Why Willie Mays, not Babe Ruth, was baseball’s greatest player

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Jun 24, 2024

cnn-L19jb21wb25lbnRzL2ltYWdlL2luc3RhbmNlcy9jbHhvd2R6Z3owMDA0M2I2amx1b3d2NG0y-L19jb21wb25lbnRzL2FydGljbGUvaW5zdGFuY2VzL2NseG9waGd2MDAwMG56b3AzOG4zdjR4eHE= — New York Giants' centerfielder Willie Mays flashes smile in clubhouse at the Polo Grounds in New York after clouting his 20th triple of the season in 1957. (Photo: AP via CNN Newsource)

By Chris Isidore, CNN

New York (CNN) — Among students of baseball, there has long been widespread belief that Willie Mays was the game’s greatest all-around player.

That might come as a surprise to those who are casual fans, or not fans at all, when they read obituaries this week that describe Mays, who died last week at the age of 93, as the greatest. Babe Ruth was the common answer to the game’s “greatest player” title starting more than 100 years ago, when he smashed home run records and lifted the popularity of the game to the point it became known as the national pastime. And Ruth’s exploits as a Herculean slugger came after part of his career was as one of baseball’s top pitchers, making him a rare two-way great.

But Mays achieved greatness in many more aspects of the game than Ruth, even if he never threw a pitch.

“Willie Mays was the player who did everything better than anybody else,” said sportswriter Joe Posnanski. “That’s not to say he did every single thing better. Maybe he was not the greatest baserunner. But he was one of the best. Maybe not the greatest hitter, but again, one of the best. One of the best fielders. You put all of those things together and you have the most perfect player who ever lived.”

Posnanski, whose 2021 best-selling book “The Baseball 100” ranked the game’s greatest players, ranked Mays as No. 1 and Ruth as No. 2.

There is a term in baseball to describe Mays’ rare kind of greatness — “a five-tool player,” one who can hit for average, hit for power, field, throw and run.

“I don’t know if they invented the term to describe him. But he epitomized it like no one else,” said Jayson Stark, a baseball writer for The Athletic and a member of the writer’s wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Stark wrote an appreciation of Mays on Thursday, citing 22 different little-known statistics that demonstrate Mays’ greatness. Stark noted that Mays is the only player to ever lead his league in all 10 of these key offensive categories: hits, runs, home runs, triples, stolen bases, batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage total bases and walks.

Mays is also the only player with more than 300 home runs, 300 stolen bases, 3,000 hits and a lifetime .300 batting average — all milestone marks in the sport.

But even Stark acknowledges the numbers don’t really do Mays justice.

“I honestly don’t think you need to tell this story of Willie Mays with the numbers,” he said.

Many who cite his greatness also speak about the joy he brought to the game.

“Baseball is a game that is meant to be enjoyed, and there has never been a player more joyful than Willie Mays,” said Posnanski.

“There was a sense of joy and charisma that was unmatched,” said Stark. “He could turn millions of people into baseball fans by himself.”’

Ruth was also a larger-than-life player who packed stadiums, popularizing the home run to almost single-handedly change the way the game was played. But there was something about how happy Mays was on the field that captured the public’s imagination in a different way. His greeting to people, “Say hey!” led to his nickname the Say Hey Kid. And he always seemed to be a kid playing a child’s game at a great level, throughout a career that lasted 23 years.

‘The catch’

And as great a hitter as Mays was, the most famous moment of his career might have come in centerfield at the Polo Grounds in New York, where his Giants played before moving to San Francisco in 1958. In the first game of the 1954 World Series, against a heavily favored Cleveland team, he caught a fly ball an estimated 425 feet from home plate, with his back to the plate, and then wheeled and threw the ball back to the infield in one motion to stop a runner from scoring.

It is widely talked about as the greatest catch in the history of the game, even though Mays himself said he made numerous catches that were better. Stark said when he quoted longtime baseball announcer Vin Scully as saying during the 1992 World Series that a catch the previous day by Toronto Blue Jays centerfielder Devon White had been better, it caused an outcry. People wouldn’t accept there could be a better catch than Mays’ catch. Even White said his catch couldn’t be compared to Mays’ catch. White’s catch was soon widely forgotten, while Mays’ catch is still discussed and referred to regularly by fans nearly 70 years after the fact.

“The Willie Mays catch will always be its own thing,” said Posnanski.

“Name any other player with 600 home runs whose most famous play is a catch,” said Stark. “That just doesn’t happen.”

Mays played more games in center field than any other player in history and caught more balls in the outfield. He threw out nearly 200 baserunners from the outfield. But defense is still not as appreciated by some fans and statistical measures as offensive ones, says Gary Gillette, a baseball historian and editor of The Baseball Encyclopedia. He said it’s one of the reasons that Mays’ greatness isn’t as fully appreciated as it should be.

“Whether you create a run or prevent a run, you’re helping your team to win equally,” he said.

Respecting important intangibles

Gillette says Mays also had one key edge over Ruth when comparing their accomplishments: Ruth played in a segregated era and therefore didn’t compete against the best Black ballplayers. Mays was one of the players who helped integrate baseball in the 1950s, starting his career in 1951 just four years after Jackie Robinson broke the game’s disgraceful color barrier.

“Very few people try to adjust for (Ruth’s career in a segregated game),” said Gillette.

Mays also didn’t play in most of the 1953 season or any of the 1954 season while serving in the Army in Korea. In the 1955 and 1956 seasons, he hit 41 and 51 home runs, respectively, suggesting he would have totaled well over the 55 home runs in two lost seasons to overtake Ruth’s then-record 714 career home runs. It would therefore be Hank Aaron, not Mays, to be the first to eclipse Ruth as the home run leader.

“(Mays’) 660 home runs was great, but it wasn’t more than Babe,” said Gillette.

So Mays’ greatness was often not fully appreciated, especially by casual fans. He played most of his career on the West Coast, depriving fans in much of the country from following his success. He only played in four World Series, spread out across his 23-year career. And of course he played in the era before ESPN and highlight shows on cable and the internet, which is how many of today’s fans follow the game.

“The brilliance of Mays day-to-day in the ’50s and ‘60s is practically lost,” said Steve Hirdt, a longtime baseball statistician and historian and senior director of operations and research at Stats Perform. “They were on television, but there was no preservation of most of those broadcasts. The lack of film or video tape when he was at his peak leave current day fans with an incomplete picture of how great he was.”

