Two Black men both raised in Milwaukee, both shaped by hardship, grew up on different sides of the city, yet their paths eventually converged around a shared mission. Their childhoods echoed similar realities: sirens at night, boarded windows, and the constant tension of living where many children learn the sound of gunfire before they learn how to ride a bike. Ajamou Butler became an education consultant determined to give the next generation what he rarely saw: guidance, resources, and hope. He founded Heal the Hood, an organization built on community pride, art, and healing. His work focused on teaching kids how to communicate, how to resolve conflict, and how to speak about their pain instead of swallowing it whole. For Butler, silence wasn’t just painful; it was deadly.
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