CITY OF MADISON’S NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY ANALYSIS Background City of Madison Madison, Wisconsin is located in the heart of the upper Midwest. Surrounded by vibrant lakes, forests, and agricultural lands, it is the second largest city in Wisconsin, by population, serves as the capital and the home to the flag-ship University of the State of Wisconsin. Madison is home to competitive sports teams, world class health care facilities, cutting edge research and innovation, the largest public farmer’s market in the United States, and many other attributes that make the City an alluring place to live. The State Capital and college town is characterized by a highly educated citizenry; with four out of five Madison residents having at least some college education. These residents are employed largely by the public sector with the highest rate of employment and wage growth in the private sector. In the past ten years Madison has added 30,000 new residents and is predicted to grow by another 70,000 by the year 2040.1 Despite the many aspects that make Madison a wonderful community to live, work and play, the city does face challenges, chief among those are the disparities that exist for residents who identify as people of color. Racial Disparities, Poverty and Youth Violence Madison, Wisconsin is growing in population, and as it grows, facing new challenges along with long- standing social inequities. Among the greatest of these is the nexus between poverty, racial inequality, and youth violence. Today, while only 21% of Madison’s 252,551 residents are people of color, 67% of Madison's public school students are children of color. Our racial diversity is already increasing and will continue to do so. Creating safe and thriving communities in Madison means taking mindful measures to decrease racial inequities. By almost every measure, Madison’s communities of color, particularly African-Americans, fare poorly compared to our white citizens. These disparities were 1 2016 Madison City Snapshot completed by Imagine Madison. www.imaginemadisonwi.com 1 brought to light by Race to Equity (2013),2 a report completed by the Wisconsin Center on Children and Families to establish a baseline of information on racial disparities in Dane County. That report, first shared at the 2013 YWCA racial justice summit, revealed that: • 63% of white adults, but fewer than 22% of blacks, have the post-secondary degrees needed for employment in Madison’s knowledge-based economy (census data). • 17% of African Americans, but less than 4% of white residents are unemployed. • Median household income for white residents is $56,000, as compared to $28,000 for African American residents. • African American children live in poverty in Dane County at an astounding 74.8%, compared to an estimate of 5.5% for White children. • Black children in Dane County were more likely to be poor than their counterparts in Milwaukee, and most other places in the United States. While the relationship between poverty, crime, and community stability is certainly complicated –the poverty statistics contained in the 2013 study of the Dane County area, tell a story that is concerning as it relates vulnerable populations in the Madison area. Viewing this information with an awareness of racial disparity is critical to work in youth violence prevention on the Northside of Madison in that it should inform all of the work that we undertake to support community stability and resiliency. Madison’s Northside Socio-Demographics: Vulnerable and Economically Dependent Populations Madison’s Northside neighborhood is located to the north east of Madison’s Capitol building, to the north of East Washington Avenue, West of the Dane County Airport, East of Maple Bluff, and South of Cherokee Marsh. Smaller planning areas exist within the target area including the Brentwood neighborhood, Northport corridor, Vera Court and Kennedy Heights neighborhoods, Gompers, Cherokee, Sherman Park and Lakeview planning districts, among others. The stark disparities highlighted above are of particular concern for Madison’s Northside. The Northside of Madison, roughly 4% of the City’s population, is one of the most impoverished areas of the city with higher numbers of vulnerable and economically dependent populations – those under the age of 17 over 65, and has a higher population of racial minorities than the City as a whole. The planning block areas on the Northside have higher rates of several indicators that point towards 2 http://racetoequity.net/dev/wp-content/uploads/WCCF-R2E-Report.pdf 2 community fragility – including the number of female headed households with children, crimes against persons and property, student mobility, and foreclosures. Many of the families on Madison’s Northside have histories of intergenerational poverty. The area contains several low-cost and subsidized housing developments, and, as the chart below (page 5) indicates, a high percentage of children and youth attending neighborhood schools are low income and racial minorities.3 Educational Institutions The Northside of Madison includes attendance areas for five public elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. Other schools on the list below are charter schools, alternative schools, or institutions of higher education. 