DMI Ad Hoc Committee on Racial Inclusiveness

Transcription

1 DMI Ad Hoc Committee on Racial Inclusiveness June 16, 2015 Objective To present the Downtown Madison, Inc. Executive Committee and the DMI Board of Directors, for their approval, with a proposal to appoint an Ad Hoc Committee that will investigate, consider, and recommend: (1) a process by which DMI will enhance the inclusiveness of our membership and leadership so that our organization and its leadership reflect the full spectrum of cultural richness and viewpoints within our downtown community; (2) resources required to implement the recommended process; and (3) a timeline for implementation. The Ad Hoc Committee will include betweeen 7 and 11 people appointed by the Executive Committee and approved by the Board. It will begin its work upon appointment in June 2015, and it will submit its recommendations to the DMI Executive Committee and Board no later than September 4, Current DMI State and Process DMI s Mission Statement provides: DMI is committed to planning for, sustaining and growing downtown Madison as a thriving regional economic engine that offers a best-in-class quality of life for businesses, residents and visitors DMI s mission statement provides that we are committed to building and maintaining a downtown that offers a best-in-class quality of life for businesses, residents and visitors. And yet, as recent events and statistics demonstrate and personal observation and inquiry will confirm, we are not living up to our Mission Statement. Although Madison, driven by its growing and vibrant downtown and the dynamic University of Wisconsin, is perennially on many Top 10 lists for livability in the US, it is clear that the best-in-class quality of life that so many of our residents enjoy is not available to all. As soon as practical, and no later than six months after the Ad Hoc Committee presents its recommendation, DMI will adopt and implement a process by which our Board and Committees will work to enhance the inclusiveness of our membership and leadership so that our organization and its leadership reflect the full spectrum of cultural richness and viewpoints within our downtown community. This process will seek to achieve specific, identifiable outcomes, such as bringing greater awareness to DMI members, staff, Board, and Committee members of the benefits of seeking a more inclusive downtown community; educating them about best practices in other communities and implementing those practices in Madison; acting intentionally to include people of color in DMI s staff and leadership at the Board and Committee levels, and to our membership; considering issues of racial equity and inclusiveness when making decisions about purchasing; providing greater support for cultural competency and understanding in the downtown community; engaging DMI s leadership and Committees to work to enhance the opportunities for members of our communities of color to live, work, and play downtown, thereby changing the present state of what we literally see and experience downtown; and, as a result, improving the quality of life overall for downtown businesses, residents, and visitors. 1

2 This process may include, for example, taking an inventory of efforts that DMI members already are making to enhance inclusiveness in their businesses or organizations; working collaboratively with DMI s partner organizations and other local business and advocacy groups, such as the Latino Chamber of Commerce, Madison Black Chamber of Commerce, YWCA, Centro Hispano, Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, Urban League, Justified Anger coalition, and Wisconsin Council on Children and Families; participating in the YWCA s racial justice training; seeking input on what change is needed from communities of color beyond DMI s current Board and membership; conducting or commissioning research on how our communities of color perceive our downtown and their experiences (or lack thereof) downtown, as well as where people of color go for entertainment, shopping, and work instead of downtown. In the near future (2-5 years), DMI will pursue actions and activities, on its own and in conjunction with other groups and local government officials that will effect a change in the levels of comfort and engagement by all dimensions of the Madison community in participating in the life of downtown Madison. Residents of color will find meaningful and attractive reasons to work and visit downtown. The majority white population will welcome this, learn, and act on ways to individually and collectively welcome everyone. We will recognize our existing cultural diversity in the downtown area and celebrate it while also expanding on it. We will partner with organizations that seek to expand the participation in our economy by people of color and businesses. We will identify and remove barriers. Madison s downtown economy and cultural life will become more robust because of these efforts and we will enhance our ability to attract businesses, employees, and customers to our downtown. If we are to be true to the admirable and still-relevant principles set forth in our current Mission Statement, DMI must embark on a path to examine what we can do inside and outside our organization to expand the opportunities for a best-in-class quality of life to the full spectrum of Madison residents, both those that live here now, and the tens of thousands of additional residents who will make Madison their home in the coming decades. To plan for" and grow downtown Madison s economy means that we must increase the opportunities for the segments of our population that not only do not currently feel welcome downtown, but are the fastest growing. We must invest in this future population by identifying, confronting, and dismantling the structural and cultural barriers that deprive current communities of color of meaningful opportunities to fully participate in life downtown, and threaten to do the same to future generations. Similarly, if we wish to offer best-in-class quality of life for the types of businesses and residents who will increasingly populate our city, we must seek to broaden the appeal of the downtown as a place where Madison residents of all races, cultures, and ethnicities feel welcome to live, visit, work, and locate their businesses. Given its strong ties to the downtown business community, its excellent working relationships with City staff, and its deep relationships with its partners throughout the city, DMI is uniquely positioned to be a leader in our community to work toward making downtown Madison a place where all Madison residents feel welcome and can enjoy a quality of life that is best in class. 2

