MILWAUKEE — Tyrone Daniels has spent the last 50 years volunteering at Milwaukee's Juneteenth Day Parade and Celebration. "You see all the kids down there, you see people going back and forth, it just makes me feel good," said Daniels.
This year Juneteenth is on Father's Day, fitting for a man who passed his giving spirit down to his son, who now chairs the volunteer committee known as Courtesy Ambassadors.
While Daniels has done a lot over his decades of service, he's never attended the Freedom Ball, but that all changes this year when he's recognized as an honoree.
"I've been to a ball before, but I've never been to a ball like this. This is a Freedom Ball and freedom means something special to me," said Daniels.
Juneteenth is not the only place where Tyrone Daniels volunteers. He also donates his time at Grace Fellowship Church, where they have a food pantry and a special employment program. He credits his mother for inspiring him to give back.
"She was always raving about something, so when Vel Phillips decided that she was going to walk across that bridge with us, we had to volunteer, I mean I had to volunteer. It was in my heart," said Daniels.
The fight for fair housing in Milwaukee is also a story of freedom in Milwaukee. "Getting hit upside the head with bricks, clubs... It was a fight all the way there and all the way back, every night," said Daniels.
His mission is to motivate other young people to pick up the torch and give back to the community. "Volunteer somewhere. I mean you can get credit in the schools now, but volunteer, see what it's like before you shut the door on it. Just see what it's like," Daniels said.
