Wisconsin in Black & White

The glaring racial disparities in Wisconsin's criminal justice system are shaped by a long history of unequal application of the law toward Black and white Wisconsinites. Growing understanding about the effects of racism and the long-term expansion of incarceration is prompting efforts to educate about their unjust impacts and provide sustained support for people within their communities.

Racial inequalities have profound effects on education in Wisconsin, with access gaps, economic adversity and longstanding school segregation leading to disparities in outcomes among Black, Hispanic and white students. Educators serving diverse groups of students are working to champion reading, provide mentoring and expand learning options in an effort to bring opportunities into greater balance.

Opportunity for Black families in Wisconsin to use homes to build wealth and provide security for the next generation remain limited by decades of redlining, property covenants and urban renewal that restricted options and segregated neighborhoods. Discrimination persists despite long efforts by the fair housing movement, but advocates and entrepreneurs are working to invest in Black communities.

Wisconsin's Black residents face serious health issues, with high rates of maternal and infant mortality, chronic diseases and mental health struggles shaped by generational trauma, all impacted by deep and overlapping social factors. Medical professionals, community activists and religious leaders are working to expand access to pregnancy care, health clinics and healing through learning and joy.