Meg and Alex are back on the pod talking about small people hugs, 2 am alarms, and privilege when it comes to margin. 

The two also share some exciting news about We Got This and talk about some ways that listeners can help get involved with instilling change in 53206. 

Milwaukee historian Reggie Jackson from Nurturing Diversity Partners joins the 53206 Cast to share his wealth of knowledge about the history of some of the dynamics at play within Milwaukee's central city. The group discusses how segregation is measured, some of the history behind highway locations, and the ever present and looming topic of gentrification. 

Dismissing someones lived experiences and feeling a sense resignation around our circumstances never evolving are two of the topics discussed on this week's 53206 Cast. Meg and Alex breakdown how those dynamics can play out when re-thinking our inner city spaces and share a practical way to enact small change specifically in Milwaukee. 

Referenced on this episode are two books, the first is by Majora Carter: Reclaiming Your Community. The second is by Rob Bell: Handling Your Fire.

This week Alex and Meg are joined by Ajamou Butler and Jessica Butler from Heal The Hood to talk about their upcoming event on May 28th in Milwaukee. The group discusses the origination of Heal The Hood and talk about ways to join in the movement around healing our inner city spaces. 

Meg and Alex are back in the studio sharing their most controversial take to date. The two discuss the idea that it's harder to grow up in 53206 than it is where they are from. While that might be a bit of a stretch to think of that as controversial today, that hasn't always been the case and how recognizing and acknowledging the challenges young people face in 53206 is a step in the right for long term social change. 

The thing about the inner city is that most people don't want it to stay how it is. People living in the suburbs don't love the negative outcomes they see on the news and those living here would prefer a decrease in acts of violence or crime in general. Luckily the solution is the same for both groups - be the change they want to see in the world. On this episode of the 53206 Cast, Meg and Alex dive into what it would look like to be the change and encourage listeners to take action within their own spheres of influence. 

A curious part of living in the inner city is how close together hope and despair can be. A beautifully maintained house can be situated between two run-down abandoned buildings. Something exciting can be quickly interrupted by an act of violence and positive change can be overshadowed in an instant. On this weeks episode of the 53206 Cast Meg and Alex dive into that phenomenon and give some thoughts on how we can push for hope rather than despair. 

The future of the inner city is many times siloed into going down two potential paths, continued denigration or gentrification. While a third option might not be readily available, Meg and Alex try to give shape to what that might look like as they think about the future of 53206.

When a person has little to no frame of reference around how someone else might experience life, it can be difficult to empathize. That difficulty shouldn't be a reason to not engage in that work. Meg and Alex tackle this topic and more on the latest episode of the 53206 Cast. 

The 53206 Cast welcomes back Ashley Frahm to the podcast. Ashley talks about a recent shooting that took place outside of Rufus King High School within eyesight of her house. She shares how she approached processing the event with her children and gives some insight on some of the trickle down effects of gun violence.