Reckless Driving in MKE-Interview with MariahDaWeatherBookie

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Chris (00:38):
Welcome to pulse check, Wisconsin.

(01:20):
Good morning.
Good evening.
Good afternoon.
This is Dr.
Ford with PulseJet Wisconsin.
We got a good episode here foryou today.
We have Mariah Johnson, alsoknown as Mariah, the weather who
will be discussing with us someof the initiatives that she's
got going on, here in Milwaukee.
You may have seen her onbillboards throughout the city
of Milwaukee.

(01:41):
Uh, you may have seen her onbanners on the side of buses.
She is working with the city ofMilwaukee and the speeding
campaign and safe drivingcampaigns as well.
So that being said, feel free tosit back and enjoy this
interview.

(02:08):
This episode, we are veryfortunate to have one of our
local celebrities here in thecity of Milwaukee.
Uh, you know, you may have seenher on billboards.
I was just driving to thehospital over on the north side
recently, saw you up on thebillboard, saw you on the bus.
I was like, man, I got to gether on and talk to her, man.
This is what needs to happen.
So again, you know, we're veryfortunate to have with us Miss

(02:29):
Mariah Johnson.
Mariah, thank you so much forbeing with us.

Mariah (02:32):
Thank you so much for having me.
Um, I appreciate it It's kind offunny when people call me like a
local celebrity.
It's kind of weird, Peopledefinitely recognize me.
I'm like checking out at agrocery store and they're like,
are you on billboards?
And i'll just be like, yeah,that's me
Yep Yeah, you know, I, I sawyou, I think the first time I
came across you was onInstagram.

(02:53):
I saw some of your videos fromkind of like the local reporting
from the community.
And I like, you know, the waythat you come at it, right.
It's so like, you know, we'llget into some of the advocacy
that you do more so for the safedriving campaign and some of the
work that you're doing with thecity as well and using your
platform.
But, you know, some of thereports call to some of the
audacity to some of the stuffthat's going on in the
community.
Right.
And the way that you present it.

(03:14):
It's not only in a way that, youknow, kind of gives us a little
bit of a chuckle in alighthearted way, but also you,
you, you get to the heart ofsome of the issues and in some
of the hits that your videos aregetting, and in some of the
campaigns that you're doinghere, it shows.
Thank you, and Honestly, like, I've been TikToking for
about four years now, I startedin like, during COVID, obviously

(03:35):
I feel like when COVID happened,TikTok was big.
So, I was out there, you know,just making the stupid videos,
um, I had one video go viral in,like, during COVID time.
Then I took some time off andthen I just started picking it
up and I was just doing it forfun.
It was just like, I didn'treally find, like, my niche yet,
if that's like, you know, peoplealways talk about that and you

(03:57):
don't really know, like, yourhandle or what you're supposed
to do.
And then, yeah, just one day Ihad dropped a reporting live
video and I started reportinglive on, like, the, the weather
and reporting live on, like,events and I just kind of have
taken off since there.
Then, But I appreciate thatbecause that's really like the

(04:17):
main thing When I'm doingTikToks and all of that kind of
stuff, I really try my hardestto like, make it funny because
it's like, at the end of theday, that's really who I am as a
person.
Like if anybody out here iswatching this and they know me
personally, like they know,like, all I do is joke.
All I do is play around.
But like you said, like there issome really major issues going

(04:40):
on in the city.
And I do try and like bringlight to that.
And I feel like when I do my.
My community work when I, I'mtrying to be this advocate for
Milwaukee, I always want to meetpeople where they're at, and
it's like, sometimes.
They don't want to hear from thepoliticians.
They don't want to hear from thepolice.
They don't want to hear fromlike people like that because

(05:01):
it's just seems so structured,but it's like coming from me I'm
like, bro.
What are we doing?
Why are we doing this?
Like
why does bird just get run overcuz like what?
The bird bro, I'll link that toit cuz I was dying at the
hospital I was like what ishappening right now, you know I
even got the bird out here.
And that's the thing like I try so hard to just like

(05:24):
Milwaukee is an amazing place.
You know what I'm saying?
There is beautiful parts aboutMilwaukee.
There's beautiful people inMilwaukee.
There's amazing organizations inMilwaukee.
We do have our problems though.
And I feel like that's just whata city like ours is.
But if, if we come together as acommunity.
We can grow this community intoa better space in a safer space,

(05:48):
not only for ourselves, but forthe next generations, our kids
and all of that.
And it's got to come fromwithin, like you said, right?
It's got to come from thepeople.
It's got to come from thecommunities too, and community
advocates like yourself.
And it kind of getting intothat, tell me where you're from.
You're from Milwaukee, born andraised.
There you
414 for life.
If, if I had to rep a street, Iwould have to rep Hampton,

(06:11):
Hampstead for sure.
I think it's really fun.
Yeah, not funny, but I thinkit's ironic that my brother died
on Hampton Avenue.
So that's definitely that fullcircle, but yeah, born and
raised in Milwaukee.
I am an MPS graduate.
I went to Milwaukee.
Shout out MPS.
Period.
Went to Milwaukee School ofLanguages.
So habla espanol.

(06:32):
Aww.
Yeah.
But yeah, I really, I've livedhere my whole, my whole life.
Um, that's really, this isreally all I know.
I mean, I have definitelytraveled, but every time I
travel, I promise you, I justwant to see these green street
signs again, and I need to hit apothole.
And I just feel like, okay, I'mback home.

(06:53):
I need, I'm good.
Yeah.
Um, but yeah, so I just, mywhole life, I was like a really,
Big personality person.
Like I'm, that's who I've alwaysbeen as a kid in high school.
High school, I was like the typeof kid that was on student
senate and, and like doing,playing sports and doing all,

(07:15):
being at school before school,after school.
Like, I was a very, like, Ialways wanted to plan something.
Like, I always wanted to beinvolved.
Then after high school, youknow, I had kids.
I had my first baby at 20 yearsold.
She actually just turned 10 lastweek and just kind of like,
Started life, I got a career, Ihad a career, I got a, um,

(07:39):
Diploma in medical field and Iwas working at the VA hospital
and, you know, thought that wasmy calling.
Then, my brother died and I wasliterally, I was working at a
hearing aid clinic in Waukeshaand I remember like week or two
before then, I'm like, man, I'ma manager over a clinic, like, I

(08:00):
finally made it in my medicalcareer, like, I'm really making
it, I'm moving up the chain.
Like, But I also had thatfeeling where I'm like, is this
what I'm really supposed to do?
Like, is this really my, is thisreally my calling?
And then he died on August 7thof 2021 and that like shook my
whole entire world.
And then, you know, I'm a bigBroadway fan.

