GCC Community Talks: Recent Episodes
Germantown Community Coalition
Join us for a community conversation featuring diverse voices and perspectives on topics of interest to the greater Germantown area.
Join hosts Kim Grant and Tony Keys as they welcome Germantown Police Chief Mike Snow back to the studio for a conversation on Student Resource Officers (SROs) and community relationships with the Germantown Police Department. We are grateful to Chief Snow for sitting down with COMMUNITY TALKS and his willingness to tackle tough subjects. Finding ways to talk with one another is key to bridging divides and bringing about understanding of different perspectives.
BE ABOUT IT
• Learn why the Germantown Police and Fire Departments need to add additional full-time personnel in order to provide reliable emergency responses that meet the growing needs of the Germantown community using the referendum that will be on the April 2 ballot https://germantownwi.gov/743/Public-Safety-Referendum?fbclid=IwAR176vsu-Ps6ZkoVOUbTf7HWN-Nj9ASI70PwEPoLqIWxlMmCQVV3ArUZKsM
• Listen to the first conversation with Chief Snow if you haven’t before: https://www.germantowncommunitycoalition.org/podcast-1/episode/7b794dfa/episode-19-all-about-sros-with-chief-snow
• Read about the Guiding Principles for School Resource Officer Programs https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2022ProgramDocs/chp/SRO_Guiding_Principles.pdf
• Encourage your school district to be transparent with SRO duties and annual reporting of data related to SRO activity
• Advocate for the investment in mental health resources in schools
• Build a positive relationship with Gtown PD by attending the Citizens Police Academy, Youth Police Academy, or community event. https://germantownwi.gov/232/Community-Involvement
• Join GCC as a member. Our members and donors make all of our programming including COMMUNITY TALKS possible. https://www.germantowncommunitycoalition.org/support-us
Join hosts Victor Dione and Tony Keys as they welcome guest John Norcross for a timely discussion on hate groups and their influence on school boards in our area.
Be About It:
· Read about Moms for Liberty in Wisconsin “Moms for Liberty is Growing in Wisconsin as Critics Call Them Extremists”
· Educate others on why things like banning books and prohibiting inclusive curriculum is harmful to all students
· Advocate for non-partisan school boards and vote for candidates that are not endorsed by extremist groups
· Follow John https://twitter.com/jnorcr to get insights on local activity. John’s list of recommended follows also include:
- There are so many! Whether its extremist attacks on our public schools or developments in the world of right wing organizations and dark money, I can recommend: Boston-based retired professor Maurice Cunningham, Southern Poverty Law Center, The Guardian, Wisconsin Examiner, ProPublica, and Wisconsin Watch. Defense of Democracy is a national group countering Moms for Liberty. Jennifer Berkshire is a podcaster and writer who has been tracking the history of efforts to dismantle public education in the US and is always worth a listen/read.
· Thank you to our members who make this programming possible; you can become a member today on our website https://www.germantowncommunitycoalition.org/support-us.
Hosts Victor Dione and Kim Grant welcome District 4 Trustee Phil Hudson for an insightful conversation on all things Germantown village government. Please forgive our audio technical challenges in this episode. We will be bringing Phil back for a second recording next season to make up for it. The conversation is too important to not release this episode so we hope you will bear with this and still learn something new along the way!
Be About It:
• Read about the 2050 Comprehensive Plan https://www.germantownwi.gov/578/2050-Comprehensive-Plan
• Educate others on local elections and the importance of voting for local offices. Four trustee offices will be on the ballot in April 2024 https://www.germantownwi.gov/299/Village-Board
• Attend a village board meeting https://www.germantownwi.gov/299/Village-Board
• Check out Wisconsin state statues (chapter 61) regarding villages https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/61/25/3
• Thank you to our members who make this programming possible; you can become a member today on our website https://www.germantowncommunitycoalition.org/support-us
Join hosts Victor Dione and Tony Keys as they welcome Peter Adamczak for a discussion about disability, accessibility, equity, and inclusion. How well do we really do as a community making people with disabilities feel welcome and valued?
Be About It:
- Read about being a better ally to people with disabilities. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/humandevelopment/become-a-disability-ALLY.html#:~:text=ALLY%3A-,Acknowledge%20and%20respect%20individual%20experiences%20and%20abilities.,help%20identify%20and%20eliminate%20barriers.
- Educate others on 14C and why it should be eliminated. https://www.aapd.com/aapd-supports-14c-review/#:~:text=Many%20states%20have%20already%20eliminated,subminimum%20wage%20within%20their%20chambers.
