53206 Cast

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53206 is the poorest zipcode in the state of Wisconsin. 99.2% of residents are non-white and the median household income is $24,000. Meg and Alex talk about what they have learned over the last 14 years from living in a place that is very different than the suburbs they grew up in. Each episode typically covers thoughts on education, social justice, and the normalization of inequities they see on a daily basis.

Meg and Alex Bruzan


    • May 5, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 30m AVG DURATION
    • 185 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from 53206 Cast

    Episode 185: Dumping Reprise

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 30:08


    Solving complex problems requires a nuianced understanding of the problem. This week Meg and Alex talk about the psycology of the dumper and give a quick We Got This update. 

    Episode 184: The Pretty Girl From High School

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 25:36


    Sometimes in life, the opportunity to do good in the world stems from aggrivation around a circumstance. This week, Meg and Alex talk about how to spot opportunities to be the change hidden within circumstances you may not love. 

    Episode 183: Different Ways To Solve The Same Problem

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2025 28:27


    This week, Meg and Alex discuss differing viewpoints on solving the cities litter problem. 

    Episode 182: Another House Fire

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 31:27


    This week, Meg and Alex give an update on what has been going on in the neighborhood. Specifically, the two talk about house fires and another recent instance of someone losing their home to a house fire. 

    Episode 181: It Either Gets Better Or It Gets Worse

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2025 30:01


    In life, things either get better or they get worse, but they rarely stay the same. This week, Meg and Alex talk about some of the new things happening at We Got This for the 2025 growing season. 

    Episode 180: Dumping Revisited

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 28:53


    Dumping has been in the news a lot lately here in Milwaukee. This week, Meg and Alex talk about what someones option are when their property is dumped on and give some insights on the current response system that exists. 

    Episode 179: Dumping

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 25:40


    What does it say about a neighborhood when it's treated like a garbage dump? This week, Meg and Alex discuss this and share on the topic of dumping, which is a common practice in inner city neighborhoods. 

    Episode 178: Turning Housing Liabilities Into Assets

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 27:29


    This week, Meg and Alex talk about the mechanics and give a little history lesson around the purchase of their latest property. The two share about housing inequities and the injustice that exists in their neighborhood around housing values as well as what can happen when an out of state landlord buys a property they cannot manage. 

    Episode 177: The Benefits Of Living In An Area Of Concentrated Poverty

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2025 23:16


    This week Meg and Alex talk about the transferring of problems in the tenant/landlord relationship and fixing broken furnaces. 

    Episode 176: Tips On Being An Activist

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 23:29


    For those of us that are socially justice minded, it can be challenging sometimes to take that inclination and turn it into action. This week, Meg and Alex give some tips for going from calling to action. 

    Episode 175: Abnormal Calls To Action

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 27:21


    The news can be unsettling, unnerving, or even aggrivating. This week, Meg and Alex talk about a different way to think about calls to serving a community, state, or even a nation with the hope of funneling discomfort toward action. 

    Episode 174: The New Slumlord - An Excerpt From Bad Neighborhood

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2025 16:15


    This week, Meg and Alex share an excerpt from the book Bad Neighborhoods. If you like the 53206 Cast, Bad Neighborhoods is similar in concept, but is more of a deep dive into the issues facing areas of concentrated poverty. The audio version of the book can be found on the Bad Neighborhoods podcast feed or by using this link: https://open.spotify.com/show/2U5tj17PnVr8uV52pDsDjB

    Episode 173: It's Dark Out

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2025 23:16


    This week, Meg and Alex talk about the added responsibility put onto residents in areas of concentrated poverty to keep the standard of living within their community at a baseline level.  Interested in checking out the book Bad Neighborhoods? Bad Neighborhood can be found anywhere you listen to podcasts or by clicking the link here: https://open.spotify.com/show/2U5tj17PnVr8uV52pDsDjB

    Episode 172: 5am Hit and Runs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2025 29:14


    In this episode of The 53206 Cast, Meg and Alex reflect on the complexities of making a positive impact in the community. They share their thoughts on a recent early morning hit-and-run accident that hit close to home, and how it underscores the nuiances within collective and individual responsibility. They also highlight an event at the We Got This Community Garden, where kids chose gifts for their parents or guardians—an effort to reward kids for their hard work in the summer. Join Meg and Alex as they explore how the path to transforming the world often weaves together moments of joy and difficulty.

