Andron Lane sees similarities between his past trauma and others in his North Side community, and he’s written a book he hopes will help.

Lane, who believes his past sexual abuse and drug addiction were serious risk factors in his eventual incarceration, completed his parole and was “off paper” as of January 2024. Since then, he has worked to better both himself and others like him.

While he says he has a ways to go, he’s sharing what he has learned in a book, “A Journey of Awakening: Healing Through Self Love.”

“This is my testimony. This is what I lived through. But the individuals that I came across in my community, they’re talking about their trauma,” Lane said. “I would like to support them.” 

Lane wants people to understand “A Journey of Awakening” as a workbook for whatever they are carrying – whether it is abuse, addiction or incarceration.

Readers can find exercises and tools – meditation, yoga, vision boards – to create their own unique path to healing, Lane said. 

‘Andron is outside’

Much of the book is an extension of workshops and presentations Lane gives in the community.

One person he collaborates with is Samantha Collier, founder of TeamTeal365, which educates and advocates for sexual assault survivors.

“What you see working with youth, especially with young Black men, they don’t really take it (sexual assault) seriously. So, I asked Andron to come to school events,” Collier said. “He just really expresses the journey of self-healing and what that looks like as a Black man.

“It brings a whole different power and substance when a Black man is speaking to young Black and brown men about healthy relationships and accountability and showing respect and affection.”

For those who do have a history of incarceration, Lane sees these exercises and tools as essential for successfully rebuilding their lives.

Lane’s various and interconnected communities are feeling the love that he is giving them, said Shawn Muhammad, assistant director at The Asha Project, formerly Asha Family Services, an organization advocating for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and intimate partner violence.

“As the young folks would say, ‘Andron is outside,’” Muhammad said. “He’s always at cultural events, and he always supports other activists and people in the community.”

“I love him.”

Resources

Lane’s book can be purchased online, and he can be contacted on Instagram.

The City of Milwaukee maintains a list of domestic violence and sexual assault resources.

Throughout Milwaukee, there are different resources for those who want help with substance abuse.