‘Fund community, not the cops!’

Milwaukee, WI – Members of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR) have been canvassing over the past month in the Arlington Heights neighborhood in an effort to change the name of Lindbergh Park to Lucille Berrien Park. From the start, the campaign has shown large support from the community. The residents of this neighborhood have displayed attachment to the park as many families have spent their entire lives in the area.

Many people are shocked when they learn about Lindbergh’s fascist past and are eager to sign petitions demanding the park be renamed. The name change will be paid for using the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s bloated overtime budget.

On April 17, MAARPR was joined by a few members of the Coggs-Jones family, members of whom have been and are on the Milwaukee County Board, including the representative seat for the district that Arlington Heights is in. The family aided the organization in canvassing throughout the neighborhood and displaying their solidarity with the campaign.

The park was created in a citywide effort to reduce crime by taking money out of the police budget and funneling that money into public projects instead. At the time, Lindbergh was only known as the man who flew across the Atlantic, but in the years after the flight, he began organizing with Nazis and helped create the America First movement.

Berrien, who is 92 years-old, is a lifelong organizer and prominent activist in the Milwaukee area. She was the first Black woman to run for mayor of Milwaukee, a member of the Black Panther Party, helped establish the original Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and has fostered around 200 kids. MAARPR believes Berrien would much better represent the city and neighborhood where the park is located.

On April 24, MAARPR will be hosting a press conference at the park (located on the corner of 16th and Nash Streets). In an act of solidarity and support, the organization will be joined by Lucille Berrien and her family as well as newly-elected Milwaukee County Boardmember Priscilla E. Coggs-Jones. The press conference will be used to announce their demands directly to the city and the county.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #LucilleBerrien