News

Enoch Melgarejo and Holly Chen have joined the Department of Civil Rights as Bilingual Community Connectors in the City of Madison’s new Community Connector Program, one of the few government programs of this kind in the country.  

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and City of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway announced Dr. Charles Taylor and the late Wayne Strong as this year’s recipients of the combined City-County Humanitarian Awards honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King…

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Common Council has proclaimed Saturday, October 15, 2022 as “White Cane Safety Day” in the City of Madison. White Cane Safety Day celebrates the achievements of people who are Blind or visually impaired. It promotes…

For immediate release, September 21, 2022 Reverend Wright Human Rights Award Recipient Contact: Byron Bishop, 608-266-4910 The Annual Reverend Wright Human Rights Award goes this year to Wayne Strong (Posthumously). Unfortunately, Wayne passed away…

The Annual Reverend Wright Human Rights Award goes this year to Wayne Strong (posthumously). Unfortunately, Wayne passed away earlier this year. The award will be presented to Wayne’s wife, Terri, at the Common Council meeting on Tuesday, September…

This week, advocates and city Civil Rights agencies are calling for greater awareness of voting rights and barriers facing people with disabilities during Disability Voting Rights Week. These issues were discussed at a press event at the City County…

Date & Time: September 27th 4:00-5:30 Location: Zoom Are you a minority-owned business? Do you want to do business with government agencies such as City of Madison, Dane County, or the State of Wisconsin? Well, this webinar could help bring…

Rebecca Hoyt joins the City of Madison as the Disability Rights and Services Specialist. As a person with a disability, and the parent of a child with a disability, she brings with her deep roots and passion for advocacy. She is committed to…

Seeking Tolerance and Justice Over Hate, or “STAJOH”, was formed in 1999 in order to combat hate crimes in our community. STAJOH created the Alix Olson Award in 2011 to honor retired Madison Police Detective Alix Olson and her admirable leadership…

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Common Council have proclaimed Friday, October 15, 2021 as “White Cane Safety Day” in the City of Madison. White Cane Safety Day promotes awareness of people walking who use white canes or guide dogs to assist them and…

The Annual Reverend Wright Human Rights Award goes this year to Carmella Harris, who has worked tirelessly to serve the basic human rights of her neighbors while showing them enormous dignity and respect.

The Department of Civil Rights (DCR) has upgraded their system for taking discrimination complaints. The complaint portal (https://discrimination.cityofmadison.com/Home/ComplaintView) is now live and accessible from any device that supports a web…

The Annual Reverend Wright Human Rights Award goes this year to Tami Fleming, who has dedicated much of her life to helping Madison’s homeless population. The award was presented at the Common Council meeting February 23, 2021.

 Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and City of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway today announced the recipients of the combined City-County Humanitarian Award honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The award winners, selected by the…

The City of Madison Department of Civil Rights has hired Kristy Kumar for the position of Equity & Social Justice Manager. This is a new position to lead a new division within the Department. Kumar officially starts in January and will report to…

Milele Chikasa Anana, perhaps best known for publishing UMOJA Magazine, passed away May 6, 2020 after discontinuing dialysis. Milele grew up in Tulsa, with all the frustrations of Jim Crow. She went to college in Alabama and eventually ended up in…

The COVID-19 pandemic has often brought out the best in people, however we have also seen troubling behavior directed at Asian Americans in our community. I will not cite specific instances as I never want to call attention to these expressions of…

Staff from the City of Madison are continuing to partner with Public Health, Madison & Dane County (PHMDC), as well as the County Executive’s office, local schools, the State of Wisconsin and federal agencies to “flatten the curve,” protect the…

County Executive Parisi and Madison Mayor Rhodes-Conway Announce the Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award Honorees Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and City of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway announced Ada Deer and Kenneth R. Cole as…

Survey Reveals Unacceptable Rates of Workforce Harassment and Bullying in City Workforce