Ten years ago, on Aug. 13, 2016, then-Milwaukee police officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown shot and killed Sylville Smith in the Sherman Park neighborhood. Smith’s death, which sparked days of protests throughout Sherman Park, were fueled by longstanding tensions between residents and police and other systemic issues that plagued the neighborhood.
Uprising in Sherman Park:
10 years later
A decade later, we asked Sherman Park residents to reflect on /what they remember from that time, and how they would like their neighborhood to be remembered today.
They shared with NNS what they enjoy and what they would change about their neighborhood.
Donovan Mobley, age 16
What he enjoys about the Sherman Park neighborhood: “I like that it’s close by a park. I dislike that almost every day there’s a car chase or something. There’s always police coming up and down the street.”
The lasting effects of the uprising: “For the younger generation, running from the police instead of going to the park and being young children.”
Stormy Mercadel
What she remembers about the unrest 10 years ago: “There was a lot of anger, people felt like there was a lot of racism going on.”
What she enjoys about Sherman Park: “I like the intimacy and the diversity. It feels like a city sometimes but also like a very small and intimate community. There’s just a feeling of we all need each other and recognizing it no matter what.”
Kim Collins
What she remembers about the uprising: “I didn’t like it at all. It went haywire. The gas station was set on fire, businesses around were torn up. There was a lot of chaos.”
Whether the uprising had a lasting effect on residents: “No, I don’t think they do. People don’t care about stuff like that. I did. People don’t care about that stuff at all.”
Nigerion Martin, age 11
What he likes about Sherman Park: “When kids like to have fun.”
How he has fun: “By swinging on the swings.”
Antoinette Martin
What she wishes was better about Sherman Park: “We need more unity and getting all the kids and parents together. We need more activities.”
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
