Spring in the City

Spring In The City

by Jeff Jordan

Any year as the seasons roll by, some benchmarks indicate the changes. The leaves are budding, or they are falling. The grass is growing, or the frost is taking over. The days are getting longer or shorter. The flowers are pushing their way up or submit to the colder temperatures. 

In the city, there is the blossoming of another sort. It's the opening of the umbrellas over the street tables next to the restaurants. Outside dining, while more traditional in many other countries and warmer parts of the US, is relatively new in the upper midwest.

This last weekend in Milwaukee signaled another benchmark in the city. The city of Milwaukee's public health department rolled back restrictions, put in place due to the Pandemic, and allowed restaurants and bars to reopen with some restrictions. Make no mistake about the significance of this ruling to the citizens of Milwaukee. The allegations of the drinking habits of Wisconsin residents are probably conservative when matched to accurately measured reality. We know how to 'tie one on.'

I was on Downer Avenue for the second time in two weeks. The Downer Neighborhood is the perfect blend of residential and walkable retail businesses in the city of Milwaukee. Two weeks ago I went there to do some banking, buy some bread and visit the hardware store. I was on the street from when I stepped off the Gold Line bus to when the same bus and driver picked me up to ferry me home for about 30 minutes. At that time, I saw maybe ten people, not counting service personnel.

Today for about the same amount of time, I would say I saw about sixty to seventy people. The coffee shop had a fair number on their patio. The Original Pancake House had a couple of tables occupied, and the Hollander had two or three tables being used. There was a lot of street traffic, and the line at the Breadsmith was socially distanced spaced with three people outside and two inside.

Yes, today was slightly nicer weatherwise than it was two weeks ago, but the biggest difference was the restaurants, coffee shops, and bars were open. It was those umbrellas over the tables blossoming. The signal that "Spring is here. Why isn't my heart romancing?"

Outta body experience.

It's Sunday afternoon. There is no golf on TV. I've shelled out about $7 to watch a James Baldwin documentary entitled "I Am Not Your Negro". (Available through Milwaukee Film)

From this experience, I am learning how difficult it is to listen to someone brilliant tell you why you can't understand Racism, And the big question is, how did he know I didn't have a negro? As I'm watching the film in the background, I hear a large group of people chanting. 

"I can't breathe. (beat beat) I can't breathe."

"Black Lives Matter. (beat beat) Black lives matter."

It's getting louder and louder. 

I'm thinking of a couple of things. I thought these phrases were more contemporary. But I can hear them in the background of this film so... 

I also think the audio guy who made the sound for this film was not very good because the chanting track drowned out the voice track, and Baldwin was a very articulate guy. Not too smart, eh.

Then it occurs to me. I pause the film, and the chanting continues. The march for George Floyd is going down Juneau ave, literally outside my window. Seriously, I wish I could join them. But instead, I did the next best thing, I finished watching the film. 

The answers are all there. The most important one is that black people do not have to do anything to bring about justice. White people have to do everything to change the way we approach the issue. And we can if we have the will.