More than 200 guests, attired in African-inspired attire, gathered on Saturday, February 1, for the sixth annual Indaba African Ball at St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus, and an evening of Akwaaba, an Africa-wide word meaning welcome, warmth, love, acceptance and peace.
The evening, a fundraiser for programming at the center’s Indaba Band Shell and a celebration of heritage and culture, serves as Milwaukee’s kickoff for Black History Month. Guests’ elegant and colorfully patterned outfits seemed to form a living kaleidoscope as they moved about both floors of the spacious atrium — dining on Afro- and Caribbean-style appetizers, dancing to the strains of popular local band (and band shell favorite) Cigarette Break, taking 360-degree videos, shopping African-themed merchandise and conversing with friends old and new. A highlight was the fashion show where everyone could take a turn to let others admire their garb.
In keeping with Black History Month, the Indaba Ball inducts a new class each year to its Hall of History Makers, an elite group of Milwaukeeans who positively impact the community. The 2025 inductees, who each placed the ornament marking the year of their induction onto the tall, lighted tree adorned with ornaments from previous honorees, were:
Anthony “Tony” Courtney
Community activist Anthony “Tony” Courtney, who has founded nonprofit organizations including For My Brothers, Inc., providing manhood training for Black boys ages 13 to 15, and Old School We Aint Through Yet- Black Men’s Network. An original founders of 100 Black Men of Milwaukee, he currently serves as mentor to hundreds of Black men ages 30 to 60.
Bashir Easter, Ph.D
An esteemed scholar, entrepreneur and community leader, Dr. Bashir Easter founded both Melanin Minded LLC and the Melanin Minded Foundation to bridge the gap in information, services and support for marginalized communities, to empower people of color. He’s published significant research on the experiences of African American adolescents caring for relatives with dementia, and pioneered an innovative initiative in Milwaukee aimed at creating Dementia Villages specifically designed for communities of color.
Dee McCollum
Director of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center for 13 years, Dee McCollum began both the center’s tradition of hosting the Make-A-Family Smile Thanksgiving event and its Breakfast with Santa event, giving out more 1,200 turkeys last year and hosting more than 450 children, respectively.
Melody McCurtis
The lead organizer and deputy director of priorities for Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, Melody McCurtis helps determine how to help residents of the neighborhood she grew up in, whether it was providing them with COVID-19 care packages, lead filters and kits or creating safe, livagle homes in the neighborhood.
The 2025 Indaba Ball raised more than $15,000 to bring local entertainment to the band shell in the summer, as well as seasonal children’s events like an egg hunt and a pumpkin giveaway.
St. Ann Center is grateful to the 2025 Indaba Sponsors for their support of the Band Shell and the Ball. They are, by level: Milwaukee County Office of Equity (Black Diamond); World Mission Ministries, Grandma Book, the 40th Annual Black Excellence Awards, Gershia and G. Spencer Coggs, and Gloria Miller (Platinum); AARP Wisconsin and Betty A. Rodgers Law Office (Gold); and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and James Imaging Systems (Silver).
