Equity

  • Recognizing September 15, 2021, through October 15, 2021, as Hispanic Heritage Month Posted 09/22/2021

     I was honored this week to join the entire Madison Common Council in passing the resolution below recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month. Our city and our country are richer for our Hispanic/Latinx residents. t is worth noting that nationwide, our Latinx population is nearly 20%. Read more »

  • Update on City Plans for the Unsheltered Posted 09/21/2021

     There is not a simple, or single, response to the situation at Reindahl Park. The people choosing to live in the park are mostly unwilling to use congregate shelter options like the temporary men’s shelter at First Street or the women’s shelter on E. Washington Avenue. The issue is complicated by the pandemic, of course, and by the large population growth in Madison over the last 10 years, the failure of our housing market to keep up, and the increasing scarcity of affordable housing options. Read more »

  • Madison CARES Posted 08/26/2021

     Today I joined Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes, Fire Chief Steve Davis, Alder Arvina Martin, Journey Mental Health staff  and others as we unveiled the City's new Commuity Alternative Response Emergency Service, or CARES van. I truly look forward to seeing the innovative work this vehicle and it's staff will accomplish. Below is the message I delivered and I am happy to be able to share it.    Read more »

  • 2021 Assembly Bill 414: Legislation attacking anti-racism and anti-sexism training for government employees Posted 08/10/2021

     An intensifying national battle over critical race theory (“CRT”) has spilled into the country’s educational and legislative systems. This battle is not really about the academic concept of CRT, but an attack on important, good efforts to teach about the role of systemic and institutionalized racism in our society. This is an attempt to place a gag-order on any public discourse that acknowledges the institutions of slavery, Jim Crow, restrictions on voting rights, or redlining, to name a few. Governments should not be told how to train their employees. Read more »

  • Disability Pride Month: Making Madison Accessible via Transit Posted 07/26/2021

     July is Disability Pride month, and this year marks the 31st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a major turning point in the acknowledgement of the civil rights of disabled people. But I want to take a moment to reflect on a piece of history that occurred in July 1978, over a decade before the signing of the ADA. Over July 5th and 6th in 1978, a group of people with disabilities in Denver, Colorado, took to the streets to protest inaccessible public transportation by chaining themselves to buses at the corner of Colfax Ave. and Broadway Ave. Read more »

  • First ARPA Funds Bridge Gap for Many of Madison’s Marginalized Communities Posted 07/22/2021

     The first funds from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will reach community based organizations in the next few weeks. They will go to support the basic needs of families and people experiencing homelessness, and to provide opportunity for young people in Madison. This is the first step in implementing the ARPA framework outlined by the Mayor and endorsed by the Council. Read more »

  • The Bubbler Gives Madison Youth a Voice through Art Posted 07/08/2021

     We have a growing number of local programs to involve youth and focus on racial equity in the City. We are providing free youth bus passes this summer, supporting Greater Madison Music City, and supporting young artists on State Street among other things. I am pleased that we can include the Bubbler program as one of these initiatives. Read more »

  • Madison Commemorates and Celebrates Juneteenth Posted 06/16/2021

     It was an honor to join all members of the Madison Common Council last evening in recognizing June 19, 2021 as Juneteenth Day in Madison. This day, along with others throughout June is a great opportunity to celebrate the history of Black Americans in our community through a number of activities both virtual and in-person. I look forward to being part of the parade and Celebration in the Park on the City’s Southside on Saturday. Read more »

  • Madison Common Council Condemns Anti-Trans Bills in State Legislature Posted 06/01/2021

     It's a record-breaking year for highly partisan and noxious anti-transgender legislation in the United States and most of these bills impact transgender youth. At least 117 bills have been introduced in the current legislative session. This is particularly cruel because LGBTQ youth already face discrimination, harassment, and poorer school outcomes already because of their gender expression. Read more »

  • Building an Equitable Music Ecosystem Posted 06/01/2021

     I’m excited to share that the Greater Madison Music City project, with the support of the City, is making progress towards the goal of creating a more equitable music ecosystem in Madison. We know that the current landscape is not equitable – different types of music, different performers, even different venues are not treated the same. We have trouble retaining talent and providing the kind of entertainment our community wants. And the financial impacts of COVID-19 have been particularly devastating to the entertainment and tourism industry. Read more »

  • Mayor Announces Madison Pop-Up Shop Initiative Posted 05/18/2021

     Today, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is announcing The Madison Pop-Up Shop Initiative, a new City of Madison initiative to support small-scale, less resourced businesses and fill vacant storefronts as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The first Pop-Up Shops are a collaboration between the City of Madison, JD McCormick Properties, and local business organizations that support BIPOC entrepreneurs. Read more »