(08:22):
So, there's this one song and hesays in there, he goes, I'm
like, I'm on my knees askingGod, what's my purpose?
And I've never felt a lyric sohard in my life because I'm just
like, what, what am I doing?
Like you, you've always beenthis big personality.
You have this platform.

(08:42):
Cause at this point I had aboutlike 19, 000 followers on
TikTok.
So I'm like, you know, you got alittle bit of a platform.
People think you kind of funny,like.
And I'm just like, I just alwaysknew that like me sitting behind
a desk, typing all day was like,not for
me.
I get it.
Yeah.
It's not, I'm not that type.
I went to camp as a kid.
I was like doing all this stuff.

(09:02):
So I'm like, I know that that'snot my calling.
And he died and I, my life wasshooken upside down.
Honestly, like it was one of thehardest things I've ever had to
do in my life to go through inmy entire life.
And I come from a very smallfamily.
It's me, my mom, my sister, andmy brother.
My mom raised us as a singlemother.

(09:22):
My brother, I was born in 94.
He was born in 99 and then mysister was born in 2000.
So they're a year and two weeksapart.
So they were raised like, liketwins pretty much.
And I'm the older sister.
So by the time I'm 13, I'mtaking care of these kids.
Like I'm, you know, I'm theolder sister.
My mom's a, you know what I'msaying?

(09:44):
My mom's a single mom.
And I know there's so many, I'mhoping that there's going to be
so many people that listen tothis because I know there's so
many, like when I, there's somany people that were the older
sibling that had to raise theirsiblings.

Chris (09:57):
Uh huh.

Mariah (09:59):
And my brother, you know, he got into trouble as a
teenager.
Like that's one thing I willnever deny.
My brother was not perfect.
Like my brother was a Kia boybefore Kia boys were Kia boys.
And he, you know, we, that's howwe were raised, but full circle.
He gets out of jail, May of2021.

(10:20):
And then August of 2021, he wastaken from us.
Um, I, nobody talks.
I feel like, you know, peopletalk about like the, the loss of
like parents and the loss oflike family members and
grandparents and all of that,but I feel like you don't talk

(10:40):
about the loss of siblingsbecause it doesn't normally
happen at such a young age.
Yeah, exactly.
My
brother was 22 when he died.
22.
Like he had barely experiencedanything, you know, like let
alone, you know, Fulfilled hislife at all, especially because

(11:00):
three out of his adult years, hespent behind bars, but yeah,
the, that day was a Saturdayafternoon.
We had two, I was actuallymaking tacos at my house.
My little cousin was over atthis moment.
My sister was living, her andher boyfriend were living with
me.

(11:21):
And my mom lived across thestreet from me, so like, I could
stand on my front porch and seemy mom, like, have conversations
from across the street, and mybrother was living with my mom
at the time, and I had just seenhim, he was like, I'm about to
run to the gas station sis, andI'm like, okay, he left, and at

(11:43):
4.
41 p.
m.
that day, he was hit, uh,there's two cars racing down
Hampton Avenue at 120 miles anhour, And he was hit and killed
on impact at a hun they clockedit at like 109, I believe.

(12:04):
And he, the guy who hit him, hewas like in critical condition,
pretty much at that point, bothhis legs were broken.
So he was like unable to move oranything.
And then the other car, he wasbanged up, but his girlfriend
who was in the passenger seatwas just, he was, she was banged
up more.

(12:26):
But we were not notified tillalmost six o'clock that night.
So my mom had received a knockon the door and it was somebody
like one of our neighbors, likefrantically, like, there's been
an accident.
I believe your son was involvedand I don't think he made it.
And my mom's like, Whoa, Whoa,Whoa, Back it up.
Back it up.
So she called.

(12:46):
Yeah.
Like we, what do you mean?
Like it was just here an hourand a half ago.
Like, uh, so she calls me and I.
Sprint upstairs, I bust in mysister's room and I'm like,
something's wrong.
Mom just called me like, there'ssomething happened.
She's like, I'll drive.
Let's go.
So me, my mom and her hop in thecar and they told us that it

(13:09):
happened on 60th and Capitol.
So we drive over to 60th andCapitol, we get there and
there's nothing.
And we're like, but in my mindand in my body, in my soul, in
something in me, I'm like, no,like.
Drive, drive a little bitfurther.
Drive 60th and let's just, let'sjust take 60th home and make

(13:30):
sure.
Yeah.
That it felt like I could feelit and we pull up and we get to
like.
I don't know if, if you'refamiliar, are you, you familiar
with Milwaukee?
So I'm, I'm going towardsHampton, like we're driving
towards Hampton on 60th.
And you know, like that littlebridge area right there, like
right before you hit the gasstation, we get there and it's

(13:51):
packed.
Caution tape, the whole entireintersection is cautioned off.
Like my sister didn't even stopthe car.
I opened the door, I jump out, Irun to the middle and I just, I
saw the car and I knew, like Iknew I'm like, I'm like, One, I

(14:12):
know it's his car.
There's no ifs, ands, or buts.
Two, I know he's gone.
I could just feel it, like, Ifelt dead inside.
Like, I felt like a light hadbeen flicked off inside of my
body, because that's my blood.
That's my, when, and it's like,I don't know, obviously you've

(14:32):
seen the billboards.
Like, me and my brother are liketwins.
Like, he's the boy version ofme, for sure.
And it was just like, instant,and my sister and my mom make it
to me, and the car was justdestroyed.
It was just, in pieces.

