In the coming weeks, thousands of students will walk across stages at graduation ceremonies across Wisconsin. It is our job to ensure they are prepared for whatever step comes next. But as they step into a rapidly changing world, one question has become more important and complicated to answer: What does a successful graduate look like?

For generations, the answer has been straightforward: earn good grades, score well on tests and complete your coursework. Those things still matter — they always will. Academic mastery remains a cornerstone of our education system.

But alone, that is no longer enough.

Technology and the workforce are evolving in ways we couldn’t have imagined a generation ago.

The rise of artificial intelligence has left many questioning what jobs may disappear, even as schools try to prepare students for jobs that may not yet exist.

If we want our students to succeed in this evolving landscape, our definition of success must evolve with it.

That is why the Department of Public Instruction is developing a Wisconsin Portrait of a Graduate — a statewide effort to define the skills and dispositions young people need to succeed in their careers, as citizens and in life.

We continuously hear from our workforce partners that graduates need more than academic knowledge. They need skills that remain relevant over time, even as technology, artificial intelligence and the job market continue to change — skills like critical thinking, adaptability, problem solving, communication, collaboration and social intelligence. These essential skills aren’t measured on a standardized test.

What other skills define a successful graduate?

Ask a parent, educator and employer that question, and you may get three different answers.

That is why the Portrait of a Graduate must reflect a shared vision of student success. It must be shaped by voices from across Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has formed a steering committee that includes educators, students, higher education partners, statewide education organizations, employers and industry representatives across Wisconsin to guide this work. We also held listening sessions in communities statewide and will continue gathering input through upcoming virtual listening sessions and a public survey. I encourage you to participate. This is your opportunity to help shape the future of education in our state. More information on this initiative is available on the Wisconsin Portrait of a Graduate webpage.

It’s past time we focus on preparing students for their future and not our past. If we don’t use this moment to redefine success, we are doing a disservice — not only to students, but to our employers, our communities and the future of our state.

Jill Underly is Wisconsin’s state superintendent of public instruction.

The post Opinion: A changing world demands a new vision for graduates appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Last month Gov. Evers announced the formation of a Commutation Advisory Board to consider shortening the remaining sentences of some individuals in our overcrowded prisons. The board hasn’t yet considered any cases, but some politicians have already decided it should automatically reject applications from everyone convicted of certain kinds of crime. The governor’s own proclamation ruled out clemency for those convicted of sex offenses, reinforcing the common but erroneous assumption that every person in that category poses a continuing danger to society. Now Wisconsin Watch has reported that two of the candidates to succeed Gov. Evers have expressed their opposition to commutations for anyone convicted of murder. 

At first sight these may seem like reasonable exclusions. As a society, we want to express our condemnation of both sex offenses and murder. But we should know a lot more about the people serving the longest sentences in our prisons before we deny them any chance to present their cases for commutation.

How many people convicted of murder or a sex offense might be affected by these blanket exclusions? 

The most accessible statistics are those for Old Law prisoners (individuals convicted before the advent of Truth in Sentencing in 2000). According to the Parole Commission website, nearly 1,600 men and women whose crimes were committed in the 1990s or earlier are still in prison, 26 years later. Two-thirds of these individuals were convicted of either murder (540) or a sex crime (527). A large proportion of them are not yet eligible for parole, and the parole process is so uncertain that the rest have no guarantee of release within their lifetimes.  

Why shouldn’t someone who committed a serious violent crime be locked up for life? 

Our religious traditions encourage us to seek the redemption of wrongdoers and their reintegration into the community, if at all possible. And we know as a practical matter that people can and do change as they mature. A person who committed a violent rape or murder at 20 is likely to be a very different person by age 45. (In fact, research shows that the likelihood of violent behavior drops with every decade of age.) If they have used their time behind bars to become a good, responsible citizen, does it make sense to keep punishing them at taxpayers’ expense for the sins of the person they used to be? 

Why is it reasonable to consider clemency for individuals convicted of murder, in particular? 

As volunteers for an organization that advocates for second chances, we have taken a close look at the records of some 200 potential candidates who have already spent 26 years or more in prison for violent crimes. Although the majority were convicted of “first-degree intentional homicide,” either alone or as parties to the crime, very few of their crimes resembled the media image of first-degree murder. At the time of conviction the typical candidate in this group was a teen or very young adult who did not set out to kill anybody but impulsively overreacted out of anger or fear. Sometimes they were trying to protect themselves or someone else. Some were abuse victims who fought back against their abusers. A few seem to have played only a small part in a crime committed by others. But it was the “tough on crime” 1990s when many of these young folks were convicted. They were prosecuted to the full extent of the law and given such extreme sentences that they may never be released unless they receive a commutation. 

Apart from the original crime, what factors should matter most in decisions about clemency?

Historically, Wisconsin governors used commutation both to rectify unjustly harsh sentences and to recognize exemplary evidence of rehabilitation among prisoners. As a result, commutation provided both a reward for the recipients’ hard work and good behavior and a valuable incentive to other prisoners to follow their examples. As we reviewed the records of potential candidates, we saw many impressive examples of personal growth, consistent job performance, degrees and vocational licenses earned, achievements in the arts, participation in volunteer efforts and leadership and mentoring of fellow prisoners. We need more people like these in the state workforce, and their return could also contribute to the well-being of their families and local communities. We hope the governor’s new commutation board will pay at least as much attention to the mature men and women these candidates have become as to the mistakes they made when they were young.

Sherry Reames, Mark Rice, Joyce Ellwanger, and Harlan Richards are members of the WISDOM commutations committee. WISDOM is a statewide network committed to bringing diverse communities together to work for racial and economic justice.

The post Opinion: After decades in prison, who deserves a chance at clemency? appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

The two most common complaints I hear from people seeking public records are “Why is it taking so long?” and “Why does it cost so much?” Unfortunately, it’s often difficult to mount a successful legal challenge to delays or fees because of the way the state’s laws are worded.

Wisconsin’s Open Records Law imposes no deadline on producing records. All it says is they must be produced “as soon as practicable and without delay.” What does that actually mean? While the state Department of Justice recommends that simple requests receive a response within 10 business days, the DOJ itself doesn’t heed its own advice, often taking months — even years — to fulfill requests.

Courts haven’t given much guidance. They’ve essentially said it’s a reasonableness test that takes into account the size and complexity of the request, the resources of the government agency, and whether they are making a good faith effort to comply. But how long is too long? 

Ideally, we’d have a deadline in our law, as some other states do. This may require prioritizing resources properly, which should already be happening. Fulfilling record requests, the law says, is “an essential function of a representative government and an integral part of the routine duties” of public officials.” And yet I’ve seen agencies with budgets in the hundreds of millions of dollars who have one person doing this work.

The other common problem with the records law is it allows custodians to charge fees for complying with records requests. Here, I am especially concerned about “location” fees. The government can charge for the “actual, necessary and direct cost” of finding records, typically at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee capable of searching. But sometimes this is still a considerable amount, and some custodians even want to charge for employees’ benefits.

This amounts to, essentially, the government getting paid twice for the same work. Our taxes already pay the salary or wage of the employee searching for records. The requester pays them again.

Permitting location fees also incentivizes government agencies to be sloppy in their recordkeeping. The more disorganized their records are, the longer it will take them to find records, so the more money they can collect from requesters. Those high costs also discourage requesters from following through with requests.  

For example, I’ve run into police departments that still store their personnel records in paper boxes, so if somebody wants, say, disciplinary records, the department can quote an often prohibitively high price to search each box for disciplinary files. Even if records are stored electronically, they can be hard to retrieve if they are not sensibly organized.

How can we fix these twin problems? If I were in charge (and I’m not), I’d put a strict deadline in the law and eliminate location fees altogether. But realistically, we are unlikely to see either reform. 

Perhaps a more practical solution would be to tie the two problems together. Change the law so that custodians can charge location costs only if the records are produced within a strict deadline — perhaps 10 business days.  

That compromise would incentivize better, more organized record keeping. Government agencies would now want to keep their records — especially those people frequently request — arranged in ways easy to search and easy to find. It would also incentivize them to devote enough resources to fulfill record requests promptly.  

The result? Requesters will get records faster and cheaper, and government agencies might also see a net increase in revenue, as more requesters opt to pay for prompt service rather than walk away.

Pairing these two issues is an idea worth pursuing.

Your Right to Know is a monthly column distributed by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (wisfoic.org), a group dedicated to open government. Tom Kamenick, a council member, is the president and founder of the Wisconsin Transparency Project.

The post Opinion: Your Right to Know: How to solve high record costs and long delays appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

In honor of Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10, we asked NNS readers to tell us about their mom or a mother-figure that we should all celebrate. 

Our community came through, sharing stories with us about mothers they cherish. This weekend, NNS is sharing their stories. 

Happy Mother’s Day! 

My mother figure

By Deon Stewart

My mother figure is often the quiet strength behind our communities, offering guidance, care and support in ways that shape lives every day. I’d like to honor someone who has made a meaningful difference in my life through her kindness, patience and unwavering encouragement. She’s the kind of person who shows up when it matters most, listens without judgment, and always finds a way to lift others up. 

