Blacks are 5.5 times more likely than whites to be unemployed in Dane County.
Three-quarters of the county’s African-American children live in poverty , compared to 5 percent of white children.
Half of all black high school students don’t graduate on time, compared to 16 percent of white children.
African-American children are 15 times more likely than their white counterparts to land in foster care. And black juveniles are six times more likely to be arrested than white juveniles.
Those are some of the findings released Wednesday in a report, “Race to Equity,” by the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families. The report compared 40 indicators of well-being for Dane County residents, mostly between 2007 and 2011. In nearly every category, the study found, blacks, who make up 6.5 percent of the county’s population, fare much worse than whites.
Eighteen months in the making, the report is offered as a baseline against which future efforts to close racial disparities in Dane County can be measured. It seeks to encapsulate and expand on previous studies that showed racial gaps in educational attainment, poverty, employment, participation in the criminal justice system and other indicators.
Although some indicators show improvement — for example, arrests of black juveniles and adults is down significantly over the past four years — most of the numbers are bleak.
“It’s no secret that we’ve had these disparities. A lot of groups have been working on this,” said Bob Jacobson, spokesman for the council. “But the approach to tackling the problem hasn’t been coordinated and comprehensive, which is really what’s needed.”
Disparities are common across the United States, the report said, but the gap between the quality of life for whites and blacks is much worse in Dane County, the epicenter for progressive politics in Wisconsin and often ranked among one of the best places in America to live.
Rural or urban, north or south, across the United States, Dane County is “rock bottom” when it comes to racial disparities, Jacobson said, adding, “It’s really jarring.”
The study pointed to a variety of factors that may be driving the chasm in the experience between white and black residents of Dane County. Low-skilled or under-educated workers often cannot compete with the highly educated workforce from which Madison-area employers can draw.
Many African-Americans live in geographically isolated neighborhoods in and around Madison that lack basic infrastructure, including a major employer, church or social gathering spots.
And many of the roughly 32,000 black residents in Dane County are recent arrivals who may lack the social and family ties that could help them advance. Between 2000 and 2010, Dane County saw a 50 percent rise in the number of African-Americans residents.
Selena Pettigrew has seen all of that and more in the five years since she moved from Evanston, Ill., to Madison to be closer to her children and grandchildren. Pettigrew, 60, president of the Allied Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association, said both Evanston and Madison are well-off college towns, but the job opportunities seem more sparse here, especially for people with few skills and no car.
The neighborhood, which straddles Madison and Fitchburg, has no school, grocery store or neighborhood community center and can be a lengthy bus ride to school or work. Many adults, she said, have no job.
Pettigrew believes her neighborhood near Verona Road and the Beltline has seen great improvement in the past five years, but she said there are still too many idle adults and too few services to help them.
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Dane County Executive Joe Parisi acknowledged the numbers are “alarming” and the challenge daunting.
“It confirms my observation that a rising tide does not lift all boats,” Parisi said. “This report is important because it confirms that and quantifies that.”
But Parisi said there are “nuts and bolts” solutions that leaders and the community can implement to shrink the gap, some of which he is proposing in his 2014 budget.
One example is a $350,000 program to be paid for by United Way and Dane County that includes home visits to families of children ages 0 to 3 in the attendance areas of Westside Elementary School in Sun Prairie and Sugar Creek Elementary School in Verona. The program’s goal is to support family stability and ensure children are ready for school.
Other initiatives include a $250,000 partnership with Operation Fresh Start to operate a year-round Youth Conservation Corps in the county parks and a $65,000 expansion of the Gardens for Empowerment program in which young people who are at risk of failure work in community gardens.
“On the positive side,” Parisi said, “our community is very ready to address this.”
The report was unveiled Wednesday during the YWCA’s annual Racial Justice Summit, attended by about 500 local leaders, representatives of social-service agencies, the UW-Madison and business.
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Earlier in the week I responded to the author's assertions use of statistics to point out the disparities of the minorities. Despite the spending of billions upon billions of dollars tear after year, nothing has changed. Except maybe that the whining is getting louder for more equity. How much more is needed?
Do we have to start placing minorities in high paying jobs with no experience? Do we have to make cozy arrangements for them so they don't have to work to get a decent job? Do we have to over look their lack of energy as a by product of being a minority, ignore it, in order to provide those high paying positions? Just what else do we need to do to what we have done over the last seventy plus years in which there were no changes in the way the minorities approached their futures? As I said previously, the ball is in there court. They have to get their own straightened out. They have to instill responsibility, consideration and work ethics in their own. It cannot be given or inherited, but only learned. Who will step forward and start teaching?
Dear Readers:
After reading the above, it isn't hard to see why this state is in such a rut. This person has been blessed with nearly the best that America has to offer and yet listen to him chiding a government that has facilitated his assent.
I think that this person ought to be a little more appreciative, than to be seen uttering such foolishness, because if they were they would know about all the beneficial things government has done for them, their family, friends, and social class especially if they didn't come from money.
Why is it that, when many Americans finally make it, the first thing they start doing is disclaiming that they had any help form anyone or anything?
Did you ever notice how many wealthy individuals will commonly get on TV and berate our nation's governmental system by saying that it is a burden on them and that it hinders their liberty and means of prosperity?
What about NAFTA, outsourcing, huge tax cuts, war, and the nation's courts that the wealthy use more than anyone else to enforce contracts and set up corporations and create trusts for their heirs.
In truth, many of the wealthy these days didn't start out that way and at one time probably needed the government in some form. I know that many went to publicly funded elementary, middle, and public high schools, and state funded universities like UW-Madison.
They all drove on public streets, roadways, and highways (so did their parents) and used those highways to enhance their business opportunities in one way or another.
Many received some form of public help when going to college or starting up their new business, in different degrees, while many other young people, especially in the public school systems, got government help.
,
They like Wisconsin Senator (R) Ron Johnson, lie about it today.
They and Ron Johnson, all travel on airplanes that couldn't fly or operate as safely and efficiently as they do if not for the FAA. When they pick up a telephone, the chances are really good that it worked nearly every time due to government regulations and oversight by the FCC.