(14:53):
He was gone, his body hadalready been taken from the
scene.
Which, that's something,honestly, I'm very thankful for.
Yeah.
I don't think that, I don't knowhow I would have, Like I
wouldn't say recover because Ifeel like you never recover and
that's one thing I I definitelyI feel like we we all need To
speak about that.
You never recover, but I don'tthink I would have been able to

(15:16):
Collect myself because what alsopeople don't understand in that
very moment There's over ahundred people standing around
this caution tape.
There's 30 40 police officersthere's People are recording.
I got so sick to my stomach.
I needed water.
I go into the gas station.

(15:37):
People are approaching me like,I tried to help him.
You want to see the video?
Sorry.
Yeah, you can go for it.
No, no.
Like, fuck no.
Get out of my face.
Are
you kidding me?
Like, are you fucking kiddingme?
You want to see a video of mybrother dead?
Are you kidding me?
It was just one of those momentswhere like, you don't feel like
it's real, like your life, andI'm just like, I'm standing

(15:59):
there, my husband's at home withmy kids.
So I call him and I'm just like,Gerald's gone.
And he's like, what do you mean?
Mind you, me and my husband havebeen together since 2013.
We got together in 2013.
So my brother was 11.

(16:21):
Yeah.
Like 11, 12.
Damn.
He's known, you know what I'msaying?
Like, he's known my siblings forhalf, practically half of their
lives.
It's like his little brother.
So it was like his little brother, and it was just,
and he, he was like, I am on myway.
Like, uh, Eliana's here.
That's my little cousin.
I'm gonna leave the girls withAliana.
So he comes, he meets me, himand my sister's boyfriend comes.

(16:44):
But I'm just like, I, I needed,you know how you sometimes need
somebody else?
Mm-Hmm.
Mm-Hmm.
And I needed my best friend andI called Angel.
And this is, I think, one of thehardest parts for me and her to
even wrap up, is that I callher, and I'm just like, Gerald

(17:05):
gone.
And she's like, What do youmean?
And I don't know why that's thefirst thing that I can say, but
like, that's all that couldreally like, leave my mouth.
And I'm like, Gerald gone.
And she's like, I'm putting myshoes on.
I'm on my way.
Where are you?
I'm like, I'm on 60th andHampton.
And she goes, Wait, on 60th andHampton?

(17:30):
And I said, Yeah.
She looked up at her husband andher husband was watching
Gerald's video on Facebook,watching my brother laid out in
front of the church on thegrass, watching his best friend

(17:51):
who died in the accident aswell, hanging out of the back of
the car with no clothes on.
And it's people talking about,check on your people, check on
people, showing my brother'slicense plate number and.
I'll never forget, like, she'dobviously didn't in that moment,

(18:11):
she didn't tell me that, thatshe told me that later and like,
later down the road.
After
you had time to process it.
Exactly.
But, I mean, she came to me, me and my best friend, we
are not, I love her to death.
I have her, I have a tattootattooed for her.
That's my right hand.
That's my go to.
But we are not lovey.
We do not hug.

(18:31):
But I remember that is the onehug that I will never forget
after Gerald died.
She got there.
And just, I melted, I melted inher arms, like, and you don't,
people don't talk about it,people don't talk about that
aftermath of how to actuallyprocess, I mean, I had to go

(18:53):
home and tell my kids, mybrother was dead, that's not
even funny, but you know what I,like, how do you, but like, how,
how do you, how do you evenstart that?
And then just the, the weekafter, I remember just, there
was really bad storms that weekthat's like Milwaukee had damn

(19:14):
near like flooded.
There was trees knocked down.
Like it was like this big, big,big people were out without
power.
Everything.
I had no idea.
I had no idea

Chris (19:29):
this was going on.
I

Mariah (19:31):
wasn't, I wasn't even physically on earth at that
point.
I, I was.
in a whole nother, in a wholenother area.
So then, I mean, I had to pickmyself together, I had to plan
the funeral, I had to help mymom with the arrangements to get
him cremated, I had to make sureeverything was together, because

(19:52):
I had to be the one pulling ittogether.
Through all of the process of mehaving to plan all of this, I
stumbled upon A event going onin Milwaukee surrounding
reckless driving.
And it was through anorganization called Safe and

(20:14):
Sound.
And you know, at this point I'mstill healing.
I'm still just trying to findout like what my purpose is.
And I'm like, why did I stumbleacross something like this?
Like, I feel like because Istumbled across something like
this, I should go.
I'm affected by this.
I should come in.
One thing led to another.
And next thing I know, comeNovember, a Was a community

(20:38):
organizer for safe and sound andI started community work and you
know, I slowly but surely Iworked in district five.
So the way safe and sound works,it's like based off of the
police district.
So I was doing a little bit ofwork in district five with
community, uh, as a communityorganizer.
And that was like primarily withlike working with adults and

(21:00):
organizations and planningevents.
And I just like.
Wasn't something just wasn'tclicking for me.
It just wasn't really workingfor me.
And I, every idea that I hadthat I was bringing to my team,
it had to do with recklessdriving and it had to do with
you.
So about three months in, Iswitch over and I start working

(21:24):
in district seven as a youthorganizer.
And the reason I bring up thisis because that transition.
Is why I am sitting on thispodcast right now, not me going
to safe and sound, not medeciding to go join the

(21:46):
community work.
Me moving into district seven asa youth organizer is the reason
why I sit here today and I amwhere I am.
I started doing youth policedialogues, talking about
reckless driving.
There was a whole project thatsafe and sound had put together
called the project nine fourthree.

(22:08):
And 943 is the statute oflimitation of stealing a car and
operating a vehicle that is notyours.
So we would go in, we would dothis whole talk, I'd have my
officers with me, and there is away that I took this, and we're
talking about stealing cars,which was huge at that moment,
ramping up and then just gettingrolling.

(22:31):
But then I also.
Took my story and explained howreckless driving affects
families because what theydon't, what they didn't
understand was they stillclashed, even though the guy
that killed my brother was 43years old, he was reckless
driving and the Kia boys arereckless driving.
Y'all think that it's fun todrive 60, 70, 80, 90 miles an

(22:56):
hour down streets and it's not.
So, I was able to just start it,and it got to a point where I'm
going into schools weekly.
I'm going into differentorganizations doing this.
I was working at WellPoint withtheir state mandated school with
girls that were Kia girls.

