Education
SkillsUSA Announces Winners and MPS is on the List
MILWAUKEE COURIER — Over a month ago, around 1,800 middle and high school students were preparing for the 46th annual SkillsUSA Wisconsin State Leadership and Skills Conference. The conference itself recently ended at the beginning of this month, and results are finally in. Students from Barack Obama School Career & Tech Ed Middle and High School and Bradley Tech High School were a few of the Milwaukee Public Schools to compete and win in the competition.
By Nyesha Stone
Over a month ago, around 1,800 middle and high school students were preparing for the 46th annual SkillsUSA Wisconsin State Leadership and Skills Conference. The conference itself recently ended at the beginning of this month, and results are finally in.
Students from Barack Obama School Career & Tech Ed Middle and High School and Bradley Tech High School were a few of the Milwaukee Public Schools to compete and win in the competition.
The conference was held from April 30-May 1 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin, where the students participated in over 80 skilled and technical competitions.
The purpose of SkillsUSA is to help prepare students for the real world.
Below is a list of awards from both Barack Obama middle and high school and Bradley Tech high school:
Audio/ Radio Production – High School
• Gold Team: Janeequa Blackmon-Wells and Blackmon-Wells and Ahmad Blake, The School of Career and Technical Ed High School
CO2 Dragster – High School
• Gold: Nathan Mason, The School of Career and Technical Ed High School
• Silver: Romero Williams, The School of Career and Technical Ed High School
CO2 Dragster – Middle School
• Gold: Oscar Hagedorn, Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Ed MS
Job Interview – Middle School
• Bronze: Annika Burton, Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Ed MS
Job Skill Demonstration Open – Middle School
• Silver: Antwania Hayes, Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Ed MS
Opening and Closing Ceremonies – High School
• Siham Mohamed, Nur Muhamad, and Hla Hla Myint, Bradley Tech High School
Promotional Bulletin Board – High School
• Silver Team: Ibrahim Abukar, Gabriel Alanis, and Kenyatta Parks, Bradley Tech High School
Robotics and Automation – High School
• Gold Team: Nathan Mason and Romero Williams, The School of Career and Technical Ed High School
Barack Obama School of Careers and Technology Education is sending four students to Nationals SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference held in Louisville, KY June 24 to 28, 2019.
This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Courier.
Art
A Prolific Painter: Artist and Advocate Lois Mailou Jones
Lois Mailou Jones was a prominent African American artist whose career spanned more than seven decades, from the Harlem Renaissance to the modern art movement. She was not only a prolific painter but also an influential educator, bridging cultural gaps and challenging stereotypes through her vibrant and diverse works.
By Tamara Shiloh
Lois Mailou Jones was a prominent African American artist whose career spanned more than seven decades, from the Harlem Renaissance to the modern art movement. She was not only a prolific painter but also an influential educator, bridging cultural gaps and challenging stereotypes through her vibrant and diverse works.
Her unique journey of self-expression, dedication to art, and advocacy for African American and African themes made her a crucial figure in the evolution of American art.
Jones was born on Nov. 3, 1905, in Boston. Raised in an intellectual and supportive family, she demonstrated an early interest in art, encouraged by her mother, who believed in the importance of creativity. Lois studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she faced racial challenges but persisted in pursuing her passion.
Her pursuit of higher education led her to the prestigious Design Art School, where she perfected her skills in textile design. Later, Jones attended Harvard University and received further training at the Académie Julian in Paris. This European experience greatly influenced her style and broadened her perspective on art.
Jones’s career began in textile design, creating works that were used by leading textile companies. However, her true passion was painting. During the Harlem Renaissance, she moved away from textile design to focus on fine art, exploring themes that reflected her heritage and the African diaspora.
Her early works were influenced by European Post-Impressionism, featuring landscapes and still life, but Jones’s style evolved over time. After spending time in Haiti, she was deeply inspired by Caribbean culture, and her palette became more vivid, her subject matter more symbolic. The influence of African and Caribbean culture is evident in her later works, where she used bright colors and geometric patterns to convey the spirit and stories of the people she encountered.
