MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — Growing up can be tough for anyone.
“There have been moments and things that I could not control, things that I can control. Of course, as a human, I would want more control, but I wouldn't really have that,” said senior James Ejiwale.
But, trying to do it while living as a young man of color has its own added challenges.
“A lot of times, we have internalized oppression, where we don't really accept ourselves for who we are or our ethnic background,” said junior Omar Lopez.
Addressing that added pressure is a driving force behind the third annual Black and Latino Male Achievement Mental Health Awareness Symposium.
Ejiwale and Lopez are just two of the dozens of students who attended the symposium.
They say that they want to take what they’ve learned and bring it back to their communities.
“A lot of people think leadership as just a title and being like really high up in society, and I think it isn't that way,” said Lopez.
“It opens me up to being a more calm person, a more reflective person,” said Ejiwale.
MPS’ Director of Black and Latino Male Achievement Nate Deans, Jr. says the day is filled with workshops that hope to break down stigmas and change the narrative around Milwaukee’s youth.
“Being in this space allows them the resources and tools to help their communities. It allows them to deal with trauma in a healthy and supportive way and it lets them know that they have people that care for them,” said Deans, Jr.
The workshops come at a time when Milwaukee is seeing a drop in major crimes.
Police data shows from January 1 to March 31 of this year, robberies, car thefts, and overall theft have all gone down.
Deans, Jr. says seeing those changes validates the work they are doing and encourages them to continue the fight.
“I think that's one of the situations that we’re dealing with here. We’re learning more about, ‘How do we heal our city? How do we heal our district,’ and I think this is a space to begin those conversations,” said Deans, Jr.
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