Samad's House launches Midwest Black and Brown harm reduction network in new podcast episode

Samad's House released Episode 2 of Voices of the Front Lines on July 23, 2026, using the episode to launch a Midwest Regional Black and Brown Harm Reduction Network aimed at cutting overdose deaths in Milwaukee and beyond. The episode centers on Black and Brown leadership, naloxone access, stigma reduction and housing as the group warns that overdose declines are not reaching all communities equally.

Why it matters: - Milwaukee and national overdose deaths are falling, but Black and Brown communities are not seeing the same pace of improvement. - The new network is designed to protect overdose-prevention gains and push harm reduction into communities facing the highest barriers. - The episode frames harm reduction as a public-health response to unequal access, stigma and culturally relevant outreach.

What happened: - Samad's House released Episode 2 of its podcast Voices of the Front Lines on July 23, 2026. - The episode was hosted by Samad's House founder Tahira Malik. - The episode marked the launch of the Midwest Regional Black and Brown Harm Reduction Network. - The discussion featured Connie Calderon of the Milwaukee Turners, Amanda Maria De Leon of Community Medical Services and Caroline Gaston of Samad's House. - The video podcast is available on YouTube and Spotify, and the audio version is available on major podcast platforms.

The details: - The network focuses on preventing overdose deaths in Black and Brown communities across the Midwest. - The episode says overdose deaths are falling nationally and in Milwaukee, but the decline is not as sharp in Black and Brown communities. - Malik said overdose deaths continue to ravage families in those communities. - The network aims to elevate harm reduction voices, reduce drug stigma, educate the public and push policies that keep communities safe. - The conversation centers on naloxone, also known as Narcan, and its role in reversing overdoses when used quickly. - Gaston said Narcan saved her life after an accidental fentanyl exposure. - Gaston now distributes Narcan and trains community members every Monday. - Calderon said access to naloxone has improved dramatically compared with 20 years ago. - Calderon recalled searching for just a few boxes of naloxone before early training sessions at the Milwaukee Turners. - Malik said Samad's House's first Black Balloon Day training helped people learn how to recognize an overdose, not just how to use naloxone. - The panel also highlighted fentanyl and xylazine test strips as important harm-reduction tools. - Calderon said people should use test strips even when they trust the source of a drug. - Malik said fentanyl was responsible for 80% of fatal drug overdose deaths in Milwaukee County a couple of years ago. - Malik described xylazine as a horse tranquilizer being mixed into drugs. - Gaston said harm-reduction supplies reduce infection risk and lower the chance of contact with fentanyl- or xylazine-laced drugs. - De Leon said stigma is the top reason people do not seek help. - De Leon argued that communities need to respond to unhoused people with direct help rather than judgment. - Malik said stigma can keep people in the neighborhoods most affected by overdose from seeking help. - De Leon told people struggling with substance use that they are worthy of help and can still recover after many treatment attempts. - Housing emerged as a major missing resource. - De Leon warned that county cuts of $3.8 million in housing funding could reverse progress. - Malik warned that losing housing support can push people back into the same systems they are trying to leave. - Malik also flagged potential gaps in healthcare and Medicaid in the year ahead. - The network emphasizes Black and Brown leadership so people can see peers in recovery roles. - Malik said representation builds trust and gives people hope that recovery is possible. - Malik pointed to Samad's House's ambassador program as a model for credible messengers with lived experience. - Calderon said outreach materials and signage often fail to translate accurately across languages used in Milwaukee, including Spanish and Hmong. - The panel called for changes to peer-support training and reimbursement rules. - Calderon said state background requirements can block qualified peer supporters with incarceration histories from doing the work. - Malik urged lawmakers to encourage harm reduction.

Between the lines: - The episode is as much a policy argument as a podcast release. - The network is trying to shift harm reduction from a niche service to a community-based system led by people with lived experience. - The emphasis on Black and Brown leadership suggests the group sees trust and representation as core tools, not side issues. - Housing, language access and peer-workforce rules emerge as structural barriers that naloxone alone cannot solve.

What's next: - Samad's House and the new network are likely to keep using the podcast and community outreach to build support for harm reduction. - The group is pressing lawmakers and local leaders to protect housing supports, strengthen peer services and expand culturally relevant outreach. - The episode positions overdose prevention as an ongoing fight tied to policy, resources and community trust.

The bottom line: - Samad's House is using a new podcast episode to launch a regional harm-reduction coalition with a clear message: overdose prevention works best when the people most affected help lead it. - More information is available in the July newsletter, at Samad's House donations, and on the Samad's House website.