A century to close the gap?

Racial disparity challenges Madison

Madison, WI, April 29, 2008 – African Americans in the city of Madison and throughout Dane County face significant challenges today, as shown in The State of Black Madison 2008: Before the Tipping Point, the summary report released today by the State of Black Madison Coalition. The report is based on quantitative data analysis by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy and other recent research.

“In the 40 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Madison and Dane County have prospered. African American residents, however, do not fully share this prosperity,” said Scott Gray, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Madison and coalition member.

In fact, they have fared significantly worse.

·        Thirty-seven percent of Dane County Blacks live in poverty today, compared to 11 percent of the community as a whole.

·        If the trends from 1990–2005 continue, it will take 265 years for the income gap between Blacks and the rest of the Dane County community to disappear.

·        If the decline continues at the rate experienced in the past 40 years, it will take more than a century to end poverty for Black children.

The study reports that racial disparity exists in the areas of criminal justice, education, health care and housing, as well. African Americans are incarcerated in Dane County at more than 13 times the rate for the community at large. In the Madison Metropolitan School District, fewer than 60 percent of Black eighth-grade students are proficient in reading; fewer than 45 percent are proficient in mathematics. Forty percent of Black students drop out before completing high school. Only two in 10 Black families own their homes, while the figure for the entire community is six in 10.

"The City of Madison sits on a precipice of change. We can pivot toward a continuation of Madison’s progressive heritage of diversity and equity or plunge into the seemingly intractable problems that plague most major urban cities,” said Dr. John Odom of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute.

The disturbing disparity documented in The State of Black Madison report is a call to action, not only for the African American community, but for the Greater Madison community as a whole. That call includes recommendations for positive action by business, government, educators, health care providers, social agencies, community groups, and individuals. The coalition invites all people of goodwill to answer that call.

"If we bring African Americans into the mainstream economy, we make all of our neighborhoods better, safer, and more prosperous. We improve the quality of life for everyone; we reduce crime and we make the Black community genuine stakeholders in Madison’s future,” said Dr. Charles Taylor, Business School dean for Edgewood College and a contributing author of the report.

Community Summits to Form

Embracing a stronger future, a stronger workforce, and a stronger economy requires the community to also embrace the goal of eliminating racial disparity.  In that spirit, the coalition will soon convene community summits of community, religious, political, educational, health, and business leaders and community members to focus solely on developing policies, programs, and strategies to address the disparities outlined in this report. 

About The State of Black Madison Coalition

Formed in 2007 to discuss the challenges that African Americans face in Madison and create a comprehensive and collaborative strategy that will help African Americans achieve economic success, the coalition includes African American leaders: Robert Wynn, J.D., Asset Builders of America; John Odom, Ph.D., Charles Hamilton Houston Institute; Richard Harris, Ph.D., Genesis Community Development Corporation; Ray Allen, The Madison Times; Scott Gray, Urban League of Greater Madison, and Kenneth Black, 100 Black Men.

Pictured above at the April 29, 2008 release of The State of Black Madison (from left): Kenneth Black, Richard Harris, Scott Gray, Ray Allen, and John Odom.  Missing: Robert Wynn

State of Black Madison Coalition Announces Three New Members

In May 2008, three new members joined the coalition.  These new members are Milele Chikasa Anana, UMOJA Magazine, Rev. David Smith, African-American Council of Churches, and Vicki Washington, University of Wisconsin System.