50th Anniversary of the “March on Milwaukee” 200 Nights of Freedom

March on Milwaukee

On August 28, 1967, activists and community members, including Alderperson Vel Phillips, Father James Groppi, and the Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council Commandos, marched to demand a fair housing ordinance for Milwaukee and an end to segregated housing in the city. They marched for 200 consecutive nights.

Their story is documented in the digital collection, March on Milwaukee. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the March on Milwaukee. The events and people who led the movement are being commemorated in programs planned across the city. Check out the March on Milwaukee digital collection, as well as the 200 Nights of Freedom site, run by volunteers throughout the city, which includes a calendar of anniversary-related events and resources.

Crossing the Line

Also commemorating the 50th anniversary of Milwaukee’s open housing marches, the Wisconsin Historical Society has created an exhibit, “Crossing the Line,” on display until Sept. 5 in the Golda Meir Library’s Daniel M. Soref Learning Commons.

The exhibit follows the timeline of desegregation efforts and civil rights activism in the city during the 1960′s. Many of the materials featured in “Crossing the Line” are from collections housed in the UWM Archives.