Uprising in Sherman Park:
10 years later
Every early morning, longtime senior residents Essie Johnson, Irene Anderson and Evette McCoy spend time taking strolls together through the Sherman Park neighborhood. And though they have love for the area, they say things aren’t what they used to be.
Johnson, 81, has lived in Sherman Park for over 50 years and says she feels safe and comfortable despite all of the neighborhood’s flaws.
“I just don’t come out late at night,” she said. “The neighborhood speaks for itself, and we would like to see it get better, but we know it will take a while.”
As NNS commemorates the 10th anniversary of the uprising in Sherman Park, we talked with some of the residents who know the neighborhood the best.
The unrest occurred in August 2016 after Milwaukee Police Officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown shot and killed 23-year-old Sylville Smith. Heaggan-Brown was acquitted of Smith’s killing but was later sentenced to prison on unrelated sex crimes charges. His death sparked days of protest in Sherman Park, with clashes between residents and police and significant damage to property.
A generational divide?
From going to the wading pool to cookouts at Sherman Park, Johnson and Anderson, 76, said the neighborhood was where their children grew up and created memories.
“All our kids are grown and gone, but they come back periodically,” Anderson said.
Anderson and Johnson said that there’s a generational divide among the older and younger generations.
“All the people have died out and left their houses to the young people, and they’re not as respectful or generous,” Anderson said.
McCoy, 74, said back then, young people would speak and say “good morning” to the elders, but now they don’t.
“They don’t talk to us like they used to,” she said.
Keeping the neighborhood in shape
The three seniors said it’s hard to keep the neighborhood’s landscape in shape, but they will remain persistent in doing the best they can.
“If we don’t pick up, then the people here will intentionally throw trash,” she said. “We clean it up because this is where we live and it needs to look presentable.”
Johnson and McCoy are widows whose husbands once took care of the neighborhood by cleaning the alleys and streets regularly.
“My husband had a knife, and when he saw trees hanging over in the alley, he didn’t care whose yard it was in, he would cut it and keep moving,” Johnson said.
Anderson said her family used to depend on McCoy’s husband to maintain their yard hedges before he died.
“We have not changed our hedges since he left because of the impact that it had on us,” Anderson said.
Anderson also said McCoy’s husband used to have the children in the neighborhood pick up the litter, but now that doesn’t happen.
“You can’t do that now, you have to keep your mouth shut,” she said. “It’s gun violence now, so you have to be careful.”
Though the ladies spend time talking about health and other topics on their walks, in the back of their minds is their hope for the neighborhood. They hope it returns to its former glory and will do what they can to help that happen.
“The environment has changed tremendously,” Anderson said. “But we do this faithfully and stay connected.”
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