Rae (they/she)

Book 13 on the year. 108% of my goal. Over 4,100 pages!🥇

I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars out of 5. I felt like some parts of it fell flat, I kept thinking how much of a brat the daughter was, and the ending was kind of meh. But the big themes of the book, I loved.

I hate when people litter but let’s be sure to remember that geography, demographics, and infrastructure matter, most of y’all are really just anti Black.

Heavy Rains Lead to Widespread Flooding in Wisconsin

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/10/u...

Show this to the next person who tells you that Wisconsin is a “climate haven.”

We’ve seen increased precipitation rates for decades, and this flooding is just a sign of what’s to come.

Now’s the time to prepare for the wetter, warmer, & more unpredictable weather.

feeling gratitude today for the friends who texted to check in, a relatively dry basement, electricity, my man for making breakfast, neighbors who saw me clearing storm drains & joined the effort, and a day off from washing dishes cause MMSD said aht, aht! water drop alert!

i went to walk my dog & clear my storm drain of litter & debris. then i cleared my neighbors, and the church drain across the street. i hear my neighbor say, “goodmorning!” she was outside with a grocery bag & gloves picking up litter in the yard.

all it takes is 1 person. be the 1.

Donate today to help me save public media fallball2025.funraise.org/fundraiser/r...

5yo me would sing Karyn White’s “Superwoman” loud & proud!! then a teacher told my mom i couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. on Sept 12, you be the judge. i’ll be singing Texas Hold ‘Em for Radio Milwaukee. Let’s heal my inner child & support Public Media: fallball2025.funraise.org/fundraiser/r...

YouTube video by TEDx Talks How Maps Can Help Us Create a More Just World | Clinton Johnson | TEDxMidAtlantic

Change takes action. Listen to my friend Clinton during this impactful TEDx talk. #GIS #Maps #Racism #Segregation #Action #Futureisnow

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfM-...

I’m doing something scary but it will be fun. Backed by a live band, I’ll be singing karaoke on Sept 12. The cause is Radio Milwaukee, a local nonprofit radio station, that just saw some of its funding cut through Congress. Please donate via my event page: fallball2025.funraise.org/fundraiser/r...

Its my boyfriend’s birthday today, but i try so hard to celebrate him daily.

Exploring Fondy Farmers Market, the oldest farmers market in Milwaukee The Fondy Farmers Market is the oldest farmers market in the city of Milwaukee. For more than a century, it’s brought produce and other goods fresh from the makers who create them. We explore the mark...

The Fondy Farmers Market is the oldest farmers market in the city of Milwaukee. It’s brought produce and other goods fresh from the makers who create them. We explore the market alongside Venice Williams, the executive director of the Fondy Food Center.

www.wuwm.com/environment/...

Southwest Airlines, Milwaukee's largest carrier, is rolling back another signature policy Starting Jan. 27, 2026, Southwest Airlines is implementing assigned seating and ditching its first-come, first-seated policy.

Starting Jan. 27, 2026, Southwest Airlines is implementing assigned seating and ditching its first-come, first-seated policy, the company announced July 21.

www.jsonline.com/story/news/l...

Opinion: Here’s why we need to make water safety education a priority in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service Water safety education is a critical part of drowning prevention to learn about the risks and dangers associated with water; how to respond in emergencies;- and how to stay safe while enjoying activities in, on, and around the water.

Drowning rates are rising across the nation. As of May 2024, drowning is the No. 1 cause of death for children ages 1–4, rising disproportionately among Black children.

Continue reading (free article, no paywall): milwaukeenns.org/2025/07/09/o...

Who benefits most from CPB funding? A state-by-state look at station grants "Faced with the loss of public media’s chief financier, how do we evaluate the performance of CPB itself?"

Congress did not defund NPR. They pulled funding for CPB; NPR gets less than 1% of its funds from CPB. States like N Dakota, S Dakota, Wyoming, N Mexico, Utah, Vermont, Montana, Oregon that rely HEAVILY on CPB grants. They will lose their local stations.

current.org/2025/03/who-...

Milwaukee’s redlining map (1930s) vs. current map of the heat vulnerability index

The Smithsonian Museum Uses Immersive Maps to Spark Wonder and Offer Hope The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History will soon feature a reality-based digital experience to relate the feeling of discovery.

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History reaches five million visitors each year. Learn more about Kirk Johnson and how he values maps to leave them with an appreciation for the natural world and our place in it. www.esri.com/about/newsro... #EsriUC2025

The stories I worked on were featured at the Esri UC Education Summit plenary! So glad to have friends in the room to share the images!

Finished my 12th book of the year. Just started SKY FULL OF ELEPHANTS by Cebo Campbell.

Redlining map of Milwaukee showing areas color coded by degree of “hazard” (aka Black folks, Jews and immigrants) to show banks whom they could lend money to

Map showing access to a vehicle across Milwaukee County with the lowest rates of access on parts of the north and near south side

periodic reminder that policymakers created the inequities we face in Milwaukee today, and, as such, have both the ability and the obligation to remedy them

(left: Milwaukee’s redlining map from the 1930s showing access to financing for homeownership. Right: car access today)

In January, I set a goal for myself to read for at least 30 minutes before bed & finish 12 books by the end of the year. Last night at 11:44 p.m., I officially met my goal—over 3,800 pages! I’m proud to take the pressure off reading. This reminded me why I fell in love w/ books in the first place.

I spoke at PowerToFly’s Pride Summit last month. urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...

i had a really good workout today and my mood has sharply increased.

'The community that loves & receives Ko-Thi, has now got to start funding Ko-Thi' A long-standing African dance company in Milwaukee known as Ko-Thi Dance Company launched a fundraising campaign after losing federal funding.

Ko-Thi Dance Company recently announced that it lost $30,000 in funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Now, Ko-Thi is calling on the community for help to fill in the gaps. The dance company launched its $56 for 56th campaign to raise money.

www.wuwm.com/race-ethnici...

My June book. ALL THIS COULD BE DIFFERENT. Being from MKE, I enjoyed this book. I could picture the bars & restaurants mentioned. I loved the exploration of chosen family + the challenges to capitalism, gender & romantic love woven in the narrative. I’d read a sequel if there were one.

i paid some neighborhood teen boys to mow the lawn and they did a great job. i also gave them gatorade and a gas can to keep. i hope they are able to work a lot this summer.

The household auto fleet is a money pit What if wealth wasn’t a driveway full of cars—but the freedom to not need them?

“Replacing a car with an e-bike can save a household $120,000 over a decade — enough to wipe out debt, fund a college account, or boost retirement savings. As infrastructure improves with more protected lanes, slower streets, and secure parking, the e-bike can graduate from practical to preferable.”

Shorewood considers proposal to build affordable apartment project on parking lot Spoerl Commercial has proposed the three-story, 19-unit apartment building for the Oakland Avenue commercial corridor on the site of a parking lot.

Kudos to Shorewood for continuing to invest in affordable housing

My may read. WALTER MOSLEY’s DOWN THE RIVER UNTO THE SEA. my 10th book of the year. very proud of myself.

on this day, five years ago, i got the call that changed my life. my homebuyer coach said that i was pre-approved for a mortgage. as a queer nonbinary, solo parent, there are so many obstacles faced & homeownership, should not be one. many people are still discriminated against & locked out.