The Pabst Theater Group normally uses its stage for entertainment, but a newly announced initiative aims to use its spotlight for an even more essential purpose. 

The group today announced milwALLkee, a new initiative with the mission to help amplify local organizations and businesses working to end racial injustice in Milwaukee and improve the lives of the city's Black community. In order to elevate these voices, the Pabst Theater Group will select a different organization or business each month and highlight their mission and message for a week across the group's email newsletters and social media accounts. 

"As the most segregated city in America, Milwaukee has critical work to do in the movement against its long history of systemic racism," said Gary Witt, CEO of the Pabst Theater Group, in a release. "The Pabst Theater Group has always been a company dedicated to developing community. We now speak to a strong and vibrant community in the hundreds of thousands via emails and social activity annually. We are pleased that we can now lend our platform to allow these groups' reach to exceed their grasp."

The milwALLkee initiative will begin on Friday, June 19, with Running Rebels Community Organization, a mentoring non-profit that works to engage and coach youths and their families as they grow up in the hopes of guiding them away from gangs, drugs, violence and the juvenile justice system, and toward a healthy and positive transition into adulthood. The next organization will be the Milwaukee Urban League, which uses education, employment and advocacy to work toward positioning Black communities with equal access to creating wealth and a better quality of life, for a week in July. 

As for future months, the Pabst Theater Group is currently calling for submissions. Interested organizations and Black-owned businesses can apply by filling out a nomination at the Pabst Theater Group's website. And to support and learn more about Running Rebels and Milwaukee Urban League, visit their respective websites.