When these rich folks go to a grocery store, many are reasonably assured of being able to buy safe and nourishing food there, in part due to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's food inspection program that people like Ron Johnson want to get rid of.
These same wealthy folks also benefit greatly from the EPA and things like the clean air/water acts that keep our natural resources safe and viable. I never met a human-being that didn't need clean air to breathe or water to drink.
No matter what kind of income they made.
What is absolutely amazing is how these rich folks, and many ordinary citizens that normally have more commonsense than that, are constantly voting for and advocating for these anti-government political groups like the Tea Party, ALEC, Americans for Prosperity, and other far right wing pro-corporate entities that are hell bent on having their way with all the people's natural resources, money, and limiting our democracy, along with our social and political systems in America.
Finally, yours and my security, as well as the security of our entire nation rests on joint governmental cooperation between several diverse government staffed and run agencies, other than our military. They really do protect all of us from things that a well informed and reasonable populace ought to be aware of instead of blathering negatives like this Tea Bag supporter above.
It goes to show, that f you know anything about the history of America's economic rise then you should know that it was never the go-it-alone pure free market practitioners that built this country into the economic post WWII powerhouse that it became afterwards.
Instead it was all about the economic and social reform movements that caught on in the early 20th Century. That movement solidified by the depression era after the great stock market collapse of 1929. It was then the policies undertaken by the Roosevelt Administration, and FDR himself that eventually turned our economy around.
It is why today, America is not a place where the rich should be allowed to rule supreme, as they do in many foreign countries today. Neither is it a place where the individual wealth of just a few families ever made this nation great.
If you know you history, then you know that it was the progressive movement of the late 19th Century, along with reformers like Robert F. La Follette of Wisconsin, who championed a strong working and middle-class that went into lighting the fires of sustained economic prosperity for a large number of our citizens not the "me me me classes."
It has never been about the greed and indifference of a few wealthy men/or women busy running their financial fiefdoms from an isolated mansion or skyscraper. That is what has always proven to have weakened America and bring depression and ruin to many millions of its families.
This poster writes like they know very little of the true history of the genuine American Spirit that created and sustained a functional clean democratic form of governance that was unencumbered by money.
It was a legitimate political system of electoral representation and it is a living part of our democratic legacy not the selfish pyramid of self perpetuating greed seeking power in 21st Century America.
It is a system based on greed that promotes an America that still hasn't gotten past the color of one's skin or class and it holds us all back!
Cowboy
Cowboy - clearly you have a lot of time on your hands Sir. Yet in your post above I don't see one mention of the article. Only a 'system based on greed that promotes an America that still hasn't gotten past the color of one's skin or class' comment. See, that's an excuse for the statistics in the article. If I can make one assumption from your post, perhaps you are suggesting that if we as a society were less greedy (or something) that somehow that would impact the crime rates of african americans vs caucasians. It doesn't actually get to the heart of the matter which is the absolute distruction of the black family over the last generation or two in spite of the government pouring more and more money into those communities and more and more resources being spent towards the cause. Solutions here guys. No more excuses.
Downtown Rhetoric:
Is that all you've got, Dude?
You write like you actually know very little or next to nearly nothing, about what is being discussed here. Furthermore; your off the mark personal attacks like this one certainly goes a long way in proving that point.
If nearly 300-years of destructive North American Slavery, followed by nearly another 60+ years of legalized segregation, and second class citizenship, in this country couldn't destroy black people, then what makes you or anyone else think that our race won't survive this current crisis?
Despite these facts, however; you are conversing with someone that has a good grasp of the issue, especially the history and how it now impacts black people in the Metro Madison-Dane County Area (and in America as well).
If you think that I'm making empty assumptions, then I would strongly suggest that you pick up a good history book (e.g., the Annals of America Almanac Series) or select writings about slavery; Such as the Plessy v. Ferguson U.S. Supreme Court Decision of 1898, and finally about the early progressive reformers (like Robert F. La Follette) who would eventually give rise to the modern progressive movement that began around 1900.
That movement peaked in the early 1930's, with the election of FDR, and his subsequent following policies of the New Deal. Approximately 20-years later, the U.S. Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Earl Warren, voted to unanimously to end racial segregation in public schools and in the entire public sector, which included the federal government.
The modern Civil Rights era followed that but unfortunately it did not undo the lasting legacy of racism in America that was inherited by following many of the immigrants flooding into the U.S. after the U.S. Civil War.
My ancestors have been in America since the early 1700's, like many other black families here today. Nonetheless, we are still hobbled by unequal and disparate treatment from the majority population that takes many forms, such as a generational achievement gap between black and white students in K-12, within what is supposed to be one of the most progressive open minded communities in America.
We continue to see the skewed and disproportionate lines drawn between the races in Wisconsin, which is a former Union State that fought against slavery in the U.S. Civil War. A state that can now rival the racial/class statistics of nearly any of the deep southern former Confederate States.
So now, it's funny how people like yourself (that come off as being completely deaf, dumb, and blind) are always trying to re-write that history, especially if it doesn't conform to your narrow ideas, and/or to your limited understanding of how this nation got to where it is today.
There are those of us, however, whom are indeed educated quite well on these subjects that know better than to capitulate and be taken in by the narrow ideas and philosophies like those currently being thrown around out there by people of your persuasion, Sir (who like the political taste of hard right Tea at Parties).
I'm talking about those on the hard right, which you no doubt have heard of and about their surrogates who commonly pump right wing propaganda (bilge) into the airwaves via the now corporate controlled media.
Well, I'm not one of them and I march to a different beat!
Cowboy
nice rant - i will keep my response brief because, well, i have better things to do. your post is interesting, but one question: with the history lesson above, why then ARE THINGS GETTING WORSE? time heals all wounds...err...unless we are talking about the widening gap here. and while we are at it, black home ownership hit a new low last month and the wealth gap has only widened under the current administration. enough of the history. if history was relavent in this discussion we would be seeing improvement, not digression. and in regards to the 'hard right' media, thats totally irrevalent to this article and this discussion...a total smoke screen. i too march to a different beat, i don't listen to what people say, i watch what is going on. you might try that sometime - less excuses, more solutions that way. nowhere in your post did you address the statistics, only tried to explain them. typical.
