In this episode of The 53206 Cast, Meg and Alex reflect on the complexities of making a positive impact in the community. They share their thoughts on a recent early morning hit-and-run accident that hit close to home, and how it underscores the nuiances within collective and individual responsibility.

They also highlight an event at the We Got This Community Garden, where kids chose gifts for their parents or guardians—an effort to reward kids for their hard work in the summer.

Join Meg and Alex as they explore how the path to transforming the world often weaves together moments of joy and difficulty.

The 53206 Cast: A Conversation with Andre Lee Ellis

In this episode of The 53206 Cast, we’re excited to welcome Andre Lee Ellis, founder of We Got This and the visionary leader of The Cage, a transformative initiative making a profound impact in the heart of Milwaukee.

Andre shares his powerful journey of mentoring youth, building community, and addressing systemic inequities. Through his leadership of The Cage, he has created a space for empowerment, growth, and hope, offering life-changing opportunities to those most affected by societal challenges.

Join us as we explore the vital work happening within 53206, the importance of local activism, and how we can all contribute to creating a more just and equitable world.

Tune in for this inspiring conversation and learn more about the incredible stories and initiatives shaping 53206’s future.

While being motivated by fear can by helpful sometimes, when we make everyday decisions about how we interact with the world, fear is one of the least useful tools we have. This week, Meg and Alex discuss how fear has impacted their neighborhood and offer some alternatives to a fear based approach. 

This week, Meg and Alex sit down with Jamie DeJesus. Jamie is a leader in the community helping facilitate the re-entry process for justice involved individuals through career training. You can find out more around the work Jamie does at www.iesinstitute.org.

Legacies are something we leave whether or not we do so intentionally or not. For a lot of us, we want to leave the world better than we wound it. This week on the podcast, Meg and Alex talk about legacies and give some thoughts on building the legacy you want to leave. 

This week Meg and Alex discuss the philosophy that everything is an opportunity to make the world the way you want it to be. 

Meg is out of town this week and we couldn't get a podcast in before she left so it seemed like a good opportunity to share a chapter of the book Bad Neighborhoods.

This week, Meg and Alex sit down with long time community activist Ajamou Butler. 

For over 10 years we have been trick or treating in the same neighborhood outside of ours. Each year, we leave the inner city along with 300 or so of our neighbors and drive roughly 3 miles to an affluent neighborhood just outside of the city. This week we discuss the changing climate of the city as it pertains to inclusiveness and the changes we have seen over the last decade.