Milwaukee women and teen girls are coming together this April for a series of free, inter-generational dialogues aimed at addressing violence in the city and finding community-driven solutions.
Organized by Bevin Christie through the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, the four events are designed to create a safe space for female voices.
"I'm in the community a lot and in spaces where they’re talking about violence prevention and I just noticed there wasn’t a lot of female voice at the table," Christie said.
The discussions prioritize making sure women feel secure in their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
Watch: Milwaukee violence solutions dialogues bring together women, teens and residents
"I think it should be a top priority. I don’t think people should be worried about somebody being a potential threat," Christie said.
Organizers believe overall community well-being starts with ensuring the safety of its female residents.
"My personal theory is that if our women are okay, then everybody will be okay," Christie said.
The events use a "fishbowl model" to ensure everyone is heard. One generation sits in the center circle to answer prompts while the outer circle listens without interrupting.
"Say you start with Gen Z in the middle, they get the prompts. Everybody else is in the outside circle and they listen," Christie said.
Afterward, individuals can enter the center one at a time to ask questions or make comments before the next generation rotates in. The group reflects together at the end so no one is silenced, aiming to bridge divides between age groups.
"I see a huge gap between generations. There’s not a lot of communication, there’s a lot of assumptions being made," Christie said.
By bringing different age groups together, the dialogues aim to foster mutual understanding.
"I think there’s a lot of learning that can be had from all generations," Christie said.
Organizers are especially looking for more teenagers to participate in the conversations to share their unique perspectives.
"Anybody who is not Gen Z doesn’t know what it’s like to be 16 in 2026," Christie said.
The conversations will also explore how harm can take many different forms in daily life.
"When we think about violence, we think about overt violence, but there are other low-key, passive-aggressive forms," Christie said.
Milwaukee resident Masami Tempel emphasized the importance of these discussions for processing those less obvious shared experiences.
"I think there’s a lot of stuff that goes on that is not talked about and a lot of people don’t feel comfortable sharing stuff. Or even recognizing when small acts of violence happen to them," Tempel said.
The dialogues also coincide with Sexual Assault Awareness Month. While not the sole reason for the April timing, organizers want to highlight the connection.
"Sexual assault and harassment are forms of violence," Christie said.
Recognizing the heavy topics, trained facilitators and researchers are helping guide the questions to avoid triggering participants.
"So it can be really helpful to talk to other people who have shared experiences like that to help recognize and process your trauma and have a community to talk with about those things," Tempel said.
Resource tables featuring behavioral health services and other organizations will be available so attendees can connect with support after the discussions. The two-hour events, which include dinner, are free to attend.
"Charging for something like that would be a little counter intuitive. You want something like that to be open and accessible to everyone," Fern Loper said.
The city sponsored two inter-generational dialogues last year, but they did not have a specific topic. This year's focused sessions are scheduled throughout April:
- April 16- at P.E.A.K on Cherry St.
- April 21- at Leaders Igniting Transformation at 132 W. Mineral St.
- April 28- (Spanish only) Cafe El Sol Milwaukee Community Crossroads at 807 S. 14th St
- April 29- at Greater Little Hill Baptist Church at 2480 W. Locust St.
Registration is currently open and free.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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