Milwaukee, Wis. — Following a new terminal cancer diagnosis, iconic Milwaukee alderman Mike McGee Sr. says he is living in his final days and agreed to speak this Juneteenth on the Black community and country he served for over 40 years. McGee moved to North Carolina 10 years ago and hasn’t made many public remarks since around when his time at WNOV 860 The Voice came to an end.

The radio station’s sister newspaper, the Milwaukee Courier, dedicated a special edition to McGee this 2026 Juneteenth. In addition to McGee, his son Mike Jr., and former colleagues Marvin Pratt, Howard Fuller, Carole Geary, and several former Black city officials were interviewed for the project.

The Courier’s Paper Team will be distributing thousands of copies of the edition to attendees today at this year’s 55th annual Juneteenth celebration on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Milwaukee.

The Paper Team is empowering the next generation to ensure that youth engagement is part of the future of media and journalism. The team consists of young people ages 14 to 24 and is a partnership with the Milwaukee Black Media Trust and Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services.

Audio of the completed interviews will air in-part air the afternoon of June 19 on WNOV, 101.7 The Truth (WGKB), the Civic Media podcast app, and the trust’s social media channels.

The Courier assembled a biographical and all encompassing look at McGee’s life in one main story. In four other separate stories: Fuller remembers his partnership with McGee after the 1981 police killing of a young Black man in Milwaukee that sparked outrage and change. Pratt
talks about being the only other person of color on the Common Council during this period. Geary discusses her legacy and reflects on her time working with McGee. And McGee rails against current public officials.

FEATURED STORY:
As he faces terminal cancer, Mike McGee Sr. reflects this Juneteenth on his lifetime of fighting for Black Milwaukee: “It was Jan. 15, 1970 — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday — when a young Army medic, Mike McGee Sr., and his platoon came under heavy gunfire from enemy forces in Vietnam…” (Read the full story here.)

ACCOMPANYING STORIES:
For every Mike McGee Sr, there is a Marvin Pratt: “Mike McGee Sr. was an unmistakable force who often wore military fatigues around town, but there was also another Black council member that preferred a nice tailored suit…” (Read the full story here.) ‘I love Mike McGee’: Howard Fuller reflects on friendship, conflict and legacy: “McGee and Fuller were two of the most powerful Black men in the city. But not everything was cordial all the time…” (Read the full story here.)

‘We Need to Tell Our Own Story’: A Conversation on Juneteenth, Journalism, and the Importance of the Black Press: “For generations, Black newspapers have done more than simply report the news. They have documented community history, amplified Black voices and advocated for change…” (Read the full story here.)

Mike McGee Sr.: Milwaukee has more Black leaders than ever. So where’s the change?: “Known to be one of the most outspoken and blunt humans that ever lived, former Milwaukee alderman Mike McGee Sr. sees a lack of leadership at the helm of local government…” (Read
the full story here.)

History of the Milwaukee Black Media Trust and Mike McGee

The Milwaukee Courier was founded in 1964 by the late Dr. Jerrel W. Jones, who purchased WNOV 860 The Voice in 1972. After being forced off the Common Council in 1992, McGee was offered a chance to continue his work and provide his voice to WNOV. McGee departed the station in 2007. When Jones died in 2025, Civic Media purchased the outlets before creating the Milwaukee Black Media Trust, ensuring Black community ownership of these historic outlets in perpetuity. Once approved by the FCC, WNOV will join the trust which also recently acquired 101.7 The Truth. Milwaukee Black Media LLC is the operating company.