacities.

We want to work with the various youth activities that are taking place that already exists.

We want to reduce violence in the city.

We want to improve graduation rates.

We want to establish relationships between businesses and entrepreneurs, so that there's a larger number of internship opportunities.

- So, you talked a little bit about some of the issues that you want to address.

What do you see as the biggest issue that the Office of African-American Affairs needs to address for the city?

- We have to address the ongoing brain drain that's taking place in the state of Wisconsin with African-Americans.

Many of our college graduates are not staying here.

And we know that part of it is because of opportunities.

This is a chance for us to talk to them about things such as financial planning and owning a home and building a future and being able to provide a living wage for their families.

We know that that's part of the issue, but it's also policies.

And we want to make sure that Milwaukee, Wisconsin is known as a welcoming community for individuals who want to stay.

- So, you've had some experience through the city and the workings of it.

So, how do you see that experience helping you in this position?

- I've been a member of the city of Milwaukee for over two decades and in that capacity, I've had so many different roles, especially in leadership and administrative capacity.

I have been the director of health centers as well as the director of numerous programs.

And I've also been a grant writer and overseeing multiple grants that were privately funded, federally funded and state funded.

So, I'm looking forward to opportunities where we can bring more revenue and resources to this community and also get to know our neighbors, because that was the most enjoyable thing I do remember experiencing in my other roles, getting out, meeting the neighbors and saying, we are here for you.

This is your city building.

- And you have a special pen there on your jacket.

Talk about that pen you have on your lapel.

- It's one that means a lot to me.

This is the pen that represents opportunities for men.

Men's health and any type of concern that we have.

Often, men are not the ones who look at themselves as being valuable.

We wanna make sure that men know that they're valuable and that they're worthwhile.

And so we're moving things forward so that if men can lead and empower themselves, we know that other people are going to follow their lead.

- Which should the city of Milwaukee and those out there watching know about the Office of African-American Affairs?

- First, they should know where it's located.

4830 North Fond Du Lac Avenue and that's in the heart of the city.

It's there because that's where a lot of activity is.

We know that if you take a look at that section of the city, it's a very good representation of what's taking place.

So, we want people to know where it is and what's there and be able to come and know that they're welcome.

- Darryl Davidson, thank you so much for joining us.

- I appreciate being here.

- And as we close tonight, a reminder to join us online at milwaukeepbs.org.

We'll have more of James Causey's interview with MPD's, Jeffrey Norman, and a talk with author, Dr. Sandra E. Jones, about her new book, "Voices of Milwaukee Bronzeville".

For the "Black Nouveau" team, I'm Earl Arms.

Have a safe, prosperous, and happy Thanksgiving.

(soft music)