Uniquely Milwaukee

During the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Wisconsin — and especially Milwaukee — emerged as the paradigm for response and ongoing advocacy. “Forty years. It’s an amazing amount of transformation that happened.” Brandon Hill reflected on that era from a unique perspective: as the president and CEO of Vivent Health , which helped create an integrated model of care that’s now in six other states and touted natio...

Do you remember the games you used to play as a kid? No matter how old you are, there’s a certain nostalgia that comes when those memories resurface. But what if time didn’t matter and, even as you got older, play never stopped? For 55-year-old Tanya Phillips, a newer member of the 40+ Double Dutch Club , it hasn’t. “This is like recess for grownups, that’s what it is,” she said. “It’s such a grea...

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 tha...

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...

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...

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...

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...

“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 abou...

”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. Gu...

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 rou...

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 st...

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, ment...

Libraries are sacred, public spaces that are typically quiet. But, every other Tuesday at Milwaukee’s Washington Park Library, you’ll hear the hum of a sewing machine and conversations about seams. It’s a recurring event they call “ Mind Your Mending ” — a place where anyone can get simple clothing fixes done for free. Washington Park resident Carol Lee Hopkins helped launch the clinic in January,...

We're in the heart of the Milwaukee Film Festival, and there's one member of our Radio Milwaukee team who chose some of the movies you'll see this year. In addition to being an 88Nine DJ and co-host of La Alternativa , Paula Lovo is the new programmer for Cine Sin Fronteras , created 10 years ago to showcase the Latin Diaspora. Paula, an artist and documentarian herself, is continuing that mission...

Casimir Pulaski High School’s automotive program is the largest in Wisconsin. Created in 1963, it’s also the only one left within Milwaukee Public Schools. Episode host Kim Shine takes you inside the shop where students learn everything from changing oil and gas lines to replacing alternators and brakes, as they travel the road to becoming certified technicians. ##### Host: Kim Shine Uniquely Milw...

The Milwaukee Film Festival has always been a place to see movies from a variety of filmmakers, including local talent from here in southeastern Wisconsin. One of the groups getting their own spotlight at this year's event: the area’s youth filmmakers. As part of the “Rated K: For Kids” program, the Milwaukee Youth Show features eight short films made by the city’s next-generation creatives. Befor...

‘What is justice without democracy? This was the question asked at Marquette University's 10th annual "Justice in Action" conference. It's a student-led initiative encouraging students, and residents, to think critically about their world. “Justice is something that I think is hard to define. I think people have different understandings of justice, but being at a conference like this and seeing ho...

“1,2,3 swing those arms!”  This is the magic of young students learning to let go. They’re understanding the power of movement, as part of the in-school dance program – Mad Hot Rhythm. The Danceworks series is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a competitive event. Episode host Kim Shine visited Trowbridge School in Milwaukee as elementary students practiced their African Jazz, Tap and Tango sk...

Comité Sin Fronteras has diligently worked alongside other organizations on leading immigration reform in Milwaukee. They support a community-defense network that’s responding to the growing ICE presence in the Midwest. A grassroots collective, the help local undocumented communities in various ways, from family-to-family mutual aid, DACA support, migra watch and more. Comité co-chairs, Iuscely Fl...

Wisconsin’s Spring Election is April 7, and the most high-profile race is the State Supreme Court seat vacated by conservative judge Rebecca Bradley. So who better to talk with than someone who put the court at the center of an entire podcast season? “Right now, the liberals are in the majority of the court. So, there are seven seats on the court, liberals hold four of those.” That’s how Sam Woods...

Q: What do Queen, Prince, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac and Martin Luther King, Jr. all have in common? A: They’ve all played at the historic Miller High Life Theatre. The venue earned that official designation in December of 2025, and a few weeks later the Wisconsin Center District commissioned a study to explore the “highest and best use” of the area that also includes UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena....

The last time Lisa Caruthers visited the Wisconsin State Capitol she was about seven or eight years old, and on a school trip. More than 50 years later, she returned as part of “Black Advocacy Day," hosted by the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus on Feb. 26. Uniquely Milwaukee host Kim Shine takes you to Madison, where residents of all ages met with elected officials and learned how to champion t...

“You know, we all are made in the image and likeness of God, and God is creation. So we're all creative, but sometimes I think some of us are given an extra dose.” Celine Farrell has lived a lot of life, and those words are just a sliver of the knowledge she’s picked up along the way. She's seen what it takes to get inspired and fired up creatively. At the end of the day, it's why she's kept engag...

In the heart of the Riverwest neighborhood is a weekly showcase of some of Milwaukee’s most talented voices. Linneman’s Acoustic Open Stage began in 1993, making it the city’s oldest open mic and a staple of the local music scene. “Linneman's is an institution, and it's meant a lot to tons and tons of people,” said Chris Porterfield, frontman for Milwaukee-based band Field Report and an alum of th...

A true calling always finds its way to you. Valencia Caldwell is living proof. Her father was an air-traffic controller who always encouraged his children to follow their dreams. After his death, a special flight helped lead Caldwell back to her first love — one that wouldn't be easy to reconnect with. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates there are 213,000 aircraft pilots and engineer...