Sometimes, returning to one’s roots means an actual return to nature — a homecoming of the mind, body and spirit to where it’s always belonged.

“I do a lot of work putting Black people back in nature,” Tyrone Randle said. “I feel like since slavery happened, we escaped through nature and have not returned to it. There’s this stigma about being outside, about camping, about swimming, stuff like that. But we come from nature.”

Randle was one of six visual artists competing in True Skool’s live mural contest at Milwaukee’s 55th annual Juneteenth celebration. Their assignment was to interpret this year’s theme: “Honoring The Past. Empowering The Future.”

“We really count on these artists to tell a story, because there’s a gap in education,” True Skool co-executive director Shalina Ali said. “A lot of people understand that this is historically about freedom, but there’s a layer of text and information that I think is really beneficial to people being proud of this celebration and understanding why Juneteenth is a celebration for America. This year is the 250th year. What would this country be without a turning point like Juneteenth?”

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Host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Singing in church was Tyler Curtain's first time on stage. Now, the 22-year-old is representing his city on a larger scale. 

“It was really nerve-wracking, but I was excited because whether or not it went the way I wanted it to, I still got my music out there and somebody heard it.”

That’s how Curtain summarized his debut performance at the World’s Largest Music Festival, which just so happens to take place in his backyard. It was the opening day of Summerfest, and the artist whose style is a mix of contemporary gospel and R&B with jazz undertones went on stage with his own original music, backup singers and a full band.

Curtain’s performance was part of MKE Live Groove Edition, which Aichelle White started as a bimonthly concert series that connects Wisconsin artists with musicians they might not otherwise have access to. In this episode, we head to the Summerfest grounds and see how MKE Live Groove became an annual part of the festival and how the association provides big opportunities to rising talent.

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Guest host: Rachel Tarby

Uniquely Milwaukee is supported by our Radio Milwaukee members.

Recently, a hot-pink flier advertising a party caught the eye of Uniquely Milwaukee guest host Rachel Tarby. It was for Venus Social Club, an organization that hosts events specifically for the sapphic community.

If you’re not familiar with the term, the word “sapphic” traces back to Sappho, the Greek lyric poet who lived on the island of Lesbos around 600 BCE and was known for writing about her desire/love for other women. Thousands of years later, sapphic is a common term for women who love women.

“I feel like in Milwaukee we had no sapphic spaces,” Venus Social Club founder Mya Goetsch said. “Well, we had some … but [not] specifically party ones, and I want to go party with all lesbians and queer people all the time, not just on Pride.”

Goetsch created the organization in November of 2024, somewhat by accident. What was meant to be a small house party turned into a big sapphic celebration. Since then, Venus Social Club has hosted many events across the city — from yoga to barbecues to, of course, themed dance parties.

In this episode, Tarby takes you inside one of those events and talks with the people who were searching for a space exactly like this in Milwaukee.

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Guest host: Rachel Tarby.

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the support of our Radio Milwaukee members.

When Lorenzo Edwards first began practicing yoga, he used it as it was a way to escape the stress of his job. A regular practice turned into attending classes. Attending classes turned into becoming a certified instructor. Then he noticed who was typically in the classes.

And, more importantly, who wasn’t.

“Prior to making a concerted effort to have practice with Black men, I seldom saw them — or us — in that space,” Edwards said. “If you can see yourself in the instructor, see yourself in the class, hear things that bring relief or the vibrations you need through music from your culture, it can help.”

On this episode, guest host Rachel Tarby joins He Do Yoga, the weekly class Edwards created for Black men of all ages to experience yoga at no cost, with a focus on connection and healing.

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Guest host: Rachel Tarby

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Need a drill, saw, or lawnmower? Don't buy it; borrow it. 

Since 2021, the Milwaukee Tool Library has been lending tools to everyone from average community members to professional contractors — anyone in need of equipment for a short amount of time. The organization also hosts volunteer-led workshops.

The library is a free, membership-based organization rooted in trust and community, both of which came into play recently when it faced financial struggles that could have forced closure. But a successful GoFundMe raised enough money to keep the not-for-profit afloat. 

