by Mikel Kwaku Osei Holt
The words slipped out of my mouth before my brain sent out commands to stop them.

My boys looked at me in shock, for they knew something of great significance had sparked my tirade.

I have a steadfast rule to never to use profanity around my children, but this was one of those rare occasions when profanity was the only appropriate response. In fact, given what I had gone through during the two hours leading up to my outburst, my words could have been considered excusable.

For the first hour, I had joined Alderman Michael McGee, Jr. in a meeting that left me angry, dazed, confused and frustrated.

Along with "MCJ" Editor Tom Mitchell, we had spent that time conversing with the 11-year-old victim of a gang rape involving upwards of 20 boys and men.

Also present at the meeting were the girl’s uncle, aunt and grandmother, each of whom has been traumatized by the horrendous crime, the initial response of social services bureaucrats, and the barrage of media attention that followed.

The second hour was spent traveling to the site of the rape, engaging in eye opening conversations with neighbors, many of whom consider themselves to be under siege by terrorists, and victims of a war for the moral stability of the neighborhood we share.

Sharing, in this implication, is not a euphemism. The house where the girl was raped is within a stone’s throw of the "Milwaukee Community Journal" offices. Her grandmother lives within shouting distance.

"Mike Junior" and his crew of community activists assembled for prayer and direction outside the newspaper as I was returning to the office from an assignment. After a warm embrace, he asked me to accompany him as he undertook his mission.

With only the "Journal Sentinel" news report as his source, Mike Junior said he felt compelled to sort through the rumors and innuendoes before reaching a conclusion about what really happened on that unforgettable Labor Day, and his response.

To say I was impressed with Mike Junior falls far short of my admiration.

His ability to make the child--and she is a child--feel comfortable enough to speak openly about such a traumatic and horrendous scenario was revealing. It spoke volumes about his sincerity, commitment and communicative skills.

Mike Junior easily bridged the generation gap, understanding slang terms she often provided, yet maintaining his aura of professionalism. He cast an authoritative cloud, displaying genuine empathy for the child and her family’s plight. Equally important, he offered all of the resources at his disposal, along with a heartfelt promise to assist in the apprehension of the culprits.

The conversation was at times disquieting. And there were times when my emotions transgressed from sorrow to disgust. At various points during the child’s "testimony," I didn't know whether to cuss or cry.

Hearing the sorted details of the incident--that started with the child being encouraged to perform oral sex on three teens, to being gang raped--I couldn’t help but think what type of individual could lower himself to such savage and immoral conduct.

The mere thought of a child being physically and psychologically assaulted was foreign to me. I had to focus on my role as a "subchief" (a community elder), as I held back the tears, although that emotion quickly gave way to anger.

Nineteen or 20 participants, and not one of those animals had the moral integrity to question the episode, much less intervene on the girl’s behalf, I thought. That fact gets to the root of a larger issue: Just how extensive is this budding subculture, a culture that breeds such uncivilized behavior and a pattern of terrorism that has gripped our community.

Even without documentation, I can surmise that many of the participants are from single parent households; most are high school dropouts with criminal records and patterns of anti-social conduct.

Even worse, our community has been in denial for far too long. Too many of our politicians focus too much of their energies blaming the wrong villains, or in some cases decrying the prison industrialization complex, racism, the school system or the environment. Indeed, I won't be surprised to hear some Black politician, and surely a few White missionaries, describing the rapists as "victims."

Mike Junior offered cogent advice to the girl’s guardians, including a suggestion that she be relocated until those involved in the atrocity are brought to justice. He also announced his intent to establish a reward to expedite their arrest.

My input was much less significant. I offered assistance as a media liaison, and suggested that both a lawyer and counselor is brought to the table, both for the girl and her relatives.

Mike Junior agreed to assist in securing those resources, and after embracing the child and her guardians slipped something in their hands which I assumed was cash.

As we were leaving out the back door (to throw off the media stationed on the block), one of the adults exclaimed how refreshing it was to encounter a politician who provides true leadership.

With images of the child still blinding my vision, and the related thoughts that she was HIV positive and less than two years removed from burying her mother, and three years from another assault, we ventured down the street to the site of the "holocaust."

During our walk, we conversed with frustrated neighbors, curious bystanders and angry and confused seniors.

One family sadly announced that they had had enough, and were packing up and moving away from the insanity that has gripped the block.

A courageous female minister, who has sought to shepherd her neighbors only to be rebuffed and frequently threatened, said she was committed to staying.

A group of young brothers expressed their anger and disgust. One talked about the need for "men" to become more proactive, to do what is necessary to restore a sense of sanity to the neighborhood. "The ‘po po’ ain’t going to do nothing. I’m tired of these punks terrorizing my neighborhood. It’s time we cut this cancer out!" he declared to nods of agreement from the other young men.

Mike Junior addressed the group in the language of the streets, insisting that their outrage was justified, but their tactics may be misguided, particularly if they were haphazard.

The fiery young alderman talked about block clubs, citizen patrols and coordination with police, city hall and other Black organizations to reclaim our streets.