You claimed that I was "chiding a government that has facilitated his assent". Hmmm. Let's see here. Looking back to when I was growing up, more or less when I learned the things that would make me successful, I can objectively say that my family paid into the tax system the same amount or perhaps a bit more than average here in Madison. For that, I received the same benefits from the government (school, trash pick up) as everyone else in the community. Period. Nothing more - no subsidies, no taxpayer-sponsored programs, no additional assistance from the government. Nope, we just paid into the system and recieved educational, sanitary, police and snow removal "benefits". So, Cowboy, can you enlighten me as to how the government "facilitated my assent" please? What facilited my assent, as a matter of fact, was my family structure and the work ethic that I learned from BOTH of my parents. I didn't "take" anything more than the bare bones from the government system. Now, contrast that with a demographic who doesn't have what I had (family/role models) yet receives more from the government (welfare, food stamps, additional programs/assistance) and enlighten me as to how the government played a role in my success. Please.
The Koch brothers called and wanted me, as their puppet, to point out that while people on this thread were playing PC police about the stats in this article two black men have been murdered in Madison, three black men have been arrested in connection to one of the murders and another suspect is still being saught for the other. So call me names. And while doing so acknowledge that the stats just got even worse...
It is so confusing to see that disparities are worse now than five years ago and worse than in the rest of the state and worse than the rest of the country. (more tables in the paper version of this article). The obvious solution is to do more of whatever Dane County has been doing the past 5 years!
'They', 'them', 'those people', 'the blacks'---until we establish a community where all of our citizens are 'we', 'us' 'our fellow Americans', YOUR prejudice and discrimination will separate our great country from itself and consign many of our neighbors to second class status.
My daughter attends a fantastic Madison public school where the black and latino kids do well and the kids couldn't care less what color anyone is.
Well, in an article the SPECIFICALLY draws the line between black and white, "the other race" to the posters then, by rule, becomes "them, they, etc" - I realize that your speaking points might make you and the PC police feel better but your post is simply a smoke screen to cover the staggering statistics. Can we get back to the real point now?
When the 17, 22, 25, Trillion Dollar debt of the current administration hanging over this country comes due, who will suffer the most ? -
A. those in the ruling class at the time
B. the very rich friends, of the ruling class
C. You and your family
4. Those that have the least at the moment the music stops . . .
Maybe ought to think, plan, vote, ahead a bit farther than TODAY . . .
This post is a joke!
As part of the current national debt, we are still paying for two wars, both started by George W. Bush, that add nearly 1/3 to our national debt.
We are still dealing with the huge debt left behind by two, not one, huge tax give-a-ways, both championed by the Bush Administration and passed by two largely republican controlled houses in the national legislature.
That legislation added nearly another 1/3 to our debt when combined with the Bush bailouts to the nation's largest banks and investment firms that got into trouble in the stock market precipitating a big crash in 2008.
The greatest benefit of the two huge tax give-a-ways went to roughly 2% of the American population and not to the middle-class. Then there was Medicare Part D, which had an inserted clause barring the biggest consumer groups from negotiating on volume for lower prescription drug prices with the large pharmaceuticals.
You know what that did to the overall prices for prescription medication in this country or you should know?
Again, the above was promoted by the Bush Administration and passed by republican controlled houses in Washington, D.C.
So now after all that economic damage and chaos prior to Barack Obama ever taking office, the above Tea Party donor and republican accomplice, dares to comes on here with their whacked out statements thinking that we have amnesia all the sudden!
Guess they were wrong though, because what I have written here is a fact about today's huge government debt.
Now is it any wonder why the State of Wisconsin and the federal government have no resources to help growing cities like Madison with problems like these being discussed?
Ever hear of revenue sharing, and/or allocated budget outlays for the states?
Cowboy
Look at the statistics. Take a deep breath. You can try and excuse the data - you can try to rationalize the data - you can even be naive enough to dismiss it as biased or something like that. You can call people names if you want. What honestly can't be debated is that this problem is bad, it has and is getting worse, and based in that we can also say that the "solutions" from the last 20-30years have hurt rather than helped this issue. Yes even over the last 5yrs under Obama. Enough is enough.
DT, you are a Right Wing Plant, you're a tea$#$%^. What an idiot, this isn't a Fox audience where people believe bs. Get a new life and try again.
Name calling and ignoring the article. Thank you! Stick to the speaking points, then act shocked when what we have been doing continues to make things worse. PS: you don't know me so don't judge me. Lets stick to the statistics, no? How liberal and tolorent of you.
dt, a koch brother by another mother. you are at the wrong place tea$^&*($.
spooky, I have never met a Koch brother. The Koch brothers are known for funding conservative causes. And because I believe that name calling and ignoring the statistics that makes me a tea****** or a Fox news watcher. OhhKaayy dude! You do realize that you have proven every point I made an earlier posts, right? Please, if you have any sense at all, dispute anything that I have said based on the statistics displayed in the article in question. You can't. And that scares you to the point that you try and discredit me by calling me names. I'm sorry, did Fox News write this article? Did the Koch brothers commission this article in our local paper? My suggestion that the status quo isn't working means I need to "get a new life and try again?" Bro, I wear watches that cost more than your car and that didn't come from being a Right Wing Plant, get it? I kind of like my life, mostly because I don't rely on the government for anything other than keeping my house from burning down, keeping my home safe, plowing my street and picking up some trash once a week...all for roughly 35% of my income each year. Sorry to stoop to your level there, but since we are judging people (ironically soooooo unliberal-like of you) you might want to get some facts straight rather than choosing to ignore what is staring you directly in the face...which is also ironically sooooooo liberal-like.
What we need is to develop public housing in Maple Bluff and Shorewood Hills. The Obama voters from those elite enclaves could show the county that they indeed practice what they preach (and vote for). Instead of dumping Section 8 housing on the fringes of middle class housing, think of the possibilities of bringing poor immigrants from Chicago and Milwaukee next to the country club nabobs. Inclusiveness squared! Mentors galore! Problems solved!