(23:17):
I'm coming in having that opendialogue.
Telling them my story.
And I'll never forget this.
I, at this point, I had built agood relationship with these
girls.
I had come in a good amount oftime.
But, one day I got reallyvulnerable and I told the story
fully.
You know, you kinda have tobuild it up.
I can't just jump in and throwit in your face.

(23:38):
This is it.
Scare straight.
Exactly.
Like not easy.
Oh, no, no.
Like, but I was like, I lookedat my officers and I'm gonna
call them my officers becauseI'm gonna say this right now,
shout out to officer AliciaWalker and shout out to Mr.
Dominic Thompson.
Those are my people.
I love them down with everythingin me.

(24:01):
They have not only been support,but they have been mentors.
They have absolutely given meplatforms in a way that I have
never, and I love them down.
Love them down.
And that is one thing I wouldhave to say.
We have really good officers inour city.
So do not think that allofficers are bad anyways.
So I told the whole story.
I got really vulnerable.

(24:21):
I cried in front of them and youknow, I'm a cry baby.
I've been a cry baby my wholelife.
I was picked on in middle schooland high school for being cry
baby.
But my best friend once told me,Angel, that I needed to get to a
point in my life to realize thatmy emotions.
Actually my superpower.

(24:43):
And she said that a lot ofpeople can't tap into emotions
the way that you can.
And you tap into emotions andyou show vulnerability to
people.
So that feels that you allowpeople to feel vulnerable with
you.
And in that moment, I rememberedthat and I'm like, just go for
it.
Tell these kids.
And at the end of the day, whatthe worst thing they can do is
laugh and move on.

(25:04):
But I had one girl raise herhand and she said, you know,
Mariah, she said.
I want to tell you one, thankyou so much for telling your
story, but two, I really want totell you how proud I am of you
for telling your story, becauseI know that's really hard.
And she goes, but three, I wantyou to know that it really made

(25:25):
me sit back and think about mychoices because I would never
want my older brother to have tobury me.
Uh

Chris (25:32):
huh.
Uh huh.

Mariah (25:36):
And, you know, people always have like that moment
where you're like, that was mymoment.
I had to take off for the restof the day after that, because
the amount of emotion that camethrough my body was like, I'm
not only keeping my brother'sname alive, not only am I using

(25:59):
my platform to really like makea difference, but I'm also
connecting with our future ofour city.
And that's what.
We need every everybody talksabout all of the, you know, all
of the adults and the, we're thenew adults and we need to do
this and we need to do thatlike, Oh, we need to pour into

(26:21):
these kids because guess what in10 years, they're going to be
adults now.
And if we don't pour into them,what are we doing?
What, how are they going to bethe next adults?
And I feel like, I don't knowhow old you are, but my
generation, I'm 30 years old.
So my generation has.
Seen it all, in my opinion, we,we remember the dial phones.

(26:44):
We remember the dial upinternet.
We remember all of that, likeall, all leading up.
And I feel like we're very,very, very well rounded
generation.
And.
We have the power and the toolsand the ability to pour into the

(27:05):
younger generation because ofwho we are.
And that's why I do what I do.
I show up authentic.
I never try and not be who I am.
And guess what?
I might not be for everybody.
Not everybody might think I'mcool.
Not everybody might think I'mfunny and they might, and that's

(27:25):
okay.
One thing when I meet people inperson and they're like, Oh, I
know you from social media.
Ha ha ha.
Like, and I feel awkward.
I do.
So if you see this, just know Ido feel awkward when it happens.
I do.
So if I act weird, it's justcause I'm like, okay.
But one thing I always say islike, who you see online, I

(27:47):
promise is who you, who, likewho I am right now, like
standing in front of you.
And like, I actually wentsomewhere.
I went to a little get togetherlast night and one of my
friends, um, Family members islike a fan like huge fan like
she was like, I guess when we,me and my, my friend were out
one day and she had taken apicture and her, her cousin like

(28:09):
slid up and was like, no, youdon't know Mariah the wetter
boogie.
And like, my friend is like,Mariah, like, yeah, like.
That's my girl and she's justlike oh my god, like no you
don't like oh my god She's reallike I'm such a real person like
but it's like one of thoseMoments where all like

(28:32):
everything I do.
I just it feels full circle II've been going through a lot of
emotions the last couple daysand I feel like This podcast is
very healing for me right now.
We just had this huge event onSaturday, um, that I was able to
sit in on the coalition and helpplan.

(28:52):
I was able to help use my job'sbuilding to provide space for
this event, but it was for theWorld Day of Remembrance for
victims I struggled because wedid a press conference on Friday
about it, then we had the entireevent on Saturday, and then I

(29:13):
was like, Hang, now Monday, Igotta go do this again.
And I'm like, I'm just, it'spouring out of me.
And I hope, I hope that this isgonna, this is what you wanted,
because I feel like I'm justtalking.
No.
Absolutely.
I'm a
certified yapper.
So I love it.
So, so the reason why I wantedyou on was just, you know, to

(29:33):
talk to some of the things thatyou talked about, right?
So like your superpower ofhaving that emotional
intelligence to be able toconvey that message to the
younger generation and it shows,right?
It shows in the visibility ofyour work, it shows in the
visibility of the effect thatyou've already had throughout
the city that the city eventapped in and wanted to say, you
know, Hey, how can we use you?

(29:53):
How can we use your platform?
To work with initiatives likeyou've been doing, to work with
the Slow Your Roll Initiative,Safe Driving, MKE Coalition as
well, so I wholeheartedlyappreciate you sharing your
story, as well as, you know,appreciate you sharing that with
our listeners too, so we cancontinue to get that message
out, because you, especiallyafter this last election season,
right, you hear All this stuffabout Milwaukee, right?

(30:14):
Everybody's stepping onMilwaukee.
Everybody's kicking Milwaukeesaying that, you know, those
kids are lost, right?
Those streets are lost and allthat.
Well, that's the opposite ofwhat we need, right?
That's just the opposite of whatwe need to do is just to wash
our hands with, you know, someof the situations that we get
going on in the city and some ofthe families that are there that
are trying to make a differencelike you and like your family as
well.

