New street signs arrive to honor Dr. Lester Carter

This week, crews installed the new street signs that bear the name of Dr. Lester Carter Jr., a pioneering pharmacist who served Milwaukee’s Black residents for decades.

Last year, the Common Council voted to rename N. 24th St., from W. Keefe Ave. to W. Center St., as N. Dr. Lester Carter Dr. Previously, N. 24^th St. held an honorary name of N. Dr. Lester Carter Dr. as per a resolution passed unanimously by the Council in October 2017.

A longtime resident of N. 24^th St., Dr. Lester Carter Jr. was a pharmacist and pillar of the Milwaukee community for over 50 years. It was on the corner of N. 24^th and W. Burleigh St. where Dr. Carter lived and opened his pharmacy in 1968, a time when there were few Black residents in the neighborhood and fewer Black doctors in the city.

Remembered fondly for sporting a bowtie and white lab coat, the late Dr. Carter was a trusted physician, herbalist, and a fixture in Milwaukee’s Black Community who was perhaps best known for his holistic approach to healing and his natural remedies to people’s health challenges – remedies that often resulted in more positive health outcomes. Dr. Carter dedicated his life to the health and wellbeing of his patients and neighborhood. His legacy is a testament to a long life of service undeterred by adversity.

We are extremely proud to have sponsored the legislation that has resulted in Dr. Carter’s name now filling its rightful place where he practiced his healing craft and where he helped improve the health and lives of so many thousands of Milwaukeeans.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.