Whether it’s through small everyday actions or big moments of support, she creates a sense of comfort and belonging for everyone around her.

What makes her truly special is how she extends that love beyond just family. She impacts friends, neighbors and the wider community with the same compassion and generosity. She reminds me that being a mother figure isn’t just about biology, but about the love, guidance and positivity you give to others. Because of her, I’ve learned the importance of caring for people and making a difference, no matter how small it may seem.

A Mother’s Day tribute to me

By Rosemary Turner

Happy Mother’s Day to ME … because if anybody deserves to be celebrated today, it is this woman right here. 

A woman who has loved beyond limits.
Sacrificed beyond measure.
And carried motherhood on her back even on the days she felt like she had nothing left.

People see the smile.
People see the pictures.
People see the children loved and cared for.

But what they don’t see is the strength it took to keep being Mommy on the days I was mentally tired.
Emotionally drained.
Financially stressed.
Physically exhausted.
And spiritually fighting battles I never spoke about.

Yet I still got up.

I still made things happen.
I still made sure my children had what they needed.
I still became the hug when they needed comfort, the protector when they needed safety, the provider when they needed support, and the prayer warrior when life got heavy.

That is what a real mother does.

A real mother doesn’t stop because she’s hurting.
A real mother keeps going because those babies are depending on her.

And that has been me. 

Time and time again.

I have put myself on the back burner more times than I can count just to make sure my children smiled.
I have gone without.
I have cried in silence.
I have stayed strong when I felt weak.
I have prayed prayers with tears falling from my face asking God to give me just enough strength to make it through another day for them.

And he did.

That’s why when I look at my children, I do not just see my babies.
I see proof that I never gave up.

Every sacrifice.
Every long night.
Every hard moment.
Every setback.
Every disappointment.

I survived it because I had little eyes watching me and little hearts depending on me.

Motherhood did not make me weak — Motherhood revealed the warrior in me.

It taught me how to survive pain and still pour love.
It taught me how to be broken and still be gentle.
It taught me how to carry pressure and still show up beautiful.

Yes beautiful. Because there is nothing more beautiful than a woman who keeps nurturing life while carrying her own storms.

So today I’m not waiting on anybody to tell me I’m a good mom.

I know I am.

My children know I am.

God knows I am.

And that is enough for me. 

I am the mother who never stops loving.
The mother who never stops trying.
The mother who never stops praying.
The mother who never stops fighting.

I am the backbone.
I am the heartbeat.
I am the safe place.
I am the home my children run to.

I am not just blessed to be a mother — my children are blessed to have a mother like me.

So Happy Mother’s Day to the woman who made struggle look graceful, pain look silent and unconditional love look easy.

Happy Mother’s Day to a phenomenal, irreplaceable, strong, beautiful queen.

The post ‘A Mother’s Day tribute to me’: We asked and you shared stories about mothers we all should celebrate appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

In honor of Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10, we asked NNS readers to tell us about their mom or a mother-figure that we should all celebrate. 

Our community came through, sharing stories with us about mothers they cherish. This weekend, NNS is sharing their stories. 

Happy Mother’s Day. 

‘Miss Make It Happen’

By Laila Duncan, 17

This week my mom, Tawyana Duncan, came to my school during her workday to blow up balloons to decorate for my decision day, as well as my prom. For prom day she curled my hair, took my brother to and from his appointment, took my other brother to practice, took my twin and I to our checkup, our photo shoot, set up the balloons at our prom, and made sure we were able to enjoy our day worry free. 

I don’t know how she was able to be in all those places at once, but she made it happen! My mom is “Miss Make It Happen.” No matter what she may have going on, she puts it aside to be there for us and I am beyond grateful to have a mother like her.

My mom is also a mother to all. She remembers the names of all of my friends and always says hi to them when she sees them. She’s not only the president of Beckum Stapleton Little League, but she goes to the games and interacts with the kids. So to her, everyone in the program is her child in the way that she looks out for them. 

My mom wears many hats. Wearing so many hats it can be hard to balance everything, but she does it so well. She puts the same amount of effort into everything that she does, which is what makes her such a great person!

My mother is my past, present and future

By Yvette Patrick, 54

My mother is Brenda Patrick and she was born on April 15, 1954. My mother passed away on Feb. 3, 2008.

To know her was to love her. I wasn’t the best daughter in my adolescent years. However, she was the best mother because she didn’t give up on me when I was giving her nothing but problems.

As I matured, our relationship changed for the better and communication between us was developed. We both had an opportunity to apologize for our parts, and what I was wrong for and I am thankful.

Past

In 2004, when I started my journey with my relationship with the lord, my relationship with my mother was getting even stronger. I am honored to say that my relationship with the lord allowed my mother to develop her relationship with him too. Loving the lord allowed us to gain a new found relationship and love that allowed us to fellowship together at church. 

In 2006, I became a first-time mother and I am thankful that she was able to have a grandson from her baby girl. Before she passed, I was at peace with our mother/ daughter relationship.

Present

So many things my mother showed us, taught us and said to us have helped me as a woman and mother that I have become. It’s unfortunate that she is no longer here to see the many things that I wish I could have done while she was here.

Future

Just because my Brenda isn’t here in the flesh, I am thankful that she lives in my heart and mind forever. 

Brenda Patrick was the BEST mother for me.

I thank God for my past with my mother, my present with my mother and I am praying that we both ascend on That Great Day for both of our futures.

My mother taught me resilience

By Malayia Roper, 33

When I think about one of Milwaukee’s best mothers, I think about my mom, Tonya Washington. This year, watching her prepare to graduate college (Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications) has been one of the proudest moments of my life. It is a reminder that motherhood does not erase dreams, purpose or the ability to keep growing. 

Even while spending years pouring into others, she never stopped believing there was still more ahead for herself too. My mother taught me resilience by the way she lived. She showed me what it looks like to keep going with grace, faith and determination through every season of life. 

To me, the best mothers are the women who quietly hold families together while still finding the courage to keep becoming who they were meant to be. That is who my mother is, and I am grateful every day that she is mine.

The post We asked and you shared. Here are three of Milwaukee’s best moms. appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Merriam-Webster defines motherhood as “a female parent.” Simple enough. But real life tells a fuller story. Every Mother’s Day, we celebrate motherhood, yet too often through a narrow lens. 

Many define it only by pregnancy and childbirth. While giving birth is powerful and sacred, it is not the only doorway into motherhood. Motherhood is also defined by those who give care, guidance, protection, sacrifice, stability and love. There are many entry points into motherhood, and all deserve to be seen.

Motherhood comes in many forms

To the mothers who carried life in their bodies, we honor you. Pregnancy can bring joy, but also exhaustion, sickness, fear, complications, sacrifice and permanent change. Some endured the indescribable pain of childbirth. Some endured emergency deliveries and body-altering C-sections. Some carry stretch marks, scars and silent memories of what it took to bring life into this world. Happy Mother’s Day.

And for some, motherhood did not begin in a hospital room. It began with a decision to open their hearts and their homes. I know this because I lived it. In so many of these examples, I see my own mother. She understood the value of adoption because her father is not her birth father. 

She became a foster mother and welcomed four siblings who could have been separated and raised apart. They came to us at 5, 7, 8 and 12 years old. They aged out of the system but never out of our family. We love you Joe, Justin, Micah and Samantha. Happy Mother’s Day to the foster mothers around the world.

Motherhood can also begin by stepping into a family already in motion. After more than 20 years together, my parents separated. My mother later married a father with three daughters and a toddler son who had just lost his birth mother. She became a stepmother, supporting his parenting. I see you. Happy Mother’s Day to stepmothers around the world.

Sometimes motherhood stretches across generations. My sister became a mother at 18, making me an auntie. I watched my mother help raise him while supporting my sister as a young parent. Later, she did the same as my sister raised her daughter. That showed me how grandmothers often continue mothering through wisdom, child care, stability and unconditional love. I see you. Happy Mother’s Day to the grandmothers helping raise their grandchildren.

A safe place for children

Some women mother through the homes they create. My mother’s house has always been the kind of home where family members came, stayed, healed and even raised their children. Growing up, I did not always appreciate it because I like quiet and my own space. But her house taught compassion, patience, sharing and how to support others when life gets heavy. I see you. Happy Mother’s Day to the women whose homes became a refuge for others.

Like my mother did for her nephew, some aunties are a safe place. The emergency contact. The one who slips money in your hand, gives advice your parents could not reach you with and loves you without needing credit. For many children, an auntie is the bridge between struggle and stability. I see you. Happy Mother’s Day to the aunties who mother in quiet but powerful ways.

Some educators mother beyond the classroom every day. They notice when a student is struggling. They encourage potential a child may not see in themselves. They provide structure, accountability, warmth and belief when young people need it most. Sometimes a teacher, counselor, coach or librarian becomes a steady source of care that shapes a life forever. I know that personally from my time at Germantown High School. 

Women like OG Sara KZ, an English teacher of mine who made sure everything she stood for was about diversity, inclusivity and loving yourself. And my librarian, Mrs. Brewer, who carefully curated a library selection to ensure we were represented in books and so we knew that everyone’s cultures and communities had contributed to the wealth of shared knowledge. And Mrs. Cattle, who we voted to represent our senior class because of how she encouraged us in gym class to understand that life is not a race but a marathon. That it’s more about teamwork, collaboration and effort, not who was the biggest, strongest and fastest of us all. 

