Today, Kids Forward released “Race to Equity 10-Year Report: Dane County”, which unpacks how race, class, and—in some cases—gender impact Black Dane County residents. The report also begins a discussion of why extreme Black-white racial disparities continue in Dane County and beyond. 

“The lack of shared prosperity that impacts Black Dane County children and families will continue to influence the amount of control, autonomy, and opportunity they have access to if racial inequity and systemic racism continues to be embedded into the fabric of the community,” stated Carte’cia Lawrence, Senior Racial Equity Policy Analyst and lead report author. 

The report details over 40 indicators describing Black Dane County residents’ economic well-being, health, and education. It also includes recommendations, which serve as a tool to support communities as they advocate for investments and against anti-Blackness throughout Dane County and the state. 

While this report is referred to as a ‘10-Year’ follow-up to the Race to Equity Baseline Report, it is irresponsible to directly compare the two. Most importantly, the 10-Year report is different in that it was heavily informed by countless conversations, reviews, interviews, and focus groups of Black community members and leaders. Learnings from those conversations and interviews provide the stories and nuance necessary to begin to contextualize the data indicators and inform the recommendations. 

“The obvious question people might have is whether Black residents of Dane County are better or worse off since the Baseline report was released in 2013,” stated Michele Mackey, Kids Forward CEO, “While only affected people can really answer that question, based on our conversations with community members and leaders, many Black residents are not convinced that things have gotten better.”

Despite the challenges, Black residents in Dane County push forward because they must. During one of the many listening sessions held, one community member—Alia Stevenson, Health, Racial & Social Justice Change Agent—said it best:

“The purpose of the Race to Equity report of course is to shine a light on the deep disparities existing in every area of our lives. And it tells the truth and does just that. However, my experience also is filled with joy and community and support. My life, my family, and my work have been deeply influenced, impacted and encouraged by the work and words of the Black Community. I see us win, smile, celebrate, laugh, support, heal, build, etc…despite what we are facing. That is also my experience.”

Some of the major takeaways from the report include:

Economic Well-being

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, some Black Dane County residents saw improvements in their economic well-being over time. During 2016-20, compared to 2011-15, the median annual income among Black households was almost $10,000 higher, unemployment among Black residents decreased by more than half, and poverty among Black residents has fallen by over 15%. 

Yet, Black Dane County residents still (1) earn less and are more likely to work in low-wage paying jobs, (2) are four times less likely to own homes despite income level, and (3) experience poverty at disproportionate rates. Black residents are the first and hardest hit during economic turmoil and are usually the last to recover from it. Dane County is currently the fastest growing county in the state, but a lack of shared prosperity comes at a cost for everyone, not just Black residents. 

Health

Wisconsin stands out nationally for its low rate of uninsured residents, but Wisconsin’s refusal to expand Medicaid due to partisan politics, racism, and classist tropes have contributed to high medical bills, late stage diagnosis for chronic diseases, and disproportionately higher maternal mortality rates for Black women. Wisconsin is also one of only four states refusing to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to birthing people. 

Though health insurance is essential, it doesn’t guarantee access to high-quality, affordable, culturally appropriate care. Black Dane County residents experience some of the most inequitable health outcomes in the country. Black residents in Dane County were three times more likely to lack health insurance and over twice as likely to die before their first birthday than white residents. With a likely persistent post-pandemic trend, Black youth mental health diagnoses have risen sharply. Black Dane County residents are much more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure, diabetes, and hypertension and more likely to experience cancer of all kinds than their white counterparts.

Education

In a place as highly educated as Dane County, education has not prevented Black residents from experiencing some of the most profound racial disparities in the nation. Wisconsin’s early care and education (ECE) infrastructure has been broken and underfunded for far too long. ECE is wildly unaffordable for Dane County’s Black households, costing those earning the median income more than one third of their pay. And, child care providers operate on razor thin profit margins because tuition—$18,000 a year for infants—usually doesn’t cover the true cost of care.

Dane County public school districts, though most are rated as meeting or exceeding expectations according to the Wisconsin Department of Instruction, are failing to meet the needs of their Black students. Funding challenges mean most schools in Dane County report staff shortages, non-competitive staff salaries, a lack of mental health services, as well as teachers reporting overcrowded classes and needed renovations.

Black students are less likely to perceive the school environment as safe and are less likely to feel like they belong – but these perceptions have improved  for white students. 

Unfortunately, many Black students in Dane County and nationwide also experience adultification. Black students are perceived as less innocent, older, and stronger than they are. Without a commitment to addressing the many ways in which anti-Blackness and racism lead to harm in schools, Black students and those with disabilities are most harmed. 

View the full report at kidsforward.org/race-to-equity.

An initiative of Kids Forward, Race to Equity is a comprehensive approach to reducing racial disparities through community engagement, research and advocacy. Kids Forward is a statewide antiracist policy center that inspires action and advocates for children and families of color and those furthest from opportunity in Wisconsin. We envision a Wisconsin where every child thrives.