- Take real steps to putting knowledge into action. https://www.buzzfeed.com/maayanziv/how-to-support-the-disability-community
- Follow disability advocates and influencers on social media. Read and engage with disabled content creators. Amplify their voices by sharing their work. Here are a couple of accounts Peter recommends: https://www.facebook.com/DisabilityRightsWI, https://www.facebook.com/positivewheelchairguy, https://www.facebook.com/TheHeumannPerspective, and https://www.facebook.com/NationalCouncilonIndependentLiving. Also, be sure to learn about Ed Roberts, a pioneer in the disability rights movement!
- Check out Washington County’s Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) if you or someone you know could use assistance https://www.washcowisco.gov/departments/health___human_services/aging_and_disability_resource_center
- Thank you to our members who make this programming possible; you can become a member today on our website https://www.germantowncommunitycoalition.org/support-us.
Welcome back to another great season of COMMUNITY TALKS!
Join hosts Kim Grant and Victor Dione as Tony Keys climbs into the guest seat to talk about his experiences moving to Germantown while black. It's important for us to take time and intention to view the world through another person's perspective in order to have empathy for their lived experience and to see how we impact their experience good and bad.
Be About It:
- Read Dr. Martin Luther King's speech "The Other America" or watch the video here.
- Educate yourself on unconscious bias.
- Marquette Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education· https://law.marquette.edu/lubar-center
- Harvard Implicit Association Bias Test https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
- Banaji, Mahzarin R. and Anthony G. Greenwald. Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People (2016)
- Chugh, Dolly. The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias (2018)
- Eberhardt, Jennifer. Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do (2019)
- Jana, Tiffany and Matthew Freeman. Overcoming Bias: Building Authentic Relationships Across Differences (2016)
- Recommended Reading: Celebration Diversity (American Library Association)
- If you hear something or see something racist, say something. Silence is complicity and we are in 2023 where that should not be acceptable to anyone. Help educate the people involved to improve your community and make it a safer, more welcoming space.
- Thank you to our members who make this programming possible; you can become a member today on our website https://www.germantowncommunitycoalition.org/support-us.
"But that doesn't happen in our community..."
Join hosts Kim Grant and Tony Keys with Victor Dione in the guest seat for an important conversation about what it's like to be black while working in the predominantly white suburbs of Milwaukee, WI, including Germantown. Decades of some of the worst segregation in the country continues to take a toll on non-white community members. It's time to talk about it and then be about changing it because we are either part of the problem or part of the solution.
Be About It:
• GCC’s Board of Directors has sent a statement to Victor’s company asking for a plan of action to address the threats to their workers’ safety that includes investment in community education programs, improved safety procedures to prevent incidents like this from occurring, and more robust mental health services for their employees that specifically addresses the harm caused by on the job stress.
• Educate yourself and others on how to be aware of your biases before they cause someone else harm. Attend GCC’s presentation with Judge Derek Moseley on November 13th “Unconscious Bias: Knowing What You Don’t Know.”
• Build a safe, welcoming neighborhood. Step one is meeting your neighbors. If you don’t know at least five of your neighbors please commit to introducing yourself to at least one person within the week. Next week, meet more and keep building community. Isolation and loneliness lead to more negative consequences than we could ever cover in one podcast.
• Ask the service workers dispatched to your neighborhood if they need anything like a drink or snack especially if they are working hard to help you personally. Make them feel welcomed and appreciated instead of threatened for trying to be of service and just doing their jobs.
• Advocate for common sense gun laws to start tackling the U.S. gun violence epidemic. Three great organizations to support: Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, and Sandy Hook Promise.
• Thank you to our members who make this programming possible; you can become a member today on our website https://www.germantowncommunitycoalition.org/support-us.
Join hosts Kim Grant and Victor Dione with special guest Ricardo Galaviz, aka Ricky Royale, for a celebration of drag! Despite attempts to attack and even ban the art of drag performing, drag continues to be a beautiful and creative way for people to express themselves. Let's learn about it and then let's be about it!!!
Be About It
- Listen to 88nine Radio Milwaukee’s BeSeen podcast Tracing the roots of Wisconsin's drag history, dating back to the 1880s
- Follow https://www.instagram.com/mc_ricky_royale/?hl=en
- Watch InQueery: Trixie Mattel Breaks Down the History of "Drag"
- Watch https://www.facebook.com/reel/928065965146657
- Read a book about drag Bookriot: 15 Fabulous Books About Drag
- Attend a drag performance Hamburger Mary’s Milwaukee Divas Drag Brunch - Sundays
- Pick an activity to participate in for PRIDE Month Milwaukee Magazine: 20 Things to do During PRide Month
- Donate to the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center celebrating their 25th anniversary https://secure.everyaction.com/fKNrDXrrHUKz3PP-Di1ixA2
- Attend Washington County's 2nd Annual Pride Celebration https://youthandfamilyproject.org/programs/washcopride/
- Thank you to our members who make this programming possible; you can become a member today on our website https://www.germantowncommunitycoalition.org/support-us
Join hosts Kim Grant and Tony Keys for an enlightening discussion with Pastor Janis Doleschal from St. John United Church of Christ. St. John's is an affirming and accepting church where ALL are truly welcome. Learn about Rev Jan's impressive background and what drives her to be such a passionate advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. You will even get a free sermon on the real lessons of Sodom and Gomorrah. Let's talk about it!
