As domestic violence-related homicides increase in Milwaukee, a local community organization is launching a flurry of initiatives to reach men in crisis before family conflicts turn deadly.
The Asha Project has been providing services to victims of crime and abuse since 1988. Starting in August, it will expand its men’s programs, including an intervention program called the Ujima Men’s Program SOS and a physical space called the Umoja Dock, where men can voluntarily stay for up to 72 hours in hopes of preventing retaliatory violence.
“Ujima” means “collective work and responsibility” in Swahili. “Umoja” is the Swahili word for unity.
“What we are trying to do is call men into unity with this movement that’s been going on for over 40 years,” said Shawn Muhammad, the director of the Ujima men’s program. “It is time for us now, to be held accountable. It is time for us now, to contribute.”
The Umoja Dock, located at 8221-8223 West Villard Ave. on Milwaukee’s northwest side, is expected to open in August.
Described as a short-term crisis stabilization center, it will operate 24/7 with peer navigators onsite to help address the needs of the men who show up at its doors. Participants can stay in the space for up to 72 hours.
“It provides a space in real time for people to get the help and the support that they need,” said Reggie Moore, the director of the Division of Community Safety Policy and Engagement at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
The college’s Comprehensive Injury Center is providing funding for two outreach workers for the Dock, according to Moore.
Muhammad, who has been involved with the Ujima program for 27 years, is also helping lead the Umoja Dock initiative.
“(Domestic violence) still exists because men have to hold other men accountable,” Muhammad said.
At the July 16 launch event, Milwaukee County and community violence intervention leaders convened a panel discussing the role men have in domestic violence prevention.
Community advocate Lavelle Tucker Muhammad said he experienced domestic violence firsthand throughout his childhood. He shared that an ex-partner was also shot in a domestic violence incident in 2022.
“We need to establish better communication skills in relationships,” he said.
Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern and Deputy Director of Milwaukee County Behavioral Health David Muhammad participated in the panel and expressed their support for the new initiatives.
“We cannot measure safety by the number of cases we have in the system. That’s not a metric for safety in our community,” Lovern said. “What we need is the number of incidents to decline, we need the level of respect to go up.”
The launch concluded with a photo memorial of 72 victims of domestic violence-related incidents from 2024 to 2025 — up from 57 victims featured in the organization’s 2023 to 2024 memorial, according to the Asha Project’s executive director Antonia Drew Norton.
In 2024, statewide advocacy organization End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin tallied its highest domestic violence death toll since it began tracking data in 2000. It showed that Wisconsin domestic violence deaths had risen from 85 victims in 2023 to 99 in 2024.
Where to find help in Milwaukee
Domestic violence advocates can help with safety planning. Calls to advocates are confidential and do not involve law enforcement.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A Milwaukee org is trying to curb domestic violence. It’s starting with men
Reporting by Isabella Russomanno, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Isabella Russomanno, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
