Race to Equity - Rock County: Addressing Disparities to Build a Foundation for Racial Equity

Janesville, WI - YWCA Rock County and Kids Forward will be releasing the Race to Equity Rock County: Addressing Disparities to Build a Foundation for Racial Equity report at the 2021 Annual YWCA Rock County Racial Justice Conference. This collaboration began in 2018 and was built on the YWCA’s place-based expertise and Kids Forward’s long-standing data analysis and racial equity policy work.The Race to Equity Rock County Report summarizes several years of data collection and community engagement. The report is aimed at promoting greater public awareness and the understanding of the depth and breadth of racial and ethnic disparities in Rock County. The preliminary findings and recommendations included in this report are not offered to settle discourse, but to deepen it. The Race to Equity Report offers baseline data and information as a potential launching pad for inclusive and sustained community conversations.“It is my hope that this report will serve as a catalyst to engage our community in the work needed for positive systemic change with respect to racial justice” commented Angela Moore, Executive Director for YWCA Rock County.The data highlighted in this report encompasses the areas of: economics, education, health, and deep end systems including: child welfare, juvenile justice and criminal justice. The report outlines racial disparities evidenced by data and supplemented by community feedback. In addition to the analysis are recommendations which can work to move Rock County forward. The report is intended to be discussed, analyzed, and acted upon. The information should be utilized to inform collaborative and sustainable efforts community-wide. Readers will move through local context, several data indicators, and highlights of needs and opportunities for moving equity forward in Rock County.The purpose of the report is to describe racial disparities that exist in Rock County. The primary audience is Rock County community stakeholders and serves as an intentional exploration of how communities of color are faring in Rock County while providing the community with a shared data set. Collectively, Rock County residents, leaders, and stakeholders must work to understand what the data means for the larger work towards equity, what information requires further exploration, and how to effectively evaluate progress towards equity goals.Erica Nelson: Project Director for Race to Equity, Stephanie Muñoz: Project and Community Engagement Associate for Race to Equity and Amiee Leavy: Racial Justice Director for YWCA Rock County will lead a presentation on the Race to Equity Rock County Report as part of a breakout session at the virtual Racial Justice Conference on November 4th. Registration is $125.00 per person and students are $50 per person (please call to reserve Student tickets). Participants can register and pay for the conference online with a credit/debit card by visiting https://whova.com/portal/registration/racia_202111/. Participants can also contact Georgean Hunt at (608) 752-5445, ext. 200 and she is can help with credit/debit card or check payments as well as invoice submissions.For additional questions about the Race to Equity Rock County Report or about the Racial Justice Conference, please contact Amiee Leavy, YWCA Rock County’s Racial Justice Director at aleavy@ywcarockco.com.