Sam’s Place, a café located at 3338 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in the Harambee neighborhood, will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting Monday, Feb. 22. (Photo provided by Bader Philanthropies)

It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday. 

1. Soft opening of Sam’s Place: Monday, Feb. 22

Sam’s Place, 3338 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in the Harambee neighborhood, is open for the business. The cafe will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting Monday, Feb. 22. The cafe is owned and operated by Sam Belton of the CITY.NET Jazz Cafe. There will be beverages, food and roast coffee available for purchase. Sam’s Place currently has five employees and Belton is looking to hire additional staff from the Harambee neighborhood in the coming months. Sam’s Place will offer limited dine-in options in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance on social distancing, and a walk-up window is available for coffee and food pick-ups. Bader Philanthropies invested nearly $5 million into buying and renovating the building.

2. Employ Milwaukee Fair Chance Workshop: Wednesday, Feb. 24

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Employ Milwaukee, 2342 N. 27th St., is hosting a Fair Chance Workshop at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24. The workshop will help participants prepare for a successful virtual job interview. Participants will learn camera and microphone etiquette, practice interviewing, discuss resumes and online applications and more. To join the workshop, contact Frederick Nelson at frederick.nelson@employmilwaukee.org or call 414-335-5208.

3. Milwaukee Public Museum: Black History Month: Ongoing

The Milwaukee Public Museum partnered with America’s Black Holocaust Museum to provide virtual programming for Black History Month. The museum’s programming includes the “Meet the Watson Family” exhibit, a feature on the book “Birding for Everyone – Encouraging People of Color to Become Birdwatchers” by John C. Robinson and more. Click here to view the virtual programming.

4. Listen MKE Live: “Unlearning Racism”: Wednesday, Feb. 24

James Causey, a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter, is hosting Listen MKE Live on Facebook Live from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24. The event will feature keynote speaker Kondwani Fidel, a writer and spoken word artist. Causey, Fidel and others will then discuss the Milwaukee program, “Unlearning Racism,” which aims to help people identify their views and how to change them.

5. “REPair Divides”: A virtual dialogue series: Thursday, Feb. 25

The Milwaukee Repertory Theater is hosting a virtual dialogue series called “REPair Divides.” This week’s conversation features a performance of “Rise: An African American Word Quilt” written by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj. A discussion will follow. The event will take place on Zoom from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25. To join the discussion, email athome@milwaukeerep.com by noon on Wednesday, Feb. 24.