The state of our ecosystem in Milwaukee offers much hope, even as we face noteworthy challenges to providing systemic and holistic supports for young people of color. Every year since its inception, the Black and Latino/a Ecosystem and Support Transition (BLEST) Hub has released a yearly “State of the Ecosystem” report chronicling the initiative’s work over the year. In 2024, our accompanying podcast for the report brings together our faculty director, Nate Deans (Director of the Milwaukee Public Schools’ Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement), Walter Lanier (visionary and co-founder of the BLEST Hub), Robert Smith (Director of CURTO), and Ali Shana (a graduate student research assistant and GEAR UP employee). We discuss our work, the current state of the ecosystem, and what energies us into the future.
Dr. Gabriel Velez is an associate professor and developmental psychologist in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership (EDPL) in the College of Education at Marquette University. Dr. Velez studies identity development in adolescents and emerging adults, particularly in relation to their educational experiences, including restorative justice, peace education, and artificial intelligence. He also serves as the Faculty Director of the Black and Latino/a Ecosystem and Support Transition (BLEST) Hub at Marquette, and the Chair of the Faculty Research Team for the Center for Peacemaking. A detailed listing of his work can be found at https://marquette.academia.edu/GabrielVelez.
Walter Lanier is a seasoned leader, pastor, and social entrepreneur with over 25 years of multifaceted experience spanning legal, educational, business, and community sectors. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan and a Master of Divinity from Central Baptist Theological Seminary, alongside advanced studies in transformational leadership. He is currently the head of the Great Lakes Urban Empowerment Center, and his leadership roles have ranged from founding a business and civil rights law firm to directing community engagement initiatives at Milwaukee Area Technical College and leading the African American Leadership Alliance Milwaukee.
Nate Deans is the Director of the Milwaukee Public Schools’ Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee with degrees in English Education and Literary and Critical Studies, and taught English at Milwaukee Academy of Science and Riverside University High School. Nate has been recognized with the MPS Start, Stay, Succeed Award in 2017, the UWM Graduate of the Last Decade Award in 2018, and was a nominee for the Wisconsin Teacher of the Year Award in 2016.
Dr. Robert S. Smith is the Harry G. John Professor of History and the Director of the Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach at Marquette University. Rob is the author of Black Liberation from Reconstruction to Black Lives Matter and Race, Labor & Civil Rights; Griggs v. Duke Power and the Struggle for Equal Employment Opportunity.
Ali Shana is a researching academic and education specialist under the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. He is currently completing his PhD at Marquette University’s Educational Policy & Leadership program.
Ronald Johnson, AKA as ChocoGeek, provided music for this podcast on Soundcloud. https://soundcloud.com/chocogeek
Intro music, Arkham Talent Show
The outro music, One More Time Around The Loop (Irascible Funk)
Here’s the link to the report:
https://www.marquette.edu/urban-research-teaching-outreach/documents/blesthub-state-of-the-ecosystem-2024.pdf
To view the database of reports clink the link below
https://airtable.com/appBuw566ksLz2vlB/shrX6A95GVwGIyRaS/tbl5lBgeOzt8DakaM
