The State of Black Madison Coalition released a State of Black Madison 2008"" report Tuesday. The report reveals the challenges African-Americans currently face in Madison based on the city's disturbing racial disparity.
According to the report, the gap between African-Americans and the rest of the Dane County community is significant in regards to income, criminal justice, education, health care and housing. This is the first time the report has been released locally, according to coalition member Scott Gray, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Madison.
""In the 40 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Madison and Dane County have prospered. African-Americans do not fully share this prosperity,"" Gray said.
The report found that 37 percent of Dane County African-Americans live in poverty, compared to 11 percent of the community as a whole. If trends in income gap changes from 1990 to 2005 continue, it will take 265 years to close it.
Additionally, the report found that if the decline in the income gap continues at the same rate over the past 40 years, it would take a century to end black poverty for children. According to Gray, poverty among children has had an effect on local school systems.
""Of [Madison's] high school graduates who are African-American, it's only 30 percent of them that aspire to go to college,"" Gray said.
Officials hope the report will serve as a call for action by both Dane County African-Americans and the entire Madison community. It includes recommendations for positive action by businesses, government, educators, health-care providers, social agencies, community groups and individuals.
According to coalition member Dr. John Odom of the Charles Hamilton Institute, the community is capable of fixing problematic racial issues.
""The City of Madison sits on a precipice of change,"" Odom said in a statement. ""We can pivot toward a continuation of Madison's progressive heritage of diversity and equity or plunge into the seemingly intractable problems that plague most major urban cities.""