And the late and great Mrs. Schaff-Wyrwas, my guidance counselor. She helped a lost and nervous first-generation university-bound student like me navigate the application process and celebrate my acceptance. I see you. Happy Mother’s Day to the educators and mentors who mother through teaching and care.

Some women open their hearts through adoption. They navigate questions, identity, healing and belonging while building families rooted in commitment. They choose children they did not give birth to and love them fully. I see you. Happy Mother’s Day to the adoptive mothers around the world.

Some people never had biological children yet have poured into lives for decades. They mentor youth, guide neighbors, coach students and become steady love in a world that can be cold.

If my mother had never had children, she still would have done what she did. And that is motherhood. She still would have loved, opened her home and made room for others. She still would have created a family where others saw strangers. That is the capacity to love beyond your own. I see you. Happy Mother’s Day.

Mothers who grieve

And to the mothers who have experienced loss in all its forms, I see you too. To those who lost children. To those who lost pregnancies. To those whose children are estranged. To those raising children while grieving. To those carrying heartbreak no one else can fully see. Motherhood and grief can live in the same heart at the same time. I see you. Happy Mother’s Day.

Each of the people I celebrate this Mother’s Day reflects the beauty of motherhood.

This article is dedicated to all the mothers around the world, regardless of assigned gender or birth status, and especially to my mother, Angela Games. 

You still keep loving. You still keep giving. You still keep showing up. Even through your own pain, you never stopped mothering. That kind of love cannot be measured. That kind of strength cannot be taught. Happy Mother’s Day Mommy. Thank you for all that you are and all that you have done for us and so many others, We Love You!

Angelique Sharpe, known in the community as “MsLadyInc,” works at the intersection of broken systems and resilient people. She lifts their voices and helps organize solutions. Sharpe was recently named the Entrepreneur in Residence at Milwaukee Public Library. You can visit her website here.

The post Opinion: The true meaning of motherhood deserves a wider lens appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

In Milwaukee, many adults are earning their GED quietly: not to get ahead, but to keep what they already have.

On International Workers’ Day, which took place Friday, May 1, we celebrated the strength and dignity of work. In this city, that history is written in the bricks of our old rolling mills and the spirit of the 1886 Bay View laborers who marched for an eight-hour day. But today, there is a quieter struggle unfolding. It is not about unemployment: It is about instability hiding in plain sight.

At Joyce’s Legacy Learning Center, we work with the invisible adult learner. These are established professionals, business owners, educators, and county employees, who are one audit or one policy change away from losing their livelihood because they lack a recognized high school credential.

When we used to invest in people

There was a time in Milwaukee when the social contract between employer and employee was clear. If you showed up, worked hard, and learned the trade, the company invested back in you. Employers provided on-the-job training and internal promotion ladders. Loyalty was rewarded with stability.

But as the economy shifted toward risk management and hyper-documentation, that contract frayed. Today, years of performance can be wiped out by a missing piece of paper. We have seen workers discover, decades into their careers, that the diploma they earned from a predatory “diploma mill” is unaccredited. They didn’t “fail” to graduate: They were exploited by a system that traded on their desire to be a “quality” employee.

The “Quality Milwaukee” strategy

If we truly value workers, workforce development must mean more than just filling pipes. It must mean protecting the talent we already have.

Our alumni prove that this protection works. We look at our previous students who are now thriving as lead teachers, healthcare administrators, and independent contractors. They were already “quality” workers before they came to us. They just needed the credential to match their craft. By stepping in, we didn’t just help them pass a test: We anchored them in their careers.

When an employer invests in a loyal worker’s education, they are protecting their own bottom line. Replacing a seasoned employee costs thousands in recruitment and lost institutional knowledge. Our GED Boot Camps are designed for this exact reality. We provide a discreet, accelerated 10-week intervention that allows professionals to secure their credentials without missing a day of work. It is an economic preservation strategy that keeps taxpayers in the workforce and keeps Milwaukee businesses running.

The proof is in the numbers

The impact of this investment is measurable. On May 4, Joyce’s Legacy will celebrate our upcoming GED graduation. Among this cohort are 17 adult learners who are all currently employed and earning over $30,000 annually.

By providing the path to keep these 17 workers in their roles, we have saved our city and local employers over $600,000 in potential lost wages and turnover costs. This isn’t counting the “invisible” learners still flying under the radar, protecting their jobs and their dignity in secret.

A call to see what’s hidden

Let’s rethink what it means to support the Milwaukee worker. It isn’t just about creating new jobs: it’s about having the backs of the people who are already doing them.

Behind every missing credential is a provider and a taxpayer. On May 4, we won’t just see students in caps and gowns. We will see 17 reasons why Milwaukee is a city worth investing in, one worker at a time.

Mercedez Butts is the founder and executive director of Joyce’s Legacy Learning Center in Milwaukee. To learn more about their GED Boot Camps and the May 4th graduation, visit joyceshousemke.org.

The post Opinion: The workers you don’t see are working to stay employed appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

In May 2025, a glimmer of hope emerged from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: drug overdose deaths had plummeted by 27%, dropping from a staggering 110,000 in 2023 to 80,000 in 2024. Provisional data for late 2025 suggests an even further decline to 72,000. Yet, behind these promising numbers lie sobering truths. 

In 2024, Milwaukee County mourned the loss of 450 lives to overdoses. While the county mirrors the national trend of declining deaths, a devastating racial disparity persists: Black Milwaukee residents continue to die at nearly twice the rate of their White counterparts, despite similar rates of drug use. 

Amid this crisis, lives are being saved—thanks to the relentless efforts at Samad’s House, one of the Midwest’s leading sober living homes for women, and other community resources. Nonprofits, along with city and county governments, are stepping up with compassionate harm reduction initiatives, from naloxone distribution to fentanyl test strips, offering tools that save lives. 

I am the CEO and founder of Samad’s House, an organization that provides a safe space for women and children and promotes recovery and harm reduction. I answer critical questions about substance disorders that could mean the difference between life and death—and offer a roadmap to saving lives.

1. What are the biggest myths about addiction that prevent people from seeking help?

Substance disorders or addiction are often misunderstood as a moral failing or a lack of willpower, rather than a complex health issue. Many believe that only certain “types” of people have substance disorders, which creates stigma and can prevent individuals from seeking help. Not everyone who uses drugs is addicted; people use substances for various reasons, including celebration, coping with pain, or building community.

A common myth is that people with addiction are beyond help or unwilling to recover, which discourages outreach and support.  Stigma within society and even among healthcare providers can make individuals feel judged, reducing their willingness to seek treatment.

2. What actually happens during an overdose and why survival often becomes a turning point?

During an overdose, respiratory function slows down and can stop entirely, leading to death if intervention doesn’t occur.  Survivors often realize how close they came to death, which can serve as a wake up call and a turning point for seeking help. Many overdoses occur because users trust their drug supply or dealer, not realizing the risks of contamination with fentanyl and other contaminants. 

This is why harm reduction tools such as naloxone are effective; this nasal spray can reverse the effects of an overdose and save lives if administered shortly after the overdose.

3. Why do traditional approaches to recovery fail many people?

Traditional recovery models often assume abstinence as the only goal, which doesn’t work for everyone. Recovery should be personalized and flexible, meeting individuals where they are in their journey. Many programs reject people who aren’t ready for full abstinence or who use medication-assisted treatment (MAT), despite MAT being the medical gold standard for opioid-use-disorder. 

Stigma against MAT, often seen as “trading one drug for another,” prevents people from accessing life-saving treatments. Recovery is not one-size-fits-all; rigid systems fail to accommodate diverse needs and pathways. Returning to use is a typical occurrence for people in treatment.  It shouldn’t be seen as a failure or a reason to kick people out of treatment when they need support the most, but as an opportunity to reassess and move forward.

4. What are the hidden social and cultural pressures that fuel substance abuse?

Systemic issues like poverty, lack of affordable housing, and job insecurity create environments where substance use becomes a coping mechanism. Structural racism and the war on drugs have disproportionately impacted Black and Brown communities, criminalizing substance disorders rather than addressing their root causes.

Social determinants of health, such as housing, access to healthcare, employment status, and financial well-being, exacerbate substance use, as do medical conditions, isolation, trauma, and cultural stigmas around mental health.  Over-policing and underinvestment in many Black and Brown communities perpetuate cycles of addiction and prevent access to services and resources.

For instance, an example of the disparities is that MAT has been much more accessible in White communities than in Black and Brown communities.

5. How can families recognize early warning signs before it’s too late?

Look for changes in behavior, such as irritability, fatigue, or loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed. Monitor financial issues, such as frequent requests for money without explanation. That can be a red flag. Isolation or secrecy, such as spending excessive time alone or avoiding family interactions, can also indicate a problem.  Encourage open communication and create a judgment-free environment where loved ones feel safe seeking help. Get harm reduction tools like naloxone and know how to use them.