For Evan Maruszewski, the director of operations and one of the library's founders, it helped fill a void in Milwaukee and also within himself. "I’m a lucky person who can say, ‘Now I know where I fit in my sphere of influence,' which is tiny. At least I can say, ‘Two days a week, I’m taking good equipment, useful equipment and putting it in the hands of people who otherwise would never have had access to it.”

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Host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

“I just felt like the uterus that I had was a problem, and I wanted it out right away."

At 38 years old, Tonda Thompson faced an issue that impacts many women: fibroids. 

For many months, they caused the mother of two pain and confusion. She said frequent trips to the emergency room and eventually demanding an ultrasound led to doctors finding several of the growths in her body, including one about the size of an apple. 

The medical condition affects more than 70% of women before the age of 50, with Black women at an even higher risk. The cause is unknown, but experts believe genetics, and race, play a role.

In March, actress and advocate Lupita Nyong'o shared she lives with more than 50 fibroids in her body, even after surgery to have dozens removed. In this episode, Thompson recalls her experience and her treatment decision.

To learn more about fibroids, click here.

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Host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

”Many cultures from Asia, Europe, the Americas always used drums, singing bowls, flutes, gongs and various vibrational instruments for ceremonies. They would use them for healing and for meditation. Sound healing has been going on for thousands of years.”

Djuro Rodic has been sharing his knowledge in this area long before he was co-owner of Angelic Roots in Oak Creek along with his wife Laurie. Guest host Dori Zori's own journey with sound healing only started recently, and like many people discovering it, the immersive experience has been transformative when it comes to relaxation, healing and mindfulness.

On this episode, we take you to Angelic Roots and talk with Djuro Rodic about the benefits of this alternative approach to wellness while he demonstrates some of the tools he uses in his sessions.

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Guest host: Dori Zori

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Like most combat sports, boxing is thought of as a male-dominated activity. But in Milwaukee’s Silver City, there’s one gym providing women with a space to build strength, confidence and discipline.

Many who step through the door at SheWolf have no prior experience and might not be all that interested in the fighting aspect of boxing. Still, going to the gym quickly becomes part of their daily routine for other reasons.

“This is just a period of time in society, but then also personally in my life as a middle-aged woman doing a lot of different things, that I just want to feel strong,” said Trudy Watt, a member of the gym who started boxing not just for the physical benefit, but also the community aspect.

“I just passed my hundredth class a couple weeks ago,” she added. “If you just stick with it, it's really astonishing how in less than a year, you'll see your own strength and ability grow in really noticeable ways.”  

On this episode, guest host Rachel Tarby talks with Watt and other gym members, plus owner Donna Gallardo, about what makes SheWolf a unique entry in Milwaukee's fitness community.

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Guest host: Rachel Tarby

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Tucked away on North 76th Street in Milwaukee, below Blue’s Egg Cafe, is Roufusport Mixed Martial Arts Academy. Across two decades, it built a national and even global reputation in MMA circles for training champions. That attention became acutely local in October of 2025, when founder and Milwaukee native Jeffrey “Duke” Roufus died in his sleep.

“Duke Roufus, back in the day, 4 years old, got started in martial arts,” his friend and longtime business partner Scott Joffe recalled. “Next thing you know, he's a professional fighter. Next thing you know, he's one of the top MMA coaches in the world.”

But what does an organization do when it loses the person who provided not just their name, but also the philosophy that made it a success? To find out how Roufusport has persevered, guest host Jon Adler goes to the academy and talks with the people carrying on its founder's legacy.

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Guest host: Jon Adler

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

On this episode, we take you inside a community health clinic at a place known for being as concerned about how their customers feel as how they look: Gee’s Clippers.

Started as a way to help fill an access gap in the community, the clinic is now part of an even larger mission: Gee's MKE Foundation, a nonprofit that owner Gaulien "Gee" Smith recently launched to expand his focus on wellness, mentorship and health disparities within underserved communities of color. 

Host Kim Shine talks with visitors and volunteer staff about the clinic's lifesaving work, as well as Smith himself about what inspired his more than three-decade drive to serve Milwaukee.

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Host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.