HockeyTeam is correct in identifying the biggest problem, Shifting Jobs Overseas. And it's going to get worse if the Pacific Rim Trade Agreement goes through. Before you vote next time, find out what the candidates think about our international trade agreements. Will they support American workers and what will they do to bring jobs back to the US.
I'll guarantee you the Koch brothers and the Chamber of Commerce will put up money against anyone supporting American workers.
Your comment is racist. It assumes blacks are the ones who lost their low paying entry-level jobs vs whites to outsourcing disproportionatly - that isn't the case. Also while you are making excuses perhaps addressing the continuing and worsening illegal immigration issue (Koch Bros fault too?) and their impact on the labor market as well. Finally outsourcing doesn't explain the giant overall difference between whites and blacks unless you concede what you are really saying is that blacks' jobs are beneath those of whites' for some reason...
DT, How is someone supposed to respond to your stupid argument.
http://www.opensecrets.org/parties/
Those Koch Brother led fund raising drives for the evil republicans have led to nearly $75m LESS raised than the democrats in this 2014 election cycle. Also nearly $25m less spent thus far. Shocking isn't it? How about Michael Bloomberg funding the defense of the democrats in the Colorado recalls (they both got beat)...a politician from NY funding a Colorado election campaign? That's cool. Look, speaking points and name calling seem to be your deal, but none of what you have said is based on fact, nor on ANY of the statistics found within this article. Can you PLEASE realize that you are defending something (poorly I might add) that statistically you can't? Then again, the Koch brothers are probably the reason black kids are 15x more likely to go to a foster home than a white kid, right? Moving on...
Sick to death of some black people whining and wanting other people to fix it, how about putting on your big boy pants and stepping up to the plate and taking responsibilty. Oh that's right let Pepo will fix it.
I'm sorry. I used to live on the fringe of an undesirable community on Madison's southwest side. And, I have no issue with what color, what race, whatever the majority of people that live there are. My issue was how filthy they kept their neighborhood. Trash everywhere in the streets and the parks where the children are supposed to be able to play safely, without fear of being cut by someone's beer bottle that was left there by a person too lazy to make it to the trash can a few feet away.
And, the people who live there wonder why they are judged so harshly and called lazy and worse. Maybe, just maybe, if you took some pride in the handouts you are given to help with rent and a roof over your head, as well as the (what should be safe, clean) parks that are provided for your children to play in, you might get a bit more respect. You act like that and trash what is given to you to help give a hand up in life, and what do you think people are going to think of you?
Please don't waste your energy on these bloggers anymore, @cowboy and KLub -- These folks don't really interact with the people they think the "know" and are writing about. If they did, and really knew people unlike themselves, they wouldn't write what they are posting.
It is far too easy to be a HATER and not see beyond the tip of your nose.
Be well, @cowboy and KLub. Go where the positive people are and do the good work with folks who are working in communities across the identities these folks will never ever try to be a part of.
Don't waste your energy on them.
Be Well.
@MadCityYokal;
"These folks don't really interact with the people they think the "know" and are writing about."
You have no idea what you're talking about.
The "War on White Guilt" is working as unbelievably well as the "War on Poverty" and the "War on Drugs."
The Gotch
The Gotch, everyone's crazy uncle.
@spooky tooth;
Does you Lefty sense of entitlement know no bounds; I think not.
I'm the crazy Uncle to a select few; my nieces and nephews LUV me and feel I can do no wrong. I strongly believe it's because I'm NOT a maniacally self-absorbed career Lefty.
I imagine you'll want to redistribute that somehow?
Beats establishing it by genuinely by yourself, doesn't it?
Lot less time-consuming leastways!
The Gotch
The comments section of this article broke my heart. My fellow Madisonians, you disappoint me. Your heartlessness and judgement of the unknown is disturbing to say the least. Your solution is to keep Madison white by discouraging immigration from other cities? Let black people stay in Chicago, it is their problem not our's? How about, "Welcome to Madison, let us help you get back on your feet (or stand on them for the first time) with more comprehensive and interactive programs, sincere job opportunities and community involvement that make you feel human and needed. You are worthy and will not be judged and stereotyped." Maybe if that was the general attitude around here we would see change. YOU are a part of the problem, Madison natives. And you have shown that you have no interest in being a part of the solution. We need to focus on our elementary schools before anything. Poor, minority 2nd Graders are already labeled, and teachers focus on "just getting them through the day" in our schools with high minority populations. Teachers have little to no support, and counselors are few in numbers and resources. Our systems focus on controlling the problem rather than fixing it. When you don't fix something it gets out of control. We seem to forget or dispute that one of the things we need to fix is our own attitude and view. We need less judgement and more comprehensive, interactive programs in our community and schools. Stop thinking that the American past has no relevance, and that people need to just get over it and know how to do better. Stop expecting a person, the second they turn 18, to magically inherit the emotional and social skills needed to know how to do better. You can't fix a cyclical problem by yelling, "Just stop!", especially when you are a part of what keeps it spinning.
I have been a life long resident of this city, people come here from Chicago, Atlanta and all over. Sorry sweetheart, they don't stay in school, they do just about nothing to "help themselves" and the parents are detatched. Take responsibilty!!
Come on now, you are taking this one step too far and making assumptions in your post Sicani...Let's stick to what do know for a fact. Like that blacks are more than 5x more likely to be unemployed. Or far more likely to be in jail. Or that kids are 15x more likely to be sent to foster care. Those are facts. HOW that takes place is up for debate. You might be correct in your reasons, but that opens the door for debate. Let's stick to what we know: the stats are the stats and the 'solutions' over the last several decades have made things far, far WORSE not better...and shockingly so over the last 4-5 years where black unemployment has doubled and home ownership is at an all-time low. Hooray! Let's do more of the same thing and expect different results, then act shocked when things continue to get worse! More money spent on the issues, more and more problems and factual statistics showing it is hurting not helping. Two thumbs up!
