The Henderson Family’s Roots In Milwaukee Runs Deep

The Milwaukee Courier Newspaper Welcomes all the Families Hosting Family Reunions in Milwaukee This Summer!

One of those families is the Henderson Family, who will be descending upon Milwaukee on the weekend of July 31st, August 1st, and 2nd from all over the world.  

The Henderson Family has a long history with Milwaukee, as told by Vevette Hill-Nwagbaraocha. Vevette works at Marquette University in Campus Ministry and volunteers with the Archdiocese's Love One Another Catholic Social Responsibility Fund Committee, Catholic Charities of Milwaukee Board of Trustees, and the Archdiocese Black Catholic Ministry Commission.

"My grandmother Roberta (Byrd) Henderson was a member of St Boniface Catholic Church—a monumental pillar in Milwaukee's Black Civil Rights history formally located at 1122 W. Clarke in the 1960s, and my mom, Jan G. Rogers (Henderson), a proud graduate of Milwaukee Lincoln High School, marched with Father James E. Groppi across the 16th Street Bridge.

My uncle, the late Ervin Henderson, helped Lincoln High School win a championship in 1961 and went on to do great work with the Warning League.

My girls, Vivevca (2014) and Vashti (2015)

Nwagbaraocha helped Pius XI Catholic High School reach the State tournament in 2014 and win in 2015.  Today, Vivevca is assistant coach of the Varsity girls basketball team at Pius XI. Both girls, along with their brother Victor Nwagbaraocha (2017), all made the All-Star teams in their respective years. They all went on to play in college.  

In fact, six family members have played basketball overseas: Vashti and Victor Nwagbaraocha, Elliott Henderson, Lucas Henderson, Enzo Henderson, Muhammad El-Amin, and Carena Easley.

My uncle's son, Ervin (Skip) Henderson, and his amazing wife, Melva (Monroe) Henderson, co-founded and co-pastor World Outreach Church. The work they are doing is changing the world!

Elliott Lucas Henderson lives in Paris, France, with his three sons: Lucas Henderson, Enzo Henderson, and Emiliano Henderson. It bears mentioning that Elliott also helped his team, Whitnall, win State in 1988.  

My Aunt J, Joann (Garrison) Henderson Thomas, worked for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) as the small and minority business advocate to help many small-minority-owned construction companies get contracts for projects like Miller Park (now American Family Field).

We all have served God in our communities. For us, faith is knowing that we are loved—that's the way my dad describes it. First and foremost, by God, and the essence of that love is shared with one another.

That knowledge has given our ancestors and us the strength to overcome the insurmountable.

Faith tells us that we are never alone; we were brought together on purpose, for the purpose of serving God through caring for his creation.

We are grateful to have one another, and we know that when we come together, it is within these sacred spaces that God shows up and renews us for what he is calling us to do.

When we get together to look into the eyes of those who truly know and truly love us, we are reminded of who we are called to be. In the midst of family, our faith is made stronger so that we can keep going and keep thriving and keep loving, especially when it’s hard."