Straight Outta Milwaukee… The Most Segregated City in the United States

The study Marc Levine, PhD, UW-Milwaukee Professor of History, Economic Development & Urban Studies (1984) Co-author of 4 books on the subject Senior Fellow Considered a go to “expert” by journalists in the field of urban social and economic conditions

Purpose of the Study Demonstrate possible impact of Wisconsin Act 23 Voter Identification Statute 2011 American Civil Liberties Union filed suit: Frank vs Walker Permanent injunction (stop) 2015 held up that it violates the Voting Rights Act (1st state to do this)

Proposed issues with the Act $28 Fee for ID (waiver available) Hours of DMVs Birth Certificate required (alternatives, but not publicly known) Locations of DMVs

Levine’s point Act 23 is discriminatory Politically under represented More barriers Cycle…

Credibility of the Study Milwaukee is the #1 racially segregated city in the country 2010 census study by Univ. of Michigan 2010 study by Brown University 2010 study by Harvard and Duke

Definition of urban segregation Concentration of minorities in area of the city (Milwaukee: north side’s “Inner Core”) “index of dissimilarity” – how diverse is a neighborhood (60 is bad, Milwaukee has been in the 90s since the 1970s) Segregated public schools (Milwaukee is #2 for Black-White seg. and #8 for Hispanic-White of the top 100 largest districts)

WI is #16 as most segregated state in public schools Resegregation Housing Market Lowest rate of minority suburbanization 8% live in suburbs Compare to 40-50% in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit WI is #16 as most segregated state in public schools 41% of Black students attend schools that are over 90% minority in composition

2015 HUD study

History Top 5 most seg. cities since 1950s Huge growth in Black population from 1950-1980: 22k to 150k (over 255k today) Recession = reduction in manufacturing jobs = resegregation

Contributing Factors Housing Suburban politics Mortgage (home loan) denial ratio gap Even among high income non-whites Same rate as low-income whites Suburban politics Limit low income housing in suburbs i.e. 2010 Mayor of New Berlin called racial slurs b/c he proposed a new low income housing project Had his background checked to see if he had any “African- American blood” 2011 US Dept. of Justice sued New Berlin for violated federal affordable housing project 2012 approved

Some of the opposition was based in part on fear that prospective tenants would be African American or minority. The Mayor, Aldermen, Plan Commissioners and staff at DCD were aware that community opposition was based in part on race. The communications they received over several weeks contained express and implied racial terms that were derogatory and based on stereotypes of African American residents. These communications references “niggers,” “white flight,” “crime,” “drugs,” “gangs,” “families with 10 or 15 kids,” of “slums,” of not wanting New Berlin to turn into “Milwaukee,” of moving to New Berlin “to get away from the poor people…”24

2008-2010: House Hold Income by Race & Ethnicity source: US Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey, 2008-2010 3-yr data GROUP Median HH Income As % of White HH Income White Non-Hispanic $60,302 ----------- Black $27,802 46.04% Hispanic $36,623 60.73%

Milwaukee’s poverty rate (% of people living below the poverty line for family size) 36% 2 adult, 2 child renters: approx. $23000 in Milwaukee Wisconsin is 16 of 50 states

Segregation by where people live Conditions: “concentrated” or “extreme” poverty is defined as concentration (over 40%) of people in poverty Limitations due to costs High crime rates Limited resources Relocation of businesses 33% of blacks; 1.6% of whites (2010)

Blacks and Hispanics make up 23% of Metro Milwaukee’s population Blacks and Hispanics make up 86% of people living in extreme poverty

Education Milwaukee’s achievement gaps are highest in US Top test scores: 5% Black; 3% Latino 44% of non-Hispanic Whites hold post high school degree 19% Blacks; 16% Hispanics (2010)

Graduation rates WI: largest graduation gap (2013/14) Overall went up to 88% (all students) White: 93% Black: 66% for state 60% for Milwaukee

Employment, education and incarceration

Employment Early 1900s = one of the highest rates of employment among Black Males 2010 = 44%of working age (16-64) were employed (#3 in country of large metro areas) 77% of White Males Largest racial disparity

NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BY RACE

Relationship between unemployment and crime

Milwaukee Racial Unemployment Gap Milwaukee (2010) Males, Ages 25-54 % employed 53% Black 85% White GAP= 32% Buffalo, NY (#2) 26% GAP

Contributing factors to unemployment Surroundings Education: Poor quality Low graduation rates Geography: Jobs moving to suburbs Discrimination: 2000 study –testers with same qualifications, different races, different criminal records 30% whites w/o record called back; 14% Black w/record – 17%; 5% Black

Business ownership Self-employed = wealth opportunities Improves communities where the minority owned business is located Milwaukee lowest on list

Incarceration Rates Since 1970s, has quintupled (X5) in US Disproportionately African American males 2005 Wisconsin – 2nd highest black incarceration rate in country (2Xs NY, IL & OH) 40% of black males in Milwaukee County ages 25-34 have been in corrections system (5% of whites; 5% of Hispanics)

OVERLAPPING STATISTICS Link??? Milwaukee County – 40% black males in “the system” 67% of them are released into poorest neighborhoods 60% graduation rate ** See Summary of Racial and Ethnic Socioeconomic Disparities Table