Voices of Sherman Park: Three Years Later: ‘She was just glad we got home safe’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Van Johnson
August 13, 2019
I am a Sherman Park resident who was present for the events of that weekend. I live on 45th and Keefe, and I remember that night vividly.
My brother and I were on our way to a house party on 51st Street. We had heard sirens and some smoke rising a few blocks up from our house, but we thought little of it.
The real action came when we were taking a Lyft home. We saw the gas station on fire and SWAT team members with riot gear massing against the rioters. It wasn’t just the gas station either; we had to detour on Fond du Lac because we couldn’t get home via Burleigh. It was so hot from the flames I almost couldn’t see, and the smoke made me choke. It took about 45 minutes to get us six blocks to get home. Thankfully, our Lyft driver didn’t charge us for the ride. She was just glad we got home safe. We watched the rest of the unrest unfold at home on the news. I hope this story will help shed more light on those events. I surely won’t forget them.
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What are your memories?
It’s been three years since Sherman Park was thrust in the national spotlight after a weekend of unrest.
We’ve asked for you to share your memories and will feature your voices all week.
What do you remember about the weekend? How has Sherman Park changed? What do you feel the media missed when reporting about the neighborhood?  What is the legacy of the unrest?
Do you have photographs from the unrest you want to share? Would you like to talk with an NNS reporter for a story?
Feel free to email us or leave a comment on Facebook.
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