Klub - enough. Quit it. Read the statistics. Numerically, factually and statistically speaking a black kid is FIFTEEN TIMES more likely to be turned over to Foster Care than a white kid. Here is what should break your heart: all of the money spent to fix these issues has not only been a total waste, it has made the problem worse. Period. That includes under the Obama Administration as well. So quit pouring money down the drain and look at things honestly - wait, "we are all equal"! Nice theory, not true though. Personal accountability is gone and Obama hangs with former crack dealer/stabber Jay-Z who this week announced to all crack dealers out there they had better "have an exit strategy"...and we wonder why that community continues to get worse and worse. Enough of the whining - open your eyes and do something about it...wait, I wouldn't set foot in those neighborhoods anymore either - I read the same news stories you do about those places.
Gretna Green, I agree, Madison Prep is a good idea, but you will never get that past the unions. We do need solutions,not finger pointing.
Thank you for seeing some common ground in this forum! It is refreshing! I'm not trying to finger point; rather, I hope to enlighten people about how Dane County came to these statistics by recalling a specific recent event in history. It is not just a generalized problem without specific causes. We have to make decisions based on these data. The data were widely known to the school board that voted against Madison Prep. As for solutions, I do not think the African American community would participate in some type of government taking of their children en masse and placing them in orphanages to participate in a program of reform. I think after the Madison Prep defeat, the level of trust in our county's institutions, government and schools is pretty low among the African American leaders who must be on the front lines of reversing this data. They are all doing good things and talking nicely with schools and government, but I sense there is another conversation going on when they are in close company.
Racial disparity and the formation of prejudices was baked in the Wisconsin cake because of the highly segregated city of Milwaukee. As diversity in Madison increased, Madison moved forward with foundational prejudices forged in the cauldron of our views of Milwaukee. We became our own self-fulfilling prophecy. We did not reject the status quo in Milwaukee, we accepted it, became resigned to it and we are destined for the same future.
Ms. Green:
You are right on the money and I fully agree with your take on it, especially for using Milwaukee, as Wisconsin's largest city and urban population center, as a model. Correct me, if I am wrong, but you were using Milwaukee, as a model in describing the wrong direction policy wise that most of the State of Wisconsin, including Madison, has pursued regarding its response to the problems usually associated with racism and poverty.
It's like a lot of people on both sides of the color barrier are afraid to say that it is "racism" that underlies a lot of this sh*t.
So to you, I say don't let this bunch on here sway you or rattle your perception, which so far is ten times more accurate than many rendering their opinions on here about things they know very little about while hypocritically blaming the victims.
They find it convenient to offer blame and stereotypical anecdotes while passing the buck with their dated worn out excuses for why the majority in this state & country has been so damned prejudice and reactionary against those that don't look and act the same as they do.
Often I have been totally ashamed of progressive Madison over it's utter lack of empathy that might otherwise lead to more responsible, open, and respectful dialogue in a sensible debate regarding race & class issues like the current topic that has been raised here.
Anyways, thank you for your perspective.
Cowboy
...and interestingly now Madison's crime statistics (Dane Co) comparing blacks and whites are far worse than those in Milwaukee. Hmm.
Society may have to man up and do the job of the patents for these "broken" families. I don't mean more money thrown down a hole like the Great Society, which has become the "father" in most of these dysfunctional families. Society may have to really take over, with tough love to save young people. One way would be to simply take over raising the kids when parents have demonstrated repeated failure. State run orphanages with on site schools,housing,food,coping skills,and life training, may be the only answer. It would take an investment of dollars, and would be a break from tradition; but that might be the only answer.
We don't need to put kids in orphanages or "take over," but Madison Prep was a darn good idea in the context of this report. We whites would SUPPORT the Urban League of Greater Madison and African American leaders in their efforts to create brighter future for kids through a rigorous school. Parents, no matter their own competency with children, would be drawn to the school to "choose" a better future for their kids. They would be drawn to affiliation with high-achieving African Americans. Some parents who lack education and are dealing with their own problems might not see the benefit, but most African American parents want their kids to do better and would be interested in a place like Madison Prep. It would not be a judgmental bunch of white people trying to whip them into shape. The defeat of that school by a white school board for reasons that had nothing to do with the well-being of African American kids was a watershed event. It was truly a tragedy.
Agreed. Madison's social justice appetite favors white government workers with guaranteed employment and benefits for life, rather than the truly poor and powerless. Clearly our growing underclass population presents tremendous challenges for Madison, but it they are an afterthought in the town's political agenda. Check out the Cap Times and see how many pieces Madison's "progressive" voice has done on the minority poor vs public unions. Madison is about as progressive as Selma.
WOOOOO now. Easy with the anti-union agenda. The loss of union power and shifting of jobs oversea's has hurt minorities more than anything.
Hockey. It's not anti-union. It's a question of social justice and resources.
@ cowboy. Your ability to deceive yourself is amazing. However your belief that you can convince othes to do the same is just sad.
I see the black problem as an inherited trait that simply cannot be changed by any government program that currently exists. That being said, how do we change their culture?
The amount of money that has been spent on "educating" and assisting our African/Americans has mostly been wasted as it would be comparable putting out a fire by spraying water on the smoke. If anything, we have exacerbated the problem by our guilt associated actions.
Most intelligent people seem to feel that the problem is within the black community. Or in their specific case the LACK of a black community that is supportive of education, self-reliance and self respect and consideration of people and two parent families. That is what has to change. Until the cycle of disrespect, begging and self-pity is broken(so clearly stated by Acapitalidea), everything currently being done is a waste of money. I don't know the whole answer, but it sure seems that our current countries divisiveness will not lead to any solutions. Or does the solution lie within the black community?
truthzeeker - I agree wholeheartedly with your remarks. Unfortunately, it appears that the majority of successful black men and women prefer to distance themselves from the problem rather than speaking up. On a national level, the only blacks who voice an opinion are the opportunists like Sharpton and Jackson - and they have no credibility with most people. Until children stop having children, black society learns to appreciate the value of a good education and real leaders appear in the black community this problem will continue to grow.
@Whazzat;
"On a national level, the only blacks who voice an opinion are the opportunists like Sharpton and Jackson..."
Respectfully disagree, although it's their destructive victimization blather that get the lion's share of the coverage.
