MadLit Is Madison’s Success Story — Let's Not Walk Away From It | District 17

Hi everyone,

This item will be on today’s Finance Committee agenda, so I’m writing to provide more information for Alders and community members. Learn more about how to provide your comments.

MadLit is more than an event — it’s a critical part of Madison’s commitment to equity, opportunity, and belonging. Funding MadLit funding at $30,000 versus $15K is not just the right thing to do — it’s necessary if we are serious about living up to our values.

Over the summer, MadLit creates a space downtown where artists of color, small businesses, and community members come together in a way that simply doesn’t happen anywhere else in our city. We cannot celebrate the success of equity efforts in one breath and then cut our support in the next. What does that signal to the larger community?

Looking ahead, I am fully committed to working with my colleagues, City staff, and community stakeholders to find sustainable solutions for future budgets. But it is completely unfair to throw an opportunity like MadLit into chaos without giving them enough time or support to recover from any sizable cuts. In my opinion, it sends a clear message that the City is all talk when it comes to equity — once again asking communities of color to carry the burden of our financial challenges. We must do better, and that starts with supporting MadLit's funding at $30K not cutting it in half.

Why Alders Should Support Funding for MadLit at $30,000:

Proven Impact and Growth:
MadLit has consistently demonstrated year-over-year growth in attendance, community engagement, and artist participation, as shown in their 2024 Impact Report.
Essential Space for Artists of Color:
MadLit is one of the few city-supported events that intentionally centers and uplifts artists of color on a large, visible, and accessible scale in Madison.
City Responsibility Toward Racial Equity:
The City of Madison has repeatedly recognized, including through the Task Force on Equity in Music and Entertainment, that it has failed to equitably support communities of color — continuing to invest in MadLit helps address this systemic failure.
Increased Investment, Not Retraction:
Funding for MadLit has steadily increased because their outcomes and impact have merited that support (from $26K in 2021 to $30K in 2023/2024). A cut now would be illogical and regressive.
Public and Cultural Good:
MadLit is not just an event; it is an economic, cultural, and social catalyst that makes downtown Madison more vibrant, safer, and more welcoming for all.
Aligns with Music Recovery Framework Recommendations:
The Greater Madison Music City (GMMC) Music Recovery Framework urges direct investment in inclusive programming. MadLit models exactly the type of event this report calls for.
No Comparable Alternative Exists:
There is no other free, outdoor, downtown-based series led by artists of color of this magnitude. Defunding MadLit would create a huge void.
MadLit Creates Economic Opportunities:
The event pays artists, provides platforms for small businesses, food vendors, and entrepreneurs of color, and stimulates the local downtown economy.
Consistent with City’s Diversity Goals:
Supporting MadLit directly advances the City of Madison’s stated goals around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Shows the City’s Commitment to Racial Justice is Real:
Hollow statements about equity mean little without funding commitments. Supporting MadLit proves the City is willing to invest in racial justice, not just talk about it.
Boosts Public Safety and Positive Activation:
MadLit events have been cited as helping to activate the downtown area in a positive, community-centered way, reducing negative activities and making the area more family-friendly.
Strong Track Record of Fiscal Responsibility:
MadLit has demonstrated responsible management of city funds every year, leveraging modest city investment into large-scale community impact.
MadLit Reflects the City We Aspire To Be:
If we want Madison to be vibrant, inclusive, equitable, and thriving, events like MadLit must be fully supported.
The Attempt to Drastically Cut Their Funding is Wrong:
It is unconscionable to propose cutting in half funding for one of the only events of its kind in a city that already has massive racial and cultural disparities. In 2024 organizers returned $2800 back to the City to cover event related fees.
Public Support and Momentum:
MadLit has overwhelming community support from residents, businesses, artists, and civic groups. Restoring adequate funding reflects the will and values of the community.