NAACP Youth Council demonstration at the Eagles Club, Milwaukee, September 1966. We’re trying a new approach with this week’s theme—highlighting events from a single year in history. The year of the week is 1966, a turbulent year of grassroots political actions in Wisconsin and across the nation. For several months in 1966, the Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council, along with advisor Father James Groppi, picketed the Fraternal Order of Eagles, an exclusively white social club. Eagles Club membership included many prominent Milwaukee judges and other city officials. The news media largely ignored the protesters until the NAACP Youth Council moved from picketing the Eagles Club itself to picketing the homes of individual judges. The Eagles Club demonstrations were part of a decade-long struggle for civil rights in Milwaukee in which community members waged protests, boycotts, and legislative battles against segregation and discrimination in housing and schools. Photo by Robert Miller for the Milwaukee Journal, September 28, 1966. via: Historic Photo Collection, Milwaukee Public Library learn more: March on Milwaukee Civil Rights History Project, UW-Milwaukee Libraries
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NAACP Youth Council demonstration at the Eagles Club, Milwaukee, September 1966.

We’re trying a new approach with this week’s theme—highlighting events from a single year in history. The year of the week is 1966, a turbulent year of grassroots political actions in Wisconsin and across the nation.

For several months in 1966, the Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council, along with advisor Father James Groppi, picketed the Fraternal Order of Eagles, an exclusively white social club. Eagles Club membership included many prominent Milwaukee judges and other city officials. The news media largely ignored the protesters until the NAACP Youth Council moved from picketing the Eagles Club itself to picketing the homes of individual judges. The Eagles Club demonstrations were part of a decade-long struggle for civil rights in Milwaukee in which community members waged protests, boycotts, and legislative battles against segregation and discrimination in housing and schools. Photo by Robert Miller for the Milwaukee Journal, September 28, 1966.

via: Historic Photo Collection, Milwaukee Public Library

learn more: March on Milwaukee Civil Rights History Project, UW-Milwaukee Libraries

Source: content.mpl.org

Fair housing demonstration, Milwaukee, 1967. Well-known protest photographer Ben Fernandez came to Milwaukee on assignment, like many other photographers, as national news outlets took notice of the civil rights struggle unfolding in the urban north. Fernandez published this photo in his 1968 book, IN OPPOSITION: IMAGES OF AMERICAN DISSENT IN THE SIXTIES. via: The March on Milwaukee Civil Rights History Project, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries Thanks to historian Mark Speltz for curating this week’s blog. To find out more about the civil rights movement in Milwaukee, explore UW-Milwaukee’s March on Milwaukee digital collection or search for “civil rights” on the Wisconsin Heritage Online portal.
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Fair housing demonstration, Milwaukee, 1967.

Well-known protest photographer Ben Fernandez came to Milwaukee on assignment, like many other photographers, as national news outlets took notice of the civil rights struggle unfolding in the urban north. Fernandez published this photo in his 1968 book, IN OPPOSITION: IMAGES OF AMERICAN DISSENT IN THE SIXTIES.

via: The March on Milwaukee Civil Rights History Project, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries

Thanks to historian Mark Speltz for curating this week’s blog. To find out more about the civil rights movement in Milwaukee, explore UW-Milwaukee’s March on Milwaukee digital collection or search for “civil rights” on the Wisconsin Heritage Online portal.

Alderwoman Vel Phillips visits St. Boniface Church, Milwaukee, 1967. Alderwoman Vel Phillips first introduced open housing legislation in 1962. After five years of casting the sole vote in favor, she and the NAACP Youth Council joined forces and took to the streets to call attention to the dramatic need for open housing. via: Milwaukee Public Library
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Alderwoman Vel Phillips visits St. Boniface Church, Milwaukee, 1967.

Alderwoman Vel Phillips first introduced open housing legislation in 1962. After five years of casting the sole vote in favor, she and the NAACP Youth Council joined forces and took to the streets to call attention to the dramatic need for open housing.

via: Milwaukee Public Library

Fair housing march, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, 1966 (James Groppi, center). This well-known Milwaukee civil rights movement photograph features young members of the NAACP Youth Council and their advisor, Father James Groppi, proudly carrying the American flag. This march took place in Wauwatosa on August 28, 1966, exactly one year before the explosive open housing demonstrations began.  via: Wisconsin Historical Images WHi-25167, Wisconsin Historical Society read more: Erica L. Metcalfe, “Future Political Actors: The Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council’s Early Fight for Identity,” Wisconsin Magazine of History vol. 95, no. 1 (2011)  This week’s blog is curated by Mark Speltz, who began exploring the photographic record of Milwaukee’s civil rights movement as a graduate student in public history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In the five years since he has interviewed participants, politicians, and photographers and remains ever hopeful new photographs and stories will come forth. He works as a senior historian at American Girl and lives in Madison. 
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Fair housing march, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, 1966 (James Groppi, center).

This well-known Milwaukee civil rights movement photograph features young members of the NAACP Youth Council and their advisor, Father James Groppi, proudly carrying the American flag. This march took place in Wauwatosa on August 28, 1966, exactly one year before the explosive open housing demonstrations began. 

via: Wisconsin Historical Images WHi-25167, Wisconsin Historical Society

read more: Erica L. Metcalfe, “Future Political Actors: The Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council’s Early Fight for Identity,” Wisconsin Magazine of History vol. 95, no. 1 (2011) 

This week’s blog is curated by Mark Speltz, who began exploring the photographic record of Milwaukee’s civil rights movement as a graduate student in public history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In the five years since he has interviewed participants, politicians, and photographers and remains ever hopeful new photographs and stories will come forth. He works as a senior historian at American Girl and lives in Madison. 

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