MILWAUKEE — Bronzeville Week in Milwaukee is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
The festival runs from Aug. 7 through 14 and highlights the Black-owned businesses, Black artists, and Black history and culture along King Dr. and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Bronzeville Week was born out of a neighborhood victory more than 10 years ago as residents fought to fill an empty storefront with a grocery store instead of a big box store.
Today, that storefront is Pete's Fresh Market.
"We fought alongside each other for the grocery store that this neighborhood needed and deserved," said Alderwoman Milele Coggs in a press conference kicking of Bronzeville Week in front of the hard-fought-for grocery store. "It's kind of like starting with a vision, having an idea, and having people support it enough to help make it happen and to continue to support it to see it grow."
Coggs was one of the visionaries that put Bronzeville week into action 10 years ago. She said she's thrilled that each year more and more of the community shows up to support and take part in the celebration of community.
"The first year we had a little marketplace that was one block on North Avenue. Since then, we have had years where it's a four-block festival, but there is 100 vendors. So we went from like five vendors to 100 vendors," Coggs said.
The week's schedules feature art demonstrations, film screenings, brunches, a marketplace and so much more. All aimed at celebrating the Bronzeville community's rich culture.
"Oftentimes we talk about the negative in the community and we get together out of mourning or out of anger. This is truly a time of celebration and it's an opportunity to come together over something good," Coggs said.
The Office on African American Affairs, the Historic King Dr. BID, the City of Milwaukee, and American Family Insurance are all presenting partners of Bronzeville Week.
For more information and a full schedule of events, click here.
