Following are two resolutions approved against racism by the Middleton Common Council on July 21.

Council Resolution 2020-34
Recognizing Racism as a Public Health Crisis
Whereas,
race is a social construction with no biological basis; and
Whereas,
racism is a social system with multiple dimensions; individual racism is internalized or interpersonal; and systemic racism is institutional or structural, and is a system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks, that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, unfairly advantages other individuals and communities, and saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resources; and
Whereas,
racism causes persistent racial discrimination in housing, education, employment and criminal justice; and an emerging body of research demonstrates that racism is a social determinant of health; and
Whereas,
more than 100 studies have linked racism to worse health outcomes; and
Whereas,
in Wisconsin, the highest excess death rates exist for African American and Native Americans, at every stage in the life course, and our infant mortality rate for infants of non-Hispanic black women is the highest in the nation; and
Whereas,
the American Public Health Association (APHA) launched a National Campaign Against Racism; and
Whereas,
Healthiest Wisconsin 2020 states that, “Wisconsin must address persistent disparities in health outcomes, and the social, economic, educational and environmental inequities that contribute to them”; and
Whereas,
the Wisconsin Public Health Association has adopted in 2010 the resolution “Achieving Health Equity” and in 2014 the resolution “Promoting a Health in all Policies (HIAP) Framework to Guide Policymaking” and in 2017 convened a Racial Equity Workgroup; and
Whereas,
public health’s responsibilities to address racism include reshaping our discourse and agenda so that we all actively engage in racial justice work; and
Whereas,
while there is no epidemiologic definition of “crisis”, the health impact of racism clearly rises to the definition proposed by Galea: “The problem must affect large numbers of people, it must threaten health over the long-term, and it must require the adoption of large-scale solutions.”
Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MIDDLETON MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL, together with City Staff:
1.
Asserts that racism is a public health crisis affecting our entire society
2.
Directs the City Administrator to develop a strategic plan that includes goals and objectives to ensure racial equity is a core element of the City’s operations
3.
Works to create an inclusive community and identifies specific activities to increase diversity
4.
Incorporates inclusion and equity, and offers educational training to expand City leadership’s understanding of how racism affects people
5.
Advocates for policies that improve health in communities of color
6.
Encourages other local, state and national entities to recognize racism as a public health crisis
This resolution was adopted at a regular meeting of the Middleton Common Council this 21st day of July, 2020.
ATTEST:
_______________________ _______________________
Gurdip Brar, Mayor Lorie J. Burns, City


Council Resolution 2020-39
Repudiating Racist Covenants in Local Real Property Records
Whereas,
in discussion at the Council meeting of June 16 concerning racism and violence against African-Americans, a Middleton resident property owner mentioned her horror in discovering a racist covenant in her property’s chain of title; and
Whereas,
the subject covenant in the Park Lawn neighborhood reads in part that “no part of said platted premises shall ever be conveyed to, used, owned or occupied by any persons other than of the Caucasian race, either as owner or tenant”; and
Whereas,
the aforementioned language is morally repugnant, immoral and has no basis in law having been declared unenforceable under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States in 1948 by the U.S. Supreme Court in Shelley v. Kraemer, 334 U.S. 1 (1948); and
Whereas,
real property laws are governed by state law, and the City is pre-empted from creating any local ordinance that would change the legal framework governing the formal amendment of existing deed restrictions or covenants; and
Whereas,
such racist covenants are modifiable by the homeowners but the process may, in some instances, prove to be relatively time consuming and costly; and
Whereas,
the City Attorney advises that individual property owners could record a form of repudiation of such covenants on their own property. One such example reads:
“We, [name], owners of the property at [address], acknowledge that this deed is subject to an unenforceable, unlawful, restriction or covenant excluding non-Caucasians from this neighborhood. We repudiate this clause and state that we welcome with enthusiasm and without reservation neighbors of all races and ethnicities.
Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MIDDLETON MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL, as follows, that:
The Mayor and Common Council of the City of Middleton, Wisconsin, repudiate racist covenants that are remaining signs of embedded and systemic racism in our society, and we further state our dedication to exposing and rooting out systemic racism wherever we find it.
This resolution was adopted at a regular meeting of the Middleton Common Council this 21st day of July, 2020.
ATTEST:
_______________________ _______________________
Gurdip Brar, Mayor Lorie J. Burns, City Clerk
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7426 Hubbard Ave, Middleton, WI 53562
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