"...the majority of successful black men and women prefer to distance themselves from the problem rather than speaking up."
Oh they speak up all right, but the only attention it gets isn't overly flattering.
Shelby Steele:
“One wants to scream at all those outraged at the Zimmerman verdict: Where is your outrage over the collapse of the black family?”
Dr. Thomas Sowell, Mia Love, Larry Elder, Don Lemon, Alan West, Clarence Thomas, Michael Steele, Bill Cosby, and many, many more, have all spoken up.
It's what happens AFTER they speak up. They're met with calls of "Uncle Tom, Sell Out," and far far worse, by the Racial Grievance Industry which is comprised of Blacks & Whites alike.
Is it any surprise why more Blacks (or other minorities) don't self-identify vocally as conservatives? It isn't to me.
A good read for any and all is the brilliant Dr. Thomas Sowell's treatise on "Seductive Beliefs I & II," which I believe should be required reading for ALL students.
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell053111.php3
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell060111.php3
The Gotch
When my children were in school, I would occasionally visit their classrooms. While the teacher was teaching, the blacks sat in the back of the room and talked among themselves or slept. Now, a generation later, I visit my grand children's classrooms, and while the teacher is teaching the blacks sit in the back of the room and talk among themselves or sleep. Oh, yes, thanks to technology, they also text on their cell phones.
I see the black problem as an inherited trait that simply cannot be changed by any government program that currently exists. That being said, how do we change their culture?
The amount of money that has been spent on "educating" and assisting our African/Americans has mostly been wasted as it would be comparable putting out a fire by spraying water on the smoke. If anything, we have exacerbated the problem by our guilt associated actions.
Most intelligent people seem to feel that the problem is within the black community. Or in their specific case the LACK of a black community that is supportive of education, self-reliance and self respect and consideration of people and two parent families. That is what has to change. Until the cycle of disrespect, begging and self-pity is broken(so clearly stated by Acapitalidea), everything currently being done is a waste of money. I don't know the whole answer, but it sure seems that our current countries divisiveness will not lead to any solutions. Or does the solution lie within the black community?
I haven't the answer, however, I believe it has to be solved within by those who have the problem. Does anyone really believe the U.S.involvement in Iraq or elsewhere in the Middle East will change their culture? Billions of dollars and thousands of lost lives will change nothing, but that's another matter. Every now and then a letter allegedly written by Bill Cosby surfaces on the Internet that is spot on in identifying the plight of blacks and offering a possible solution - and Cosby serves as a great role model for those willing to pay attention.
'
@Acapitalidea;
How does the Black community at large react to Bill Cosby, or any other Blacks that realize how destructive victimization is, calling them out?
Like Leonard Pitts, Michael Eric Dyson et al?
The Gotch
How convenient on the 50 year anniversary of LBJ's Great Society that this report comes out. We now see what 50 years of Progressivism has done to LBJ's grandkids
How limited is the plight identified by the initiative to Blacks? Comparing the Black population to only "non-Hispanic Whites" will inevitably produce lopsided data.
It's no secret that the Black community has been plagued with greater adversities than their White counterparts. It's been that way for decades. But I'd like to see the numbers under other pieces of this complicated puzzle.
Among those I'd like to see is how residents of other descents fared over the same periods. Reason being, I (more than) suspect that many of the deficits others have already discussed are prevalent among more than just the Black community. I've seen plenty Whites subscribed to the same irresponsible behaviors stereotypically applied to Blacks.
IMO, the report highlights what's actually broader societal decay. Blacks, unfortunately, are in the lead. As I've said in other discussions, this is part of a deep problem for which there is no easy or cheap remedy. We can't keep throwing stacks of cash at the problems, nor can we ignore them. The latter is, in large part, what got us to this point. I wish I had an effective suggestion to offer, but I don't.
In fairness to all minorities, however, we must also acknowledge and appreciate those who bucked the trends and are not part of these statistics.
As long as the blacks perceive that the net social benefits are better in Madison than in Chicago, or even Milwaukee, they will keep on coming into Madison. Ergo, that also means you will also see an increase in what is arguably the most unproductive person in society - the young, fatherless, black male. And I say this not to slander the young men. the fact is that they have no direction in their life. they have no father figure in their life to give them some sort of behavior comparison model. Their culture revolves around music, sexual gratification, an attitude of "getting over on The Man", denigration of women, etc. etc. Drug use is expected. A jail sentence is as much a thing to be proud of as the trashy tattoos they adorn their hide with. As long as the Madison elites, who don't live anywhere even close to the problem areas, pride themselves on their liberalism and keep dreaming up programs to cater to these sorts of people, your population of these folks will continue to grow. Provide services , facilities, and "programs" that enable them, and they will come. And keep on coming!!
@powmda;
"As long as the Madison elites, who don't live anywhere even close to the problem areas, pride themselves on their liberalism and keep dreaming up programs to cater to these sorts of people, your population of these folks will continue to grow."
In other words, it fosters the soft bigotry of low expectations.
If the 'other words' are uttered by a Righty, aghast Lefties slobber that it's racism straight up!
The Gotch
Dear Readers:
This is a good example of the, "it's the blacks causing the problems mentality", I have spoken about.
It is a given fact that as affluent as Madison has become, the above respondent's commentary lacks any understanding of what is actually driving this dynamic that we are discussing.
The above commentary is full of stereotypical race exclusive bias that I remember seeing all the time while growing up here as a young person.
I would suggest to this writer that he or she research the numbers of low income troublesome white families that pour into Madison annually from outlying counties and smaller rural areas in Southern Wisconsin. See for yourself their impact on our schools, housing, and crime rate in this area.
It is staggering and yet you rarely ever hear a word mentioned (in the media) about them or it.
I've done a lot of research, as have many other social scientists and sociologists in and out of the academic discipline in this area. What many have found is that the group, to which I refer, has had a huge impact on Metro-Dane County over the last two/a half decades.
My point is that it just isn't black people coming here but instead it is many different kinds of people who have migrated into our area over the last nearly thirty-years who have and continue to influence evolving change.
However; that is especially true for lower income marginally educated white families.
