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414 LIFE Recognized for Community Leadership at Black Arts Fest MKE

August 15, 2025

The 414 LIFE Program, housed within MCW’s Comprehensive Injury Center, was recently honored at Black Arts Fest MKE for their role as community leaders in violence intervention. Lynn Lewis, 414 LIFE program director, represented the team at the event’s opening ceremonies that officially kicked off the event. The team led the first 100 attendees in signing the event’s Peace Pledge which earned the signees free admission. They also served as peacekeepers at the event, ensuring that there were no fights or other incidents of violence.

414 LIFE is a community- and hospital-based violence intervention initiative dedicated to reducing gun violence in Milwaukee. Grounded in public health principles, 414 LIFE treats violence as a disease – interrupting its transmission, promoting healing, and preventing recurrence.

The program operates through two integrated components:

  • Community Outreach, modeled after the Cure Violence approach, deploys trained “credible messengers” to mediate conflicts, build trust, and connect individuals at highest risk to life-saving resources.
  • Hospital-Based Intervention, adapted from national best practices, engages victims of gun violence at the point of care to offer trauma-informed support, reduce retaliation, and promote long-term recovery.

414 LIFE is a vital part of Milwaukee’s Blueprint for Peace and exemplifies MCW’s commitment to advancing health equity, community safety, and data-driven solutions to violence.

To learn more about 414 LIFE, contact 414lifemke@mcw.edu.

Tagged: Community Engagement/Community Partnership Comprehensive Injury Center Violence Prevention

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