(30:34):
I appreciate it.
I mean, and when you reached outto me, I'm just like, let's do
it.
Let's do it.
And then I'm not going to lie toyou.
I looked you up.
And I was like, let's do it.
We're here for show like let'sdo it.
Um, but it's just been amazingand I appreciate the platform.

(30:56):
I appreciate the support thatpeople give me.
And that's the one thing thatsometimes I, I don't know how to
like express.
And, and, but then in times likethis, I get to express where I
have some of my like mainfollowers on TikTok that like, I
know their names.
I know they're going to comment.

(31:17):
They're going to like my stuff.
They are going to share mystuff.
Like I'm like, I have that.
And I'm so grateful.
For the people that have beenriding with me this whole time,
because they, they, because whenI win, I promise you, they're
going to win too.
And I just actually got off thephone with my girlfriend and she

(31:38):
was like, I hope you know thetype of person you are because
you're just going to continue toget blessings on blessings on
blessings.
And I'm like hearing stuff likethat freaks me out, you know,
like in because it's like, Idon't want to come off cocky.
But I'm really that bitch.
Like, I really, I'm really that,like, I'm really it.

(31:59):
I am.
And I'm just so thankful to,like, have the platform that I
do.
And I just hope that, like,people hear my story.
I hope people see what I do.
And I hope that it just makesthem think.
You know, like, I would be, mybrother would be blown away.

(32:21):
About what I'm doing right now.
Mm hmm.
Mm hmm.
Like, he would be like, Sis,that's crazy.
Like, one, he would have talkedabout me for working with the
cops.
That's how it is.
That's how it is.
He'd be like, Sis, you are hot.
You know how we do.
You are hot for sure, sis.
You are hot for sure.
Working with 12.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure, buthe would absolutely think this

(32:45):
is the coolest thing ever and itwould have been so cool to have
him, like, in videos with me,like, he would have just loved
the platform that I had and justate it up, and it's like, I feel
like he does love it, you knowwhat I'm saying?
Like, he knows, like, and I'm,every, every move that I make,
like, it's like, It's, I just amreminded, and I keep, and I'm a

(33:08):
Rod Wave person, I don't know ifyou're a Rod Wave person, but
like, this Last Laugh album, forme, has been a little bit of
closure, when it comes to like,how I'm feeling about my
brother, and, how like, because,people don't talk about
survivor's grief.
And like, and yes, like there'sdifferent levels of survivor's

(33:31):
grief, like there's the level oflike, you were in that tragedy
with them and you survived, butthen there's also that like, why
him and not me?
Right, exactly, exactly.
And because I'm like, I got to live my life.
You know, I had children, I gotmarried, I got to do that kind
of stuff.
My brother didn't get to do anyof that.
And so it's like, we don't talkabout that.

(33:52):
Bye.
In his, in this last lap album,his, the song last lap, he talks
about how, like, you just haveto keep going because that's
what they would want you to do.
And like, it's like, I've hadthat feeling recently where I'm
like, it's okay to sit in yourfeelings.

(34:13):
It is, it is.
And you, and you need to, like,I, you need to have a breakdown
here and there.
Like you need to feel thosefeelings.
You're processing,
you're processing.
Absolutely.
But like, keep going.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I feel like, especially inour communities too, right?
Like we, we, there's so muchtragedy that everyone has been
through.
It's like day to day stuff,right?
Like growing up, you know, inour neighborhoods, going to

(34:34):
school where we went to it, youknow, the level of cortisol,
that level of stress thatyou're, that you're under is so
big that your braincompartmentalizes it, right?
And so you just get through it,right?
But when you actually have achance to sit back with it and
allow yourself to feel thosefeelings, allow yourself to feel
that grief, you'll be surprisedat the things that you can do in
order to make a positive out of,like, the things that you're

(34:56):
doing.
Like, you know, the safedriving, walking coalitions
efforts, teaming up with thecity, things of that nature.
Those are the positives thatcome out of identifying that,
those stresses and identifyingthat grief and saying, What can
I do next?
How can I help the next person?
And that's like one of the main things.
So shout out to Jessica Weinbergas well.
She is actually the directorover the speeding.

(35:19):
We can live without campaign.
She's the director over thatwith the city of Milwaukee.
And I'm so blessed to have mether and her be able to give me
the opportunity to be a part ofthe campaign.
But her and I have been talkingand I think one of the biggest
things that I right now want totap into.
Is I want to tap into this likethe community and I want to use

(35:44):
my platform and ask people whatdo you guys need from the city?
What do you guys need as acommunity?
Because I know there's a lack ofresources in this city.
I was raised in this city.
I was, I was raised one of thosekids.
I was a 40 cent kid, 40 centlunch kid.

(36:05):
You know what I'm saying?
I was the kid that had the checkbounce when I wanted to play
sports.
So, and I'm not saying thatevery kid is like that in
Milwaukee, but let's be honest,like a good, probably 60 percent
of Milwaukee is going throughthat.
And I, I was just having thisdiscussion lately where I'm
like.
I was in, in 2008 during thatrecession.

Chris (36:27):
Mm-Hmm.

Mariah (36:27):
I was in the eighth grade.
Yes.
I was a child, but I was also achild in a single mother home
who was treated like a secondparent.
Right.
So I knew what was going on.
Right.
Because at, at, at the, in theeighth grade, I'm on Craigslist
helping my mom find rentalproperties for us to move.
Mm-Hmm.
Mm-Hmm.
So I knew what was going on.
I'm seeing the inflation.

(36:48):
I was understanding that.
Yeah.
And that's where we are rightnow in 2024.
We are literally re goingthrough the same cycle.
And now that's why I'm like uswho were kids at that point, we
are adults at this point.
Y'all know what we need to do.
We have to come together.
We have to come together.
Everybody's going through thesame thing.

