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Lavita Booker (second from left) and Camille Mays (second from right) welcome Homer Blow and Gabri-El Taylor Bey to the lot at 3052 N. 37th St. (All photos by Andrea Waxman)
Lavita Booker, Camille Mays and partners from Groundwork Milwaukee recently launched a new community garden with the building of eight beds at 3052 N. 37th St.
The new Marcus Garvey Community Garden is located between Burleigh and Chambers streets in the Amani neighborhood. In addition to Garvey, the garden honors historical African and African-American heroes and heroines as well as Milwaukee icons Mother Scott, Jeannetta Robinson and Vel Phillips. It is modeled on Andre Lee Ellis’ “We Got This” garden and mentoring program for black boys and young men.
Also involved in the launch were community leaders David Muhammad of the Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention; County Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde; Andre Lee Ellis, founder of We Got This Milwaukee; Vaun Mayes and Gabri-El Taylor Bey, founders and co-directors of Program the Parks; WNOV Radio personality Homer Blow and Groundwork’s Daisy Romero.
Booker will employ young people in the garden and teach skills and values that will help them succeed in school, work and life. Booker said African-American youth will learn about black “heroes and she-roes” in order to better understand their people’s history and their own place in it.
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