He maintained the full attention of the young men as he talked about Black nation building, community control of the institutions, and their participation in a larger campaign to lead our children down a different path.

We must focus on restoring the Black family, giving our children a sense of purpose and direction, protecting our women and stopping the flow of guns and drugs. It may seem like a Herculean endeavor, but it can occur if we truly care. That effort should start with the arrest of the culprits.

The brothers agreed, with one giving Mike Junior the telephone number of the landlord of the house as a token gesture. He said the occupants had been there for only a short time, but long enough to create general havoc.

He applauded Mike’s promise to get them out of the neighborhood whether they were participants or not.

Mike Junior showed me a lot during our short time together. I’ve watched him over the years as an activist and tree shaker, but this was my first time actually engaging him on this battleground. He frequently claims that I was one of his mentors, but on this day, the roles were reversed.

He didn’t mince words. There are community standards which we must all adhere to for the common good, and the conduit of those who violated the young girl, or for that matter buried their hands in the sand amid the drug dealing, shootings and misconduct of the few, must accept part of the blame. God doesn’t like ugly, he told the brothers, and we will be judged on how we respond to situations like this one.

I’ve known Mike Junior for most of his life. His unconditional love for Black people and his unwavering commitment for Black empowerment separates him from many Black politicians. His position as an elected official provides him with a platform, and his street credibility and battle scars make him a true community leader.

And it is that leadership that separates Mike from others elected to public office to serve the Black community.

What sparked my profane outburst later was not the "education" I received during the two hours with the young girl, her family and in the neighborhood, but a fax I picked up as I entered the office. It was from State Representative Leon Young in which he announced his "utter dismay and frustration at the recent spate of violent crimes that have been directed at unknowing bystanders or minors in Milwaukee," including the rape.

The press release went on to say "Representative Young raised this alarm (?) in response to inquiries as to the various incidents that have occurred in Milwaukee’s inner city (part of which he represents) and urged a more collective ‘reprisal’ to corroborate the efforts of the law enforcement agencies."

After rereading, that section three or four times, I tried to contain myself as I read on.

"Young, a former cop," the press release stated, is concerned at the number of casualties that are reported on a daily basis by the media. "The threat level should be at its highest as we speak and all hands should be on deck to combat this endemic evil!"

He went on to add the attacks during the past few weeks are reminiscent of a "war torn area and decisive action needs to be taken and fast."

The press release concluded by noting that Young had introduced legislation last session to "address mob actions. In addition, this bill would also have addressed this incident of repeated, aggravated sexual assaults on an 11-year-old girl by about 19 males."

It was at this point that I could no longer contain myself and uttered a few choice--and profane--words.

Obviously, anyone who reads the press release would not only find it to be condescending and politically motivated, but confusing and disingenuous.

What angered me most was the methodology. A confusing, disingenuous press release! Instead of taking a proactive role, dealing directly with the issues, dialoguing with the victims and offering solutions, he sends another idiotic press release expressing his "concern."

They say the best teaching moments happen spontaneously, and this was one of those occasions.

After apologizing to my sons, I explained to them the difference between a Black leader, and a Black politician. I talked to them about civic responsibility and the difference between those who stand on the sidelines, and those who engage in activities that bring about change.

I lectured them on why our community is in the dire straits that it is in and, finally, I offered them a comparison: Michael McGee, Jr. and Leon Young.

Obviously, some gatekeepers will take issue with my comparison. My response is simple: It's time we start holding politicians accountable. It's not enough to participate in the political game in Madison or city hall. Change takes place through engagement and leadership. It's time Black folks understood the difference, and also recall the response of a former Black supervisor with two other jobs to the question about why he was seeking re-election: it's "free money, you don’t have to work for it; just send out a few press releases and say you’re concerned."

Maybe it’s true that we get what we deserve. If that's true, thank God for the answer to some of our prayers for someone like Michael McGee, Jr.

His personal problem aside, Mike Junior is among a handful (another sad commentary) of Black politicians--tree shakers--who can truly lay claim to being a leader. He not only engages the people he represents, but through his actions addresses the Herculean problems that face our community.

(Since our tour, Mike has directed an intensive investigation, seeking out the culprits and encouraging family members and friends to turn them in. It was rumored that he actually put his hands on one of the punks, but lost him while going for police assistance.)

He sometimes shoots from the hip, but no one can say he isn’t trying and willing to put his political future--and his life--on the line for Black people.

Interestingly, Eugene Kane mentioned to me while taping the "In the Round" segment of 1290 WMCS radio’s "Morning Magazine Show" Monday morning that McGee reminds him of another "radical" Black alderman from Philadelphia who went on to become mayor.

As a young alderman, many thought he too was too radical, too outspoken. But he learned to channel, to better articulate without compromising, and as a result climbed the political ladder.

Mike Junior may follow that script. And after watching him up close and personal last week, my respect for him has morphed into admiration. He’s what this community desperately needs: leadership instead of partisan political opportunists.

And I can say that without profanity.
Hotep.