VERSIONS OF WHAT PEOPLE WANT. WE’RE BACK NOW AT 1150. A LOCAL MAGAZINE IS PRIORITIZING THOSE WHO HELP MAKE MILWAUKEE MORE INCLUSIVE. THEY EVEN GO ALL OUT WITH AN AWARD SHOW HIGHLIGHTING GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS WHO MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA. SO IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE SOMEONE IN MIND, YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO NOMINATE THEM FOR A UNITY AWARD. I’M JOINED NOW BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MILWAUKEE MAGAZINE, CHRIS DRASNER. CHRIS, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. SO FIRST, TELL ME ABOUT THE UNITY AWARDS FOR FOLKS WHO AREN’T FAMILIAR WITH THIS. YEAH, THIS IS ONE OF THE ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROGRAMS THAT WE DO HERE AT MILWAUKEE MAGAZINE. IT’S OUR IT’S OUR FIFTH YEAR DOING THE UNITY AWARDS AND THEY HONOR INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO KIND OF BRING MILWAUKEE TOGETHER AND MAKE IT A MORE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE PLACE FOR EVERYBODY. AND SO WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE DOES THE MAGAZINE LOOK FOR DURING THE NOMINATION PROCESS? WELL, IT’S I MEAN, REALLY, WE’RE LOOKING FOR A REALLY BROAD RANGE OF PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, THERE’S SOME OF THE AREAS OF EMPHASIS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, AREAS OF WORK THAT THAT HAVE THAT WE’VE HONORED IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY BUILDING, ORGANIZING FAITH GROUPS. UM, YOU KNOW, LOTS I MEAN, THERE’S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT YOU CAN KIND OF WORK FOR EQUITY AND INCLUSION, DIVERSITY AND WE’RE REALLY TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, SHOUT OUT PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING GOOD WORK IN ALL THOSE SPACES. YEAH. WHO ARE SOME OF THE WINNERS FROM THE PAST? I MEAN, THIS IS THE FIFTH YEAR THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING THIS WHO HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE WINNERS IN PREVIOUS YEARS. YEAH, THIS IS WELL CAN TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR 2023 COHORT. UM BISHOP WALTER HARVEY WAS UH IS ONE OF THEM TRUE SCHOOL AN ORGANIZATION THAT THAT ORGANIZES AROUND HIP HOP. TAMMY RIVERA FROM THE SOUTHSIDE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE. UM, THE JEWISH MUSEUM MILWAUKEE ADAM CARR WHO DOES A LOT OF GREAT THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS. AND THEN DEANNA SINGH, WHO IS A NATIONAL KIND OF CONSULTANT ON DIVERSITY AND EQUITY ISSUES. SO YOU KNOW, REALLY TOUCHING A LOT OF DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, DOING MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS. YEAH. NOMINATIONS ARE GOING TO BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THE END OF THIS MONTH. WHAT’S THE PROCESS LIKE IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO NOMINATE SOMEONE? YEAH, YOU CAN JUST GO TO OUR WEBSITE. IT’S MILWAUKEE MAG.COM/UNITY AND WE ASK A FEW DIFFERENT QUESTIONS TO KIND OF GET AT WHAT THEY’RE DOING, HOW THEY’RE DOING IT AND THE IMPACT THAT IT’S HAVING, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HAS SOMEBODY IN MIND WHO’S LIKE, YOU KNOW, A HIDDEN HERO OR AN UNSUNG HERO THAT THAT THAT’S DOING IMPORTANT WORK. AND WE’RE REALLY LOOKING TO TO WE LEAN HEAVILY ON THE COMMUNITY FOR FOR THIS PROCESS. AND YOU KNOW, WE’RE HOPING THAT YOU CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, NOMINATE SOMEONE, YOU KNOW AND, AND LET THEM GIVE US, LET US GIVE THEM A SHOUT OUT. YEAH. A GREAT WAY TO HONOR AN ORDINARY PERSON IN AN EXTRAORDINARY WAY. REALLY QUICKLY, WHEN WILL THE WINNERS BE ANNOUNCED? YEAH, THIS IS GOING TO BE THEY’LL BE ANNOUNCED IN OUR FEBRUARY ISSUE. UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR UNITY EVENT COMING UP ON MARCH 7TH. UM, WHERE YOU KNOW, THAT’S ALWAYS A REALLY INSPIRING EVENT. WE IT’S, IT’S LESS LIKE AN AWARD SHOW AND MORE KIND OF A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION AND IT’S, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SUPER INSPIRING AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, SHOWCASING THE BEST OF WHAT THE CITY IS DOING. THE MILWAUKEE MAGAZINE IS ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR THE UNITY AWARDS RIGHT NOW. AGAIN, THEY’RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO PROMOTE INCLUSIVITY AND BRIDGE GAPS IN THE CITY. THE DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 31ST. WE HAVE A LINK ON OUR WEBSI