  • Madison Guaranteed Income Pilot Raises More than $300,000 from Local Donors Posted 05/03/2021

     Today, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is announcing that local donors have contributed over $300,000 to Madison’s Guaranteed Income Pilot, bringing the total budget to $900,000. Read more »

  • Announcing Climate Forward Posted 04/22/2021

     This Earth Day I announced Climate Forward – my plan for advancing climate action in Madison over the next two years. You can read about it by clicking the link, or through the press release below. Read more »

  • Mayor’s “Housing Forward” Sets Vision for Madison Posted 04/15/2021

     Yesterday I unveiled Housing Forward, a package of initiatives that collectively represent the City’s housing agenda. It includes a series of efforts to increase housing choice, create affordable housing, combat displacement and segregation, ensure seniors and others can stay in their homes, and the City’s efforts to end homelessness. The package highlights recent achievements, efforts underway, and work yet to come, and it demonstrates what is fundamentally necessary to achieve our housing goals: multiple efforts on every aspect of our housing challenges. Read more »

  • Celebrating National Community Development Week Posted 04/07/2021

     It’s National Community Development Week! The objective of National Community Development Week is to educate Congressional Members and the community on the importance of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program, their impact on the community, and the need for increased program funding. Read more »

  • #TeamCity Awards Posted 03/30/2021

     Friday we celebrated 2021’s second #TeamCity Award Ceremony with a special first time recognition of the City's safest drivers. I want to highlight our top five #TeamCity Award recipients, as well as congratulate all awardees and thank all City staff for making me proud of #TeamCity every day. Read more »

  • Celebrating International Women's Day Posted 03/08/2021

     Last week, the Mayor and Madison's Common Council passed a resolution to recognize today, March 8, as International Women's Day. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted both the centrality of women's contributions as health care workers, caregivers, leaders and innovators, and the disproportionate burdens that women carry. This year, the United Nations has declared the theme as, "Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world." Please help us celebrate at #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2021 and read the full resolution below:   Read more »

  • Supporting the Federal Equality Act Posted 02/23/2021

     It is long past time to modernize our nondiscrimination laws at the federal level to better reflect our values as a country and to ensure that every American is free from discrimination. This is the letter I recently sent to our federal delegation, Senators Baldwin and Johnson and Congressman Pocan.   February 19, 2021 Dear Senator Baldwin, Senator Johnson, and Representative Pocan, Read more »

  • Health Insurance Resources Available to Madisonians Posted 02/22/2021

     COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for our community, and access to quality health insurance and health care has never been more important. On January 28, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order that re-opened enrollment to the Health Insurance Marketplace and took additional steps to strengthen Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.   Read more »

  • Supporting Small Business Posted 02/18/2021

     The City of Madison recognizes the need to invest in our small business community. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, many small businesses face a real prospect of permanently closing. We further recognize historic and current inequities when it comes to funding and supporting small businesses owned by people of color. Read more »

  • Emergency Rental Assistance: Local and Federal Posted 02/17/2021

     On February 17, 2021 the City of Madison and Dane County rental-assistance support application portal opened on Tenant Resource Center’s website. A direct link to the pre-application can be found here: https://core.tenantresourcecenter.org/. Read more »

  • New Administration Takes Action on Immigration Posted 02/16/2021

     Less than a month after taking office, President Biden has signed a number of executive orders to boldly reverse course on many immigration policies trumpeted by the prior administration and start the work of building new policies regarding immigration, refugees and asylum. Read more »

  • Black History Month Resources & Events from Madison Public Library Posted 02/15/2021

     https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/events/special-series/black-history-month Read more »

  • Black History Month Posted 02/11/2021

     As we mark Black History month throughout February, I want to give a shout out to our Department of Civil Rights. Employees there are sharing information each day on the department Face Book page https://m.facebook.com/CityofMadisonCivilRights/ Join me in taking a regular look at the page, which contains some really important and interesting information. This page is one example. Read more »

  • Recognizing February 2021 as Black History Month in the City of Madison. Posted 02/05/2021

     The City of Madison is proud to celebrate February as Black History Month.  I was honored to join the entire Madison Common Council earlier this week in cosponsoring this resolution.  Various City agencies have other activities and programs scheduled throughout the month, and I look forward to sharing some of those with you as well. Feel free to share your activities with me at @MayorofMadison.                                     Read more »

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