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

Attorney Lloyd A. Barbee (1925–2002)

1. Attorney Lloyd A. Barbee (1925–2002) Marker

Inscription. Born on August 17, 1925, Lloyd A. Barbee was a civil rights activist, attorney, and state legislator. After moving to Milwaukee in 1962, Barbee led efforts to desegregate public schools. In 1965, using the Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education, he filed a federal lawsuit arguing that the Milwaukee School Board willfully perpetuated racial segregation in its schools. After an eleven-year battle, he won the case, Armstrong v. O’Connell. Barbee served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1965 to 1977. He introduced legislation concerning open housing, fair employment practices, and LGBT equality. Guided by his concern for the quality of life for African Americans, Barbee continued to fight inequality until his death in 2002. The City of Milwaukee named a street in his honor and a school, the Lloyd Barbee Montessori School.

Erected 2026 by Wisconsin Black Historical Society/Museum; Wisconsin Historical Society; funded by the Pomeroy Foundation. (Marker Number 641.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Government & Politics.

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In addition, it is included in the Wisconsin Historical Society series list.

Location. 43° 3.231′ N, 87° 56.33′ W. Marker is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in Milwaukee County. It is in Midtown. It is at the intersection of North 21st Street and West Barbee Street, on the right when traveling north on North 21st Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Milwaukee WI 53205, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Wisconsin. It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Stop on the Underground Railroad (approx. 0.3 miles away); St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Police Confrontation with Marchers (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lynden Hill: A Site of African American Resilience

Photographed by Greta Mulder, November 6, 2026

2. Attorney Lloyd A. Barbee (1925–2002) Marker

(approx. half a mile away); 15th Street Freedom House (approx. half a mile away); Pabst Brewery (approx. 0.9 miles away); Rally at Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church (approx. 0.9 miles away); 5th Street Freedom House (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Milwaukee.

Also see . . . Lloyd Barbee (Wikipedia). (Submitted on November 6, 2026.)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 21, 2026. This page has been viewed 18 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on October 21, 2026, by Mallory Hanson of Madison, Wisconsin. 2. submitted on November 6, 2026, by Greta Mulder of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.