Hirdt is actually one of the baseball historians who gives an edge to Ruth over Mays because of Ruth’s success as a pitcher. But he says Mays is a very close second in overall greatness. And while he never saw Ruth play, Hirdt says he cherishes the games he saw Mays play.

“Willie was the most exciting player I’ve ever seen, and there’s no one close for second,” he said.

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Wisconsin’s 38 Most Influential Asian American Leaders for 2024

By

Henry Sanders

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Jun 22, 2024

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Just months after we published our first news stories in August 2015, we tried something new: we listed and published brief biographies of the state’s 28 Most Influential Black Leaders. People really liked it, shared it on social media, told us who else should have been on that list. Many asked me if we’d do another list the next year; I said yes, we probably would.

We did more than that. That next year, we published another list of the state’s most influential Black leaders, as well as a list of the state’s most influential Latino leaders. Almost immediately, we started hearing an important and very reasonable question: what about the state’s Asian American and Indigenous leaders?

We wanted to do those lists, but we wanted to do them right. It took us some time to build the authentic relationships within those communities, and to gain their trust. I’m glad and proud that we took that time and did that work; it resulted in us publishing those lists for the first time in 2020.

This week we are proud to present the fifth annual edition of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Asian American leaders.

Every year, with every list, I’ve intended these lists to highlight the beauty of the diversity across our state. I want kids here in Wisconsin to see role models of people who are succeeding, to know that it’s possible for people of color to achieve great things here.

This week we shine a statewide spotlight on the dedicated leaders of Wisconsin’s Asian American communities. The people we highlight this week are elected leaders, business leaders and community leaders, doing difficult, important work, often in the face of discrimination and literally generations of oppression.

We are also aware that this list, like every other, is not comprehensive. It’s obvious just from the number of nominations that there are far more than 38 influential Asian American leaders doing good work in Wisconsin. We hope you will let us know about people in your community who we can include on future lists. For now, though, we just want to introduce you to a few of the people doing the work, often behind the scenes and without the accolades, across Wisconsin.

You might know a few of these names, but there’s a good chance that most of them will be new to you. I urge you to get to know them. Reach out to those living and working in your communities. Learn from them, network, create partnerships. And spread the word — let others in your network know that we have people of all ethnicities living and working across Wisconsin to make sure everyone here can thrive.

Henry Sanders
CEO, 365 Media Foundation
Publisher, Madison365

Maria Ahmad Douglas

Maria Ahmad Douglas is founder of Forward/Together Progressively, her own form where she provides consulting on diversity, equity and inclusion; nonprofit management and fundraising; and similar topics. She spent several years in politics as a local campaign manager and field organizer, including a year as a national fundraising consultant for #iVoted and a year as DEI senior specialist with the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin. She moved into politics after more than 15 years working as a school psychologist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Gordon College and a master’s from the University of Texas at Tyler.

Stacey J. Lee

Stacey J. Lee is the Frederick Erickson WARF Professor of Educational Policy Studies and a faculty affiliate in Asian American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on the role of education in the incorporation of immigrants and migrants into the US. She is the author of Unraveling the Model Minority Stereotype: Listening to Asian American Youth and Up Against Whiteness: Race, School and Immigrant Youth, and Resisting Asian American Invisibility: The Politics of Race and Education. She was honored with a Distinguished Scholar award from the American Educational Research Association in 2016 and the Vilas Mid-Career Investigator award from the University of Wisconsin in 2015 and 2016. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and a master’s degree from NYU, both in political science, and a PhD in anthropology of education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Brian Lee

Brian Lee is founder and president of Revelation PR, founded in 2011, and Revelation Events, launched in 2019. He is also co-founder of TryaTaste, which curates tasting boxes for small events and parties, and editor-in-chief of MadisonStartups.com, which publishes news about Madison’s entrepreneurial scene. He is also an instructor of social media and entrepreneur in residence at Madison College. He has been named to InBusiness Magazine’s “40 Under 40” list and as PRSA-Madison’s Communicator of the Year, while Revelation has earned a Dane County Small Business Award. He earned a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications from UW-Madison and an MBA from Sam Houston State.

Boly Vang

Boly Vang is a human resources analyst for Marathon County and CEO/Owner of Paint Party B, LLC, where she organizes “paint and sip” parties around the Wausau area. She joined the staff at Marathon County to support its more than 750 employees after several years in HR at Capstone Logistics and Crystal Finishing Systems. She currently serves on the executive board of Central Wisconsin Hmong Professionals, served four years on the Women United Council of the United Way of Marathon County, and volunteered for four years as a classroom facilitator of the education nonprofit LENA Start Marathon County. She earned her degree in human resources management at UW-Oshkosh.

Yee Lee Vue

Yee Lee Vue is Adult Services & Engagement Librarian at the Appleton Public Library and co-owner of restaurants Little Siam and Bowl Ninety-One with husband Thong Vue. She serves on the Rhythms of the World event committee, Dragon Boat Festival event committee and WWBIC Ambassadorial Committee. She was named the Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year in 2022. She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at the UW-Madison.

Kevin Wong

Kevin Wong is program coordinator for the Asian Pacific Islander and Desi American (AAPIDA) Student Center at the UW-Madison, which hosts academic, professional, and social programs throughout the year to enhance the student experience, support student success, and foster a sense of belonging for students from a wide variety of backgrounds. He took on this role after working more than 10 years in progressively responsible roles at the UW Survey Center. He is president of the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s APIDA Affinity Group and volunteered for three years on the Summit Credit Union Member Experience Advisory Committee. He earned his degree in political science at UW-Madison in 2015.

Thong Xiong

Thong Xiong is Scholars for Success Coordinator at Fox Valley Technical College, where he focuses on the retention and persistence of at-risk, low-income, multicultural students as well as other students who are part of marginalized populations. A Marine veteran, he started his academic career at FVTC before going on to earn a bachelor’s degree at UW-Green Bay and a master’s degree in from Lakeland University, both in organizational leadership.

Ze Yang

Ze Yang is the Hmong Bilingual Community Connector in the City of Madison Department of Civil Rights, Social Justice and Equity Division. She is a small business owner and also a member of the Summer News Collaborative Program at WORT Madison. She served on the Wisconsin Women Council for four years as the Governor’s Designee. She earned a degree in education from Edgewood College.