    Episode 171: Why Gardens Matter with Andre Lee Ellis

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2024 21:55


      Memory updated The 53206 Cast: A Conversation with Andre Lee Ellis In this episode of The 53206 Cast, we're excited to welcome Andre Lee Ellis, founder of We Got This and the visionary leader of The Cage, a transformative initiative making a profound impact in the heart of Milwaukee. Andre shares his powerful journey of mentoring youth, building community, and addressing systemic inequities. Through his leadership of The Cage, he has created a space for empowerment, growth, and hope, offering life-changing opportunities to those most affected by societal challenges. Join us as we explore the vital work happening within 53206, the importance of local activism, and how we can all contribute to creating a more just and equitable world. Tune in for this inspiring conversation and learn more about the incredible stories and initiatives shaping 53206's future.

    Episode 170: Fear Is A Terrible Motivator

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 27:37


    While being motivated by fear can by helpful sometimes, when we make everyday decisions about how we interact with the world, fear is one of the least useful tools we have. This week, Meg and Alex discuss how fear has impacted their neighborhood and offer some alternatives to a fear based approach. 

    Episode 169: The Return of Jamie DeJesus

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2024 35:28


    This week, Meg and Alex sit down with Jamie DeJesus. Jamie is a leader in the community helping facilitate the re-entry process for justice involved individuals through career training. You can find out more around the work Jamie does at www.iesinstitute.org.

    Episode 168: Real Life Sound Effects

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 27:40


    Episode 167: Shorts Are My Legacy

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 21:56


    Legacies are something we leave whether or not we do so intentionally or not. For a lot of us, we want to leave the world better than we wound it. This week on the podcast, Meg and Alex talk about legacies and give some thoughts on building the legacy you want to leave. 

    Episode 166: Everything Is An Opportunity

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 24:21


    This week Meg and Alex discuss the philosophy that everything is an opportunity to make the world the way you want it to be. 

    Episode 165: Ghetto Self Esteem - An Excerpt From Bad Neighborhoods

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 21:36


    Meg is out of town this week and we couldn't get a podcast in before she left so it seemed like a good opportunity to share a chapter of the book Bad Neighborhoods.

    Episode 164: Ajamou Butler

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2024 32:54


    This week, Meg and Alex sit down with long time community activist Ajamou Butler. 

    Episode 163: Trick or Treating in 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 25:18


    For over 10 years we have been trick or treating in the same neighborhood outside of ours. Each year, we leave the inner city along with 300 or so of our neighbors and drive roughly 3 miles to an affluent neighborhood just outside of the city. This week we discuss the changing climate of the city as it pertains to inclusiveness and the changes we have seen over the last decade. 

    Episode 162: Bad Neighborhoods - Chapter 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 17:16


    This week Meg an Alex share the first chapter of the book, Bad Neighborhoods, which is available to listen to for free on the Bad Neighborhoods podcast feed. 

    Episode 161: A National Award

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 26:04


    This week Meg and Alex talk about a pretty cool opportuntiy Meg received from a well known flower farm and speak about the shifts in cultural awareness around how we view areas of concentrated poverty. 

    Missing iPhones and Caucasian Pricks

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 37:54


    This week Meg and Alex talk about what's been going on in the neighborhood and share a couple of stories of opportunities to be empathetic. 

    Episode 159: Let The Bus In

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2024 36:42


    It's easy to miss opportunities in life to help someone else on their journey. This week Meg and Alex talk about that dynamic and give an update on the book, Bad Neighborhoods. 

    Episode 158: Interconnectedness and Tragedy

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2024 28:14


    This week, Meg and Alex talk about the interconnectedness of life and it's implications on how we interact with tragedy. 

    Episode 157: Contributions

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2024 32:57


    Each of us has the capacity to make a contribution to the world. This week Meg and Alex share some thoughts on how to figure out what your contibution could be. 

    Episode 156: 3 Things That Work For The Kids In Our Neighborhood

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2024 35:14


    This week Meg and Alex talk through three things that help a school or an organization get the best out of the kids from their neighborhood. 

    Episode 155: We Got This Grand Finale

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2024 29:27


    August 24th was the last Saturday at We Got This for the summer. Meg and Alex talk about the We Got This season finale and share some of the highlights from the summer. 

    Episode 154: Diversity

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2024 31:17


    This week, Meg and Alex talk about diversity and the choice to intentionally add to the diversity of a space. The two also give a We Got This update and talk about the organizations two biggest limiting factors. 

    Episode 153: Good Problems At We Got This

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 20:15


    This week Meg and Alex talk about some of the basics around We Got This and some of the good problems happening in the organization. 

