By Victor Barnett Jr.
On June 16th, as Milwaukee prepared for the 2022 Juneteenth celebration, I had the opportunity to accompany Robert Wynn, President at CLIMB USA, for a full day of connecting the work of CLIMB with the needs of Milwaukee. The day started with a meeting at City Hall with Mayor Cavalier Johnson. During our conversation, we had the opportunity to give a rundown of the economic empowerment work that is done at CLIMB and discuss ways of synergizing with the City’s economic development agenda. This sit-down was perfect timing, as Mayor Johnson and his team understood the importance of introducing financial literacy at a young age. We were able to leave behind resources for the mayor including financial literacy materials and information about CLIMB USA.
Following City Hall, we made our way to the Baird Conference Center to attend the MKE Fellows’ Fellowship Open Annual Meeting. The MKE Fellows, created in 2012, focuses on creating a “Pipeline of young, African-American male college graduates ready to return to Wisconsin to excel in their careers, build wealth, and become engaged leaders.” The annual meeting was a great opportunity to network with other African American leaders looking to make a difference in the City of Milwaukee. At the end of the day, I reflected on how inspired I felt. Seeing this many African Americans all working towards a change for our city motivated me to keep the work going.
Through my internship with CLIMB, I hope to continue to have the opportunity to spread our message and connect with others in our city looking to do the same.