Dr. Wajiha Akhtar-Khaleel

Dr. Wajiha Akhtar-Khaleel is the assistant director of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, which drives statewide health equity initiatives throughout Wisconsin. She also directs of the Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship, two-year service and training program designed for early career individuals in public health and allied sciences. She joined the UWPHI in 2021 after several years directing what is now called, Thrive4LifeWi Study at UW, which sought to understand the infectious disease consequences of injection drug use in rural communities in Wisconsin. She has served on several boards, including One City Schools and HEART Women and Girls. As a Muslim American, Dr. Akhtar works with other Muslim faculty, staff, and students at UW-Madison to build and amplify their collective voice. She earned an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Miami and a Masters of Public Health and PhD, both in epidemiology, from the University of Florida.

Dr. Sonal Chandratre

Dr. Sonal Chandratre is the Chief Medical Officer at Ascension St Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Ascension Calumet Hospital in Chilton. Throughout her leadership roles, she has prioritized patient safety and quality healthcare and has been a strong advocate for associate wellness. She is a board-certified Pediatric Endocrinologist, trained to care for children with diabetes, endocrine and metabolic disorders, and a Certified Physician Executive from the American Association For Physician Leadership. She has earned the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality certification, the only nationally accredited certification in healthcare quality. She is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology and has been the founding director and educator for various courses at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She was awarded the coveted “ MCW Outstanding Medical Student Teacher Pin” teaching award for three consecutive years for her excellence in medical student education. She was also recognized with the “MCW Faculty Academic Excellence Award” for her contributions. She was awarded the Kern Institute Grant for her pipeline project for the underrepresented medicine trainees to increase their scholarly activities and publications in recognized journals. To support scholarly activity for trainees and faculty, she also authored a book titled “How To Get Published Without Doing Research” that is used by researchers from various disciplines for increasing their publications and progressing their careers. She has herself published several papers in peer-reviewed journals on pediatric endocrinology, medical education and healthcare. In 2022-23, she worked to achieve the healthy weight target in children within the Stevens Point area. She authored a kid-friendly, interactive, illustrated children’s picture book titled “Kids, C’mon Let’s Get Healthy! A complete kid’s guide to a healthy lifestyle” for children to help bring awareness about healthy lifestyle that received a positive response from children, families and fellow pediatricians including a special recognition from the American Board of Pediatrics. With grant support, she distributed 1,000 free copies to children in and around Stevens Point, and multiple hospitals and clinics around the United States are using this children’s book to educate children on healthy lifestyle in their communities. She is a familiar face to Wisconsinites through her media work in more than 50 newspapers, radio and television interviews bringing in awareness about current developments in healthcare. She is an invited national-level speaker on health, wellness, leadership, meditation and mindfulness with a special focus on empowering women at the level of mind, body and soul. She has also contributed to community health education programs and events through her mindfulness and meditation workshops as an invited speaker at high impact organization events including American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women in 2024. She has served on the American Board of Pediatrics committee, the only pediatrician invited from Wisconsin. She serves as a board member for Wisconsin Medical Society advocating for Wisconsin patients and healthcare professionals and also serves as the board member for the Mosaic Residency Program in Fox Valley supporting the training for Family Medicine residents within Wisconsin. She earned an M.D. in Pediatrics from Albert-Einstein University in New York and a D.C.H and M.R.C.P.C.H degree in Pediatrics and Child Health from the Royal College of Pediatrics & Child Health in London, UK.

Holly Chen

Holly Chen is a bilingual community connector for the City of Madison’s Department of Civil Rights, a role she took when it was first created in 2023. She joined the department of Civil Rights in early March 2020 and was responsible for the majority of the Chinese translations for the City of Madison. Chen was born in China and her family moved to Madison when she was 8. She also works as a freelance translator and holds a BA in English from UW-Whitewater.

Vivek Ramakrishnan

Vivek Ramakrishnan is cofounder and Co-CEO of Project Read AI, which uses artificial intelligence and the science of reading to teach young children how to read. He launched the company in January 2023 with support from a Stanford Impact Founder Fellowship. He was also cofounder and director of operations and strategy at One City Schools, an independent charter school in Madison. He earned a degree in economics from Columbia and an MBA at Stanford.

Danny Tang

Danny Tang is a shareholder and real estate attorney at Godfrey Kahn. He helps guide clients through acquisitions and dispositions of various types of commercial property across the United States, including, real property used for manufacturing and office purposes, commercial leasing transactions, commercial real estate financing transactions, and land-use and easement issues. Additionally, he has worked closely with Godfrey & Kahn’s Environmental Practice Group in connection with the acquisition and disposition of environmentally-impacted real property. He graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and went on to the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Robia Vang

Robia Vang is the Communication and Engagement Strategist at Brown County United Way, where she has been serving since October 2023. She is a part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Committee at the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation and is a member of the marketing committee for the Greater Green Bay Blueprint To Prevent And End Homelessness. Originally from Fresno, California, Robia made her way to Wisconsin in 2020 after working as an esteemed venue manager and event coordinator for a local winery. She holds an undergraduate degree in Recreation Administration with an emphasis on Event Planning from California State University, Fresno.

Anna Yang

Anna Yang is founder of Xee Group, a real estate services company in Green Bay, providing logistical and promotional support to realtors in the region. She launched the business in 2021 in honor of her late mother, with the intention of funding the Xee Foundation to support Northeast Wisconsin’s Hmong community. She got her start in real estate as a front desk temp in 2019, landing a full-time job at Keller Williams within two weeks. She earned a degree in business administration with a marketing emphasis from UW-Green Bay.

Kristy Kumar

Kristy Kumar is Equity and Social Justice Division Manager at the City of Madison’s Department of Civil Rights. She came to Madison in 2021 after two and a half years as assistant director for co-curricular initiatives at Brown University and a year as assistant director of educational programming at Colorado State’s Women and Gender Advocacy Center. She served a Fulright Scholarship in Malaysia in 2013. She served as co-chair of the social action team at Old Cambridge Baptist Church and a member of the executive board of the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking.

