Black Nite Uprising restoration exceeds fundraising goal in one week

On August 5, 2026, we announced that the Black Nite Uprising monument (401 N. Plankinton Ave.) had been vandalized in a random act of violence. Upon further inspection by local engineers, it was determined that the sign could not simply be repaired, but would need to be completely replaced due to the nature of the fracture.

This news arrived on the 65th anniversary of the Black Nite Uprising of August 5, 1961, where Milwaukee's gay, lesbian, and gender non-conforming people came together -- inspired by Josie Carter, a Black queen and community icon -- to take a stand against homophobic violence.

Today, we have much more positive and inspiring news to share.

Thanks to the support of a generous community, including key partner organizations, we have surpassed our fundraising goal to replace, reinstall, and restore the Black Nite Uprising monument. In just one week, individual donors contributed over $2,500 to cover the total replacement costs of forging a new cast iron marker.

We'd like to thank ALL donors for their passion, commitment, and ownership of this community landmark, which truly belongs to everyone.

• Milwaukee Pride Parade
• Birch Lodge Fund of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation
• Kevin Homburg
• Dale Mueller
• Jake Bidwell
• Peter Schell
• George Prentice & Corey Grubb
• Kim Schultz
• Clark Williams
• Jonathan Mertzig
• Dan Wiernasz
• Catherine Murphy
• Kris Wrobel
• Paula Tillen
• Leather Bound Press
• Jon Witt
• Sergio Gonzalez
• Jennifer Thrift
• Alexander Pendleton
• Sam Warmuth
• Robin Lange
• James Wilson
• M D'Angelo

Sewah Studios, the sign manufacturer, anticipates the replacement historic marker will be shipped to Milwaukee in six months. We will announce our rededication ceremony date as soon as possible.

The Black Nite Monument is the first in a series of statewide LGBTQ landmarks planned by the History Project, eventually to include This Is It, The M&M Club, The Pit (Wausau,) and additional pending locations. All landmarks have been funded in advance by private donations, with no government funding or taxpayer dollars. Any excess donations will be held in a contingency fund for future maintenance.

We thank our partners, including the Wisconsin Historical Society, Sewah Studios, Milwaukee Police Department, Hunzinger Construction, Pritzlaff Building, Fromm Family Foods, Milwaukee Public Market, Milwaukee Downtown BID #21, Historic Third Ward Association, Walker's Point Neighborhood Association, and the Pomeroy Foundation for their relentless support of the Black Nite Uprising Monument. Special thanks to the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works for their above-and-beyond public service to our organization.

Want to help? We are still accepting tax-deductible donations to support our LGBTQ Landmarks Program.

Questions? Contact us