Be About It:
• Learn more on St. John’s UCC website http://stjohnuccgermantowno.fatcow.com/
• Attend a mass or event at the church.
• Donate to support their work https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=Ui3SN9O3cRNwEOYyjhijbqNh_V4ph3-O5e3Y8oPEBVP6_uvmc3DJAtPw_n1eo5puRthiP7kanie2IFt0
• Thank you to our members who make this programming possible; you can become a member today on our website https://www.germantowncommunitycoalition.org/support-us
Resources:
• St John’s website http://stjohnuccgermantowno.fatcow.com/
• St John’s Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/STJOHNUCCGERMANTOWN
• WI Athletic Hall of Fame https://www.wihalloffame.com/janis-doleschal
• Marquette Sports Law Review https://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/sportslaw/vol17/iss1/11/
• WIAA Legal Issues in Student Athletic Programs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODY0Eu3ZZY4
• Article on discrimination https://sportslitigationalert.com/muslim-woman-files-lawsuit-against-planet-fitness-over-head-covering/
Hosts Victor Dione and Kim Grant welcome Lynn Grgich and Joletta Kerpan from the Germantown Chamber of Commerce. Join them for an informative conversation about all things The Chamber does for our community!
Be About It:
• Check out The Chamber’s website to learn even more including their calendar for activities in our area to join https://www.germantownchamber.org/
• Follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gtownchamberwi
• Join the Chamber!
• Support the Germantown Christmas Festival
• Become a volunteer to help with activities throughout the year
COMMUNITY TALKS welcomes Tony Keys for his hosting debut along with regular host Victor Dione as they talk with Barseana Simond and Hadwat Sankari the founders of Just Us of Washington County. Learn about this fantastic new non-profit supporting BIPOC and LGBTQ+ community members in our area.
Be About It:
• Check out Just Us on social media to learn more and stay up to date on ways to get involved https://www.facebook.com/justusofwc
• Donate to Just Us to support their work https://justusofwashingtoncounty.org/
• Thank you to our members who make this programming possible; you can become a member today on our website https://www.germantowncommunitycoalition.org/support-us
Join hosts Kim Grant and Victor Dione as they welcome special guests Bex Streit the Transgender & Gender Nonconforming Program Coordinator at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center and John Plaski who is a teacher at Germantown High School and advisor for the Sexual and Gender Equality (SAGE) student group. Let's talk about LGBTQ+ topics and say gay!
Be About It:
• Read LGBTQ+ authors to understand their life experiences and perspectives 40 fantastic LGBTQ+ books to read for pride month (and beyond)
• Educate others when you hear homophobic or transphobic language; start by signing and sharing the petition asking for change at Express News https://www.change.org/p/demand-chang...
• Advocate for LGBTQ+ equal rights and inclusion in your spaces.
• Attend PRIDE Fest held in June each year https://www.pridefest.com/
• Wear Free Mom Hugs apparel to signal your support https://freemomhugs.org/
• Donate clothing, food, toiletries, or money to Milwaukee LGBT Community Center https://www.mkelgbt.org/donate-footer
• Thank you to our members who make this programming possible; you can become a member today on our website https://www.germantowncommunitycoalition.org/support-us
Join hosts Kim Grant and Victor Dione as they talk with GHS students Jake Pliszka, Rylie Cha, and Arjun Chopra about what it's like to be in a teenager in Germantown, Wisconsin.
Hosts Kim Grant and Victor Dione welcome Germantown Police Chief Mike Snow for a discussion about Student Resource Officers in the Germantown School District.
Join hosts Victor Dione and Kim Grant, with special guest Haley Miller of Children's Hospital Wisconsin, as they discuss the youth mental health crisis facing our nation and community. What is causing the crisis, what are the resources available, and how can we better help the children of our community with their mental health needs.
Join hosts Victor Dione and Kim Grant, along with special guest Jennifer Adams, for a new feature on COMMUNITY TALKS, "Positively Gtown." Periodically, we will feature people and organizations in our Positively Gtown spotlight to highlight their contributions to making our community a better place for ALL. We are excited to start with Jennifer from Germantown Youth Futures. Learn all about how this amazing organization got its start back when Jennifer was in high school and all the wonderful things they are doing for the youth of our community today!