Dr. Catherine Chan

Dr. Catherine Chan is the assistant vice provost for high impact practices in the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement at UW-Madison, where she provides administrative, operational, and strategic leadership for the DDEEA’s high-impact educational efforts. Chan leads the development, cultivation and implementation of the division’s framework for enhancing student experiences through high-impact educational practice programs and initiatives, including common intellectual experiences, undergraduate research, global learning, service and community-based learning, internships, and student employment. Chan oversees the division’s Academic Coaching to Thrive and Succeed, Center for Educational Opportunity, Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, Education and Wellbeing, and experiential learning programs that include Global Scholars, Internship, and STEM Initiatives. Before joining UW–Madison in June 2022, Chan was a professor of biology and executive director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at UW–Eau Claire, where she worked to design, implement and improve equity-minded academic programs and high-impact educational practices. She earned her bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from UW–Madison.

Susan Tran Degrand

Susan Tran Degrand currently serves as the Director for Equity, Inclusion & Employee Well-Being for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Office of Human Resources. Susan provides leadership, strategic vision and consultation for schools, colleges, divisions, and departments on campus as they work to support their employees through an equitable, and human-centered lens. Susan earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Community and Nonprofit Leadership and a certificate in Gender and Women Studies. In 2012, she earned her Master in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis with an emphasis in higher education and has since worked in higher education for nearly 14 years and has diverse experiences across functional, institutional areas supporting individual, programmatic, and systems-level approaches to embedding and operationalizing equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Saran Ouk

Saran Ouk is manager of the Office of Business Resources for the City of Madison, where she helps businesses locate, open and expand within the City of Madison. She and her staff guide businesses through permitting and approval processes, direct businesses toward financial and technical assistance programs, and provide other support services. Before taking on that role, she worked in the City’s Department of Civil Rights as a contract compliance specialist. She is also founder of conNEXTions, a nonprofit organization that guides underrepresented young adults from the Madison community to achieve their financial, educational and career goals through mentoring, networking and professional development. She earned a degree in nonprofit management at the UW-Madison.

Dr. Sawa Senzaki

Dr. Sawa Senzaki is a Professor of Psychology, Associate Dean of the College of the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and the director of the Children’s Learning and Developmental Science (CHILD’S) Lab at UW-Green Bay. Dr. Senzaki has been a strong advocate for undergraduate research, supervising over 100 students since 2013. In the CHILD’S Lab, Dr. Senzaki and her students conduct cross-cultural research with international collaborators and collect neurophysiological data, such as brain activities, eye movements, and heart rates. She is also actively involved in the community, working with organizations such as United Way, Literacy Green Bay, and Achieve Brown County. Her achievements include receiving an NIH AREA grant, an Invitational Research Fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, a UWGB Founders Award for Excellence in Scholarship, a UWGB Student Nominated Teaching Award, and the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Future 15 Young Professional Award.

Irene Strohbeen

Irene Strohbeen is owner of Irene Strohbeen and Associates, which provides consultation in innovation, new business development, and new product management. Clients have included Illinois Tool Works/Miller Electric, Central Garden and Pet, Kinnektor entrepreneur support organization, plus several individual inventors. She is also Entrepreneur in Residence at Lawrence University, where she serves as adjunct professor, mentor and coach to student teams in the introductory Innovation and Entrepreneurship course, culminating in a “investor pitch” for each team. She previously taught as adjunct faculty at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. She earned a degree in mathematics and chemistry from Lawrence and master’s degree in chemical engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Ryan Tsuchida

Dr. Ryan Tsuchida is Assistant Dean for Multicultural Affairs for Health Professions Learners and an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He is also Co-Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. Dr. Tsuchida also currently serves as a faculty mentor to underrepresented medical students through the Building Equitable Access to Mentorship (BEAM) initiative at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. He is the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Arno Kumagai Award for Excellence in Institutional Change to Promote Health Equity, Social Justice and Compassionate Care awarded by the University of Michigan Student Diversity Council. He also is the recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Future Academician Award, Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM)—an SAEM Academy—and currently holds the elected position of Secretary-Treasurer. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles, his medical degree from the University of Michigan, and completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of Michigan where he served as chief resident.

Sheng Lee Yang

Sheng Lee Yang is executive director of Us 2 Behavioral Health Care, a nonprofit mental health organization she founded in 2019 focused on accessible, culturally competent care. She taught teaching social justice issues, mental health, and advocacy to social work students as an assistant professor at UW-Green Bay. She serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including Asian Corporate & Entrepreneur Leaders – National, NEW Mental Health Connections, and Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity. She chairs the board of the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. She is a member of the Wisconsin Maternal Mortality Review Team and the UW-Madison Prevention Research Center Community Advisory Board. She received her master’s degree in social work from the UW-Madison.

Sirinda Pairin is an Engagement and Communications Manager at the Wisconsin School of Business. She has been with WSB for eight years. Her current role focuses on climate, culture, and belonging. A graduate of the UW-Madison School of Journalism, she is a founding member of the UW-Madison Multiracial Student Union.

MGR Govindaranjan

MGR Govindaranjan is a Madison alder, representing the UW campus area. He serves on the Common Council Executive Committee, the Downtown Coordinating Committee, the Joint Campus Area Committee, the Sustainable Madison Committee and Transportation Commission. He was elected as a student studying Legal Studies and Political Science at UW-Madison. He graduated last month and intends to pursue law school. He previously served as the Legislative Affairs Chair at the Associated Students of Madison, UW’s Student Government.

Dr. Sara Lam

Dr. Sara Lam is vice president of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, where she leads efforts to strengthen NWTC as a culturally sustaining college where all students feel they belong, achieve success, and are empowered to take action for positive change, with specific attention to students from marginalized groups. Prior to joining the college, Dr. Lam has been an instrumental part of the DEI efforts of University of Minnesota Morris and its community, where she held various roles within teaching, research, and service since 2015. She is a co-founder of the Rural China Education Foundation, a published author, and holds national accolades for her work around educational equality. Dr. Lam earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Wisconsin-Madison, an Ed.M. in International Education Policy from Harvard University, and a B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota Morris.

Tou Jim Lee

Tou Jim Lee is director of marketing for the Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, where he’s worked since 2017. He is also board president for Our Scholarship, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships for Southeast Asian American students in Wisconsin, and a member of the board of the Hlub Foundation. He earned a degree in marketing from UW-Milwaukee.

Patrick Miles

Patrick Miles is currently serving his second term as chair of the Dane County Board of Supervisors. Professionally, he is an Information Systems Specialist for Wisconsin’s Department of Administration, developing financial management systems. Previously, he was the owner and principal of a consulting business providing business systems analysis services for over 20 years. My professional career has focused primarily on the development and maintenance of billion-dollar public finance systems. He volunteers as board chair of the Design Coalition Institute (DCI), a nonprofit that promotes sustainable community development, affordable green housing, and environmental justice, and as Treasurer of the Madison-Obihiro (Japan) Sister City Board. He is an alum of the UW-Stevens Point.

