Radio Celebrities Send Powerful Messages for ‘You Have the Power to Save Lives’ Campaign
Two of Milwaukee’s popular radio hosts, Don Black, midday host and Program Director of Milwaukee Radio Group’s Jammin’ 98.3 WJMR, and Trey White, afternoon drive host of iHeartMedia’s V100.7 FM, added energy and support to the You Have the Power to Save Lives naloxone campaign. As drug overdoses continue to plague Black communities across the US, a collaboration of local and national leaders is increasing access to the overdose-reversing medicine, naloxone, in their neighborhoods. The campaign also raises awareness of the medicine’s benefits, emphasizing that it saves lives.
The popular hosts hit the radio airwaves with strong messages advocating for the Black community to get free naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan, that is available in their neighborhoods, and keep it on hand to save lives. Having lost friends and relatives to drug overdose, the hosts’ narratives are authentic and powerful. Their messages resonate. To listen, go to the campaign’s website’s newsroom and click on audio.
“WJMR (Jammin’ 98.3) is honored to be part of a campaign that has the power to save lives,” said Black. “This cause is deeply personal—not just for me, but for so many who have experienced the heartbreaking loss of a loved one to an overdose. Too many lives have been cut short, and too many families have felt that pain. That’s why we are committed to spreading awareness and sharing resources that can help someone see another day.”
Additionally, White of V100.7 FM said: “My dad taught me to always be a blessing to others. We’ve all experienced the pain of losing someone to an overdose, which is why I’m grateful to use our platform to spread awareness. Together, we can be part of the solution to fight this crisis in our communities.”
Supported by the public health organization Vital Strategies, the campaign engages community leaders, health organizations, and local government agencies in Milwaukee and other target cities, including Newark, NJ; Durham, NC; Philadelphia, PA; Louisville, KY; Detroit, MI; and Albuquerque, NM. Their efforts focus on establishing new naloxone distribution points in Black communities, including fire stations, neighborhood gathering spaces, and local healthcare providers. With broadened support in communities, the campaign is reducing stigma around carrying naloxone and empowering individuals to save lives in the event of an overdose.
The campaign also released a report consolidating recent evidence that illustrates the need for urgent action to save lives, finding:
- Despite an overall decline in overdose deaths in Milwaukee County in 2024, the overdose death rate for Black Milwaukee residents remained twice as high as the rate for whites in the city.
- In 2024, Black Milwaukee residents accounted for 42% of all overdose deaths in the county, despite accounting for 27% of the county’s population.
- Overdose deaths in the City of Milwaukee are concentrated in the predominantly Black neighborhoods of the Northside.
The rising death toll has alarmed the radio hosts, driving them to participate in the campaign and use their platform to influence the community.
Daliah Heller, Vice President for Overdose Prevention Initiatives at Vital Strategies, thanked the radio hosts for participating in the campaign, saying, “They have powerful voices that can help the campaign save lives in Milwaukee. We are grateful their participation.”
Further, Heller said, “We are cautiously optimistic about declining overdose death rates nationally, but after years of skyrocketing rates, the wide disparities experienced by Black communities are raising the alarm. Rates are higher among Black adults than their white counterparts; we urgently need equitable and focused strategies. This campaign is making lifesaving naloxone more widely available in Black communities in Milwaukee and six other cities, and mobilizing Black people to carry it to protect friends, family, and community.”