Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson on Bucks Championship Pride and Building Community Through Sports

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson has been mayor of Milwaukee since 2021, with a focus on growing Milwaukee’s population and improving neighborhoods throughout the city.

Johnson was one of the guests on “Milwaukee Made.” The following Q&A is from his chat with show host David Caruso at Gee’s Clippers in Milwaukee’s Bronzeville neighborhood.

He met up with Gee’s Clippers owner Gaulien Smith, Milwaukee Bucks president Peter Feigin and Marquette University basketball legend Steve Novak.

Q: As the mayor, how great is it for us to have somebody like Gee (Gaulien "Gee" Smith) here in Milwaukee?

Johnson: “It is incredible, absolutely incredible to have somebody like Gee here. I mean, Gee’s business acumen has been just totally incredible and has made a substantial impact on neighborhoods across Milwaukee. I mean, think about where we are right now. Gee took a really big risk to make this investment here on King Drive and in our Bronzeville neighborhood, and it is growing and thriving, I think because of some of the investments that Gee has made. I mean, this is the heart of Bucks country, and the reason for that is because folks like Gee decided to come here and make it.”

Q: How important is that for you to have these kinds of cultural institutions where people just come to be together in a positive way?

Johnson: “It's incredibly important. I mean, so much so that in my administration, we're working to make sure we have more public gathering places, more public plazas so that people can do exactly that. They can build relationships with one another to take on some of the more challenging things that we have in our community, or to celebrate things that we have in our community. And Gee's Clippers certainly is one of those places in Milwaukee. It doesn't matter where you are or who you are. If you say you're going to Gee's, you don't need to put in GPS. You know exactly where it's at.”

Q: As you think of young men, especially young black men, what are some of the things that you say to them to encourage them to stay positive and reach for their dreams?

Johnson: “I go to a number of schools in Milwaukee in my capacity as mayor, and we're talking about NBA and basketball here. And look, I'm five foot nothing, so I'm not playing ball. I got no handles. I am not trying to fool anybody or anything like that. However, what I tell these kids is that I was able to do it. I became the first African American mayor of the largest, most economically consequential and most diverse city in the state of Wisconsin, that being here in Milwaukee. And we did it through hard work and determination.

“So even after going through the challenges that I did that so many other kids in schools are facing these days, if you stay focused, you can accomplish those things too. Gee’s, Clippers didn't just come from anywhere. He had to build it. He had to build the brand. And if they stay focused and determine on their goals and their future, they can do the exact same thing.”

Q: I know you have a tremendous amount of pride for our city, specific to the Milwaukee Bucks, the basketball, the championship trophy. Think back to when this trophy was marching down Wisconsin Avenue in 2021. How did you feel?

Johnson: “It was just an immense sense of pride. I mean, that's what it means to have a team the caliber of the Bucks here. It’s not just about championships. Those are great. It instills pride in our city. Everybody's got Bucks gear on. What it means when you see that deer on your chest, kind of like the Batman mantle or Superman mantle in the middle of your chest. It means something. And that creates vibrancy. It creates just this incredible sense of belonging here in our community. That's what the Bucks represent.”

Q: How special is it for you wherever you go around the country and even the world that you hear people talking about your city in such a positive light because of their experience with things like the Bucks and in general sports here in Milwaukee?

Johnson: “Let me just say that the Milwaukee Bucks, and not just the Bucks, but the entire organization, the work that they've done to build Fiserv Forum and Deer District, have really put Milwaukee on the map. So it doesn't matter where I go to or what leaders I'm talking to. Whether it's seeing the (NBA Championship) trophy on the lawn at the White House with President Biden, or whether I'm having a conversation with the mayor from upstate New York, everybody knows the Bucks. Everybody knows Milwaukee because of the Bucks. And it fills me with tremendous joy and pride that this organization is here and it's making such an impact again on the court in sports and off the court in our community."