August 7, 1967

March and Prayer Protest Death

Public protest held over shooting of teenager.

Milwaukee Journal, August 7, 1967

8/7/1967

About 100 persons walked 20 blocks in the rain Sunday to the safety building to protest the fatal shooting of Clifford McKissick by police.

Father James E. Groppi's prayer on the steps of the safety building was interrupted by cheers when the priest said: "We are praying because one of our people has been killed. . . . We believe he (McKissick) was killed needlessly."

"We protest this kind of conduct," Father Groppi said, "by those who are supposed to protect us. We will continue to protest, even though some of us may have to die in this struggle for our rights that God intended us to have.

Police said McKissick, 18, was shot at the rear door of his home, 2754 N. 15th st., Wednesday night after he failed to halt when ordered to do so. McKissick and three other youths were seen lighting and throwing fire bombs at a Badger Paint store at 2767 N. Teutonia av., police said.

The protest march Sunday started at the playground of the Hopkins Street school, 1503 W. Hopkins st. Since last week's riot, the playground has become known as the "Black Power park." The playground is near the McKissick home.

The marchers filed past McKissick's open casket, covered with roses, at the Williamson funeral home, 2157 N. 12th st.

At the funeral home, the marchers were joined by about 40 members of the Milwaukee chapter of the youth council of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Father Groppi, the council's adviser.

About three-fourths of the marchers were Negro. The group was escorted by police. There were no incidents on the way to the safety building or when the crowd broke up at the end of the 30 minute rally.

"I don't want your children or my children to be shot by a trigger happy policeman," said Mrs. Jeannetta Robinson, one of the representatives of the poor on the community relations-social development commission. "We don't want to riot . . . We want to do something constructive about McKissick's death."

Joseph Alford, 2846 N. 16th st., one of the organizers of the protest, announced at the safety building that a foundation in McKissick's name was being started. He said the foundation would work for would-be scholarships, better housing, better police relations and improved city-suburban relationships.

Children in Urban America Project, Marquette. URL for Document:

https://www.marquette.edu/cgi-bin/cuap/db.cgi?uid=default&ID=4046&view=Search&mh=1