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General King Rick Ensures 2019 the Year of the Panther

MILWAUKEE COURIER — The Original Black Panthers of Milwaukee have been pretty busy the first two months of 2019.

Published

7 years ago

February 18, 2019

By Dylan Deprey

The Original Black Panthers of Milwaukee have been pretty busy the first two months of 2019. From the calls to their hotline and direct messages on social media, racism and oppression never sleeps.

Though their tactics may not fall in line with some, anytime they are notified of an incident, they investigate and intervene.

“People hate when we go to the source, but if they weren’t a detriment, we wouldn’t be there,” King Rick said. “We don’t mess with people that don’t deserve to be messed with.”

Though the Black Panthers are seen as a radical group, they are rather a militant unit that provides humanitarian effort and protection, along with amplifying the voice of the voiceless.

“The complete village is our family because it doesn’t matter what race you are. If you need help, we will help you,” King Rick said. “The only time we’re going to a business is if we’re supporting them or they messed up.”

Over the course of two months, the Original Black Panthers of Milwaukee have had to check several local and corporate businesses in and around Milwaukee for their ignorance. King Rick sat down with the Courier to give his take on each one.

Denco Manufacturing, New Berlin, WI

Marlon Anderson, a Milwaukee resident, worked at Denco Manufacturing for three years. He reached out to the Black Panthers about an incident with a coworker in December.

As Anderson was walking by, a white coworker asked him to stick his head into a noose fashioned from a nylon strap. He later came over and said he was asking to “test the weight limit of the straps.” Anderson said he was anxious and physically shaken up the next day coming into work. He added that he kept a screwdriver in his pocket for protection.

The employee said the incident was a joke and normal shop floor banter. The police were called, but surveillance video and testimony were not enough evidence for disorderly conduct.

“There is no misunderstanding or joke about lynching anybody, especially African Americans,” King Rick said. “We wanted the employee fired and the company to take responsibility.”

Denco Manufacturing had business with Harley Davidson and several other companies in neighboring suburbs. After hammering amounts of calls, emails and direct messages, they stopped answering their phones and still have an “Under Construction” notice on their website.

A representative with Harley Davidson later reached out to the Black Panthers to announce that they had ended business with Denco after taking concern from the community.

“Right is right and wrong is wrong, and if you’re not going to stand up and allow racism and oppression in your company, then you have no business in business,” he said.

The Panthers have made the trip to Denco twice, and will continue until the employee is fired.

FedEx, Glendale, WI

A 19-year-old female from Milwaukee was working at FedEx with a stand-in manager from a different location. The young adult asked her a question, which she responded by calling her a “f*****g monkey” in front of customers.

Individuals who had heard the outburst had spoken with her. The manager, Emily Trout, admitted what she had said and they contacted the Panthers.

After speaking with the young female’s father, who had corroborated the story, they went to FedEx and demanded Trout be fired. FedEx had the Panthers and the local alderman removed from the store.

The company was hit with a barrage of phone calls. FedEx eventually flew in their corporate lawyer to speak with the female about the alleged incident, and no resolution was made.

The Panthers had also visited the store she allegedly managed. Employees said they had never heard of her, and there is still no word if Trout is an employee.

“I don’t know if they moved her further out to the suburbs or got rid of her, but their policy is to not comment on employees,” said Rick. “But, if there wasn’t an issue, why did they fly their corporate lawyer out?”

He added that with the multiple instances of racism and oppression in Milwaukee and the suburbs, people out there didn’t seem to care.

“If you go in there all tame and docile, nothing is going to get done, but if you go in there with a bunch of strong Black men and women, someone will take accountability,” said Rick.

Stop & Shop, 29th/Fond du Lac, Milwaukee

When videos pop up online, the Panthers are instantly notified. The phone rings, the messages come in and they assemble.

On Feb. 10, a video of a large mouse squirming throughout bags of chips on a rack at a Northside gas station set social media ablaze.

“We are the ones keeping them rich, I don’t see white folks coming down to 29th and Fond du Lac for a juice and chips, so you better respect us and take care of a rodent infestation,” King Rick said.

There were many calls placed to the health department, and when the Panthers visited the business, the owner showed them that pest control had come through. They also noticed there had been mouse traps and other pest control units in place.

Though it will take time for a rodent-free establishment, he acknowledged them for taking the steps to better the situation, although it might not have been addressed if the video hadn’t surfaced in the first place.

In a perfect Milwaukee, King Rick said all businesses would put funds back into the communities that have spent millions at their establishments.

Mobil, 95th/Brown Deer, Milwaukee

On Feb. 9, a Milwaukee man who was normally charged $2 for cigars was now being charged $2.10. He didn’t have the extra dime. When he questioned the clerk, an argument ensued. The worker called him and his five-year-old nephew the “N-Word.” He then threatened them with a gun.

He called Black Panthers right after it happened. They went to the gas station and literally shut it down.
“We didn’t let anybody into the gas station, we turned people away because that’s what needs to be done,” King Rick said. “Forget talking, we need action.”

They stayed until the police came. The clerk was cited and ordered to the D.A.

“If you’re going to be in our community, making money from our community, you will respect our community, and need to put back in our communities,” he said.

The Year of the Panther

Along with dealing with racial incidents in and around Milwaukee, the Original Black Panthers give back through community events and donations. They also perform community patrols and provide security for those in unsafe conditions. They also have meetings every Wednesday for people to air their grievances.

“Milwaukee is home to all the unfavorable statistics for African Americans, the hyper segregation, the worst place to raise a Black child and the highest incarceration rates. Where are the churches, politicians?”