Cowboy
The problems in Madison as in Chicago, Atlanta, L.A., etc is the virtual collapse of the black family structure. There is a resultant loss of male direction, poverty. This failure of black society is obsured by the press/media/politicians creating a victim class and the total rejection of personal and class responsibility to solve the problems. I lived in Madison in the 60s, 70s and last decade, it is no longer the same community. Despite great progressive outpouring of concern and problems you can no longer safely walk the streets in certain areas at night, the students are no longer as safe as before. Until our society is faces the real crux of the problem--the break down in the family and the nedd for personal responsibility--urban society will continue to decline in quality of life.
Hmmm So once again the blacks are not being taken care of by Wisconsin. On my utilitie bill is a surcharge for those that don't or can not pay their bill. A portion of my tax dollars go to take care of those in need. Don't matter what the color of the skin! IF you can't take care of yourself, maintain employment don't make babies. Your not being fair to your children. The day of having kids to receive more benefits are coming to an end. If your from another state, go home be with your relatives. Don't stay to collect benefits here. Don't come here because we have benefits for the low income etc. Stop and take responsibility for yourselves before pointing the finger at others. Remember when you point the index finger to blame me for what your not getting there are three other fingers pointing back at you. Put your big boy n girl pants on and keep them on! Take charge of your life. Stop being up all night fighting in the streets, steeling from other and showing your children how to beat the system. Show your children how to be self sufficent.
Dear Readers:
Judging from the responses above, right out of the gate, it is the "blame the victim" mentality and approach to this latest revelation. It seems like it never fails when information like this is released about Metro-Dane, the first result is what we see above, which is mainly the victimized and vulnerable segment of society who is nearly totally at fault.
I agree that there are many blacks living in our area who weren't born here and didn't grow up here. The funny thing is that they are far outnumbered by the newly arriving migrants into this area from surrounding counties that aren't black, generally are low income, and who need some form of assistance to take root here.
The difference is that the above classifications are ethnically European. They are from small towns and rural communities. They already share a high degree of cultural and value characteristics, with white people already here and, therefore, it greases the wheels for them.
The population that the alarming statistics are attached to, on the other hand, are from mainly out of state urban centers that have stagnated economically due to outsourcing and off shoring of what were once plentiful manufacturing jobs. That and deteriorating large inner city urban areas, with frequently poor public schools, have left this segment of the American population more stressed and more impoverished.
Often those families come to places like Madison-Dane as a last resort. Often when they get here the harm is long done to their economic-financial status that all they can do is get on some kind of government, tax funded, public assistance. In a place like Madison, they stick out like a sore thumb.
As far as racism, I was born and raised in this area and know how exclusive the majority populace can be when it comes to accessing success promoting resources. I like my parents, I am college educated and have no police record /or incarceration history, neither in this state nor in any other.
Yet over the years, it has been very hard for me financially in this area especially when I was a young person.
Finally, what makes Madison-Dane so negative for blacks is that many people consider themselves experts on this subject. They are leading our failing effort to close a generational achievement gap that has persisted for years in Madison Schools.
If you believe, as I do, that free trade and its subsequent agreements with other nations has weakened American workers and the middle-class, then you really need to pay attention to what it has all meant for millions of black families since then President Bill Clinton along with a republican led house passed and signed NAFTA into law in 1994.
No Madison didn't do that but like the rest of America, Madison has been content to play to the affluent/wealthy types while putting the rest of us on hold over the last couple decades. To see what I mean, just go down town and look at the architectural resurgence that's been taking place in the upscale condo market and who it has mainly benefited.
If you are from here and are really familiar with this area just take a dive out into the surrounding areas of the county like Waunakee, Deforest, Monona, Windsor, Cottage Grove, Sun Prairie, Verona, and McFarland. I remember them back over 30-years ago and have an adequate frame of reference.
Like other big metropolises, Madison has failed to pursue an aggressive annexation policy over the years when it had the chance. That was partly due to laws passed by the State Legislature but was also, because many of those in charge were busy bailing out of the city to those outer areas back then.
Suburban-ization (i.e., gone to the suburbs) has gone on, "unabated", and now Madison finds itself confronted by the same age old forms of de facto segregation and other social ills such as crime, that are common in places out on the East Coast, in the southern U.S, and in large cities throughout the Midwestern region like Milwaukee, Chicago, St Louis, E. St Louis, Omaha, Kansas City, MO., and Indianapolis.
We may not be as large yet but we sure have taken on a lot of the characteristics of all these places, as our population has become more diverse. Social class and race play major roles in how people make out in any of them, which is an inescapable fact. Here, like in all those other places, Caucasians have the inside track.
Madison was a highly race conscious place when I grew up here in the 50's, 60's, and 70's, and that hasn't change very much. What has changed are the times, and more effort has gone into concealing the fact that we are still concerned about race, which indicates how class and race still determine one's social / economic status in Madison just like it does nearly everywhere else in this country.
Cowboy
These people are NOT victims. There are plenty of people (probably the majority) who do just fine. Why- because they work to change their position and succeed. Anyone who has the mentality that are the "victim" due to circumstances beyong their control will never succeed at anything.
These people show up here with their hands out, their mouths running, and their pants sagging and THEY'RE the victims?
Pure screed.
Who do you think you are to say that :Madison has failed to pursue an aggressive annexation policy over the years when it had the chance."? Those towns don't want to be gobbled up and have taxes raised because Madison is a tax sucking hole. People moved to those towns because they were sick of bad schools, crime and high taxes. And because Madison can't get its act together - it should just take over those towns. That's like going to war and taking over another country because it needs that country's oil. Maybe you think Madison should RULE the whole county. if that happened - people would just move further away,
What do you expect: researchers are now learning that (very) early childhood literacy and math exposure, stable family life, and adequate housing are all essential to little Johnny and Tawanna succeeding. Unfortunately, those problems can't be tackled by local governments who don't have the taxing authority of the federal and state governments. So, any attempt by Madison to build more affordable housing, or pour more resources into corrective school programs, reach out to angry teenagers, etc must 1) be small relative to the need and 2) if successful will just attract more poor people who will swamp the available resources. I can't fault them for coming here, but that doesn't mean I feel responsible for them once they arrive. Whoever that guy was last week that gave $10K to that homeless black family from Chicago was definitely NOT a utilitarian. If he were, he could have instead given $10K for after school instruction or coaching for middle-school (or younger) kids in Chicago. Much bigger bang for the buck.
