On Tuesday, August 23rd, CBMA and Cities United joined together to host a special call on Milwaukee, WI. The death of yet another Black man by police -- in this case 23-year-old Sylville Smith -- further elevated the distressing disparities and conditions too many communities of color are living through.

During the call, listeners heard from local and national leaders about what has been happening in Milwaukee over the past couple of weeks, how they are transforming peril into promise in their city, and where we need to go from here. Featured speakers included:

• Shawn Dove, CEO, Campaign for Black Male Achievement
• Anthony Smith, Executive Director, Cities United
• Reggie Moore, Director, Office of Violence Prevention, City of Milwaukee; Co-Founder, Urban Underground
• David Muhammad, Violence Prevention Manager, City of Milwaukee Health Department
• Khalif Rainey, Alderman, District 7, City of Milwaukee
• Ashanti Hamilton, Alderman, District 1, City of Milwaukee
• Jessyca Dudley, Program Officer, Joyce Foundation Gun Violence Prevention Program
• Dr. Howard Fuller, Civil Rights Activist, Professor, Director of the Institute for the Transformation of Learning for the Transformation of Learning at Marquette University
• Jayme Montgomery Baker, Community Organizer, Friends of Bronzeville 
• Jeff Roman, Benchmark Coordinator-Minority Male Achievement at Community Advocates Public Policy Institute; Chair of the City of Milwaukee Equal Rights Commission
• Sharlen Moore, Co-Founder, Urban Underground
• Dr. Biko Baker, local organizer, national movement leader (Moderating)
• Muhibb Dyer, Co-founder, Flood the Hood with Dreams
• Khalil Coleman, Community Organizer, Co-Founder, Safe Zones Initiative
• Kwabena Nixon, Co-Founder, I Will Not Die Young Campaign
• Nate Hamilton, Co-Founder, Coalition for Justice 

If you were unable to attend the call, we invite you to listen to it now -- click here.

Moving forward, both CBMA and Cities United remain committed to supporting the local leaders in Milwaukee to ensure they have the resources and capacity needed to effectively impact change and transform their city and communities. Please stay tuned for updates on future discussions and details on how you as a member can become involved and support. 

In the meantime, we invite you to read the new op-ed published today on the Huffington Post titled "We Must Find A New Path Forward: From Ferguson To Milwaukee", which was co-authored by CBMA CEO Shawn Dove and Cities United Executive Director Anthony Smith.