3 The University of Wisconsin- Madison Applied Population Lab Madison Neighborhood Indicators Project, Last updated March 2015. http://madison.apl.wisc.edu/index.php 3 • Gompers Elementary • Lindbergh Elementary • Mendota Elementary – MMSD Community School • Lake View Elementary • Emerson Elementary • Sherman Middle School • Black Hawk Middle School • East High School • Shabazz City High School • Countryside Montessori • Isthmus Montessori Academy • Madison College • Lakeland University - Madison Of the public schools with attendance areas on the Northside of Madison only Lindberg elementary school is rated as exceeding the expectations of standards set by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instructions (DPI). East High school does the poorest, with a score of only 54.7, and a ranking of meeting few expectations. The remaining institutions meet expectations. There is clearly room for improvement in all of these schools in relation to the State DPI standards. In the context of the 2013 race to equity report indicating poor outcomes for persons of color; it is relevant to note that a high percentage of children and youth attending neighborhood public schools are low income and racial minorities. The chart below reflects these demographics. It is important to note that while Emerson Elementary is not located on the Northside, students from the Brentwood Village neighborhood are bussed to Emerson Elementary for school. Northside Neighborhood School Demographics4 4 DPI; https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/school-profiles, 2015-2016 school year. 4 % % # % % % % % Low School Multi- Eng. Lang. Enrolled Af/Am Asian Latino White Income racial Learners Lindbergh Ele. 233 19 17 25 10 30 43 77 Lake View Ele. 277 26 17 18 9 30 34 77 Mendota Ele. 326 42 6 12 14 25 19 79 Gompers Ele. 277 20 7 18 9 46 30 58 Emerson Ele. 395 18 6 12 15 49 18 53 Black Hawk 365 29 11 20 10 29 29 65 M.S. Sherman M.S. 413 28 8 28 9 26 33 74 East High 1585 24 9 18 39 39 26 57 School Community, Youth/Family Engagement and Stakeholder Engagement The community on the Northside of Madison is engaged at a level that is on par with other areas of the City. Community engagement primarily happens through existing neighborhood centers, faith Communities, school organizations, and events sponsored by the, very active, Northside Planning Council (NPC). The council hosts a community dinner once every two months to provide a free meal and a chance for the community to connect. All of the schools listed above have PTO groups, some are more active than others, but all provide an opportunity for community engagement. Additionally, many of the neighborhoods have centers where youth programming and community gatherings take place. 5 The following centers are active in the area: • Packer Townhouses & CLC • Northport Townhouses & CLC • Kennedy Heights Community Center • Vera Court Neighborhood Center • Warner Park Community Recreation Center • East Madison Community Center In gathering information for this report, members from the following groups were surveyed: Joining Forces for Families (JFF) The Northside JFF social worker teams with police, schools, Northside residents, and other organizations to address family needs and implement programs that allow families to be stable and thriving. A team of individuals meets on a monthly basis to connect around community needs related to family wellness and stability. Brentwood Northport Corridor The Brentwood Northport Corridor NRT enhances coordination, Neighborhood Resource Team and communication among City staff, residents, and other (NRT) stakeholders to promote equity and improve the quality of life for all residents of the identified Northside neighborhoods. Residents, stakeholders and City staff address issues identified by the community, which can range from better lighting to youth recreation and transportation matters. This group meets monthly at Warner Park recreation center. Restorative Justice and Community RJ (youth) and CRC (adults) aims to prevent participants from Restorative Court (RJ and CRC) receiving a criminal records for offenses and provides services and resources that decreases re-offending. It is one of our primary initiatives to reduce disproportionate minority confinement - a significant issue in Dane County. Northside Planning Council The Northside Planning Council is engaged in many areas of community development on the Northside with a special focus on food security and employment in the food industry through the FEED kitchen. The council convenes and organizes many community events and acts an organizing force for the neighborhood. The Council is playing a leadership role in guiding the work of the Safe and Thriving Communities Initiative 6 Despite a wealth of opportunities, the organizing team recognizes that more work needs to be done to make certain that these events are accessible and shared with the entire community.