Yeah - raising taxes solves the problem every time - right
Probably the wrong audience and place for this observation - but if you look at the foundations for anyone's success - more often than not, the common foundational components seem to include and point heavily to the importance of an individual growing up in a stable two parent family -- with parental role models that teach their children the value of getting a good education and the importance of working hard to find a good job in order to support yourself and family and to reach their goals in life.
There's nothing racial or discriminatory at all in the observation - and unfortunately, all the government programs in the world that do nothing but 'band-aide' the consequences of not having those fundamentals in place won't change a thing and you will only perpetuate and institutionalize the bad results --- indeed, there have been far to many government programs which have served to 'enable' continued ineffective behaviors and poor foundation establishment and building.
Agreed. As I stated in an earlier post, "The lot of black people - in Madison or most anywhere else - will not improve until they change their behaviors." So long as black men think they're done parenting when they pull their pants up, and black women let them get away with it, nothing will change. So long as black society values "street cred" above education, nothing will change. So long as our "leaders", regardless of their skin color, keep perpetuating those LIES, nothing will change.
The report as outlined is quite flawed. If the intent was to measure 'racial disparity' they should look at benchmarks for Caucasians, Asians, Indians, native Americans, African Americans, etc...
Dane County is also the most educated county in Wisconsin. Which means competition for employment, and the jobs that exist there rely on a heavily educated workforce. Lack of education may explain a great deal of the above numbers.
As mentioned before, the story (and likely the report) did not mention what part of statistical populations where new/recent immigrants to Dane County from other counties/states. Dane as a the progressive seat of Wisconsin also has an attractive social safety neat that attracts people from all over. Unfortunately these people have a hard time competing in Dane Counties work force.
I would like to see statistics relating peoples of other racial/ethnic descents included. At the very least that would move the issue from 'racial' to 'socio/economic' or 'cultural'.
You guys are all right, fault clearly lies with all the blacks. If they were better at life madison wouldn't have all these problems. Seriously, some of these responses lose all there credibility when they fail to acknowledge that there is equal blame in both the people (black or white who commit crimes or abuse social privileges) and the ridiculous penalties our local judicial system disproportionately hand out to blacks/minorities. There was a study that this website wrote an article about a few weeks back that detailed the ramifications being in the "system" has on these individuals. We, as a society, need to be honest with each other not hateful, because all that does is deflect our attention away from the real issues plaguing our once safe city. Comments that are purely hate driven are not constructive and I hope are not the prevailing thoughts of most madison citizens.
"We, as a society, need to be honest with each other not hateful..."
I don't see any "hate" here.....I see A LOT of truth. And the truth is that blacks commit crimes in grossly disproportionate numbers to their population. The lot of black people - in Madison or most anywhere else - will not improve until they change their behaviors.
It is a shame that your Great, Great, Great, Great, Great-Grandfather was a slave. Now grow up and pull your own oar.
Why is the problem only with the black community, come on. I am sure there are many other minorities in Madison. You compare them to the white kids. Lets think about that. First off, the white kids have parents that are part of the children's bringing up. Also these same parents work for what they have. Here we go ,well there's a lot of white parents that can't find a job. Ok,,, how many black/white parents that blame this are actually out looking ? Madison is a magnet for welfare because it must be easier to get on than Chicago. Every day, this paper is full of black crime. My dad told me along time ago that,,,,, if u want respect, you earn it. It is not free.
In closing, DJ HALL, this really is a dumb article, really.
I see it's the usual Klan meeting in here.
Grow up idot. The topic is blacks and we are voicing ideas of why the stats are the way they are, this has nothing to do with racism, always throwing the card out, typical!
Precisely the sort of ridiculous comment that defeats the attempt at any sort of meaningful dialogue.
The problem is the dead beat, drug occupied parents who take no responsibility to raise their children the right way. The kids are not important to them and they fail to raise them responsibly to stay out of trouble and get an education and succeed in life. It's the parents and black leaders fault for not having a voice in these troubled youth. You here these leaders come out when there is something to stir the racism pot, but not when they are consistently getting in trouble with the law and when you get in trouble, the odds of finding a job are slimmer and slimmer.
exactly - time for parents and leaders to step up and state the facts to the youth - stay clean, go to school, pull up your pants and put on a belt when you interview, speak properly, show some respect and get some expectations besides handouts and you will get ahead. Don't - your problem - sorry - I didn't tell you to take drugs, get in trouble, not study, etc - I pay my taxes so you can have a free education - use it or don't complain to me
It's pretty simple. Very few of the black people in Madison were born here. They are largely unskilled, uneducated, and unemployable, particularly in a city where cab drivers often have college degrees. They're here mostly because they can get better benefits. The problem is not a lack of opportunity here; in fact, many employers are actively trying to recruit blacks. There are vibrant and active Latino and Asian communities here that seem to be assimilating well.
The problem is the people themselves. It's time they were told that, especially by black "leaders."
I think it is a valid question: Is Madison simply a magnet for the least educated, most unskilled, and most dependent on social programs that they would not get in cities like Chicago? Has a study been done on people who were born here and stayed here?
I don't live in Madison anymore, but I was born and raised there for 26 years and I have noticed a huge increase of these people coming up from Chicago.
The things you identify are a factor. Let's also remember that the white liberal elite who have been running Madison for some 40+ years. Their perception and solutions to this problem are also a factor.
Sooooooo...... this seems to say that people should be hired based on the color of their skin, not whether or not they are qualified to do the job????? To continue to whine about discrimination based on skin color only keeps the whole charade alive. Where is there not some form of 'discrimination'??? Try being old, or young, or one with no college education, or being blind, or female or male.... Question is, is it discrimination of just an excuse for someone not getting what they want. Argument is getting tired and old.
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