Racine & Me April 8, 2018: Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Preservation Racine on Lincoln, and The Boxcar Children
Jacob Kittilstad had a bit of a homecoming for Congresswoman Gwen Moore who was born and partly-raised in the city of Racine. Now she represents Wisconsin’s 4th District which includes Milwaukee and some surrounding cities – but she still calls Racine “The Center of the Universe” and has very fond memories growing up in the area and returning from time-to-time to be with family. She reflected on her father’s time as a factory worker – including her dad’s wise words about labor and how industrialization might affect the movement. She also criticized House Speaker Paul Ryan for threatening “the social safety net” she says is needed in the city considering that Racine has the highest unemployment rate in the state of Wisconsin. Click here for Rep. Moore's Twitter page
Next, Bishop Lawrence Kirby reflected on how it has been 50 years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior. Bishop Kirby is currently the Senior Pastor at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Racine – but was a young man growing up right outside of Memphis when MLK Jr. was killed. Click here for info on the St. Paul MB Church
The discussion continued with Preservation Racine talking about how the week also is shared with the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination (which happened about 100 years earlier). The president of the group – who now also is the Director of Development at the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center – talked about his work to restore one of the two statues of Lincoln in Racine. He also previewed an upcoming multi-day bus tour focusing on Lincoln’s life. Connect with Go Personalized Tours for more information
The next production at the Racine Theatre Guild is The Boxcar Children which brings the first book from the series to life. Jacob spoke to the director about the nostalgia-factor, which is actually drawing interest from audiences who are both old and young. Click here for show and ticketing information
Finally, two of the young performers from The Boxcar Children gave viewers a preview of what they might expect in the production. Click here for show and ticketing information
Guests: Gwen Moore – Congresswoman for Wisconsin’s 4th District, Bishop Lawrence Kirby – Senior Pastor at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, Steve Rogstad – Preservation Racine President, Kara Ernst-Schalk – Racine Theatre Guild Director of “The Boxcar Children”, Petr Jaros - "Henry" in the Racine Theatre Guild production of “The Boxcar Children”, Lilli Postuchow - "Jessie" in the Racine Theatre Guild production of “The Boxcar Children”