06 May Madison leader Milele Chikasa Anana dies at 86

By Stephen Cohn, Channel3000

Milele Chikasa Anana passed away Wednesday morning at the age of 86.

The Madison community leader served as editor and public of UMOJA Magazine for nearly three decades. UMOJA Magazine was launched in 1990 to celebrate the accomplishments and joys of African-Americans in Madison.

In a statement on her passing, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said: “UMOJA focused on positive black news and that is what Ms. Milele was, a positive example and a trailblazer for all of us. She was the first African American to serve on a Wisconsin school board, and the City’s first African American affirmative action officer. She also served as interim director of the Madison Equal Opportunities Commission, worked with the Black Chamber of Commerce to develop a directory of black-owned businesses and to start Black Restaurant Week. She was also an active member of the Madison Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. In 2009, she received the City of Madison’s Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award for her service to our community. Read more …