Every Wednesday at noon, Ryan Schleicher, Evan Rytlewski, and Matt Wild take to the WMSE airwaves to discuss all things Milwaukee. This half-hour fun-fest is called The Disclaimer, so named because none of the oft-ridiculous views expressed on the show necessarily reflect the views of the hosts’ employers. Milwaukee music, Milwaukee art, Milwaukee events, and D.I.Y. lawn care tips are frequently discussed—and rarely agreed upon. The Disclaimer: Talk radio for the sane.
Earlier this month, the East Side’s new “street art destination,” Black Cat Alley, celebrated its grand opening. The two-block alley, located between the Oriental Theater and the Prospect Colectivo, is home to a host of murals created by a group of jury-selected international, national, and local artists. One of those murals, Adam Stoner’s “Devontay,” has come under fire. Depicting a black man in an orange prison jumpsuit, “Devontay” is meant to critique the mass incarceration of black men in Milwaukee and across the country, and comment on, as Stoner (who is white) puts it, “how we as white people disfigure the humanity of our black and brown brothers and sisters by projecting certain qualities onto them.” But some critics see the image as another “aggression,” and claim they are “overwhelmed with disappointment at witnessing another black body ‘displayed’ as socially ‘undesirable’ no matter what the intent.” Stoner has since apologized and is considering changing his mural or removing it altogether.
On this week’s episode of The Disclaimer, Ryan, Evan, and Matt discuss the Black Cat controversy, as well as recent comments made by Milwaukee Bucks president Peter Feigin that paint the city as the most “segregated, racist place” he has ever experienced in his life.
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