(37:09):
Everybody's struggling.
We need to stop trying to outdoeach other and do this and do
that.
We need to come together as acommunity.
The lack of resources when itcomes to good food in this city
is insane.
The food deserts that we have isinsane, and people just kind of
turn a blind eye.
And it's like, no, we don't needto turn a blind eye.
Because, It's just going to berevolving doors of the same

(37:32):
exact thing.
Kids are growing up on hotCheetos and Ramen noodles still.
And they, our generation, weknow what that looks like.
We all feeling it now.
We're all,
we're all feeling it.
Half of us got IBS and half ofus can barely, are eating Tums
every night at the age of 30.
Because we burnt our insides outand at 6th through 8th grade,

(37:55):
9th grade and all that.
And now these kids are doing it,but they're doing it even
younger.
And then it sucks because we'rebeing the, what's being provided
is getting worse, like Takis andPrime and all of that kind of
stuff.
But that's all that is beingprovided to these kids because
of the food deserts.
All
that's available, all that'savailable.

(38:16):
I was, I overheard my daughter that she was on the
phone with a friend from school,and they were talking about what
they had for dinner.
And my daughter said, Oh, likemy mama made chicken, broccoli,
and rice.
And she was like, Do you eatvegetables every night?
And like, my daughter's like,yeah, like any, like when my mom
cooks, my mom always cooks avegetable.
Like, my kids will eat zucchini.

(38:37):
My kids eat mushrooms.
My kids, we, we eat actual likevegetables.
Cause you start that young.
So then it follows them intotheir adult.
And the girl was like, I don'tremember the last time I ate a
vegetable.
And I'm like, and I'm notjudging, you know what I'm
saying?
I'm not judging.
But it's like, at the same time,there's a reason.

(38:57):
And it's like, that's just onelack of resource in Milwaukee.
We're not talking about themental health issue that we
have.
Yep.
The medical deserts, theWalgreens that are pulling out,
right?
Like all the, yeah.
Left and right.
Left and right pulling out.
And it's insane to me.
It's insane to me.
People are not able to get whatthey need anymore.
And then the cost of healthinsurance is going up.

(39:19):
So then people don't have healthinsurance.
So they're not going to thedoctor.
And it's just, it's a, it's aconstant issue.
And then.
To wrap it all in whole, ourcity's full of violence, which
causes what?
Exactly.
Mental health issues.
So it's just like, it's a full,and it's like, what do we do?
Yeah.
When we know all of this stuff.

(39:40):
So we need people like you, likeme, like everybody who has the
platform to talk about it.
Exactly.
What are some of the challengesthat you face, like, you know,
in the initiatives that you'redoing?
Because, you know, like yousaid, I, I, I see the hits that
you're getting.
The city sees the hits thatyou're getting.
What are some of the challengesthat you're, that you're seeing
that, and how are you working toovercome them when it comes to

(40:02):
providing that message?
Okay.
I'm going to start.
Personal challenges.
It's very hard to have a fulltime job.
Mm hmm.
And be a full time influenceradvocate.
So like being able to combinethat, but I'm very blessed to
work for an organization thatreally supports my initiative.

(40:26):
So they, I feel like I have apretty healthy balance.
So I would say that's onechallenge.
My other challenge I would haveto say is messaging.
I feel like I'm gonna just throwit out there.
There's people in the city thathave kind of taken my.

(40:46):
What I do, the reporting liveand started doing it themselves,
which is cool.
I'm not, you know what I'msaying?
I ain't patent.
I didn't patent reporting liveyet.
Right.
Right.
So yeah, but,
but it's a different type of level.
Cause one thing when I do likemy reporting live and I made

(41:06):
this message on my tick tockbefore is I'm not going to
report live on tragedy.
You know, like I might pick up abumper and talk about that.
I might talk about a dead birdin the middle of the street.
I might talk about that kind ofstuff, but I'm never going to
pull up to a live accident wherethe firefighters are still
sweeping stuff and people aregetting into ambulances, like.
I just don't find that funnybecause I've been on the other

(41:29):
side of
that.
I said, unfortunately you had tobe there.
Unfortunately you had to gothrough that.
And so like the messaging, I feel like it has
come, it's, it's crossed paths acouple of times where like some
of my followers are tagging mein, in their video and vice
versa, that's funny.
You know, like that's hee hee haha.
You're at an accident in themiddle of the night and somebody

(41:51):
is messed up.
So.
The views are going to go up.
So, you know, it's just like themessaging behind it, like
finding, like making sure thatI'm staying true to myself,
staying true to how, like how Ifeel about things, um, and the
trolls, like trolls are real,like in, I got 52, 000 followers
on TikTok and I mean, some of myvideos get 100, 000 views or

(42:16):
higher and you know, some ofthem are lower where I'm only
hitting 30, 000 or some of themare only like 5, 000, but those
heavy hitters.
They do, you know, they'retrolls and they're, they're
gonna, they're gonna attract thepeople, they're gonna attract
the negative Nancys, they'regonna attract the bots, and I've
just come to a point where like,I don't really let it bother me.
Like, I've had it, I've had acouple videos that have like,

(42:38):
gotten to me a little bit, but Ihad to remind myself, like,
girl, you know who you are.
Uh huh.
You're real fans, you're truefollowers, know who you are.
Mm
hmm.
So don't let these little peopledetermine you.
And that's a good point becauseyou know when you get to that
point when you're attractingthat type of energy that you're
actually doing something, right?

(42:58):
Because like, they're not gonnatalk about you if you don't have
an effect.
They're not gonna say thesethings that are out of pocket
about a city that a lot of themtrolls have never been to.
They don't live here, they don'thave no interest in going here
unless it's a convention orsomething like that going on
down the road.
But then they're going to talkabout it, right?
And so, that's how you know yourreach is getting to where it

(43:18):
needs to get and we're gettingto the heart of the issues.
And that's how we go through andthat's how we pick it up and
that's how we make change.
Yeah, like one of the videos, it was, I reported live
down on Water Street, and I willsay this, full disclosure, I, I
have had a couple drinks, youknow what I'm saying, but I'm 30
years old, I've grown, it was aFriday night, I do a lot of

(43:42):
work, I work very hard.
Mm hmm.
I, you know what I'm saying?
Yep.
So sometimes, I need to letloose, and I'm gonna show that
side of me too, because at theend of the day, that's a part of
who I am too.
So I reported live, it was theend of the night on Water
Street, and if you're familiar,it can get hectic down there.