    Episode 152: Conflict, Productivity, and a We Got This Update

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2024 31:51


    In areas of concentrated poverty, conflict is unavoidable and opportunities to be a positive contributor to the neighborhood are hard to find. This week, Meg and Alex talk about those things and give a mid summer We Got This update. 

    Episode 151: Windswept Smoke

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2024 32:38


    This week, Meg and Alex talk about a counter intuitive dynamic that exists in the inner city. While bad things happen sometimes, the good far outweighs the bad. 

    Episode 150: 137

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2024 26:35


    This week, Meg and Alex give a We Got This update and talk about neighborhood revitalization. 

    Episode 149: Shooting On The Highway and A We Got This Week 3 Recap

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2024 24:27


    This week Meg and Alex break down week three at the garden and talk about how that work attempts to give kids something positive and productive to do which, in theory, keeps young people from making bad decisions. 

    Episode 148: We Got This 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2024 21:13


    This week, Meg and Alex recap the first week of the We Got This season. 

    Episode 147: Track Fights

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 27:20


    Instances of violence are found more commonly in areas of concenrated poverty. This can be hard to understand for those of us unfamiliar with those spaces. This week, Meg and Alex talk about violence and how to position yourself to be a positive participant in change instead of removing or distancing yourself. 

    Episode 146: Heal The Hood With Ajamou Butler

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2024 32:03


    It's Heal The Hood season in Milwaukee. This week Ajamou Butler joins the podcast to talk about the 12th annual Heal The Hood Event on May 25th.

    Episode 145: Boat Shoes and Burned Down Houses

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2024 26:29


    How do you know if you are doing more harm than good or if you are unintentionally participating in something that damages a community. This week Meg and Alex talk about that and give a quick update on We Got This. 

    Episode 144: Housing Equity With Teig Whaley-Smith

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2024 28:10


    Episode 143: Raise The Floor

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2024 26:54


    Advancement can come in multiple forms. One way to approach advancement of a space is to commit to raising the floor, the base level or lowest form of a necessity. This week Meg and Alex talk about raising the floor on housing and share a story to better explain what the floor currently looks like. 

    Episode 142: People Are People Too

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2024 35:40


    This week, Meg and Alex talk through a recent break-in at one of the rental properties. While break-ins are never fun, this one in particular had some interesting components and variables to it that are a great reminder that people are people too. 

    Episode 141: Affordable Housing With Bruce Kruger

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2024 39:24


    This week, Bruce Kruger joins the podcast to discuss affordable housing and the journey that Whitefish Bay, a near northern suburb of Milwaukee is handling its desire to add affordable housing units to its housing stock. 

    Episode 140: Using Design Thinking To Be A Better Advocate

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2024 32:13


    Any time we assume there is a one size fits all in advacy work, we leave ourselves open to the possibility that we will do more harm than good. This week Meg and Alex talk about how to use the design thinking principals to be a better advocate. 

    Episode 139: Embody Yoga

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2024 45:53


    This week, Joanna Brooks, the founder of Embody Yoga joins the podcast to talk about her journey as a small business owner running the highly successful yoga studio, Embody Yoga. Embody Yoga is on a mission to share the practice of yoga with people of color and is a leader in the health and wellness space in the city of Milwaukee. Friend of the podcast and avid yoga enthusiest, Jessica Butler joins the conversation as well and gives an update on what Heal The Hood has coming up this summer. 

    Episode 138: How To Productively Call Out Injustice

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2024 36:27


    We haven't yet arrived at a socially just world, which means injustice exists. When you stumble across a situation which you percieve to be unjust, it's easy to get angry. This week Meg and Alex talk about that dynamic and offer an approach to help turn the world into what you would like it to be. 

    Episode 137: Homes MKE Recap

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2024 26:18


    Meg and Alex are back giving a recap of the Homes MKE podcast and giving some updates on projects they're working on. 

    Episode 136: Homes MKE

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2024 30:53


    This week, Meg and Alex sit down with Milwaukee's Commissioner of City Development, Lafayette Crump and Homes MKE Community Outreach Liaison, Jeremy Mitchell to discuss the Homes MKE initiative. Lafayette and Jeremy talk logistics, the philosophies behind the program, and its impact on the community.  If you have questions or want more information about the program or available properties, be sure to reach out at jermitc@milwaukee.gov.

    Episode 135: What Where You Thinking?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2024 29:21


    This week, Meg and Alex talk about what they were thinking about when they decided to buy their house. The two take a walk down memory lane and discuss the thought process that went into their decision to dedicate a part of their lives to making their neighborhood better. 

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