6. What impact can the stigma of drugs have on people seeking recovery?

Stigma creates shame, making individuals less likely to seek help or disclose their struggles to friends, loved ones, or healthcare professionals. Often, instead of people continuing in treatment, they disappear due to shame and stigma, putting them at exceptionally high risk for overdose. It also perpetuates the idea that addiction is a personal failure, rather than a treatable health condition. People fear judgment from those close to them. Stigma within treatment systems, such as rejecting MAT, further alienates those seeking help.

7. How do harm reduction approaches save lives?

Harm reduction tools like naloxone reverse overdoses and prevent deaths. Fentanyl and xylazine testing strips empower users to make informed decisions about their drug use. Harm reduction focuses on education, awareness, and meeting people where they are, rather than demanding immediate abstinence or criminalization. 

Policies that decriminalize drug use and provide safe spaces for consumption reduce overdose risks and connect people to resources. Harm reduction counters harmful practices and policies and helps promote community wellness.

8. What role does unstable housing have in increasing overdose risk?

People experiencing homelessness are at significantly higher risk of overdose due to unsafe environments and a lack of resources. Housing instability exacerbates stress, trauma, and isolation, all of which contribute to substance use. Unstable housing makes it difficult to access harm reduction supplies, treatment, or a safe place to use drugs. When individuals use drugs in unsafe or unsupervised settings, often no one is available to intervene.

9. What can friends and relatives do to help those with substance disorders?

Avoid judgment and create a supportive, open environment where loved ones feel safe seeking help. Educate yourself about addiction and harm reduction tools like naloxone. Encourage treatment but respect the individual’s autonomy and readiness for change. Be a consistent source of support, even in the face of setbacks. Recognize that recovery is a journey, not a one-time event, and celebrate small victories.

10. What can government, civic, and community leaders do to help prevent drug overdose deaths?

Fund organizations and initiatives with proven track records in harm reduction and recovery support. Ensure equitable access to treatment, including MAT, in Black and Brown communities. Reform policies that criminalize addiction and perpetuate systemic racism.

Invest in affordable housing, job training, and mental health services to address the root causes of addiction. Support community-based programs that already have trust and credibility in impacted areas. Promote public education campaigns to reduce stigma and increase awareness of harm reduction strategies.

Tahira Malik is the CEO and founder of Samad’s House, a Milwaukee-based sober living home and behavioral health clinic dedicated to supporting women.

The post Opinion: 10 things you should know about drug overdose prevention: A roadmap to saving lives appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

April marks Community College Month, a time to recognize the critical role these institutions play in expanding access to higher education. In Wisconsin, more than 293,904 students were enrolled in technical colleges in the 2024–25 academic year. Technical colleges often serve as a primary entry point into higher education, as community and alternative colleges are often the most accessible and affordable starting point for students.

But starting is not the same as finishing. For too many learners, especially working adults, the path from a community college to a bachelor’s degree remains fragmented, complex and difficult to navigate. Unclear transfer pathways, inconsistent credit recognition and rigid program structures make it difficult to build on the progress they have already made and move forward.

The transfer gap is a completion gap

Community colleges have long served as engines of opportunity, particularly for first-generation students, adult learners, transitioning military, full-time caregivers and other nontraditional learners. Yet the fact remains that for learners in Wisconsin, only about 42% of community college students who transfer to a four-year institution go on to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Barriers often emerge at the transition point. Credits may not transfer cleanly. Program requirements can shift. Life circumstances can make it difficult to relocate or commit to rigid schedules.

This represents not only an education issue, but also a broader workforce and economic mobility concern. Employers increasingly expect degrees or advanced skills, and an unfinished education can limit access to those opportunities, particularly in high-demand fields like health care, education, IT and advanced manufacturing.

The impact is especially visible here at home. When students in Wisconsin can start their education at a community college, complete a bachelor’s degree, and build careers without leaving their communities, the benefits extend far beyond the individual. Graduates contribute to local economies, fill critical workforce gaps and strengthen the communities where they live and work.

Why flexibility matters for today’s learner

Today’s “traditional” student is no longer the norm. Many learners are adults returning to school with prior college or advanced technical experience, seeking to finish a degree to advance or even change their careers.

These learners need an education model that will fit into their lives, not the other way around.Flexible, online degree programs and competency-based approaches can help close that gap by allowing students to build on what they already know and progress at a pace that works for them. This kind of model is particularly important in Wisconsin, where record employment and workforce participation levels in 2024 point to a large population of working adults who need flexible education options.

Building stronger pathways

Improving learner outcomes requires stronger alignment across institutions and more intentional pathways.

That includes clear transfer agreements that ensure credits count toward a bachelor’s degree, as well as flexible program structures that accommodate working adults and nontraditional schedules. Career-aligned learning that connects education directly to in-demand skills is also critical. Support systems that help students navigate transitions without losing momentum can help bridge the gap.

Partnerships between community colleges and flexible, four-year and online institutions are an important part of the solution. When these pathways are designed with the student experience in mind, they can reduce friction, expand access and increase completion rates for learners balancing work and other responsibilities.

As we recognize Community College Month, we must also recognize that expanding higher education access is not enough if students cannot complete the journey. To remedy this, we must build pathways that help students not only start, but finish; pathways that are accessible, affordable and designed for the realities of today’s learners.

Dr. Terrance Hopson is Midwest regional vice president at Western Governors University

The post Opinion: From community college to career: Fixing the transfer gap in Milwaukee, Wisconsin appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

As we observe Earth Day, I write this as an opportunity to leverage the conversations surrounding it to hold space and be a voice for those who are not typically invited to join the group chat.

Every year, Earth Day brings conversations about protecting the planet, going green and doing our part. Yet those conversations often move forward as if everybody is working with the same resources, stability and choices.

Allow me to paint a picture for you.

Same realities, different perceptions

One person is celebrated for living simply or living “off the grid.” They build eco homes, tiny homes, convert vehicles into tiny living spaces, use less electricity, own fewer things, consume less, waste less, line dry their clothes, grow food and keep life minimal. They are called disciplined, intentional, eco-conscious and inspiring.

Another person is living with many of those same realities. They use little power, own only what they can carry, consume less and leave behind a smaller footprint than the average household. But because their poverty is visible, because they may be Earthside, and because their struggle is not wrapped in aesthetics, they are not praised. They are judged.

Same low consumption.

Same lighter footprint.

Different public response.

And that should make us think.

Because if simplicity is admirable when it is chosen, but shameful when it is shaped by hardship, then maybe this conversation has never been only about sustainability. Maybe it has also been about status, comfort and who society believes is worthy of dignity.

At times, environmental responsibility can feel like a checklist built for people with options. Cut your water bill. Lower your light bill. Add solar panels. Buy high-efficiency everything. Grow your own food. Make better consumer choices.

Those are beautiful ideas, and in a perfect world it sounds amazing.

Life centers around needs

But in the real world, people are navigating different situations, and those circumstances shape how they engage with environmental issues.

For many families, life is centered around immediate needs: housing, food, transportation, safety, child care and stability. When you are trying to make rent, keep the lights on, get to work or survive a hard season, the environment may still matter deeply to you, but it may not be the loudest need standing in front of you that day.

That does not mean people do not care. It often means survival has to come first.

And even that truth does not tell the whole story.

Many people with limited means have been practicing conservation their entire lives, just without the branding or recognition.Stretching meals so everybody can eat.
Saving containers, bags and jars for another use.

Repairing what can be fixed.

Passing things down.

Sharing resources.

Making something out of almost nothing.

Those are not small habits. Those are daily acts of stewardship.

And that conversation must also include our Earthside brothers and sisters. Some call them homeless. Some people look at those living Earthside and only see disorder.

They do not stop to consider how many of our Earthside neighbors use fewer resources in a day than the average housed person uses before noon. Less electricity. Less water. Less consumption. Less waste.

Yet instead of being included in conversations about environmental realities, they are often spoken about with contempt.

We celebrate the benefits of nature every day. Research continues to affirm what many already know: time outdoors, green space, sunlight, fresh air and connection to the natural environment can support mental, emotional and physical well-being.

Who’s not part of the conversation

Yet when our neighbors choose, prefer or find themselves living Earthside, we often respond with ridicule instead of curiosity, compassion or strategy. 

We are quick to call people “crazy” for wanting to disconnect from traditional systems, live closer to nature or exist outside conventional housing pathways. So when did every path outside the norm become something to ridicule?

This is not to romanticize hardship or ignore the realities that can come with living Earthside. It is to challenge the idea that there is only one respectable way to live, and only one kind of person worth considering in conversations about the future of our planet.

And have we ever considered inviting those who live closest to nature into the conversation at all? Many have learned to navigate heat, cold, rain, wind and changing seasons in ways most people never have.

There are already cities showing what a more practical model can look like. In Portland, Ore., the Impact Reduction Program combines sanitation services, waste removal, storage support, referrals and job opportunities while broader housing efforts continue. It recognizes that dignity, public health and environmental care can be addressed together rather than treated as separate issues.

Milwaukee recently updated its housing code yet still has no designated campsites where people can legally pitch tents. So maybe the real opportunity is not just to tell people to care more about the Earth. Maybe it’s to build communities and systems that know how to include more kinds of people within it. 