3 Information on the Current Status of the Madison Community and the State of Wisconsin Madison s communities of color are disproportionately negatively affected in the most significant metrics that are meaningful to the quality of life of our city s residents: educational outcome, employment, and income. We know, for example, that African-American and Latino students in our city s schools trail their white counterparts in test scores and graduation rates. And, although Madison is home to the State's flagship university, and historically has the State s lowest unemployment rate, 1 unemployment and poverty rates (and many other metrics) for communities of color in Madison not only far outstrip the unemployment and poverty rates for white residents, but they are so pervasive and extreme that when compared to communities of color in other states, they are among the worst in the United States. 2 As recently noted in Justified Anger s Our Madison Plan: Racial disparities in Madison and throughout Wisconsin have created dramatically different realities along racial lines. Wisconsin routinely ranks as the worst state for social, economic, educational and health disparities when comparing African American and white children and families in the nation. Current services, efforts, and solutions are fragmented and underserving the African American population in Madison and Statewide. 3 In addition to those aspects of the quality of life in Madison that can be directly measured and evaluated statistically, there are ample anecdotes and reports of the difficulties that Madison s communities of color face in fully enjoying the experiences that so frequently land Madison in many different nationwide Top Ten lists of places to live. We hear with frequency from our friends in communities of color that too few transportation options serve their neighborhoods to allow them to travel safely, conveniently, and affordably from their homes to their places of work, school, or leisure. Similarly, we have heard that communities of color do not feel welcome in some areas of the city, including the downtown, at least in part because they are concerned they will be harassed or harmed by the police. And as we all can observe from our downtown environment, which so many of us view as possessing a rich and ever-increasing wealth of cultural experiences, the center of our city has minimal cultural opportunities, such as music, theater, restaurants, and other experiences, that are meaningful to members of our various communities of color. More recently, Madison experienced the tragic shooting death of an unarmed African-American man by a police officer on the near East Isthmus. Regardless of the outcome of the investigation into this incident, it threatens to reinforce the fears of communities of color in Madison that, at best, they are not welcome downtown, and, at worst, their safety is in jeopardy. Thus, although our downtown has become increasingly livable and vibrant, it has not become so for all of our residents. This is an untenable state of affairs from an ethical, economic, civic, and community values standpoint. Many advanced educational institutions and businesses have recognized that in an interconnected global economy, the ability to compete and thrive will depend on cultural awareness, sensitivity, and inclusiveness. 4 For Madison to thrive in the coming years, the current situation must improve. The Wisconsin Council on Children and Families perhaps summed up the state of affairs and the critical and urgent need for change in Madison in its Race to Equity baseline report: 3

4 The status quo is toxic for the future of the African American population and, by extension, for other communities of color in Dane County. But it is also poisonous for the county as a whole. Failure to alter the current imbalances in opportunity, well-being, and outcomes will ultimately corrode Madison and Dane County s reputation for an enlightened and progressive commitment to social justice. It will discourage some families of color from coming or remaining here. And, perhaps most importantly, the continued marginalization of communities of color will undermine the region s cultural vitality, economic competitiveness, and overall quality of life in a world that increasingly values and demands racial and ethnic diversity and inclusion. 5 Recent studies have shown that in Wisconsin (and the entire United States), we are becoming an increasingly urban society. Since 1990, the population in Wisconsin has gone from 67.3% urban to 70.15% urban. That trend is predicted to continue. And no city in Wisconsin is poised to grow in population more than Madison. From 2000 through 2010, the Madison metropolitan area experienced the greatest population increase of any metropolitan area in Wisconsin, growing at a rate of greater than 19.8%. 6 From 2000 through 2010, the Madison metropolitan area experienced the greatest population increase of any metropolitan area in Wisconsin, growing at a rate of greater than 19.8%. Current forecasts are for Madison to reach more than 280,000 residents by At the same time that Wisconsin is becoming increasingly urban, other noteworthy demographic trends are taking shape that will affect our city. Wisconsin s population is aging. And, significantly for Madison and other large metropolitan areas, the population is becoming less white, with population growth rates among African-Americans and Latinos outpacing that of whites. In Wisconsin, the percentage change in total population from 2000 through 2010 was slightly more than 3%. By contrast, the Latino population in Wisconsin increased 74%; the African-American population increased 17%; the Native American population increased 10%; and the Asian population increased 45%. 7 In Madison, between 2000 and 2012, the white population increased 0.7%, whereas the African-American population increased 3.3%, the Latino population increased 5.6%, and the Asian population increased 3.6%. 8 Accordingly, the demographic trends in Wisconsin as a whole, and particularly in Madison, indicate that Madison will continue to grow in population, and that an increasing proportion of our population will be made up of people of color. Given that we currently are failing to accomplish the goals and objectives reflected in our current Mission Statement with respect to Madison s current business and residential communities of color, we must change what we are doing to help build an inclusive downtown that offers opportunities for a best-in-class quality of life for all Madisonians, including those from our communities of color. 1 See David Egan-Robertson, UW-Madison Applied Population Laboratory, Wisconsin s Future Population, Projections for the State, Its Counties and Municipalities, (December 2013), available at 2 The Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, Race to Equity: A Baseline Report on the State of Racial Disparities in Dane County (2013), pp. 7-14, available at 4

5 3 Justified Anger, Our Madison Plan: Mobilizing Madison for Change (May 29, 2015), at p. 9, available at 4 See New York Times, At New York Private Schools, Challenging White Privilege From the Inside (Feb. 20, 2015) 5 Race to Equity, at p See US Census Bureau, Population Distribution and Change: 2000 to 2010 (March 2011), available at 7 See Dan Veroff, University of Wisconsin Applied Population Laboratory, Wisconsin Population Trends 2010 Census Results (December 8, 2011), available at 8 Madison s Economic Strategy: Shaping What s Next (presentation, September 2014), available at 5