Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

St. Boniface Catholic Church

Photographed By Greta Schassler, December 16, 2023

1. St. Boniface Catholic Church Marker

Inscription.

St. Boniface and its campus at 1122 W. Clarke Street were the epicenter of Milwaukee’s civil rights movement. A Catholic church with a predominantly Black congregation, St. Boniface served as a hub during the 200 consecutive days of open housing marches from fall 1967 to spring 1968. Strategies and routes for marches were organized in the church’s basement by the NAACP Youth Council Commandos Direct Action Committee. Marches started and ended at the church. St. Boniface supplied food, lodging, medical attention, and transportation to the movement.

Father James Groppi served at St. Boniface from 1963 to 1970 and advised the Youth Council during this period. In 1965, St. Boniface was slated to be the site of a Freedom School offering lessons on Black history and activism. This plan was prohibited by Catholic officials, leading to protests by the Youth Council and its allies. Luminaries from the nationwide civil rights movement, including Fannie Lou Hamer, Hosea Williams, Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory, and Roy Wilkins, visited St. Boniface to attend rallies, marches, and strategy sessions. The St. Boniface complex was demolished in 1975 to make room for expansions to North Division High School. The parish moved to N. Teutonia Avenue and W. Center Street. The history of St. Boniface illustrates the importance of local churches

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and their congregations in the organization and enactment of civil rights activities.
Erected 2023
March On, Milwaukee
Funded by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation

Erected 2023 by Wisconsin Historical Society. (Marker Number 609.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Churches & Religion • Civil Rights.

Location. 43° 3.952′ N, 87° 55.536′ W. Marker is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in Milwaukee County. Marker is on West Clarke Street. The marker is located along West Clarke Street, in front of North Division High School. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1011 W Center St, Milwaukee WI 53206, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Borchert Field / The Milwaukee Bears Negro National League 1923 (approx. ¾ mile away); Stop on the Underground Railroad (approx. 0.8 miles away); Golda Meir 1898 - 1978 (approx. 1.1 miles away); General Office/Executive Building (approx. 1.2 miles away); Brown Bottle Pub/Sternewirt Priveledge (approx. 1.2 miles away); Schlitz Bottling Works / Bottlehouse A (approx. 1.2 miles away); Schlitz Brewhouse A (approx.

St. Boniface Catholic Church Marker Reverse image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Fitzie Heimdahl, February 20, 2024

2. St. Boniface Catholic Church Marker Reverse

1.2 miles away); a different marker also named Schlitz Brewhouse A (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Milwaukee.

Photographed By Fitzie Heimdahl

3. St. Boniface Catholic Church Marker

Photographed By Fitzie Heimdahl

4. St. Boniface Catholic Church Marker in profile

Credits. This page was last revised on April 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2023, by Fitzie Heimdahl of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 191 times since then and 145 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 18, 2023, by Greta Schassler of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 2. submitted on April 4, 2024, by Fitzie Heimdahl of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 3, 4. submitted on November 7, 2023, by Fitzie Heimdahl of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.