A vision more than 40 years in the making finally has a date: the Center for Black Excellence and Culture will open its doors May 6. Meanwhile, Boys and Girls Club CEO Michael Johnson opens up about what it's like to lead while Black in Madison, Dane County takes a hard look at how it handles $272 million in contracts, and Sun Prairie podcaster Dee Star becomes the first podcaster enshrined at the Wisconsin History Museum. All that, plus Forward Madison's newest signing, a teen pitch competition, and a Milwaukee cop caught using surveillance cameras to track his girlfriend. Here are the top stories from this week.
365 Amplified: Podcast history, hip-hop ed, local budget woes
We're talking about a history-making local podcast, hip-hop in the classroom, and how Dane County is looking to change the way it does contracts up against a pretty dire budget situation. Listen here or on your favorite podcast app!
The Center for Black Excellence and Culture will host grand opening and community open house May 6 The 37,500-square-foot center on Madison's South Side will open its doors with a ribbon cutting and community open house on May 6, culminating founder Dr. Alex Gee's decades-long vision.
Dane County is reviewing how it does contracts. Here's what nonprofits want to change. County Executive Melissa Agard has ordered a comprehensive review of Dane County's roughly 800 contracts totaling $272 million annually, with nonprofit leaders calling above all for greater transparency in the competitive bidding process.
"I just take it." Johnson says fielding harassment is part of the job for Black & brown leaders in Madison Boys and Girls Club of Dane County CEO Michael Johnson received 47 harassing emails in four days from one person — an extreme but illustrative example of what Black and brown leaders in Madison regularly face.
Madison College Pitch competition seeks teen innovators The 2026 Madison College Pitch invites high school students to develop and pitch business ideas for a chance to win up to $500, with video submissions due March 30 and a live finale May 1.
Local podcaster Dee Star makes history, literally OuttaDeeBox host Dee Star hit three milestones: February 3 was declared Dee Star Day in Sun Prairie, the podcast became the first enshrined at the Wisconsin History Museum and Sun Prairie Historical Society, and he received a legislative citation for community impact.
Land as past and future: a Q&A with Diné artist Dakota Mace Diné artist and Textile Arts Center of Madison's first artist-in-residence Dakota Mace discusses her work spanning photography and textile arts, and a community project inviting visitors to create photograms exploring the history of Teejop.
Hip-hop history on display at Wisconsin Historical Society for Black History Month The "Lead Between the Rhymes" exhibit celebrates over 50 years of Wisconsin hip-hop culture through artifacts, an original mural, guided tours, and a closing panel discussion on February 28.
Mingos sign Ghanaian striker Stephen Annor Gyamfi Forward Madison FC has added Ghanaian striker Stephen Annor Gyamfi, who starred at the University of Virginia before being drafted by Houston Dynamo in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.
No. 1 Wisconsin women's hockey clinches 11th WCHA regular season title The top-ranked Badgers locked up their 11th WCHA regular season championship.
And in other news …
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