Milton Donald, Gaddi Ben Dan and Jeff Mack Sr. passed away during the past two weeks and I know in a corner of my soul that I grieve.

I worked with Milton Donald in the 1980s and early 1990s while Milton and his wife Karen still lived in Madison. Milton and I were on the South Madison Neighborhood Center board together and were consecutive chairs of the board while Carol Smith was the center director. There were the South Madison Black Parties and all of the other center activities and Milton and I developed a strong friendship. I remember Milton used to always say to me, ‘Jon, you’re just a Black man in a White man’s skin.’ I would break out laughing, but I knew that Milton was paying me a high compliment. Milton had a great sense of humor and was committed to community and family. And he was an Omega man, need I say more.

I missed Milton when he and Karen moved back to the Carolinas. It’s not that we hung out every day, but we were like brothers whenever we would meet. It makes me sad that he no longer walks this earth.

I have known Gaddi Ben Dan since the late 1980s, around 35 years. Betty Franklin-Hammonds and I consulted with Gaddi and Betty Banks, I think, when Betty came up with the idea of starting a quarterly newsletter at the Urban League because Betty was tired of the Images of Black people being defined by the sports page and the crime page. Gaddi and Betty were publishing the Wisconsin Free Press at that time and so we were grateful for the advice that they gave us.

And since Gaddi and Betty were community-based journalists, we always ran into each other and would share tidbits of information.

Gaddi was always at community events like Juneteenth Day. He was a big man, but I think his aura was twice as big as his body. And he always had a smile on his face unless some injustice really irked him. But we would always talk and exchange pleasantries because even though there was no formal organization, we were both members of the Black press and basically had the same missions. It was always about the people and how to best serve them.

And then there was Jeff Mack Sr. I didn’t know Jeff very well although we would exchange pleasantries. Jeff was just a good man and you just got that sense from being in his presence. And to be honest, I didn’t really know his connection to UW football until I read his obituary. And the obituary talks about a fantastic play that Jeff made as a wide receiver that clinched the victory of the UW football team over then #3 Nebraska. I was there that day in the stands and I remember coming down onto the field during the fifth quarter to celebrate with the UW Marching Band. And in those days, you had to celebrate because the sting of 0-12 seasons were not that far removed. Jeff was a really good man.

And so you deal with the deaths of three fine men and you remember the statistic about Black men having a low average life expectancy and it hits home at a time like this. Milton, Gaddi and Jeff, you impacted our lives. Thank you for your service. Our lives will never be the same.

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An incredible thing happened this week. I was out to take photos at Verona Area High School for The Hues Row of Excellence. Usually when I go, it’s me, the guidance counselor or Multicultural Services Coordinator and some student runners. And depending on how seriously the school takes the honor, we get anywhere from 15-70 students to participate.

Well at Verona, the room where I was to take photos was filled with students. And in walked Dr. Tremayne Clardy, the Verona superintendent of schools and the high school Principal Pam Hammen. Dr. Clardy gave the students their Hues Row of Excellence certificate and Principal Hammen gave them a VAHS key chain. We had 45 of 57 students come down and I will be going there next week to get the other 12. See what happens when schools take the honoring of achieving students of color seriously? The whole playing field shifts to the better. Never in my 26 years of doing this feature had I witnessed this. I was blown away.