Dr. Yang Tao

Dr. Yang Tao is director of traffic engineering for the City of Madison, where he supervises 140 employees to manage, operate, and maintain Madison’s pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle systems. He was named director in 2018 after working his way up after beginning as a traffic engineer in 2006. He’s earned several honors from the Institute of Transportation Engineers, including the Martin Bruening Award in 2007, the Young Professional Award in 2012, and the Transportation Professional of the Year for the Midwest District in 2018. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing and a PhD in civil engineering with a minor in business from the UW-Madison.

Christina Thor

Christina Thor is Wisconsin state director of 9to5, a grassroots multiracial member-led organization working to advance economic justice through issue-based advocacy, grassroots organizing, and community education by directly engaging impacted women. She is an appointed member of the City of Green Bay Hmong Advisory Council and serves as chair for the Wisconsin Care Coalition. She earned a degree in journalism and public relations from UW-Oshkosh in 2015.

Pasha Thao

Pasha Thao is program manager for diverse alumni engagement at the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, where she coordinates and supports a number of affinity groups for University of Wisconsin Alumni. She stepped into that newly-created role in 2020 to help revive the volunteer-run groups, which were active in the 1990s. Thao previously spent three and a half years as a program manager for Wisconsin Youth Company, staffing and coordinating after-school programs. A Verona native, she earned a degree in community and nonprofit management at the UW-Madison.

Dr. Kaiping Chen is an Assistant Professor in computational communication at University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication, and a faculty affiliate at the Department of Political Science, the Data Science Institute, the UW-Madison Robert & Jean Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, the Wisconsin Energy Institute, the Institute for Diversity Science, the Center for East Asian Studies, and the African Studies Program. Since 2022, she’s served as the elected International Liaison and the chair for the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Taskforce at the Computational Methods Division, the International Communication Association (ICA). She is the recipient of the AEJMC Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Early Career Woman Scholar Award. Her research uses data science and machine learning methods as well as interviews to study to what extent digital media and technologies hold politicians accountable for public well-being and how deliberative designs improve the quality of civic dialogues and mitigate misinformation and misperception. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Fudan University in China, a master’s degree from Columbia and a PhD from Stanford.

Dr. Nathaniel Chin

Dr. Nathaniel Chin is medical director and Clinical Core Co-Leader for the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) and medical director for the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP). While completing his internal medicine residency at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Chin’s father was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). His father’s condition influenced the way he began to look at his own career, and Dr. Chin decided to pursue a career as a geriatrician and scientist focused on dementia, specifically Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Chin sees patients in the UW Health Memory Clinic three half-days a week. Dr. Chin is the host of the Wisconsin ADRC’s podcast, “Dementia Matters.” In each bi-weekly episode, he interviews local and national Alzheimer’s disease experts about research advances and caregiver strategies. Dr. Chin grew up in Watertown, Wisconsin, and earned undergraduate and medical degrees from UW-Madison.

Chundou Her

Chundou Her is a graduate student in Curriculum & Instruction at UW-Madison, researching the intersection of storytelling, youth activism, art, transformative justice, and participatory methods. Through this work, the goal is to develop strategies, patterns, and pedagogy that can be incorporated into the classroom which works towards a liberation-based education versus conformity-based education. Her has presented at a number of national education research conferences.

Krishna Kumar

Krishna Kumar is general manager of the Madison Water Utility, a role he’s held since June 2021. He came to Madison after many years managing water utilities in California, including the Marin Municipal Water District in Corte Madera; the Valley of the Mood Water District in Sonoma; and the Sonoma County Water Agency in Santa Rosa. He earned an undergraduate degree in zoology and an MBA from Cochin University of Science and Technology in Kerala, India.

Tu Le

Tu Le is a realtor at Cooper Spransy and founder of Madison Art House, which aims to inspire kids’ artistic expression. A Madison native, she worked for many years as a fashion designer for Liz Claiborne, The GAP and Lands’ End. She has volunteered at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Goodman Community Center, Sustain Dane, Alzheimer’s Association, Domestic Abuse Intervention Services and the Home Buyers’ Roundtable of Dane County. She was a Brava Magazine Woman to Watch in 2016. She earned a degree in fashion design from the International Academy of Design and Technology-Chicago.

Pamela Vang

Pamela Vang is an outreach and enrollment specialist at Partnership Community Health Center, an organization dedicated to providing accessible primary health, dental and integrated behavioral health in the Fox Cities. She joined PCHC earlier this year after a stint at United Way Fox Cities, where she served as Marketing, Community Relations, and Advocacy Project Manager. A long-time resident of Appleton, she graduated from Appleton North before continuing her education in early childhood education at Fox Valley Technical College. She then pursued her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville where she served as a peer mentor and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Dr. Chai Lee

Dr. Chai Lee is principal of Jack Young Middle School in Baraboo. He got his start teaching English as a second language in Minneapolis, where he went on to become and elementary school principal and high school assistant principal. He’s conducted more than 50 trainings on systemic racism for Hmong leaders and presented Hmong culture and history for many school districts, colleges and universities. He hosted a live radio talk show for 12 years and coordinated the Hmong July Fourth Sports Festival. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Winona State in Minnesota, a master’s from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and a doctorate in education leadership from Sain Mary’s University of Minnesota.

That’s our list for this year! Who did we miss? Nominate people from your community for next year’s list! Just email a name and some info to [email protected].

“The Artist” unveils powerful new Civil Rights Era artwork at Southwest Madison Employment Center

By

Omar Waheed

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Jun 21, 2024

0

P_theartist023 — “The Artist" debuted artwork from the Civil Rights Era at the Southwest Madison Employment Center. (Photos by Omar Waheed)

A new painting from Madison’s mysterious artist, known simply as “The Artist,” debuted artwork depicting scenes from the Civil Rights Era at the Southwest Madison Employment Center.

The Urban League of Greater Madison debuted a painting from The Artist on June 19 — Juneteenth National Independence Day — dedicated to a Memphis march the night before the assassination of Martin Luther King. The painting was added to the Urban League’s Southwest Madison Employment Center, 1233 McKenna Blvd., in hopes of becoming more inviting and recognizable due to its lack of signage at the building.