Environmental inclusivity means more than recycling campaigns and public service announcements. It means dignity. It means access. It means sanitation. It means safe public spaces. It means practical ways for real people in real situations to participate.

If Earth Day is truly about protecting our shared home, then everybody living in that home deserves to be part of the conversation. Protecting the Earth is a shared responsibility, but any vision of sustainability that leaves people behind is incompetent from the start.

Angelique Sharpe, known in the community as “MsLadyInc,” works at the intersection of broken systems and resilient people. She lifts their voices and helps organize solutions. You can visit her website here.

The post Opinion: Everybody loves sustainability until poverty wears it appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

Every day in Milwaukee, we hear what’s wrong with our youth.

They are labeled distracted, disrespectful, unmotivated or worse. The narrative is loud, repetitive and easy. What we do not hear nearly enough about is what they are carrying and who is showing up to help them carry it.

Our young people are navigating layered realities. Not isolated incidents or surface-level behavior, but deeply layered experiences. Poverty, community violence, grief, housing instability, mental health needs and systems that were never designed with them in mind.

This is especially true for systems-placed youth across Milwaukee, young people navigating out-of-home living experiences in foster care, group homes, juvenile justice placements and other institutional settings, often without consistent stability, advocacy or voice.

When those layers show up in classrooms, programs and public spaces, we are quick to correct behavior before taking time to understand the weight behind it.

That is a problem.

Those who are showing up

What is also a problem is how little we talk about the people who step into that complexity every single day – youth workers.

Educators, mentors, program leaders, outreach workers and community-based professionals who signed up for one role but consistently carry many. They did not apply to be full-time crisis managers, but the work demands it. They did not sign up to be therapists, mediators and stability anchors, but that is exactly what they become.

When a young person walks in carrying layers, the job becomes layered. It becomes wraparound, relational and real.

Across Milwaukee, these professionals work in schools, afterschool programs, community organizations, behavioral and mental health spaces, arts programs and transitional pathways for young adults. They meet young people where they are, not where policy says they should be.

They build trust in environments where trust has been broken. They de-escalate situations that never make headlines. They create access where there was none.

And they do it quietly, without recognition, and far too often for wages that do not match the weight of the work. In Wisconsin, many youth workers and frontline support professionals earn between $15 and $22 an hour.

We are asking people to hold space for trauma, navigate crises in real time, support development and help stabilize lives while being paid wages that often do not allow them to be fully stable themselves.

That is not just a workforce issue. It is a reflection of what we value.

While we continue to criticize youth out loud, we remain far too quiet about the people doing the daily work of supporting, guiding and restoring them.

That silence has consequences. We already see burnout in classrooms with teachers, so it should be no surprise that youth workers are experiencing the same. We see it in burnout, high turnover and a shrinking workforce stretched beyond capacity.

National Thank a Youth Worker Day

As we approach National Thank a Youth Worker Day on May 7, we have an opportunity to shift the narrative. For the past 26 years, the Wisconsin Association of Child and Youth Care Professionals (WACYCP) has hosted an annual Youth Work Awards Celebration recognizing youth workers across the state in school-based settings, community programs, mental and behavioral health, creative spaces and all stages of youth development.

This year’s 26th Annual WACYCP Youth Work Awards Celebration will be announced in person on Thursday, May 7 at 6 p.m. on 88.9 Radio Milwaukee in the Third Ward.

What makes this especially powerful is that the recognition is community driven. Anyone can submit a nomination – a youth worker, a school, a program, a parent or even a young person. All nominations must be received by 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 22.

Submit nominations here: https://wacycp.org/youth-work-awards-celebration/2026-youth-work-awards-celebration

The people closest to the work are often the ones who know exactly who is making a difference.

I share this not just as an observer but as someone who has dedicated my life to this work. I am a lifetime youth worker and have served as a board director with WACYCP for 18 consecutive years, including the past three years as vice president. I have seen the depth of this work up close and how often it goes unseen.

Youth work is not one lane. It is an ecosystem

The people operating within it are doing highly skilled, emotionally demanding, culturally responsive work that requires both professional training and lived understanding.

Recognition is not about optics. It is about sustainability.

When we acknowledge youth workers, we validate the labor. We support retention in a field where burnout is high and send a clear message that this work is essential and not expendable.

If Milwaukee is serious about changing outcomes for young people, then we must be just as serious about investing in the people closest to the work.

That means funding youth-serving organizations at levels that reflect the actual need. That means resourcing programs beyond survival mode.
That means treating youth workers as experts, not afterthoughts.

And yes, that means honoring them publicly and consistently.

You cannot expect transformation in young people while ignoring the people helping to facilitate it.

Milwaukee’s youth are responding to their (in and out of) home environments, systems and conditions that many adults would struggle to navigate themselves, especially those navigating systems not built for their stability.

And still, there are professionals who show up anyway

They stand in the gap.
They build where things have been broken.
They pour into someone else’s child with care, consistency and commitment every single day.

So, yes, let’s keep talking about how to best support our youth, but let’s shift the focus for a moment.

Let’s recognize the people who are doing the work

At the end of the day, none of this happens in isolation. The challenges do not, and the solutions do not.

It takes consistency.
It takes care.
It takes community.

Because it takes a village. And in one of the most racially segregated states in this country, that village matters even more. So to the youth workers doing this work every day, here in Wisconsin, our home, WE SEE YOU!

Angelique Sharpe, known in the community as “MsLadyInc,” works at the intersection of broken systems and resilient people. She lifts their voices, and helps organize solutions. You can visit her website here.

The post Opinion: Can we shift the focus from youth criticism to those showing up daily for our neighbors’ children? appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

April is officially Second Chance Month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about stigmas surrounding people with criminal records and the barriers they face after incarceration.

But “second chance” has never been the right phrase because so many never had a real first chance to begin with. And a large number of very successful people fell down numerous times before they found their way. 

That is why a growing number of advocates and organizations refer to April as “Fair Chance Month” instead.

What is accountability and what is not?

Stigma is one of the biggest barriers to any fair chance, but it also profoundly shapes public safety. And if we are serious about public safety, we have to be clear about what accountability is and what it is not.

Accountability matters. Acknowledging and preventing harm, especially violence, matters deeply. But accountability does not mean stigma. In many ways it requires the opposite. 

Accountability looks different depending on the situation and those harmed, but stigma almost always produces something shallow: performative accountability and less safety.

Rebuilding a life requires agency, both internal and external. Internal agency is responsibility and growth. External agency is the road itself: housing, employment, reintegration. We cannot expect someone to drive well on a road structured to fail them. Those road conditions are shaped by the narrative society promotes about people with criminal records.

In several countries I’ve visited, criminal records are not permanently searchable by the public. Accountability is treated as resolution, not lifelong exposure — a design that increases reintegration and stability.

The lasting stigma of involvement in the justice system

The United States has chosen a different design. We extend the weight of accountability through permanent digital records, background checks, public shaming and the fixation on convictions in the name of transparency long after a sentence is served. This comes as much from “allies” on this issue as it does from people invested in the ineffective status quo.

In one recent example, Michelle Bryant of the well-respected WNOV radio, publicly criticized me several times on her show and others for not leading my bio with the details of my conviction. She also criticized Milwaukee Public Schools for profiling me positively years ago as an alumnus without foregrounding it. 

In her view, that should remain the primary entry point into who I am, while everything I do for public safety and community should remain secondary.

This dynamic is not unique to me. It is a deeply counterproductive expectation that many formerly incarcerated people and people with records come to anticipate from society.

I am fortunate to have developed a strong internal narrative. When comments like that are made, I do not collapse or react. I observe and lean in. Still, I am just one person in Milwaukee navigating serious issues every day. What matters more is what this narrative architecture produces.

The power of narratives: Both good and bad

If we insist that someone’s worst decision decades ago must always be the headline of their identity, we reinforce that identity. When we rigidly fix people in a single story, we increase the likelihood that they conform to the role assigned to them.

Fixed narratives produce fixed expectations. Expectations shape opportunity. Opportunity shapes behavior. Behavior shapes public safety.

If we permanently identify people by their worst moments, we engineer instability.

What I’m asking for

My ask during Fair Chance Month is simple and difficult.

Examine your narrative.

Ask yourself why you hold the fears you hold about people with criminal records. Are those fears actually protecting you? Or are they keeping you from meeting some of the most developed and valuable people in your community? Are they aligned with the outcomes you want in society?

For those of us who stand up for marginalized communities, if we believe in nuance, structural analysis, and systemic context for some communities, we must apply that lens consistently. Selective nuance is not justice. It is preference.

We know little to nothing about the backgrounds or current lives of most people we engage with every day. We would never ask someone the worst thing they have done and interrogate them about it. Yet, once a record is revealed, we often feel a social license to interrogate, as if a past conviction grants us permanent ownership of a person’s private history.

People should be able to know whether or not someone is safe to be around. But using a conviction as the measure of that is not only ineffective, it can blind us to some of the most stable, caring and committed people in our communities.

