Race to Equity Wisconsin

At a Glance

This project, Race to Equity Wisconsin, led by Kids Forward Inc. aimed to address racial and ethnic inequities in Wisconsin that were revealed in the 2013 Race to Equity Report. The report revealed that while white individuals in Wisconsin generally fare better than the national average, Black individuals and other communities of color in the state experience lower levels of well-being. This was particularly evident in areas like high school graduation rates, employment and incarceration statistics. The report underscored the need for collective action to address racial equity challenges and foster results-driven change.

Kids Forward successfully replicated the Race to Equity model in Rock County, released a comprehensive report addressing disparities and initiated the development of the toolkit for other communities to replicate the model. Over 50 community meetings were conducted, and partnerships were established with Black, Latiné, Asian and ally-led organizations. The project also contributed to internal, local and state policy reforms and recommendations.

The Challenge

The 2013 Race to Equity Report detailed over 40 indicators, comparing the status of African Americans and Whites in Dane County, Wisconsin and the nation, and the report indicated significant racial disparities in all of the social determinants of health. White individuals in Wisconsin generally fare better than whites nationally, while Black individuals and other communities of color in Wisconsin have lower levels of well-being than their counterparts nationally. For example, four percent of Wisconsin’s white students don’t graduate from high school on time, compared to 16 percent of Latiné students and 32 percent of African American students. Wisconsin also has both the highest African American male unemployment and incarceration rates in the nation. There is a need for collective action to address these racial equity challenges and foster results-driven change.

Project Goals

This project aimed to bridge the gap and address racial and ethnic inequities in Wisconsin, particularly focusing on the social determinants of health as a pathway to health equity. This aim was approached through three goals:

1. Replicate and adapt the successful Race to Equity (R2E) Project outside of Dane County, providing proof of concept for the project’s effectiveness in different communities. This included collaborating with racial equity leaders in Rock County to tailor the approach to their specific needs and circumstances.
2. Engage with five diverse communities across the state to identify their primary racial equity challenges and opportunities.
3. Develop a state level, social determinants of health racial equity policy agenda and hold all sectors (public, non-profit and private) across the state accountable to the benchmarks to achieve equity.

Results

Race to Equity Wisconsin had a significant impact on uplifting community voices and promoting racial equity in Rock County and the Fox Valley area. Kids Forward successfully replicated the Race to Equity model in Rock County, released a comprehensive report addressing disparities in the county, and initiated the development of a toolkit to help communities replicate and implement the Race to Equity models. The project team recognized that the toolkit required revisions to be culturally and communally responsive as its reliance on disaggregated, quantitative data made racial equity systems change less accessible for rural communities who may not have access to county-level data.

Race to Equity Wisconsin conducted over 50 community meetings, involving community residents, nonprofit leaders and local government leaders among others. New partnerships were formed with Black, Latiné, Asian and ally-led organizations including the Multicultural Coalition, Casa Hispana, Cares Fox Cities, New Hmong Professionals, Pointters Community Initiatives, Boys and Girls Club Fox Cities STAR Program, NAACP Beloit Branch and Concerned Black Citizens of Beloit. These partnerships helped center policy and advocacy discussions on the priorities and perspectives of marginalized individuals in Rock County and Fox Valley communities.

The project also contributed to policy changes within Kids Forward and at the local and state levels. Kids Forward initiated internal reforms prioritizing racial equity within the organization. At the local level, policy recommendations were provided to advance racial equity in Rock County, addressing economic well-being, health and education. At the state level, the project advocated for policies benefiting children and families, emphasizing the impact on local communities in Fox Valley.