During a recent presentation given before the Rotary Club of Madison, in Wisconsin, Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin shared his observation of the current nature of race relations in the city his team calls home. Feigin was speaking on plans to help rebuild the city through the contribution of his franchise, when in addressing the impact of creating employment for African-Americans, he described the racial disparities that exist there as akin to nothing he's seen in the U.S.
"We know we can't cure the world. But we are very determined to get ourselves involved in programs that we can measure a difference in and put our claws into for a long period of time and show a difference," Feignin responded. After a reporter cited an incident involving Bucks forward John Henson being racially profiled by a jewelry store that locked it's doors and called police on him during business hours. "Very bluntly, Milwaukee is the most segregated, racist place I've ever experienced in my life. It just is a place that is antiquated. It is in desperate need of repair and has happened for a long, long time. One of our messages and one of our goals is to lead by example," he said. You can hear his full remark at the 25:12 timestamp.
Judging by the findings presented in a 2016 report, Feigin's observation wouldn't be an exaggeration. The study, carried out by The Brookings Institution, listed Milwaukee ahead of Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and New York as the most segregated city in America. The city's racial demographics are so isolated apart from one another that it determined 78% of Blacks would have to cross over to inhabit densely white neighborhoods, and vice versa, for the demographics to balance out. An even greater disparity exists beyond the city [which is 40%, Black]. In contrast to the poverty that exists in the metropolitan Milwaukee, the suburbs are statistically Republican, wealthy, and white. The report cites places such as Washington County being 96% white and 1% Black, Ozaukee County being 95% white and 2% Black, and Waukesha County being 94% white and 1% Black.
The degree of disparity explored by the Brookings report came to light in the coverage numerous media outlets provided, following the riots sparked by the shooting of Syville Smith by an officer, in August. Violence broke out in the days that followed the incident, with some reports alleging that white reporters and citizens were being targeted amid the hostility.
Source: sports.vice.com
