Clayborn Benson is the founder of the Wisconsin Black Historical Museum, a staple in the community. For decades, he has been committed to telling the story of Blacks in Milwaukee and their contributions to the city. He has led countless sessions informing young people and adults exactly what it means to be Black in Milwaukee.
I myself also grew up listening to some of Mr. Benson's stories about Black laborers, Black politics, Black liberation, and Black pride in Milwaukee. I've watched him shake hundreds of hands in the community, and to us, he's already a master historian. What you might not know is he recently decided to go back to school for his master's degree.
"Once I decided, there was no turning around. I wasn’t allowing obstacles to stop me," says Benson.
Mr. Benson spent decades as a photographer for TMJ4 before retiring. As a photographer myself, I enjoy hearing Mr. Benson's stories about bulky old cameras and breaking news before the internet, but for this story, I talked to Mr. Benson about why this degree matters.
"I don’t do it for me alone. I don’t need to do it. I do it so that I could tell our stories in a better way for our people," said Benson.
Mr. Benson came from humble beginnings. He credits his father and adopted parents for this accomplishment. It was his parents who shared the art of storytelling and the beauty of history. He tells a story of being a kid in his family's barbershop on Teutonia and North Avenue, listening to the adults tell stories from the community, and the barbershop chatter sticking with him for a lifetime. It was that experience that opened Mr. Benson's mind to storytelling.
Benson tells me that before going back to school, he thought he knew everything about Black history, but quickly learned that there is always room to learn more. And as for the classroom, technology may have changed, the way people learn may have changed, but Mr. Benson's ability to work steadily through life challenges and tell the stories of Black Milwaukeeans remains the same.
"I don’t know how long God has for me to be on the earth, but I feel so good right now. I feel like I’m at the peak of my energy level in the things I set out to accomplish," said Benson.
My gut tells me that even at the age of 75, Mr. Benson has much more to accomplish.
"I may do the Ph.D., I may. I'm talking to Marquette about it," he said, sitting back in his chair with confidence.
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