Her contributions to African American art were significant during a time when Black artists struggled for recognition. She often focused on themes of African heritage, pride, and unity, blending African illustrations and portraits with Western artistic techniques to create a unique visual language that celebrated Black culture.
She was also a dedicated educator. She began her teaching career at Palmer Memorial Institute in North Carolina and later became a professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she taught for almost 50 years. Through her teaching, she influenced generations of young Black artists, encouraging them to explore and express their cultural heritage through art.
In the 1930s and 1940s, she worked to exhibit her work alongside other Black artists, helping to create a platform for voices that had long been excluded from mainstream galleries.
Recognition and Legacy
Jones achieved significant recognition throughout her lifetime, both in the United States and internationally. She exhibited her work across the globe, including in Paris, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Jones continued painting until her death in 1998, leaving behind a rich legacy of artistic achievements and contributions to art education. She broke boundaries by celebrating Black identity and heritage at a time when these themes were often marginalized.
California Black Media
New California Law Will Protect Students During Extreme Weather
On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will protect students from extreme weather conditions by requiring the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns harmful to student health. Authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), “Yahushua’s Law” or Senate Bill 1248 addresses an extreme heat-related fatality in Lake Elsinore. During the summer of 2023, a student died after participating in physical education suffered extreme heat-related illness.
By Bo Tefu, California Black Media
On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will protect students from extreme weather conditions by requiring the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns harmful to student health.
Authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), “Yahushua’s Law” or Senate Bill 1248 addresses an extreme heat-related fatality in Lake Elsinore. During the summer of 2023, a student died after participating in physical education suffered extreme heat-related illness.
“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Sen. Hurtado stated last Spring. “I commend the family of Yahushua Robinson, the twelve-year student who lost his life due to heat related illness during on-campus physical education, for lending their emotional strength and compassion for others in order to help ensure that no other student loses their life this way.”
Supporters of the legislation say the lack of uniform guidelines and protocols across schools and school districts in California intensifies the issue, creating an urgent need for safeguards to ensure student safety during extreme weather conditions.
California Black Media
More Than 1.2 Million Youth Pre-Registered to Vote, Secretary of State Weber Announced
Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced on Sept. 26 that more than 1.2 million young people between the ages of 16 and 17-years-old have pre-registered to vote since the state launched the initiative in September 2016. The state program automatically activates voter registration for pre-registered youth when they turn 18 years of age.
By Bo Tefu, California Black Media
Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced on Sept. 26 that more than 1.2 million young people between the ages of 16 and 17-years-old have pre-registered to vote since the state launched the initiative in September 2016. The state program automatically activates voter registration for pre-registered youth when they turn 18 years of age.
Weber, who has visited dozens of high schools across the state to promote voting initiatives, said that students are eager to vote and look forward to casting their first ballot, and “the numbers back them up.”
“Young Californians want to be engaged, active participants in our democracy and they can position themselves to do so by preregistering to vote,” said Weber.
Weber said that she is committed to encouraging young people to pre-register to vote, adding that she looks forward to partnering with the California Department of Education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, school officials, and leaders of community-based organizations to expand this effort.
According to Weber’s office, approximately 42% of young voters are registered Democrats, while over 13% are registered Republicans. Another 35% of young voters registered as having “no party preference.”
For more information, Californians can visit the online pre-registration website at www.RegisterToVote.ca.gov. Registration is open to residents who are 16 or 17 and meet all the following criteria:
- A United States citizen and a resident of California.
- 18 years old or older on Election Day.
- Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
- Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.
More information about pre-registration for California youth can be found at sos.ca.gov/elections/pre-register-16-vote-18.
Upcoming key deadlines and dates for the November 5, 2024, General Election can be found at here.
Plus, visit http://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2024-primary/section-08-general-election-calendar.pdf to view a complete California General Election Calendar with more voting details and updates.
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