Body of Christ

Whether he is communicating, connecting or listening to others within the greater Milwaukee community, walking the fairway at a parish festival, or cheering on Marquette University basketball, Dashal Young’s Catholic identity is the cornerstone of his life. “My faith is fundamental, front-and-center of who I am,” he said.

  • Born and raised in Milwaukee, he graduated from Dominican High School (class of 1984) and Marquette University (class of 1995).
  • He also obtained master’s degrees from Marquette in 1997 and from Cardinal Stritch University in 2007.
  • He was a Milwaukee Public Schools elementary school teacher until 2003, when he joined the Milwaukee County Executive’s Office as director of community relations. He has held other community positions at the local and state level since then.
  • A Gesu parishioner, he has also been involved in ministries at All Saints Parish and is a member of the African American Pastoral Planning Committee.

You said your Catholic faith is fundamental to your identity. Where did that come from? Were you raised Catholic?

Well, my dad was Baptist, and my mom’s Catholic, but my father agreed to raise my sister and I Catholic. They were married in a Catholic church, and our family is very passionate about the faith. That’s been lifelong, and all I’ve known since seventh grade was Catholic education. Our Catholic identity, our Catholic faith, was the cornerstone of our family. It still remains that to this day. It’s just who we are as a family, despite the fact that my dad was Baptist. He understood our faith and embraced it.

Your dad, Joseph Young, was well known in the community and a frequent presence at Milwaukee Brewer games. What does his legacy mean to you?

He was just a cool dude, and everyone loved him in Milwaukee. He worked for the post office for years, he volunteered at Dominican High School games — he was beloved. And he still is. It’s rewarding and humbling at the same time. My final dream would be to be a great husband, father and family man, just like my dad. That’s the legacy.

Your professional life has included service-oriented roles in both the public and private sectors. You started as a teacher. How did your career evolve?

I taught in Milwaukee public schools because I loved education. I take my education very seriously; I don’t take it for granted. It was important to me that young people see a Black man teaching in a classroom. I would have stayed in that job, but then Scott (Walker) asked me to join him at the County Executives’ office — the only job I would have left teaching for. Then I went with the state and with the governor — so I’ve been all over. I’ve been fortunate. I’ve been blessed in abundance. But again, faith has always been that cornerstone. I’ve done a lot of discerning, and my faith has guided me and put me in positions to make Milwaukee a better place for people that look like me.

What does that look like — making Milwaukee, especially Catholic Milwaukee, a better place for people of color?

Thriving middle-class Black families in Milwaukee are the norm, and we are the model for the rest of the nation. Two-parent households earn twice over the median income. They live and experience prosperity in all areas of life. Children play safely in the streets and are thriving in their well-resourced schools. Couples enjoy and support one another. Arts and culture thrive. Their landscapes are beautiful and healthy. They experience longevity and are active participants in the building of their community and city. They know and experience themselves as powerful. Faith is in the fabric of their lives.

People will see you around all summer visiting different parish festivals. Do you have a favorite?

I do have an affinity for the ‘Brookfield Summer package,’ with St. John Vianney’s gathering in June and St. Dominic’s event, especially their annual tent Mass, in July. It symbolizes both the beginning and “apex” of the summer moments while embracing two great faith communities as well.

You seem like a person who has learned how to transcend barriers well when it comes to things like race, geography and politics. What is your advice for Catholics who are looking to do the same?

Imagine, or put yourself in a situation, not just once but on more than one occasion, where you’re the only one that looks or thinks like you. Even within our own Catholic Church, or within our own archdiocese. We’re rich in abundance here — we have every (tradition) from many vibrant gospel/multicultural Masses throughout the archdiocese to the Ballpark Day of Faith to Fr. Tim (Kitzke’s) parishes on the East Side — so I would encourage other people to visit other parishes in our rich archdiocese. It takes a leap of faith, but that’s OK.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love my sports. I love every sports team in Milwaukee. I’m ubiquitous — Bucks, Brewers, Marquette, Packers. In addition to following our local sports teams, I love daily Mass at the Church of the Gesu and research time within the Raynor Memorial Library at Marquette University.

What is the coolest place you have ever traveled?

Growing up, my dad took us on family trips to all the different baseball stadiums in the country.