Uniquely Milwaukee

Tucked away on North 76th Street in Milwaukee, below Blue’s Egg Cafe, is Roufusport Mixed Martial Arts Academy. Across two decades, it built a national and even global reputation in MMA circles for training champions. That attention became acutely local in October of 2025, when founder and Milwaukee native Jeffrey “Duke” Roufus died in his sleep.“Duke Roufus, back in the day, 4 years old, got started in martial arts,” his friend and longtime business partner Scott Joffe recalled. “Next thing you know, he's a professional fighter. Next thing you know, he's one of the top MMA coaches in the world.”But what does an organization do when it loses the person who provided not just their name, but also the philosophy that made it a success? To find out how Roufusport has persevered, guest host Jon Adler goes to the academy and talks with the people carrying on its founder's legacy.#####Guest host: Jon AdlerUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

On this episode, we take you inside a community health clinic at a place known for being as concerned about how their customers feel as how they look: Gee’s Clippers.Started as a way to help fill an access gap in the community, the clinic is now part of an even larger mission: Gee's MKE Foundation, a nonprofit that owner Gaulien "Gee" Smith recently launched to expand his focus on wellness, mentorship and health disparities within underserved communities of color. Host Kim Shine talks with visitors and volunteer staff about the clinic's lifesaving work, as well as Smith himself about what inspired his more than three-decade drive to serve Milwaukee.#####Host: Kim ShineUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Libraries are sacred, public spaces that are typically quiet. But, every other Tuesday at Milwaukee’s Washington Park Library, you’ll hear the hum of a sewing machine and conversations about seams. It’s a recurring event they call “Mind Your Mending” — a place where anyone can get simple clothing fixes done for free.Washington Park resident Carol Lee Hopkins helped launch the clinic in January, volunteering her time for small things like patching holes, stitching and repairing the occasional zipper.“I make a lot of things for myself and my family,” Hopkins said. “But I like helping people, and I think it’s really important right now with this crazy, difficult world we’re living in where there’s a lot of meanness. I can do something kind.”To find the next “Mind Your Mending” clothes repair clinic, visit the Milwaukee Public Library’s event page.#####Host: Kim ShineUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Lex Allen wants LGBTQ youth to know: “you are beautiful, loved, worthy…just as you are.” These are the words he wished he had heard growing up. Young people from the LGBTQ community—and anyone driving around the city—will soon see that message on area billboards, thanks to a new partnership between Milwaukee artist Lex Allen and