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Breaking barriers in Milwaukee and beyond
by Rev. Dr. Kenneth J. Fisher
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Dr. Joan Prince, a lifelong member of St. Philip, Milwaukee, Wis., has had a life and career of many “firsts.” Despite all the challenges that she has faced as a black woman breaking barriers in her education and career, she remains optimistic for her synod’s future and joyful for the incredible life that God has given her.
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The youngest of four siblings, Joan was raised in a changing neighborhood of Milwaukee in the era of the Civil Rights movement. Despite growing up in one of Milwaukee’s poorest neighborhoods, Joan became an heir of immeasurable riches at her baptism as a toddler. Throughout her life, she has always been richly blessed to know Christ as her Savior. Her faith—born in her baptismal grace and nurtured by the gospel—has given her life direction, guidance, stability, and purpose.
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Her parents, who both worked at a factory, were early members of St. Philip Lutheran Church, which was launched as a mission to Milwaukee’s African-American community. Her father cared deeply about his children’s education and their faith development. So when a representative from Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee invited parents to enroll their children at the new high school with a promise of tuition assistance, her father insisted that Joan and her siblings attend.
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A handful of African-American students from the church broke the school’s color barrier.
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E-news exclusive photos of Dr. Joan Prince
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Photos: As a third-grade student at St. Philip, Milwaukee; as a senior at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Milwaukee; presenting to the General Assembly of the United Nations speaking on religious freedom; and at a reunion of students who attended St. Philip. See more photos at forwardinchrist.net/joan-prince.
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I met a Christian man recently who is writing a book about his life. His goal isn’t to get famous. He just wants to write down what his life has been like. Here’s the title: Crying Seasons. Yes, you read that right: Crying Seasons. The man explained why he . . .
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Our boat slipped out of the harbor just before dawn. We were coming around the point of an island. Patches of fog hugged the water while cloudy skies diminished the poor visibility. In this dark setting, the beam of light from the lighthouse shone all the more brightly. . . .
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At Lamb of God, Phoenix, Ariz., a group of men gathers every month at a local restaurant to enjoy food and social connection. They call themselves the ROMEOs, or Religious Old Men Eating Out. Dave Hackett, a member of Lamb of God, started the group in 2021 to . . .
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