(44:02):
But it gets hectic, not becauseof the adults who can actually
be down there, because there'sbeen a lot of issues with
teenagers being down there.
So MPD has definitely had tolike, take stuff into their own
hands, and I feel like That'swhat officers are here for.
They're not out here friskingpeople and you know, rubber

(44:24):
bulleting people, but they'redoing sirens.
They're telling y'all to gohome, like get off the sidewalk
type of thing.
So I thought it was funny.
I reported live.
I said, we live baby.
And if you're from Milwaukee,that's very Milwaukee.
What up, brother folks?
We live, baby! Like, my day,that's what it is.

(44:44):
So, and that's all the videowas.
The video was no more than 15seconds.
They ate me alive.
This trash, this is exactly whywe hate Milwaukee.
This is why I don't come to thatghetto.
You, uh, no wonder why you don'thave a job.

(45:04):
And I'm thinking to myself,like, I don't have a job, it's
funny, I love that for you, Ilove that for you, because I
have about 17 jobs if I reallywant to break it down.
But, it was one of those momentswhere I had already hit that
point in my career, where itdidn't even bother me, it made
me laugh, like, I'm just like,y'all don't know who I am, my

(45:27):
real followers know who I am,they know this is a joke, they
know this is just for fun, andyou move on.

Chris (45:33):
Uh huh.

Mariah (45:34):
But then the, the true Milwaukeeans, like, this is so
Milwaukee.
I love this.
I love this type of reporting.
Like, it's just like bringinglight to who Milwaukee is.
I tell people all the time,like, one of my favorite things
about Milwaukee is the attitude.
And when I elaborate on it, Ijust say that I feel like if

(45:54):
you're truly from Milwaukee,like you were bred and born
here, you have this just likeattitude to you.
Like, and you just
got to, you've got to,
like, you just gotta, you gotta,
You got to get through it, man.
Yeah.
Like you got to thug it out.
Like, and I feel like you canpick out of a room, somebody
that tries to claim they're fromMilwaukee that isn't.

(46:14):
Because you growing up in Tulsais not growing up in Milwaukee.
You're not, you're not growingup in Milwaukee.
Like, so, I don't know.
It's just, uh, it's an, it's anamazing place.
It has its problems, but I feellike stuff like this is what we
need.
People need to sit down and havethat conversation.
People need to sit down andreflect on themselves.

(46:36):
Like, that was one of the thingsI said in my speech this weekend
was like, I hope when you see myvideos, I hope when you hear me
speak and tell my story, I hopethat that sparks a conversation
with your family, with yourself,with anybody.
Like, it's just like, it's a,it's an epidemic for sure.
Like, and one thing that like mymom said in 2021, the bucks,

(47:03):
bucks and six.
Mm hmm.
Won the play, you know, won thechampionship.
Everybody rallied.
Everybody was together.
Everybody was It was such WonMilwaukee.
Yeah,

Chris (47:12):
yeah.
Won

Mariah (47:13):
Milwaukee! We love Milwaukee! Like, this is great!
But it's like, But what aboutwhen we're having We're adding
families after family afterfamily to the roster.
Of the same type of death.
And that's, and that's kind ofwhen I had, so I said earlier,
I've been struggling lately is,I think it's like, I was so used

(47:34):
to doing this reckless drivingalone for a while.
I was really one of the, like,bigger ones in the city doing a
lot of this talk.
You were the
only name that I saw.
Yeah, and
that's the thing, it's so weird, I'm Google able now,
like, so like, but it's like, I,now I go to this press
conference on Friday, and I gotfive, six families behind me,

(47:57):
since my brother.
That are going through the samething and I'm just like I I
talked to them and I'm like Iwould love to tap in With all
you guys like I want to kind ofonly one I can want to start my
own podcast Where I like talkabout different stuff like I
feel like I I'm a certifiedyapper and I feel like I'd be
great at it But I wanted I wantto use my platform to like give

(48:18):
other like give these victimsand their families A platform to
talk about it because we need totalk about it.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Well, definitely let me know.
I'll definitely, uh, coach youthrough that process a bit.
Yes, I would love it.
But you
definitely need,
you need to get this message outand the way that you, you know,
tap in with people and the waythat you connect with people at

(48:38):
that level, especially havingnot only lived it, but being
from Milwaukee.
That's how we get it through,right?
That's how we get to a placewhere we truly get to that net
zero of incidents in the city,because again, like you said,
talking from a policystandpoint, that's only, I'll
get you so far.
And as people know who you are,and you know, some people are
playing these games out herepolitically and we're just
trying to get it done.

(48:59):
We're trying to do what's betterfor our communities.
So with that being said, how canthe public get involved with
your efforts?
How can, you know, someone helpyou in your efforts, not only
through your Safe DrivingMilwaukee Coalition endeavor,
but in any other way that you'reworking and reaching out in the
community?
Honestly, like One, slow down, I guess that's the one,
slow, slow the hell down, like,that's one of the biggest ones,

(49:24):
I think, like, it's about to getcold, like, I'm, PSA real quick,
it's about to get cold, friends,most of us have driven in
Milwaukee most of our lives,okay, let's act like we know how
to do this, and then let's alsoTake into consideration the
amount of roundabouts, speedbumps, and new things that have

(49:47):
been added to our structures inthe city.
Through, through these, throughthese endeavors.
Through these endeavors, which is needed, because our
streets were.
Insane.
You could do whatever youwanted.
Baselining was so easy.
And it's sad that we had to goout and do all this extra stuff,
but it was needed.
It was needed because it was anissue.

(50:09):
But, Milwaukee, remember, whenit gets cold, it brings snow.
And snow brings ice.
And then it gets icy.
So let's just slow down.
Mm hmm.
Mm hmm.
Because could you imagine, Idon't know if you know, but that
speed bump on center, That wasput in.
Mm hmm.
That thing's gonna be very icy, Milwaukee.

