Milwaukee County Department on Aging’s Underserved Populations Workgroup once again will bring together youth and older adults to learn the importance of making a difference in the community.
Free and open to the public, "Vel Phillips: Dream Big Dreams" intergenerational panel discussion and audience talkback with honored guest Vel Phillips will be held on Saturday, April 18 at the Rapkin Auditorium in Aurora Sinai Medical Center Building A, 950 N. 12th St.
Doors open at 8:15 a.m. for registration and breakfast. The program will start promptly at 9:00 a.m. No tickets are necessary for this free event; however, registration is required. Space is limited; to register, call 414-289-5945 or email agingevents@milwcnty.com.
Saturday’s April 18 event is in recognition of Vel Phillips’ remarkable story and the struggles she personally undertook to build a better community for all. Ms. Jonette Arms, assistant director for Milwaukee County Department on Aging, states, "Saturday will be an amazing opportunity for young and old alike to understand and embrace Ms. Phillips’ key role, impact on the civil rights movement and her grassroots actions that took place right here in the heart of Milwaukee."
Arms also shares, "that the Milwaukee County Department on Aging, continues to develop partnerships, such as WPT, to bring resources to the community that showcase the treasured knowledge and skills of our older adult population."
This will be the second free community intergenerational event that the Milwaukee County Department on Aging has led in the last 18 months.
On April 18, attendees will be presented with a wealth of information and insight into the lives of those who lived through the civil rights movement as well as the perspective of today’s youth and their present day challenges and opportunities. Historian Barbara Miner – award-winning journalist, photographer and author of the book, "Lessons from the Heartland: A Turbulent Half-Century of Public Education in an Iconic American City" – will moderate the panel discussion and audience interaction. Panelists will include:
- Reuben Harpole, community activist, civic leader and historian
- Maria I. Rodriguez, resident services manager for Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee
- Carlyle H. Chan, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Medical College of Wisconsin
- Andre' Lee Ellis, founder & team leader of We Got This, Inc.
- Sam Johnson, freshman at Milwaukee Public Schools
- Kalan R. Haywood II, sophomore at Milwaukee Public Schools
- Reggie Moore, founder and executive director at Center for Youth Engagement
This free event welcomes adults 60 years and older and youth ages 13-18.
