Village Board Adopts Racial Equity Framework

SHOREWOOD, WI — The Village of Shorewood Board of Trustees adopted a resolution at their regular meeting Monday that lays a framework for how the village is organizing the work being done on issues of equity, diversity and inclusion.

The resolution is the culmination of a long-standing discussion in the community and with Milwaukee County on how to engage EDI issues from around the County in a local way. The framework outlines how the Village will seek to organize efforts toward equity, diversity and inclusion going forward, but it's not the final piece to the puzzle.

"I think we've come a long way in terms of making this kind of a top-of-mind issue for us," Trustee Wesley Warren said at the meeting. "That's not to say we're anywhere near the conclusion or midpoint of the journey, the real hard work is making this actionable, and taking the next steps."

"Understanding, listening, making sure that we understand the experience of people within our community, the recognition that we have to get better, and the hard work starts now," Warren said.

At the pinnacle of the framework is one key goal: "By achieving racial equity, Milwaukee will be the healthiest county in Wisconsin."

The local efforts come after Milwaukee County declared racism a public health crisis in 2019. Three concepts lead the way in addressing the public health crisis: create intentional inclusion, bridge the gap and invest in equity.

"There seems to be general consensus that aligning with a metro-wide approach to achieving racial equity in Milwaukee County and thinking of Village DEI initiatives within a framework, set an important foundation for the long-term commitment required to remove barriers that hinder diversity, equity, and inclusion," Village President Ann McKaig wrote in her report to the board about the framework.

At the forefront of these concepts is a clear-cut discrepancy between races in Milwaukee County. Data presented by the county in previous Shorewood meetings was "glaring," one county official said:

Black infant mortality occurs at over double the rate of white infant mortality in Milwaukee County; Milwaukee County lacks access to food at higher rates than in surrounding counties; homeownership occurs at half the rate for Black people as it does for white residents in Milwaukee County, and the list goes on.

A report published Oct. 13 by The Sentencing Project found that 1 in 36 Black adults in Wisconsin is in prison.

There are four key pieces in the village resolution's framework:

1. Education: A commitment to learning — both individually and as a community — about the lived experiences of people of color.
2. Awareness: Communicating what the Village is doing to tackle issues of EDI.
3. Training: Applying an equity lens to all decisions surrounding how we do our jobs.
4. Policy: Ensuring all decision-making is rooted in creating and nurturing an inclusive community.

More details about the resolution can be found in the most recent Village Board meeting agenda on page 50.

County, Village Meets

In July, village leaders had a discussion with county representatives during a Shorewood Community Development meeting.

Issac Rowlett, Milwaukee County's strategy advisor, said in the July meeting that confronting health inequalities must be a proactive measure.

The CDA Chair Peter Hammond said challenges remain in getting everyone on the same page and finding what the solutions will actually materialize to be in Shorewood.

Director of Milwaukee County's Office of African American Affairs Jeff Roman added to the sentiment that "we need to embed and socialize these conversations."