The painting was gifted by The Artist to the center with its theme aptly centered on issues in employment. The painting depicts the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike in 1968. The strike followed after two Memphis garbage collectors, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed to death by a malfunctioning garbage truck. As a result, 1,300 Black men from the Memphis Department of Public Works went on strike due to ongoing neglect, abuse and lack of response from the city to rectify issues.

“I’m really happy with the theme that’s involved with the art that’s on display that has to do with the sanitation workers of Memphis at the time who were fighting for dignity,” The Artist said. “No one wanted to give the city workers dignity now, not only because they were Black, but because they were garbage workers considered among the lowest workers in the city.”

The Artist points out the history behind the issue and the ongoing work to support people of color in access to employment. The slogan from the strike, “I am a man,” is on the painting in homage to societal norms of what makes a man, The Artist said. For him, and reflective of the times, what makes a man was his ability to contribute to society and provide for their family.

Painting by “The Artist” near the door at the Southwest Madison Employment Center
(Photo by Omar Waheed)

The painting is a blown-up print version of The Artist’s painting called “The Event.” It spans three sections of a bending wall around near the entrance and off to the side of the building. Each side shows part of the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike with people marching, congregating and protesting across the panels.

The Urban League hopes that the new painting gifted by The Artist for the center will draw more attention to the building. Dr. Ruben Anthony, president of the Urban League of Greater Madison, notes that the building is often overlooked and really only known by people who are aware of the employment center’s programs.

“We’ve been struggling and wanting to highlight what this place is for this community,” Anthony said. “We think now that because we have the art up there, maybe people might appreciate that this is a special place.”

The Southwest Employment Center was established in 2019 and is Madison’s first neighborhood employment center. The Urban League, in partnership with the center, hosts all of its job training, placement and coaching services at the location.

Wisconsin’s 38 Most Influential Asian American Leaders for 2024, Part 5

By

Henry Sanders

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Jun 21, 2024

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This is the fifth of a five-part series. Part One is here, Part Two is here, Part Three is here and Part Four is here.

Dr. Kaiping Chen

Dr. Kaiping Chen is an Assistant Professor in computational communication at University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication, and a faculty affiliate at the Department of Political Science, the Data Science Institute, the UW-Madison Robert & Jean Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, the Wisconsin Energy Institute, the Institute for Diversity Science, the Center for East Asian Studies, and the African Studies Program. Since 2022, she’s served as the elected International Liaison and the chair for the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Taskforce at the Computational Methods Division, the International Communication Association (ICA). She is the recipient of the AEJMC Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Early Career Woman Scholar Award. Her research uses data science and machine learning methods as well as interviews to study to what extent digital media and technologies hold politicians accountable for public well-being and how deliberative designs improve the quality of civic dialogues and mitigate misinformation and misperception. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Fudan University in China, a master’s degree from Columbia and a PhD from Stanford.

Dr. Nathaniel Chin

Dr. Nathaniel Chin is medical director and Clinical Core Co-Leader for the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) and medical director for the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP). While completing his internal medicine residency at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Chin’s father was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). His father’s condition influenced the way he began to look at his own career, and Dr. Chin decided to pursue a career as a geriatrician and scientist focused on dementia, specifically Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Chin sees patients in the UW Health Memory Clinic three half-days a week. Dr. Chin is the host of the Wisconsin ADRC’s podcast, “Dementia Matters.” In each bi-weekly episode, he interviews local and national Alzheimer’s disease experts about research advances and caregiver strategies. Dr. Chin grew up in Watertown, Wisconsin, and earned undergraduate and medical degrees from UW-Madison.

Chundou Her

Chundou Her is a graduate student in Curriculum & Instruction at UW-Madison, researching the intersection of storytelling, youth activism, art, transformative justice, and participatory methods. Through this work, the goal is to develop strategies, patterns, and pedagogy that can be incorporated into the classroom which works towards a liberation-based education versus conformity-based education. Her has presented at a number of national education research conferences.

Krishna Kumar

Krishna Kumar is general manager of the Madison Water Utility, a role he’s held since June 2021. He came to Madison after many years managing water utilities in California, including the Marin Municipal Water District in Corte Madera; the Valley of the Mood Water District in Sonoma; and the Sonoma County Water Agency in Santa Rosa. He earned an undergraduate degree in zoology and an MBA from Cochin University of Science and Technology in Kerala, India.

Tu Le

Tu Le is a realtor at Cooper Spransy and founder of Madison Art House, which aims to inspire kids’ artistic expression. A Madison native, she worked for many years as a fashion designer for Liz Claiborne, The GAP and Lands’ End. She has volunteered at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Goodman Community Center, Sustain Dane, Alzheimer’s Association, Domestic Abuse Intervention Services and the Home Buyers’ Roundtable of Dane County. She was a Brava Magazine Woman to Watch in 2016. She earned a degree in fashion design from the International Academy of Design and Technology-Chicago.

Pamela Vang

Pamela Vang is an outreach and enrollment specialist at Partnership Community Health Center, an organization dedicated to providing accessible primary health, dental and integrated behavioral health in the Fox Cities. She joined PCHC earlier this year after a stint at United Way Fox Cities, where she served as Marketing, Community Relations, and Advocacy Project Manager. A long-time resident of Appleton, she graduated from Appleton North before continuing her education in early childhood education at Fox Valley Technical College. She then pursued her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville where she served as a peer mentor and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Dr. Chai Lee

Dr. Chai Lee is principal of Jack Young Middle School in Baraboo. He got his start teaching English as a second language in Minneapolis, where he went on to become and elementary school principal and high school assistant principal. He’s conducted more than 50 trainings on systemic racism for Hmong leaders and presented Hmong culture and history for many school districts, colleges and universities. He hosted a live radio talk show for 12 years and coordinated the Hmong July Fourth Sports Festival. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Winona State in Minnesota, a master’s from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and a doctorate in education leadership from Sain Mary’s University of Minnesota.

That’s our list for this year! Who did we miss? Nominate people from your community for next year’s list! Just email a name and some info to [email protected].

Madison Black History Walking Tour set for Saturday

By

David Dahmer

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Jun 21, 2024

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cec1cd5a-d42c-4260-bf4b-48acfeb21432 — Betty Banks speaks in front of the "Miller House," the oldest Black-owned building remaining in Madison, during a previous Madison Black History Walking Tour as Tanika Apaloo looks on. (Photo supplied.)

