Bridge the City

A conversational, full length interview with Kennita Hickman creator of Our City, Your Vote and owner of Catera. We talk to Kennita about the Our City, Your Vote campaign, getting everyone to understand the importance of voting and accountability, and how she is using local hip-hop, R&B, and spoken word as ways to increase civic engagement among Milwaukeeans. Kennita is an incredible leader an...

This episode is the first of a multiple-part series on police-community relations in Milwaukee. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Kimberly Hassell at UW-Milwaukee to dive into the theory and empirical research behind policing. Next, we re-play a clip from our previous interview with future County Sheriff Earnell Lucas, who tells of how dangerous day-to-day policing can be. Lastly, we hear from...

A conversational, full length interview with Deanna Singh, Chief Change Agent of Flying Elephant. We talk to Deanna about how her childhood gave her the talent of bridging different people and cultures together, how she uses her purpose to guide her life and make the tough decisions, her new book Purposeful Hustle, and the role her children play at Flying Elephant. Deanna is an incredible thought...

A conversational, full length interview with the multi-talented Bria Smith. A Milwaukee native who attends Franklin High School, Bria walks us through her path to activism, lessons learned from navigating the spectrum of privilege from Milwaukee to Franklin, her role on the Youth Council of Milwaukee, her experiences on the March for Our Lives tour, the launch of her website Honey For Your Tea, fa...

August 14th is the primary for the candidate for Milwaukee County Sheriff. We sat down with one of the candidates, Earnell Lucas, to hear his thoughts on the election and why he is the best fit to be the next Milwaukee County Sheriff. We discuss his experience in the Milwaukee Police Department and the Major League of Baseball, his time growing up in Milwaukee, and the ideas he would bring to the...

A conversational, full length interview with Alex Lasry, Senior Vice President of the Milwaukee Bucks. We learn about his efforts to get the 2020 Democratic National Convention to Milwaukee, the economic and promotional benefits the convention could bring to the city, and how to ensure these benefits are felt by residents from all over Milwaukee and not just downtown. Share your thoughts with #Mil...

A conversational, full length interview with Frank Martinelli of the Nonprofit Repositioning Initiative. We learn how nonprofits are uniquely positioned to affect systems change, how to help foster community empowerment, and what we can do, as individuals, to help nonprofits advocate for beneficial policies. Creators/Producers: Benjamin Rangel & Kyle Hagge Website: bridgethecitypodcast.com Ins...

A conversational, full length interview with Dr. Michael Lovell, President of Marquette University. We learn about his unique position as an engineer and non-Jesuit leading a Jesuit university, the new ideas and offices he has brought to Marquette, how he attempts to keep Marquette true to its mission as a university dedicated to service, and the necessity to become an agent of change in the face...

August 14th is the primary for the Democratic candidate for Governor. We sat down with one of the gubernatorial candidates, Mahlon Mitchell, to hear his thoughts on the election and why he believes he is the best fit to be the next governor of Wisconsin. We discuss a variety of issues including his plan for Foxconn, criminal justice reform, the environment, education, and much more. Mahlon is curr...

August 14th is the primary for Democratic candidate for Governor. We sat down with one of the gubernatorial candidates, Kelda Roys, to hear her thoughts on the election, why her diverse experiences separate her from the other candidates, why she embodies the future of Wisconsin leaders, and how she plans on defeating Scott Walker in the general election. We also hear from Fabi Maldonado on how&nbs...

August 14th is the primary for Democratic candidate for Governor. We sat down with one of the gubernatorial candidates, Mike McCabe, to hear his thoughts on the election, the values he is bringing to the campaign trail, and why he believes he would make a great governor of the State of Wisconsin. Creators/Producers: Benjamin Rangel & Kyle Hagge Website: bridgethecitypodcast.com Instagram: @Bri...

August 14th is the primary for Democratic candidate for Governor. We sat down with one of the gubernatorial candidates, Mike McCabe, to hear his thoughts on the election, the values he is bringing to the campaign trail, and why he believes he would make a great governor of the State of Wisconsin. Creators/Producers: Benjamin Rangel & Kyle Hagge Website: bridgethecitypodcast.com Instagram: @Bri...

In this episode, we take an in-depth look at civic engagement and the different forms in takes in Milwaukee. Through conversations with 6 civic leaders, we learn about the importance of local elections, the necessity of unbiased information, and the role community-based organizations play in the lives of citizens. And as always, we leave you with action steps you can take to engage with the city a...

In this episode, we interview Dr. Howard Fuller, Distinguished Professor of Education at Marquette University. From his early days of civic activism through his time as Milwaukee Superintendent, Dr. Fuller has held countless job titles through a myriad of agencies. He discusses how his political activism shapes his worldview, why he has become a national champion of voucher/choice programs for K-1...

In this episode, we take an in-depth look at the complexities of the Milwaukee education system through conversations with 8 education leaders. Our interviews range from leaders of non profits working in the education field, such as Kelly Schaer and Meralis Hood, to journalists covering K-12 education in Milwaukee, such as Alan Borsuk and Rachel Morello. We learn about the importance of school cul...

February 20th is the primary for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice. We sat down with another candidate, Attorney Tim Burns, to hear his perspective on the race, the importance of politics in the judicial system, and why he believes he is the best fit for the Court.  Creators/Producers: Benjamin Rangel & Kyle Hagge Website: bridgethecitypodcast.squarespace.com Instagram: @BridgeTheCityPodcas...

February 20th is the primary for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice. We sat down with one candidate, Judge Rebecca Dallet, to hear her perspective on the race, the importance of voting and the Supreme Court, and why she believes she is the best fit for the Court. Creators/Producers: Benjamin Rangel & Kyle Hagge Website: bridgethecitypodcast.squarespace.com Instagram: @BridgeTheCityPodcast  &...

A conversational, full length interview with the Superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools Dr. Darienne Driver. We discuss her path to Superintendency, the role of schools in their respective cities, challenges facing large metropolitan school districts, and innovative solutions to these challenges. Creators/Producers: Benjamin Rangel & Kyle Hagge Website: bridgethecitypodcast.squarespace.com...

A conversation with Milwaukee freelance journalist Adam Carr. We discuss Adam's personal history with Milwaukee, his interpretation of Milwaukee's history and how it plays out today, and what action steps citizens can take to make Milwaukee more equitable. Creators/Producers: Benjamin Rangel & Kyle Hagge Website: bridgethecitypodcast.squarespace.com Instagram: @BridgeTheCityPodcast Email: Brid...