New Aged Family (Friends) Reunion
Every summer, there were Black families across the country gathering at the park or in someone’s backyard for a family reunion. This is where you’d see the “grill master 3000s” (brown sandals), which are only given to those who are the best on the grill, the random “cousin walks”, lots of dancing, and music. Many reasons can play into the decline of the gatherings, but instead of focusing on what happened, there are six Milwaukee Black men, self-entitled Tha Guys, who decided to bring back the family reunion vibes.
Tha Guys include Luis Vasquez, Demecko Riley, Martin Triplett, Marquis Hazelwood, Jon Ragland, and Pairreon Warren.
Through brainstorming and wanting more options outside of Milwaukee’s nightlife, Tha Guys created Family and Friends Fest. This annual Milwaukee festival is a gathering for local adults to enjoy each other’s presence, like people once did at their family reunions…