The one-mile Black History Walking Tour in downtown Madison is where community members will be able to see things like Madison’s first Black-owned grocery store and many of the buildings and neighborhoods shaped by Madison’s early Black community.

Part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County’s (BGCDC) MOVE ‘N’ GROOVE 4 BGC campaign, the Black History Walking Tour was originally scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 22. Due to thunderstorms and rain throughout the day, the tour has been rescheduled and will now take place on Saturday, June 29, BGCDC confirmed on Wednesday.

This year’s Black History Walking Tour will be led by Alan Chancellor, secretary of Madison’s Prince Hall Masonic Temple. There will be comments from Millie Coby, the goddaughter of Wisconsin civil rights icon Vel Phillips, to start the tour.

The Madison Black History Walking Tour will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Wisconsin Historical Society on the Capitol Square (corner of Main and Carroll streets) where there will soon be a statue of Phillips, before moving eastward. In 1910, roughly half of Madison’s Black population lived in the East Dayton St. neighborhood just east of the Capitol.

The Black History Walking Tour is being organized and led by Steve Whayland, chair of the 50K Walk Team, and Peter Gray, chair of the MOVE ‘N’ GROOVE 4 BGC fundraising campaign, which is raising $625,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County to support its programs for different pathways to success for the youth in the greater Madison community.

“We appreciate the leadership of board member Peter Gray, for serving as the MOVE ‘N’ GROOVE 4 BGC fundraising chair and the entire Madison community for joining us to celebrate the MOVE ‘N’ GROOVE 4 BGC campaign. For over 20 years the community has rallied to support youth ages 2.5 to 24 years in our community to have amazing pathways to success,” said Michael Johnson, president & CEO of BGCDC, in a statement. “This event has grown from a bike ride to include walkers, runners, and now a live concert. We welcome everyone to join us and MOVE for Youth in this community.”

The Madison Black History Walking Tour will end at the Prince Hall Masonic Temple, 556 E Mifflin St, where people will hear comments from Chancellor and Johnson.

Walkers will continue to walk on the 50-kilometer walk, stopping at every Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County site before finishing at the McKenzie Family Boys & Girls Club; 232 Windsor St. in Sun Prairie, at approximately 8 p.m.

MOVE ‘N’ GROOVE 4 BGC (formerly MOVE4BGC and BIKE4BGC) will be held on Saturday, July 20, at McKee Farms Park, 2930 Chapel Valley Road in Fitchburg. The annual event will kick off at 7 a.m. with a 50-mile bike ride.

Anyone is welcome to join the 50K walk or 1-mile Black History Walking Tour. For more information, contact Peter Gray at [email protected] or 608-225-2074

[This story has been updated with rain-related postponement news for Saturday and will be updated in the future when a new date for the Black History Walking Tour is confirmed. —Ed.]

365 Amplified: Are hair clippers a weapon? Sun Prairie school admins think so

By

Madison365 staff

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Jun 21, 2024

0

Listen now:

Three seventh graders in Sun Prairie were suspended and excluded from the school’s year-end celebration because one of them gave another a hair trim — because the school considered the clippers a weapon. This week, we talk through what we know, how it could have been handled differently, and whether race was a factor. Then, State Assembly Representative Samba Baldeh joins us to talk about his campaign for State Senate as well as his new grocery store on Madison’s East Side.

Links:

https://madison365.com/sun-prairie-7th-graders-suspended-for-giving-friend-a-trim-clipper-considered-a-weapon/

https://blueprint365.org/the-hustle/international-grocery-opens-on-madisons-east-side/

Listen, follow, subscribe:

OuttaDeeBox Podcast: Rediscovering Joy in Childbirth – Insights from Influential Doula Uchenna Jones

By

Dee Star

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Jun 21, 2024

0

Listen now:

What does it mean to bring joy back to childbirth? Join us for an illuminating conversation with Uchenna Jones, recognized as one of Wisconsin’s 51 most influential leaders of 2023. Uchenna’s journey from aspiring doctor to accomplished doula and upcoming midwife is inspiring. With roots deeply embedded in her Nigerian heritage and bolstered by her extensive experience in healthcare, Uchenna discusses the vital role of doulas in labor support, particularly in combating the historical mistreatment of Black women in obstetrics. She passionately advocates for birth as a joyous and sacred rite of passage.

Delve into the harrowing realities faced by birthing individuals, including those shackled in prisons, and the emotional and physical trauma they endure. We discuss the importance of freedom of movement during labor and the detrimental impact of restrictive practices. Through powerful stories, including the births of Tupac and Minister Eugene Smalls, Uchena highlights the profound effect on both mother and child. She emphasizes empowering birthing people to trust their instincts and the transformative role of doulas and nurses in creating positive birth experiences. Personal anecdotes reveal the deep emotional transformations that birth can bring, not just for mothers but for fathers, too.

Uchenna shares her spiritual journey through 22 years of doula work, from the emotional strength of mothers during labor to her transition into nursing, driven by a desire to blend holistic care with medical expertise. As a Black woman in the doula profession, she navigates unique challenges and leverages her Nigerian heritage to enrich her practice. The episode wraps up with a focus on personalized prenatal care and the essential involvement of birth partners, ensuring every birthing experience is supported and joyous. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in the transformative power of birth and the crucial role of compassionate care.

Listen, follow, subscribe:

A new documentary explores why the first ‘Black Barbie’ was much more than just a doll

By

CNN

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Jun 21, 2024

0

cnn-L19jb21wb25lbnRzL2ltYWdlL2luc3RhbmNlcy9jbHhqZndrOGowMDA2MzU2amtpdzAxM2t1-L19jb21wb25lbnRzL2FydGljbGUvaW5zdGFuY2VzL2NseGo3NXhhZDAwMG53N3FkOGFpZDFiMTc= — The first Black Barbie (pictured center) wore a bold red dress, gold jewelry and an afro. (Photo: Courtesy Netflix via CNN Newsource)

By Kaila Nichols, CNN

(CNN) — In the first few minutes of her new documentary film, the writer and director Lagueria Davis pays a visit to her aunt, Beulah Mitchell. At Mitchell’s house, they look through a room filled with boxes of dolls stacked up to the ceiling.