That impulse is unproductive curiosity dressed up as accountability and public safety. If we are serious about safer, healthier communities, then we should care not only about what people have done but about what helps them become who they are still capable of being.

Shannon Ross is founder/CEO of The Community and a consultant with the McNeely Prison Education Consortium under Marquette University’s CURTO Center. Ross is also co-founder of the multidimensional justice solutions firm Paradigm Shyft, board chair of the youth/family services collective The Beginning and a founding member of Justice Forward Wisconsin, a statewide coalition focused on creating a justice system more worthy of that name.

The post Opinion: Why must someone’s worst decision be the headline of their identity? appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

Last month, I walked into the ballroom of Marquette University’s Alumni Memorial Union and saw something powerful. The room was filled with leaders, students, mentors, and community members who all came for the same reason: to help the next generation of Black men succeed.

Throughout the day, different panels talked about education, community partnerships, and leadership. One session focused on how schools help shape young people from childhood all the way to college. 

Education leaders such as Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius; Wauwatosa School District Superintendent Desmond Means; and Tarrynce Robinson, superintendent of West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, spoke about why strong schools and strong mentors matter for Black students.

But the panel that meant the most to me happened in the afternoon. I had the chance to sit on a panel called “The Result of Mentoring Mentees to Mentors.”

One big message from our panel was simple: What young people see matters.

When young Black boys see leaders, mentors and professionals who look like them, it changes what they believe is possible. Mentorship helps build confidence. It gives young people direction. And it reminds them that they are not alone.

Without those mentors, my journey might have looked very different.

That is why mentorship is so powerful. It creates a cycle. A young person learns from a mentor, grows into a leader and then helps the next generation.

The summit also reminded me that mentorship is not just about giving advice. It is about showing up. It is about listening. It is about building trust with young people who need guidance.

Organizations like 100 Black Men of America have been doing this work for years. Their focus on mentoring, education, health, and economic empowerment continues to shape communities across the country.

If we want young African American men to become leaders, we must show them leadership. If we want them to succeed, we must guide them.

Mentorship does not just change one’s life. It can change an entire community.

Dakota Barnes-Rush is a senior studying journalism with a minor in digital media at Marquette University.

The post Opinion: How mentorship can shape the future of Black youths appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

I would be lying if I said that I haven’t felt this one in the core of my soul. My best friend, Marshall Vega, spent the year before his death collecting signatures to change the name of South 16th Street to South Cesar E. Chavez Drive. 

Many people who don’t know him well would say this was his legacy. Roberto Miranda and I know better. But I also know he was so proud (as he should be) to have been responsible for the name change.

We endured the kind of hate people seek to avoid their whole lives while trying to change that name. 

It was a labor of love and respect and MOST of all it was a way to allow for the contributions of Latinos to live forever in our community; a community built on the backs of Polish, German and Mexican immigrants. Although there was nothing to publicly acknowledge that effort, it was most definitely a living tribute. 

Now these terrible allegations come out and I want to say I know Dolores Huerta. I love her. I BELIEVE HER and all the other victims. I have NO reason to question their trauma or their need to come forward now. They are all older women now and they wished to not take this secret to their grave. I fully understand and support that. 

My heart goes out to them for holding on to this for so long, while watching the person who victimized them be exalted as a hero. I also understand that 33 years later, Cesar Chavez is not here to defend these allegations. Frankly there is no defense.

Erasing without replacing

My heart is broken for the WHOLE situation. But here is what I would like for my fellow Latino/a former Chavez supporters to understand. By allowing them to erase Chavez and NOT replacing him with our history or someone from our history, we are allowing them to erase OUR history. 

Chavez, whether you like it or not, is the face of the Chicano Movement the same way that Martin Luther King Jr. is the face of the Civil Rights Movement.

Marshall Vega wore out a pair of his shoes to make sure that Latino culture and contributions were represented in our community. Don’t let that be erased. If you want to take down Chavez’s statue, then put up a new statue depicting migrant workers or Latino foundry or railroad workers.

Or yes, Dolores Huerta. Roberto Hernandez. Angelo Verdin. Ernesto Chacon. Salvador Sanchez. Aurora Weier. Leticia Gomez. There are so many great men and women to choose from.

Our movement

The Chicano Movement was our Civil Rights Movement and we cannot stand by and watch it be erased by the actions of one man, no matter how much he contributed to it. We can’t let ourselves forget that Chavez was a leader in a movement that involved thousands of people, not just one. A movement that continues to this day. 

That being said, I would be remiss in my duties as a good American to not point out that America has consistently and completely turned a blind eye to abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, financial, etc.) by our founding fathers.  Men who owned, raped and pillaged slave and indigenous communities for centuries, yet we still have national holidays for them. Statues, national monuments, national parks, streets and more. We have a national holiday for Christopher Columbus, a man who was evil. 

We elected a president known for committing these offenses. Yet within one week of a brown leader being exposed, we have statues coming down, streets and public buildings renamed. 

Cesar did horrible things and I personally don’t know how to separate that from all of the good things he led and accomplished, things I am fiercely proud of. But I will say this, our country has separated these things since the first pilgrim landed on Plymouth Rock. 

Don’t be so quick to light your torch. Let’s figure out how we do this while keeping our culture and history intact. We have earned the opportunity to be recognized. Don’t let them erase us.

Peggy West is a community advocate and former Milwaukee County supervisor. West was the first Latina ever elected to the Milwaukee County Board.

The post Opinion: Don’t let Cesar Chavez’s actions erase Latino history in Milwaukee appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

There is a kind of pain that does not wait its turn. It crashes into your life, rearranges everything you thought you understood about safety, justice and faith, and then expects you to keep going.

This is not just about grief. This is about trauma and grief, intertwined, unfolding in real time in our homes, schools, workplaces and communities.

I know this kind of pain intimately.

My brother Sam

My siblings were my first friends. My brother Sam was my twin in every way that mattered. We shared a bunk bed, childhood routines and milestones. We grew up side by side, experiencing life in sync in a way only siblings that close can understand.

He was part of my beginning.

And then, suddenly, he was gone. 

NNS wrote about it here. 

My brother was taken in a violent and publicly misunderstood way. While the investigation unfolded over months, narratives spread in hours. His life was debated in real time. People stepped into the roles of judge, jury and executioner before the facts had even begun to surface.

What I experienced was not just grief, but the added trauma of watching my brother’s humanity be debated and misrepresented in real time.

And then there is the part people do not talk about enough.

Reliving our tragedy

His death was broadcast and circulated repeatedly, forcing our family to relive a moment we were already struggling to survive. And even after the headlines fade, the process continues. 

Legal cases, policy discussions, public commentary. Each step pulls you back into the trauma.

It follows you. In the news. In conversations. In the things you used to enjoy.

This is what navigating trauma and grief looks like in real time. It is not a single moment. It is ongoing.

I am a grown woman, well into my 40s, and nothing prepared me for this. And still, in the middle of that devastation, I was expected to show up to work, to function, to perform.

Three days

That is what we give people to grieve.

Three days to process a lifetime of connection. Three days to make arrangements, gather family and return as if something that significant can be contained and concluded.

Three days is not enough for natural loss.

So it is certainly not enough for loss that is sudden, violent or intentional.

And this is not exclusive to murder.

Trauma lives in all loss. Illness. Old age. Accidents. The loss of a child. Some loss we may anticipate, but none of it prepares us.

Yet the expectation remains the same: return to normal.

We have built systems that understand the need to bond with life, but not the need to grieve its loss. We offer time to welcome a child into the world, but minimal time to process losing one.

What kind of system measures productivity with more care than it measures pain?

We earn more time off to rest from work than we are given to recover from loss.

And it forces a deeper question:

How pro-life are we, really?

Because what we see does not reflect a culture that values life in a meaningful way. We see cruelty in comment sections, judgment attached to loss and a detachment that forgets every headline represents a real person and a real family.

Cycle of trauma continues

Trauma does not end when the news cycle moves on.

It lives in the people who are still here.

It lives in individuals carrying invisible weight, in people one moment, one word, one interaction away from the edge.

And when that trauma goes unprocessed, we see the consequences.

People snap.

And then we ask children and teenagers to be resilient in environments where even adults are barely holding it together.

We expect them to focus, to behave, to perform, while ignoring a critical truth: Their brains are not fully developed. They do not yet have the tools to process trauma and grief at this level.

So when we see emotional outbursts, withdrawal, defiance or risky behavior, we rush to label it.

But what if what we are witnessing is not defiance but distress?

What if something has gone wrong emotionally, mentally, developmentally, and no one has stopped long enough to ask why?

And it may not always be loss. It could be trauma in all its forms.

When trauma goes unaddressed, it does not disappear. It shows up.

This is not a failure of character. This is the impact of unprocessed trauma and grief.

Hard questions and a simple truth

So we have to ask:

Who decided that three days was enough? Enough for who? Enough for what kind of loss?

Why are people forced to prove how close they were to someone in order to be granted the space to grieve?

What about chosen family? Do they matter less?

How do we expect people to return to life carrying something that has not even begun to settle?

Have we truly gone so far to the dark side that we no longer have compassion for people who have lost loved ones, regardless of how they left this place?

How do we continue to call ourselves compassionate while enforcing timelines on pain?

