Is madison, Wisconsin African American population changing VERY FAST (Milwaukee: neighborhood, school district)

[savannah2012]

I looked up madison ethnicity. There are 7% black people and 79% whites. Are there a large black community in madison to interact with? What about the schools? What about 2020 year? Will there be more black folks 10 years from now?

[7G9C4J2]

Madison's diversity has increased a little in the twelve years I've lived here, but it is still an awfully white community. I know some folks here believe we're very diverse, but those of us who have lived in bigger cities know better. I do think that we'll see more inflow of non-whites in the next decade, but I lack the knowledge to predict with any degree of specificity.

As to racism, well, that's a complex question. I don't believe there is a lot of overt, in-your-face racism here - in fact, a member of a minority is far more likely to encounter whites who try to make a big production about how WONDERFUL and TOLERANT they are of others. But non-white friends of mine have reported a subtle bias, a feeling of always being "the other" and somehow unwelcome.

My knowledge of the school district's demographics is unfortunately not terribly current, as my own offspring are long since out of school. We chose consciously to settle on the east side because twelve years ago, it offered greater diversity than any other part of the city, but I can't tell you whether or not that is still the case in the school district. The district's website is here: https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/, and you may be able to get more data that way.

I am sorry not to be more help, but I do wish you all the best in your search. Do please come back if you have more questions, and I will try to assist.

[Megan1967]

Originally Posted by savannah2012

I looked up madison ethnicity. There are 7% black people and 79% whites. Are there a large black community in madison to interact with? What about the schools? What about 2020 year? Will there be more black folks 10 years from now?

Seems like you answered your own question. Obviously, no, there isn't a large black community, but I don't think that automatically means that Madison is racist.

As far as the schools go, during the 2011-2012 school year were 4977 African American Children in grades Prk-12. That was out of a total of 24861 students overall, so about 2%. It was 4.5% white.

The school district lists the stats for individual schools (with totals at the bottom of the page) if you follow the links on this page: https://infosvcweb.madison.k12.wi.us/stats.

Who knows what 8 years will bring. I assume more diversity, since that has been the trend.

[Chelito23]

Madison won't ever be a hub for diversity. It is the government and educational center in a very white state, in a very white part of the country. It is somewhat isolated and does not have an abundance of affordable housing or an established path for Blacks or other minorities to come in and climb the social ladder through jobs with decent wages, which doesn't make it a huge destination for minorities. There are lots of low paying jobs...that don't pay enough to support a family...and there are jobs that people are underqualified for, making them unattainable, so that isn't a recipe for explosive growth of the minority population. That doesn't mean there won't be growth in that community, it just won't be a transformation of the city and it will happen slowly but steadily. The economy is good, growth ocurrs all acorss the board...and despite more whites moving to the city, minorities are still gaining in total population, so clearly to anyone who has lived here, the presence of minorities has grown over the years. Only people who live in their isolated world or block wouldn't have noticed this.

I don't think Madison is racist but I do think there is an arrogance that if you don't think, act and speak like the majority, for whatever reason, you are trying to not fit in and are "wrong." That is an unspoken assumption I have noticed which others might call racism, classism, etc...it depends on your view of the world.

Madison schools are half white other half minority...about 20% Black, 20% Hispanic and 10% Asian. People who don't think that is diverse...well, I guess they compare Madison to major cities, which to me doesn't make sense, it is a small midwestern city of about 200K...but for what it is, I think there is diversity here as in other similar sized Midwestern cities like Des Moines for example. It's out there when compared to the lily white small towns across the state, but this isn't Atlanta either.

What I think people lament is that in Madison there is a lack of diversity within the minority population...you don't see many professional Blacks or Hispanics working as teachers or doctors...but I suppose that is common in areas where a certain population is small and relatively young in comparison to the rest of the community.

[Rynldsbr]

Chelito hit it on the head for the most part. I also like to add that Madison loves to play the "melting pot" image due to the university here. The reality is that there is an extremely diverse culture of 18 - 25 year olds in the area due to the UW but there are a very limited number that stay here for life. Most get the degree and move along.

[liveurdream]

Originally Posted by Chelito23

Madison won't ever be a hub for diversity. It is the government and educational center in a very white state, in a very white part of the country. It is somewhat isolated and does not have an abundance of affordable housing or an established path for Blacks or other minorities to come in and climb the social ladder through jobs with decent wages, which doesn't make it a huge destination for minorities. There are lots of low paying jobs...that don't pay enough to support a family...and there are jobs that people are underqualified for, making them unattainable, so that isn't a recipe for explosive growth of the minority population. That doesn't mean there won't be growth in that community, it just won't be a transformation of the city and it will happen slowly but steadily. The economy is good, growth ocurrs all acorss the board...and despite more whites moving to the city, minorities are still gaining in total population, so clearly to anyone who has lived here, the presence of minorities has grown over the years. Only people who live in their isolated world or block wouldn't have noticed this.

I don't think Madison is racist but I do think there is an arrogance that if you don't think, act and speak like the majority, for whatever reason, you are trying to not fit in and are "wrong." That is an unspoken assumption I have noticed which others might call racism, classism, etc...it depends on your view of the world.

Madison schools are half white other half minority...about 20% Black, 20% Hispanic and 10% Asian. People who don't think that is diverse...well, I guess they compare Madison to major cities, which to me doesn't make sense, it is a small midwestern city of about 200K...but for what it is, I think there is diversity here as in other similar sized Midwestern cities like Des Moines for example. It's out there when compared to the lily white small towns across the state, but this isn't Atlanta either.

What I think people lament is that in Madison there is a lack of diversity within the minority population...you don't see many professional Blacks or Hispanics working as teachers or doctors...but I suppose that is common in areas where a certain population is small and relatively young in comparison to the rest of the community.

You don't see many black or other minatory teachers because not many of them study education in college. Where I went to college of the couple hundred education graduates the year I graduated and the year my wife graduated they were all "white" people.

Other than that you spoke the truth and thank you for that so others can learn the reality.

[THETERMINATORRRR]

When I attended UW-Madison, I encountered racism every other week and sometimes on a weekly basis. Now I'm not saying everyone is racist, but it is most definitely present and I so happen ran into it way more than I deserve. The ignorance that I observed was plentiful but generally you find that from students who came from small-town in the middle of no where Wisconsin.

Don't get me wrong, I loved my time in Madison! I have since moved to a much more diverse city to which that is DC, and I still have culture shock when I see so many people of color. Because Yes, Madison is that white and I don't see that changing anytime soon, if ever.

[ckhthankgod]

Aren't there Black school administrators in Madison? What about professional Black folks at UW? At least there's a MLK Drive and a Shabazz City HS. This could give an idea of demographics too: Search For Schools, Colleges and Libraries

https://chavezweb.madison.k12.wi.us/

You can look here too: https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/node/803

100 Black Men of Madison, Inc.

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[Bo]

IIRC, when questions like this were answered in the past, the bottom line from non-minorities was that Madison values diversity, and bends over backwards to welcome it. Members of minority groups indicated they appreciate that, but also complain that the area doesn't have very much from a cultural standpoint to appeal to minorities.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by savannah2012

I looked up madison ethnicity. There are 7% black people and 79% whites. Are there a large black community in madison to interact with? What about the schools? What about 2020 year? Will there be more black folks 10 years from now?

Large black community, no. Enough to form a critical mass, yes -- there are small but definite predominantly black parts of town. The perecentage of minorities in the Madison public school system is much higher than the general population. In other cities that's usually a sign that the public school system irredeemably sucks but this isn't the case in Madison.