Join us! All are welcome.
The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute Regional Milwaukee Office presents
11th Annual Breaking the Silence: Addressing Dementia in High-Risk Populations
Know Your Numbers: Centering Black Men’s Health and Wellness
Friday, April 11, 2025
Grand Ballroom – Italian Conference Center
631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, WI
8:30 a.m.–noon



This year’s theme is Know Your Numbers: Centering Black Men’s Health and Wellness. We are honored to welcome keynote speakers Frederick Ketchum, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator at UW School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Neurology; Robert W. Turner II, PhD, Associate Professor at Duke Aging Center and Department of Population Health Sciences; and Antonio Freeman, former NFL Green Bay Packer Wide Receiver.
The event will also include a panel discussion featuring national playwright Garrett Davis and Jaddia Arnold. To kick off the day, we will welcome back The Amazing Grace Chorus® to perform and continue to inspire and bring hope and joy to families and caregivers.
Download the event flyer (pdf)
Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) remain a worldwide burden to address for persons with ADRD, their family members, and others at risk, and should be recognized as a public health priority. Current data indicates that African Americans are nearly two times at risk, and Latinos one and one-half times at risk to develop Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. Both populations use substantially more hospital, physician, and home-health care services, while incurring significantly higher costs for those services. Despite this public health crisis, high-risk populations continue to be under-diagnosed and under-represented in health initiatives studying Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia. Registration is requested for this no-cost community event. Registration closes April 4, 2025. Register online today.
Event Venue: The event is held at the Italian Conference Center (ICC) located at 631 E. Chicago Street in Milwaukee, WI. Please note: the event is in the grand ballroom of ICC this year. Parking: Enter the parking lot on Jackson Street. Complimentary parking is provided in both sections of the lot.
Building a Future to Remember
Due to the pervasiveness of this disease in the United States, Breaking the Silence was created in 2014 as a highly visible platform to bring people together to address the devastating impact that dementia is having in our communities, and became the first annual event in Wisconsin to focus on dementia as a public health issue. The goal of the annual community dialogue is to help families suffering in silence have a voice, join in the discussion about its impact, and to offer them hope and support as they go through this disease journey with their loved ones. Together, we can continue to break the silence and help individuals and families get access to the services they need.