Davis — who says in the documentary she was far from a fan of dolls herself — was curious about why her aunt loved the toys so much, so when she discovered her aunt’s role in the creation of the first Black Barbie doll, she knew there was a story that needed to be told.

“Of course she had a story, so I wanted to jump right in after that,” Davis explained in an interview with CNN. And so she did: “Black Barbie: A Documentary,” her newly-released project, takes a deeper look at the story behind Black Barbie and its impact on representation in the toy business, and culture more broadly. The film features the stories of Black women who worked at Mattel, as well as appearances from Shonda Rhimes, ballerina Misty Copeland, Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad and Congresswoman Maxine Waters among others. Rhimes (whose production company, Shondaland, acquired the documentary at the SXSW Film Festival last year), Copeland and Muhammad have all had Barbies fashioned in their likeness.

Mitchell worked at Mattel for over four decades, starting her career at the company in 1955 on the assembly line — one of few Black Americans employed there at the time. As a child, she had been fascinated by dolls, she recalled in the documentary, but due to the lack of Black dolls at the time, it never occurred to her that she could have a Black doll specifically.

In 1960 or 1961, she encouraged Mattel founder Ruth Handler to create a Black Barbie doll — an “act of revolution,” UCLA professor Patricia A. Turner says in the documentary. (at the time, Handler replied, “we’ll see,” Mitchell remembered.)

While Mattel did later sell Black dolls like “Christie” and “Nurse Julia” in the late sixties, they were not Barbies. (Christie was billed as a side character in “Barbieland,” while Nurse Julia was a celebrity doll based on the actor and singer Diahann Carroll.) The actual Black Barbie doll didn’t become a reality until decades later, after the company hired Kitty Black Perkins in 1976 as its first Black designer.

Upon Black Barbie’s eventual release in 1980, it was clear Black Perkins’ design was the complete opposite of the Barbie people knew: full lips, wide nose, bold colors and a short afro.

“When I designed this doll, there was a need for the little Black girl to have something she could play with that looked like her,” Black Perkins says in the documentary. “I wanted her to reflect the total look of a Black woman.”

The impact of inclusion

“Barbie is such a ubiquitous and iconic brand. It’s important to know that (the) Barbie brand could be attached to a non-white doll,” Aaliyah Williams, the documentary’s producer, told CNN. “Having Black Barbie (dolls) just reinforces the fact that being Black is fly and amazing — and that Black women are gorgeous. Not that having Black dolls growing up was the only reason I felt like that,” she continued, noting that “I always felt like, ‘wow, I am gorgeous. I come from gorgeous people.’ I never questioned that… But I think that if having a doll that you get to see yourself in helps you, then sure.”

The documentary also touches on the impact dolls can have on young people, and how they can reinforce ideas — and ideals — of beauty. (Mattel has often faced criticism for its lack of diversity over the years, and for the literally impossible unrealistic body proportions Barbie embodies.) Some of the Black women interviewed in the documentary recalled playing with White dolls — and trying to change their dolls’ hair and eyes to look more like them. Others shared that they were specifically only given Black dolls by their parents.

“I can still feel that sense of joy that I felt when I first was introduced to Black Barbie,” said historian Yolanda Hester, calling the doll “an acknowledgement of your existence and that you’re here and that you are valued.”

Even with limited marketing and advertisement, Black Barbie sold so well, according to Mitchell, that it led to a whole world of Black dolls. These included the Shani doll line (in various shades) and a 30th anniversary doll from designer Stacey McBride-Irby, who also features in the documentary. While working at Mattel, McBride-Irby also launched the So In Style (S.I.S.) line of Black dolls highlighting mentorship and community.

In recent years, the Barbie brand has further expanded and diversified greatly by offering dolls with different body types, careers and physical disabilities.

“It’s a beautiful legacy story,” Davis told CNN. “It shows how representation can work — and we’re talking about a time when there weren’t any DEI initiatives.”

“Black Barbie is validation for my aunt and Kitty and Stacy, being seen and heard at a company where they were oftentimes silenced. Black Barbie is also validation for us filmmakers, everybody who worked on it, being seen and heard in this industry,” she added.

Williams said she was deeply moved when watching the documentary’s final cut.

“I just felt emotional. It was so, so beautiful. I think this is the ultimate love letter to Black women, who are often not validated and told how amazing they are, she said. “I’m so proud of this film and I’m so proud of Lagueria and I cannot wait for the world to see it.”

Juneteenth to be recognized at Dane County Board meeting tonight

By

Madison365 staff

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Jun 20, 2024

0

P_Juneteenth (204) — Juneteenth, celebrated here in Madison at Penn Park, dates to June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas, with news the Civil War had ended and slaves were free. (Photo by A. David Dahmer)

The Dane County Board Supervisors will hear the resolution recognizing Juneteenth at its board meeting Thursday night. Juneteenth commemorates June 19^th of 1865, the day President Abraham Lincoln emancipated African slaves across the United States.

“It is a celebration of freedom, resilience, and the enduring spirit of a community. It marks a significant milestone in American history and progress, and celebrating this day honors the immense contributions of African Americans both to our nation and to Dane County,” said Supervisor Anthony Gray (District 14) in a press release.

In 2020, the Dane County Board approved a resolution making Juneteenth a holiday for Dane County employees, one of the first units of government to do so.

The resolution at tonight’s Board meeting encourages employees to spend Juneteenth by volunteering for African American causes or shopping at Black-owned businesses, according to a press release from the Dane County Board of Supervisors, and the resolution emphasizes that Juneteenth is not a “one and done” holiday, but rather a reminder to consider and support the countless contributions, immense vibrancy, and unique spirit of African American communities every day of the year.

“Juneteenth commemorates the remarkable resilience and dedication of the African American community, highlighting a day of progress in the pursuit of equality and justice, said Supervisor April Kigeya (District 15). “This day stands as a tribute to the enduring strength of Black Americans, celebrating their rich cultural heritage and their embodiment of the spirit of this nation.”

Wisconsin’s Most Influential Asian American Leaders for 2024, Part 4

By

Henry Sanders

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Jun 20, 2024

0

This is the fourth of a five-part series. Part One is here, Part Two is here and Part Three is here.

Sirinda Pairin

Sirinda Pairin is an Engagement and Communications Manager at the Wisconsin School of Business. She has been with WSB for eight years. Her current role focuses on climate, culture, and belonging. A graduate of the UW-Madison School of Journalism, she is a founding member of the UW-Madison Multiracial Student Union.