Oral+History+Interview

Did you support the Civil rights Movement during the 1960’s? I fully aware of it but my focus was elsewhere because I was raising a large family. What they were striving for was good because Milwaukee was so segregated and still is but we are working on it.

What was your first reaction when you heard about riots erupting on July 30 1967? I was frightened because not only where they occurring but they were marching in front of my home on Lake Drive and I had to protect my family.

As the 9 policemen where shot, did you ever think that the Rights Movement had bad intentions? I questioned them and I was afraid and I stayed in Shorewood because it felt I couldn’t accomplish anything.

Did Father Groppi March through your neighborhood? Do you think Father Groppi’s approach was too aggressive? Yes, no I felt that he was peaceful leader because he thought he could accomplish an unsegregated city but when you see so many people marching it seems threatening.

Police brutality was most likely the event that sparked the riots and intense movements. What did the media cover? What was media coverage bias in anyway? I can’t answer that because I wasn’t in Milwaukee at the time, but there was minimal media coverage throughout the state. I was in northern Wisconsin.

In the summer of 1967 do you think that the use of the National Guard was needed? Why? Yes, because this was something Milwaukee had ever experience and the fear was that it would get out of control and they wanted to keep it safe.

What was your family situation while this was going on? We were removed from it because we were lucky enough to have a summer home in Northern Wisconsin.

18-year old Clifford McKissick was shot and killed on August 2 by the police. What was the immediate impact? I’m sure it riled up but all I could see was what was in the news and on TV.

Over 1000 people marched in late August and early September to pass an open housing law. Did marches affect you in any way? Did you think that what they where doing was right? I thought they were doing was right as long as it was peaceful and they marched in front of my home.

After the horrible events Milwaukee still remains the 2nd most segregated city. Do you think the state and city government has done anything to change it over the past 45 years? I do know some of officials are black so they have say in government and I really feel efforts are being made to help.