Extended Report on “Too Many Candles: Milwaukee Gun Violence”

May 17, 2016 PBS Wisconsin Leave a Comment

After the premiere of our most recent documentary, Too Many Candles: Milwaukee Gun Violence, our partners at Wisconsin Public Radio and the University of Wisconsin-Cooperative Extension decided to explore some of the issues addressed in the film, continuing the ongoing discussion surrounding gun violence in Milwaukee and in the nation. Below, follow the research and reporting done by Scott Gordon:

WATCH NOW: “Too Many Candles: Milwaukee Gun Violence”

Gordon’s three-part series on Milwaukee gun violence begins with some historical context. For a more nuanced view of the socio-economic segregation and the challenges faced by low-income families in Milwaukee, read How Milwaukee’s Economic, Social Disparities Correspond With Gun Violence. 

“Although crime, poverty and other social factors often overlap, mapping these factors in Milwaukee shows dramatic divisions that align with the city’s racial segregation.”

In this article, Gordon explores the focus on infamous zip-code 53206 – a series of numbers that, according to Gordon, “has become social-science and media shorthand for the violence, hunger, lack of opportunity and sense of hopelessness plaguing Milwaukee’s poorest residents.”

In the second part of the series, learn more about the successes, failures and advanced technology behind Milwaukee’s ShotSpotter system. In Milwaukee Committed To ShotSpotter But Outcomes, Data Remain Elusive, Gordon speaks to the social, technical and business challenges of the new strategy.

In Gordon’s third installment, learn more about City Within A City: When Pretty Soon Runs Out, the 1968 documentary that played a prominent role in Too Many Candles. The documentary explores some of the unintended consequences of urban renewal, and follows the struggles of the Taylor family in particular.

WATCH NOW: “City Within A City: When Pretty Soon Runs Out”

For more information or to reach out with questions, contact Audience Services at (608) 265-2302.

UW-Extension Wisconsin Public Radio