For 2019, the Original Black Panthers of Milwaukee are planning to add voter awareness to their list to-do list.

“You know what would happen if we got 1,000 people to show up to a Common Council meeting?” King Rick asked. “We need to take the responsibility for our community and for 2020 we want people to ‘Get Woke to Vote.’”

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Courier.

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Marin City Public Housing Residents Demand a Voice in County’s Renovation Plans

Representation has been a continuous struggle for the Residents Council, she said in an interview with the Post News Group. In 2014, the tenants took the county to federal court over this issue, and prevailed, resulting in an MOU that was in effect from 2014 to 2024, said McLemore. “Now, they are not responding to our rightful requests to participate. They are not giving us a legal justification for their position.”

Published

3 days ago

May 10, 2026

Oakland Post

The largest housing complex in Marin County, Golden Gate Village residents are for predominantly Black and low-income. Courtesy image.

Tenants say the County of Marin is ignoring federal law requiring resident council participation

By Ken Epstein

Marin City public housing residents say the County is illegally depriving them of their rights to participate in renovation decisions that affect the future of their housing, raising deep concerns over whether the county ultimately will find a way to displace them.

According to regulations established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Marin City public housing residents have the right to organize, elect resident councils, and hold public housing agencies accountable for involving them in management decisions.

Without resident participation, the Board of Housing Commissioners, made up of the five Marin County Board of Supervisors and two resident comissioners, has approved a $226 million project. The plan calls for renovation of the 296 units in Golden Gate Village (GGV) and focuses on interior improvements. The project is scheduled to start in July.

Residents’ concerns have a long history, said Royce McLemore, president of the Golden Gate Village Residents Council and a 50-year resident of Marin City,

With no current MOU mandating training and participation of residents, the legal basis for all the redevelopment decisions made by the county since 2024 is questionable, said Terrie Green, executive director of Marin City Climate Resilience. “We are experiencing voicelessness. If residents had a voice, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” she said.

County decisions include a plan, in line with federal regulations, to convert GGV from public housing to a public-private enterprise that allows for private investment. The Marin Housing Authority has created a limited partnership that includes Burbank Housing – which will renovate the units and manage the property – and Wells Fargo Bank, the investor.

This change in federal policy regarding public housing, which includes a shift to a Section-8 voucher system, has resulted in gentrification across the country, particularly affecting African Americans in cities such as San Francisco.

Shifts in criteria of what is considered affordable could also end up pricing residents out of their living units. At present, low income in Marin County is officially considered $156,000. But the median household income in Marin City is significantly lower at $68,846.

Damian Morgan, a community advocate with Marin City Climate Resilience, questioned why the county is renovating apartments without fixing toxic infrastructure that is impacting the lives of people in GGV.

Morgan said tenants have filed a class action lawsuit because of unsafe conditions at Golden Gate Village.

Residents are also concerned that the County still does not have an adequate family plan for temporary displacement while their apartments are being renovated. Although the County has suggested other community apartments as alternatives, nothing concrete has developed except vacant public housing units that have the same toxic conditions, such as mold and mildew.

Green said it doesn’t make sense. “…Why are we moving people around into temporary housing that’s uninhabitable, when you should be dealing first with the infrastructure, the foundational work, replacing old and rusted water pipes and new sewers.”

Morgan questions the County’s motivation for neglecting infrastructure repairs. “They’re remodeling the units but leaving the decayed infrastructure in place. I feel like they’re just setting this up for it to fail.”

“What slowed it down a little is that GGV is a historic preservation district, but I think what they’re striving for is demolition by neglect,” he said. “The neglect has always been on their part.”

Architect Ora Hatheway said her concern is about cutting corners. “You have to deal with the land issues. You have to deal with grading and drainage, and that’s being brushed under the rug.”

In an interview with KGO TV, Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters responded to some of these concerns. She said residents are guaranteed the right to return to their homes.

“This is a concern that we take seriously,” she said. “Every resident will move back into their own unit, and we’ve given this to them in writing. Before they leave their unit, we will sign a document together that guarantees their right to return.”

In response to residents who feel left out of the planning process, she said community input has focused on those affected by the first phase of the project. “So other residents may not have heard quite as much or felt like they had as much contact. But if there are residents who have concerns, we’re happy to hear from them. You can contact my office or the housing authority directly,” she said.

While County leaders may be giving some updates to some tenants, they are not sitting at the table with the Residents Council nor giving residents a voice in decision-making, said McLemore.

Without a voice in decisions, tenants are worried that Black people may be forced out of public housing, resulting in gentrification, she said in an interview with ABC 7. It’s still paternalistic, she said. “It’s still that ‘We know what’s best for you.’’’

Several years ago, the Residents Council proposed a land trust plan that would give tenants homeownership rights. Though the plan had broad support throughout the county, it was rejected by the Board of Supervisors

In the final analysis, Green said, for Marin City tenants the fight is not just for decent housing but to maintain their community with dignity under conditions of mutual respect.

“We’re talking about people who came here to work in the shipyards during World War II to bring about peace and safety to this country,” she said. “Look at the discrimination we’ve faced down through the years. Look at the life-span issue of Marin City folks – almost 20 years less than the rest of the County.”

“We want educational equity so our children will have decent schools. We need a land trust, property ownership, so we can have wealth creation. Marin City needs the same quality of life as other communities in Marin County.”

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Oakland Post: Week of May 6 – 12, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of may 6 – 12, 2026

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May 10, 2026

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

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1 week ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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