Because the truth is simple.

Three days ain’t enough.

Angelique Sharpe, known in the community as “MsLadyInc,” works at the intersection of broken systems and resilient people. She lifts their voices, and helps organize solutions. You can visit her website here.

The post Opinion: 3 days ain’t enough. Grief, trauma and the expectation to perform appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

Over the weekend, seven young people in Milwaukee were connected to firearms incidents. Seven. In one day. That number is not just a statistic, and it should not be treated like one. It is a signal. It is a mirror. It is a warning.

And if we are honest with ourselves, it is also the predictable outcome of systems we have allowed to remain underdeveloped, under-resourced, and, at times, misunderstood.

I write this not simply as a professional working at the intersection of public health and community, but as someone rooted in Milwaukee, shaped by its contradictions, and committed to its future. What we are witnessing is not random. It is patterned. It is layered. It is structural.

We continue to ask young people to navigate environments that offer little physical refuge. There are neighborhoods where, after school hours, the options narrow quickly. Recreation centers are limited, programming is inconsistent, and safe, youth-centered third spaces are scarce. When we say “there’s nothing to do,” we often fail to grasp the full weight of that statement. It is not boredom. It is the absence of sanctioned belonging.

And when there is nowhere to go physically, we must also consider where young people are expected to go mentally.

A sobering reality

In recent months, we have returned to a sobering reality that many educators, parents, and community leaders have been sounding the alarm on for years: The state of literacy in our public schools is not just concerning, it is, in many cases, deplorable. We are encountering young people in middle and even high school who are reading far below grade level, struggling not only with comprehension but with the most basic elements of fluency.

This is not a critique of our young people. It is an indictment of the conditions surrounding them.

Literacy is often framed narrowly, reduced to test scores and benchmarks. But in practice, literacy is the foundation of how individuals make meaning of the world and of themselves. It is how we process information, how we communicate our experiences, how we regulate emotion, and how we imagine alternatives.

When a young person cannot fully read, they often cannot fully process. When they cannot process, they cannot effectively regulate. And when they cannot regulate, they are left to navigate complex emotional landscapes without the tools necessary to do so safely.

‘Developmental rupture’

What we are seeing in classrooms is not just an academic gap. It is a developmental rupture.

Imagine being asked to sit in a classroom where the material feels inaccessible, where frustration builds daily, where embarrassment is constant, and where disengagement becomes a form of self-protection. Now imagine carrying that same frustration into the streets, into peer interactions, into moments of conflict.

We should not be surprised when that frustration manifests externally.

Milwaukee’s literacy crisis is not disconnected from its violence. It is embedded within it.

We also cannot ignore what science continues to reveal about environmental exposures. This is a city that has grappled, publicly and painfully, with lead contamination. Entire neighborhoods have been impacted by aging housing stock and the long shadow of disinvestment. Lead does not just affect the body. It alters neurological development. It disrupts impulse control, attention, and decision-making.

We are still uncovering the full implications of this. But we know enough to say this: When a child grows up in an environment shaped by neurotoxic exposure, the expectation that they will self-regulate at the same level as a child without that exposure is not just unrealistic. It is unjust.

Layer onto this the modern reality of social media.

Behavior that was once localized is now amplified. Conflict that may have once dissipated now circulates, replays, and escalates. There is a new economy of attention where visibility can translate into status. For some young people, the performance of risk becomes a pathway to recognition. The clout associated with captured behavior, especially behavior tied to violence or defiance, has reshaped the social incentives.

‘Investing in joy’

We are asking young people to make wise decisions in environments that reward the opposite.

A colleague whom I respect sincerely, recently said, “The strategy needs to be investing in joy.” I agree. Deeply. Joy is not trivial. It is protective. It is stabilizing. It is a counterbalance to trauma.

But joy cannot be abstract.

Joy requires infrastructure. It requires places to gather, to create, to move, to be seen without being surveilled or judged. It requires adults who are present, consistent, and culturally aligned. It requires systems that do not just intervene at the point of crisis, but cultivate conditions where crisis is less likely to emerge.

We cannot ask young people to access joy when both their physical environments and their internal landscapes have been constrained.

Milwaukee’s history matters here. This is a city shaped by redlining, by some of the most entrenched racial segregation in the country, by disinvestment that was not accidental but engineered. The same neighborhoods experiencing elevated violence today are often the same neighborhoods that were denied access to capital, to quality housing, to educational equity, and to economic mobility for generations.

We are not dealing with isolated incidents. We are dealing with accumulated outcomes.

And yet, within this reality, there is also profound resilience. There are young people organizing, creating, leading. There are community-based organizations doing the work, often with limited resources but deep commitment. There are models, right here in Milwaukee, that demonstrate what is possible when investment meets intention.

The question is not whether we know what to do. The question is whether we are willing to do it at the scale required.

This means investing in youth spaces that are open, accessible, and designed with young people, not just for them. It means rethinking education to center literacy as a tool for empowerment and emotional development, not just academic performance. It means continuing to address environmental injustices like lead exposure with urgency and accountability. It means engaging the digital landscape, not ignoring it, and equipping young people to navigate it critically.

This is a public health emergency

It also means shifting our posture.

Too often, the response to youth violence is reactive and punitive. But punishment without pathways does not produce transformation. If anything, it reinforces the very conditions we claim to be addressing.

What would it look like to treat this moment as a public health emergency, not just a public safety issue?

What would it look like to invest upstream with the same urgency that we deploy downstream?

Seven young people in one day.

We cannot afford to normalize that.

We cannot afford to explain it away.

And we certainly cannot afford to continue responding as if this is new.

My heart goes out to all those impacted directly and indirectly in the incidents that took place over the weekend. But Milwaukee’s young people are not the problem. They are responding to problems. The responsibility, then, is ours.

To listen more deeply. To invest more boldly.

And to build a city where the conditions that produced the weekend’s events no longer exist.

Aziz Abdullah is the co-founder of INPOWER, a marketing agency in Milwaukee.

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.  

The post Opinion: Milwaukee’s youths are speaking. The question is whether we’re listening. appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

At a time when Milwaukee Public Schools is already being questioned about transparency and accountability, it’s board is considering restructuring the committees that allow the public to follow their work.

That should concern every Milwaukee family.

Milwaukee Public Schools Board of Directors is currently discussing restructuring its committee system. This conversation deserves public attention.

During the discussion, the Director of the Office of Accountability and Efficiency referenced the Elmbrook School District as a model because their committees operate with clear charges and intentional design around their work. Intentionality matters. But, we also need to be honest about our own history.

That same intentionality was never applied to the Family And Community Engagement/Parent And Community Engagement, the one committee that was supposed to center families and community voice.

Instead of strengthening the space designed for family and community engagement, the conversation now appears to be moving toward consolidating or restructuring committees in ways that could reduce transparency and limit deeper discussion before decisions reach the full board.

Committees are not just administrative structures. They are one of the few places where deeper conversations happen, where issues can be examined more closely, and where the public has clearer insight into how decisions move through the district.

Another point raised during the discussion was the many responsibilities board members carry outside of their board service. Those commitments are real. But it is also important to remember that serving on the Milwaukee Board of School Directors is the job THEY campaigned for and were elected to do.

Milwaukee is not Elmbrook. We are a large urban district serving diverse communities with complex needs. Our governance structure should reflect that reality and prioritize transparency, accountability, and meaningful community engagement.

A community call to action

The conversation will continue at the full board Meeting on March 26th.

If transparency and accountability matter to you, show up.

Public presence matters, and it also helps others see they won’t be standing alone.

Please share this post so more people in our community know what’s happening.

Community voice should never be an afterthought in how our district is governed.

Locate agenda items and upcoming board meetings here.

View a live stream of the March 26 meeting here.

Here’s how you can make your voice heard at MPS meetings.

Angela N. Harris is a lifelong Milwaukee resident, an MPS educator with 20+ years’ experience and a parent of two MPS scholars. She’s the chair of Black Educators Caucus and has spent the last 10 years advocating for educational equity for all students.

The post Opinion: Here’s why every MPS family (and Milwaukee resident) should be concerned appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on the many great accomplishments and contributions by African Americans throughout the centuries. As we celebrate this rich history, we also must acknowledge the many tragic and oppressive aspects of our history with America, including the oppressive 400+ year relationship between the Black community and the tobacco industry.  

Though commercial tobacco has evolved over the years, from regular cigarettes to menthols, flavored cigars to e-cigs and vapes, there is one constant — the deliberate industry targeting of Black communities. What began with tobacco being introduced to West Africa by Europeans, then cultivated in Sierra Leone, and used to suppress hunger in the Congo by the 1600s, devolved into tobacco and tobacco pipes being established as one of the main goods used to buy enslaved people on the African coast by the mid-17th century. 

The slave trade brought tobacco to North American colonies, mainly Virginia, to supply the English market. Slaves in North America now cultivated the very crop that had enslaved them. Not until the Emancipation Proclamation did Blacks in America cease to cultivate tobacco fields as slaves. Still the tobacco industry refused to release its hold on free Black labor. They now used the deception of sharecropping, Jim Crow, the chain gangs, incarceration and generations of Black Americans to cultivate their tobacco fields. 

