Residents gather in Sherman Park the day after violence broke out in the neighborhood. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)

Coverage of the unrest in Sherman Park last August by Andrea Waxman, Jabril Faraj and the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service staff has been recognized in the Milwaukee Press Club’s annual Awards for Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism competition. The series of articles was a finalist in the category of “Writing: Best multi-story coverage of a single feature topic or event.” Winners will be announced at the club’s Gridiron Awards Dinner on May 12.

The shooting death of Sylville Smith at the hands of a Milwaukee police officer on Aug. 13 triggered community unrest and focused the nation’s attention on the Sherman Park neighborhood. In the weeks and months after the shooting, NNS reporters came back to Sherman Park again and again, reporting on residents’ concerns about police behavior, segregation, underperforming schools and lack of economic opportunity.