(50:32):
Yeah.
Slow down.
Yeah.
Slow down.
I will, I will echo that assomeone who will be taking care
of you in the emergencydepartment.
Please slow Please slow down.
Slow down.
And that's like the thing, too.
And I feel like I over talkedyou, and I'm so sorry.
No, no, honey, no.
We might need to run this backinto a part two.
Because I I feel like we don'ttalk about the first responders

(50:53):
as well, but we do, but we don'ttalk about, we talk about the
first responders, such as likethe police and the fire
department and all of that,because yeah, they're first on
scene, they see all that kind ofstuff, but also, they don't talk
about the doctors who have, aretaking the, the mangled bodies
and taking and having to bepronounced these, Okay.
Baby's dead in the hospitals.

(51:17):
And I mean, like I, I worked inthe ER at the VA hospital.
I know that is nowhere nearFrederick hospital.
I know that for a fact, I knowthat for a fact, I know that,
that has, that's nowhere nearSt.
Joe's, you know, like it's, thatis, but what some of the stuff I
seen in just the VA hospital ER,I could only imagine what you

(51:40):
like go through.
And.
You guys don't get your flowersenough because I know you
probably, there's probably beentimes you've gone home and had
to sit in your car in silencefor 10 minutes because you,
before you walked in the house,because you're in the head,
having to tell the, tellfamilies.

(52:02):
Yep.
And especially, you know, likeyou said, when you come from
these communities and it ain'tmany of us, let me tell you that
come from it, that are sittingon that side of the coin.
Right.
And so, you know, seeing it overand over and over again, and
that's why I connected with youbecause I know, you know, that
you're doing the work in thecommunity and I know that, you
know, us talking to folks in acertain way, say, Hey, man.

(52:23):
This is how it's going to end upin the emergency department,
this is how it's going to end upin, you know, the O.
R., et cetera, et cetera, andwe're tired, man, I'm tired of
pronouncing babies dead, I'mtired of pronouncing members of
a whole generation, two or threegenerations in one accident,
right, and so, like, we, wegotta do better, and we gotta
continue to push forward, and wegotta make sure that we're doing

(52:43):
outreach like this in order totry to see if we can get To talk
into that teenager that you saidthat you had a breakthrough
with, right?
Like we have to continue to makethose breakthroughs and we have
to do it in a way that'spalatable for folks.
And we got to do it in a waythat folks, you know, they'll
feel it.
They can see themselves in thatsituation, in that situation
that you, your family wentthrough, right?
That's the biggest thing, but I would have to say,

(53:04):
follow me on social media.
I was going to say, how can, howcan
people follow you?
So I'm on Tik TOK Mariah, the wetter bookie.
If you just honestly, if youtype in reporting live from
Milwaukee in your search engine,it's you'll see all my videos,
but.
I am officially, so I have likemy, my regular Instagram,

(53:25):
obviously, but I feel like sinceI've just been kind of up and
coming, I'm actually going to bemaking like a Mariah DaWetter
Boogie Instagram and Facebook inthe next couple, so that'll be
rolling out in the next coupleweeks.
And also, this has been kind oflow key news just because I've
been trying to figure out whenand how I'm going to do it.
There we go,
exclusive, there we

(53:45):
go.
Yeah, exclusive.
I am actually going to bedropping my first t shirt.
It's going to be like areporting live from Milwaukee,
Wisconsin.
I'm super excited.
I completely made the logomyself.
I'm actually looking for aMilwaukee.
Print shop or anybody that doeslike anybody that's Milwaukee.

(54:08):
I'm I really want to get the tshirts locally printed I'm not
really I don't want like I wantto put my people on I feel like
that's a big thing in MilwaukeeThere's so much talent here.
There's so many people doingthis that in the other So if you
know anybody or we are listeningto this and you're for Yeah, I
got some folks.
I'm gonna get you.
We good.
We'll go
good.
But yeah, like I would saythat's really the only way that

(54:30):
you can Continue to support.
I mean if you see my videos ifyou see me like talking about
stuff just share my stuff Youknow start a conversation with a
neighbor start a conversationwith a co worker with a friend
if you hear this like just Idon't know.
I think we need to come togetherand I, I'm willing to do as many

(54:52):
podcasts, as many interviews, asmany, anything.
I'm like, shit, if somebodywants to make a documentary,
let's do it.
I,
I just feel like I would, I, this is my purpose.
This is exactly what I'msupposed to do.
And it's really only up fromhere.
So I'm just blessed.
Bless, you know, like you don'tknow that feeling until you sit

(55:14):
on something like this.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Well, Mariah, I want to thankyou for coming out and joining
us here today.
Thank you for sharing yourstory.
I'm going to post everythingthat we talked about here in
this episode to the website,definitely, uh, we'll, we'll
hook up about those t shirts.
Cause I definitely want to makesure we get that message out
there.
Yes.
Don't be a stranger.
We'll love to have you back onagain.

(55:36):
We can talk more.
We got to get more into this.
Absolutely.
Well, I appreciate y'all andstay golden, 414.
I promise you.
Let's get it.
But, yes.

Chris (55:48):
Alright, my friend.

Mariah (55:49):
Bye.
I want to thank you for takingthe time and listening to today
again, slowing down, controllingthe reckless driving that we
have in the city of Milwaukee isgoing to be paramount for all of
our communities, to decrease thenumber of accidents that we see
in the emergency departments.
And on the whole, it's going tohelp us protect our families,

(56:10):
protect the kids in theneighborhood.
So everybody just slow down,man.
There's no reason to be drivingthat fast lives on the line
lives are at stake.
And just by not driving that wayis going to go a long way in
terms of making sure thateveryone has a happy holiday,
making sure that everyone livesto do amazing things in this

(56:31):
city lives to see their familiesthrive and prosper and will
reduce the number of fatalitiesthat we have and that we see day
in and day out in the emergencydepartment.
With that being said, I want tothank Mariah for coming out and
speaking with us.
Hopefully we will get her on todiscuss other things that she's
got going on as well.
Looking forward to seeing allthe good things that she's going

(56:52):
to be doing in the future.
Feel free to join us during ournext episode and until then, as
always take care of yourselves,take care of each other.
And if you need me.
Come and see me.