Sadly, the multibillion tobacco industry of today has been built on the backs of the enslaved and their lineage. This success has been achieved to the detriment of Black health and through the egregious behaviors that are so deeply entrenched in the tobacco industry’s DNA. 

The cancerous footprint is still prevalent in the United States, including here in Wisconsin. In Black neighborhoods, tobacco marketing occurs at a rate 10 times higher than found in other communities. The tobacco industry spends an estimated $161.2 million dollars to market its deadly products in our state. Many of their ads feature menthol and are targeted towards Black communities.

Menthols are the most heavily marketed and sold product in communities of color.

Menthols and Black smokers

Their targeting tactics are working. The adult smoking rate for Black people living in Wisconsin is 17%, much higher than the rate for white people in the state (12%). In the 1950s, less than 10% of Black smokers in the U.S. used menthol cigarettes; today in Wisconsin the number has grown to 85%, compared to 41% of White Smokers.

Menthol’s influence is not limited by Black communities in the state, as forty-three percent of adults in Wisconsin who smoke currently smoke menthols. 

There is some light at the end of the tunnel. Efforts to raise awareness about the tobacco industry targeting, especially with menthol, continue to grow. Exhibitions like “Same Game Different Smokers,” which explores the troubled history between African Americans and tobacco, and the film series “Black Lives/Black Lungs,” have motivated thousands to learn this history and take action so it doesn’t keep repeating itself. 

You have the power to make a change. Join or support Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network.  Speak out against tobacco industry injustices. Help those who are victims of targeting quit by urging them to utilize the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit-Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW, or by texting “VAPEFREE” to 873373. Youth can become involved by joining FACT, Wisconsin’s youth-driven tobacco prevention movement. 

Take action, speak out. Your breath matters.

Ayana Smith is a mother, wife, student and longtime resident of Milwaukee. She is currently working toward her goal of establishing a nonprofit organization, Proteges of Milwaukee.

The post Opinion: Black history includes tobacco industry oppression appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

Last week, Milwaukee lost an exceptional public servant. After five months as director of the Office of Community Wellness and Safety (OCWS), Adam Procell was forced to step down because of an outdated, fear-based law. 

The decision sparked strong public reactions and raised a much larger question: Do we want safety and wellness or simply the appearance of it? And how do we fix the deeper structural policies that are putting us at risk.

When OCWS became its own department, Adam’s role was reclassified as a public official, a category that Wisconsin law bars people with felony convictions from holding unless they have been pardoned. Adam, who served 23 years in prison for a homicide he committed at age 15, is not eligible to apply for a pardon until 2030.

For many people with criminal records, Adam’s appointment last August was a monumental acknowledgment by the power structure that those closest to the problem are often closest to the solution. His removal, in turn, stung deeply, not simply because he is beloved, but because it reminded thousands of people across the state how much stigma overrules transformation and results.

A decrease in violent crime

And Adam delivered results. After entering the role amid public backlash and a departmental firestorm, he proceeded to build and rebuild relationships across local and national partners, steady operations, and win over virtually everyone with his work ethic and vision. The city’s own crime dashboard reflected his effort. During his five-month tenure, violent crime trended downward, steeply so in the most recent three months:

• Homicides down 19%
  
• Robberies down 24%
  
• Aggravated assaults down 15%
  
• Non-fatal shootings down 45%
  
• Carjackings down 53%

Of course, these numbers do not mean Adam singlehandedly caused them. But if crime was up, the detractors to his appointment would absolutely use it to support their case, so it must be acknowledged the other way around, as well. Moreso, it is legitimate to highlight these crime numbers as resulting at least in some part from the stronger operations and collaboration undeniably fostered by Adam’s leadership in the role.

Yet, from the start of his tenure until this very moment, familiar hollow sentiments from the public attempted to cloud this success: “Someone who committed murder shouldn’t lead anti-violence work on a tax-payer salary.” “If you don’t want barriers, don’t commit crimes.” 

When we cheer outdated rules that push out someone who was effectively reducing violence, we cannot claim to want safer communities. We are choosing fear and misinformation masquerading as morality.

But this issue is much bigger than Adam’s story. Wisconsin continues to adhere to laws and policies that miss out on the immense value of people who have made mistakes or caused harm and used that as a wellspring of passion and purpose to develop remarkable perspective, morality, and commitment to do good. 

Here’s how we can make things right

Wisconsin spends more than a billion dollars a year on its Department of Corrections. Why do we deny ourselves the benefit of the human transformations that result from that investment?

Two changes would better align Wisconsin practices with our values.

First: Wisconsin should explore moving toward a cap on post-release supervision. Thousands of people in our state remain under supervision for well over a decade. Yet national research is clear: after 3-7 years (depending on the crime), a person on supervision is no more likely to return to prison than people who have never been incarcerated. Extending supervision beyond that window only makes work, housing, entrepreneurship, community engagement and overall reintegration harder. Bringing Wisconsin closer to national norms on supervision would increase public safety, save money, and allow formerly incarcerated people to contribute to communities everywhere fully.

Second: Wisconsin should re-examine its pardon eligibility criteria, which is set entirely by the governor. Currently, a person must wait five years after completing their entire sentence before they can apply. 

Many states allow applications immediately, and some accept them while a person is still serving their sentence. Gov. Tony  Evers has issued more pardons than any governor in state history, which deserves applause. But the criteria remains too narrow. A more accessible process would better reflect what we know about rehabilitation, economic mobility, and community safety. 

With Evers not seeking reelection, we need to ensure every candidate understands these benefits. And we should encourage Evers to expand the criteria during his last year. After all, the next governor could choose to shut down the process as previous governors have.

Some have also suggested amending the constitution, but that is a long and uncertain path compared to more achievable changes already within reach.

For Adam and every person in this state working daily to prove that our pasts do not define us, be proud of who you’ve become, and the impact you are leaving on so many. It absolutely matters. Through continued public education, dialogue, and engagement with people who understand harm, healing, and accountability from the inside out, Wisconsin can move toward policies that align our values with our practices.

Shannon Ross is a founding member of Justice Forward Wisconsin, a statewide coalition focused on creating a justice system more worthy of that name. He is also founder/CEO of The Community and a consultant with the McNelly Prison Education Consortium at Marquette University’s CURTO Center.  

The post Opinion: Do we want safety and wellness or simply the appearance of it?  appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

The news about leadership changes (yet again) in Milwaukee’s Office of Community Wellness and Safety is heavy. 

In my almost seven years here at Safe & Sound, the office has had 3.5 directors at its helm. 

Feels like a start and stop. Start and stop. And while I’m not judging anybody’s decision to move around, I just want to be clear that when leadership changes, the community does not.

Over the past few months, I’ve been watching Adam Procell sit in hot seats and speak plainly about his past and his passion for this work. Regardless of where people land on his hiring process, I’m holding space for the human reality of this moment. There’s a difference between accountability and humiliation. I want us to do better at choosing dignity.

At the same time, our city can’t afford to reset the violence prevention conversation every time there’s a transition. The truth is Milwaukee’s safety is not the responsibility of any one person, office, or system. It’s a shared assignment.

I’ve served with Safe & Sound since 2019, and I’m proud of what our team and partners have built over the past seven years. Resident leadership, block level organizing, youth development, and practical prevention tools that strengthen the protective factors every neighborhood deserves. 

The power of collaboration

My goal has been to work us out of a job. Because THE PEOPLE should be in full control of how we shape safety and belonging. We have seen what happens when residents, outreach workers, schools, funders, faith leaders, and public agencies move in the same direction.

I’m hoping we can stop debating our way into delay. We need more focus on prevention AND intervention. Data AND dignity. Urgency AND sustainability. 

I personally think the city should focus on stabilizing the backbone infrastructure so work continues through transitions, clear interim leadership, regular partner convenings, and public- facing metrics. I’d like to see less energy spent measuring who got what funding and more energy measured in conflicts mediated, youth redirected, blocks supported, families stabilized, and lives preserved. But that’s just me (maybe too much like right).

Milwaukee has more good things happening than what makes headlines. I know this to be true in the work that I see happening every day. And this moment does not define what our progress can and should look like.

To city leadership and to every partner in the field: I am still down to collaborate (as Bridget the Black Woman;, as Safe & Sound the organization; and simply as a concerned member of this community with open hands, clear eyes, and shared accountability). If you’re serious about reducing harm and building lasting safety, I am pulling up my personal chair to the table. Not for ego but for outcomes and peace.

No more resets

I’m praying for Adam. I can’t imagine what this feels like. I just think we can uphold rules and still honor redemption.  

We cannot afford to reset the work every time there is turnover. Violence prevention is not seasonal. Neighborhood safety requires sustained investment, consistent strategy, and shared accountability.

This is not the time for division (we got enough of that already). This is the time for deeper alignment and stronger partnerships without the red tape of titles and roles and org charts.

Bridget Whitaker serves as the executive director of Safe & Sound.The Milwaukee nonprofit strives to improve public safety by working with residents, youths and law enforcement.

The post Opinion: We can’t reset conversations about violence prevention every time there’s a transition appeared first on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.