About this site |
I AM THE BRIDGE can mean many things to so many people. |
In July of 2011, with funding from a Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP) development grant, Walnut Way and its partners launched the Lindsay Heights Men's Wellness Council (MWC) to engage African American men who live, work and serve in our community. For 18 months, 12 African American men met monthly for meaningful dialogue and to develop action recommendations for improving men's well-being.
Discussions by MWC members brought to light the tremendous isolation and pressure African American fathers and men experience in our community, highlighted by their self-definition as "an island of one." The men created a documentary and an action plan. Today, with an implementation grant from the WPP, that action plan is being realized through a program called No Longer an Island.
No Longer an Island is designed to allow the participating men and fathers of our neighborhood no longer shoulder their burdens alone and create spaces where they can thrive and build (themselves, their families and their community) in an environment of peer support. This is a project that was created to strengthen bonds and networks among men in the neighborhood, link them to connected resources and growth opportunities, and promote inter-generational relationships between neighborhood men of all ages.
This site provides a platform to highlight participants of the program and begin to take back the narrative from media as to what it means to be an African American man. The men in this program and their stories highlighted here demonstrate how they are being the bridge in Milwaukee.
Discussions by MWC members brought to light the tremendous isolation and pressure African American fathers and men experience in our community, highlighted by their self-definition as "an island of one." The men created a documentary and an action plan. Today, with an implementation grant from the WPP, that action plan is being realized through a program called No Longer an Island.
No Longer an Island is designed to allow the participating men and fathers of our neighborhood no longer shoulder their burdens alone and create spaces where they can thrive and build (themselves, their families and their community) in an environment of peer support. This is a project that was created to strengthen bonds and networks among men in the neighborhood, link them to connected resources and growth opportunities, and promote inter-generational relationships between neighborhood men of all ages.
This site provides a platform to highlight participants of the program and begin to take back the narrative from media as to what it means to be an African American man. The men in this program and their stories highlighted here demonstrate how they are being the bridge in Milwaukee.
Want to Contribute? |
Do you have a story you want to share? Do you want to get involved in the neighborhood initiative? Contact us.
About the song
|
The video stories are accompanied by a song named "Bridge I Must Connect". It was written and performed by Leroy Wright and Akinyomi Courtney.
Enjoy the full length song. |