Join hosts Kim Grant and Meg Maikowski along with an area mom whose son created the popular PRIDE display at the Germantown Community Library for the past two years. This year's display upset a small, vocal segment in our community who have demanded future PRIDE displays be banned. Let's talk about it and then let's BE ABOUT IT!
The overturn of Roe v. Wade marked the first time constitutional rights were taken away in our country. Join hosts Victor Dione and Kim Grant, along with special guest Lisa Boyce from Planned Parenthood, for an important discussion about what this means for our community. Building a safe, welcoming community FOR ALL is what GCC is all about. Unfortunately, this decision is a step backwards from achieving that mission. Check out our social media pages to find ways to BE ABOUT IT and help move us forward.
Please note:we experienced some technical issues with this recording. We hope you will still tune in for the rich content. We appreciate your understanding and we promise to be back with our usual excellent quality for the next episode.
Join hosts Victor Dione and Kim Grant, along with special guest Megan Kitze-Ward, for a discussion in recognition of Autism Awareness Month. Megan shares her experience as the mom of a child with Autism and tips on how we can make the world a more inclusive place for people with Autism.. Let's talk about it and then BE ABOUT IT!
Join hosts Victor Dione and Meg Maikowski, along with special guest Michael Aronow, for a discussion about GCC's first STRONGER TOGETHER community workshop. Michael is an Economics and World History teacher at Germantown High School as well as the faculty advisor for the Multi-Ethnic Student Association (MESA).
Register for our next community workshop HERE!
Victor Dione is back behind the mic! Join Victor and Kim Grant as they welcome Trisha Smith, Director of Germantown Community Library, for a discussion on book banning. Since the start of the 2021-2022 school year, the ALA says it’s seen an “unprecedented volume of challenges” aimed at books by, and about, people of color, and books that tackle topics like racism and sexual or gender identities. Let's talk about it.
Just because the month of February is over doesn't mean the learning of Black History stops! Join hosts Kim Grant and Meg Maikowski for a conversation with special guest Dr. Denise Pitchford about how we can all do a better job teaching and learning about Black History, all year long.. They will even share some education with listeners on hidden figures you should know about!
Hosts Kim Grant and Meg Maikowski invite you to join them for a special Black History Month discussion on Soul Food. Let's challenge ourselves to learn more about the food traditions of other cultures and celebrate our diversity!
Hosts Kim Grant and Meg Maikowski welcome you to join them for a discussion on the importance of Black History Month with special guest Dr. Eugene Pitchford III. How can each of us do better to learn, honor, and celebrate black history and black excellence?
Join hosts Victor Dione and Kim Grant with special guest Reginald Johnson as they discuss the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and how we can all work towards making his dream become a reality.
It's National Apprenticeship Week so hosts Kim Grant and Victor Dione welcome back Joshua Johnson, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the Technical Assistance Center of Excellence at JFF for an eye opening discussion on the season finale of COMMUNITY TALKS!
Hosts Kim Grant and Victor Dione welcome you to join them for another episode of "Community Talks." The discussion of equity versus equality continues through the lens of those with criminal justice system experience. What does equity look like for the formerly incarcerated? Featuring special guest Joshua Johnson.
Hosts Kim Grant and Victor Dione invite you to join them for another episode of "Community Talks." Listen to an informative discussion on the differences between "equity" and "equality." These terms are not interchangeable and there has been some confusion in our community about what they really mean. Let's talk about it and be about it!
Hosts Kim Grant and Victor Dione welcome you to join them for another episode of "Community Talks." Listen to an informative discussion on the topic of masks; masks as a political issue, masks as a public health issue, and masks as a community issue. Featuring special guests Dr. Pam Schultz and Dr. Kristen Barr.
Join host Victor Dione as he welcomes Meg Maikowski, President of GCC, to another episode of "Community Talks." Learn about Meg's connection to Germantown and why the mission of GCC is important to her and her family.
Hosts Kim Grant and Victor Dione welcome you to join them for another episode of "Community Talks." It's time for a conversation about the COVID-19 vaccines, our county's low vaccination rates, and the upcoming GCC vaccine pop-up event in partnership with Hayat Pharmacy. Featuring special guests and fellow board members Jessica Knight and Bob Orech.
Hosts Kim Grant and Victor Dione welcome you to join them for the first podcast from the Germantown Community Coalition. Find out what we are all about and what we have been up to in the community. Featuring special guest and fellow board member Melissa Garves.