Jacquelyn Boggess, speaking Tuesday at the ninth annual Racial Justice Summit hosted by Speaking to a diverse crowd at the Goodman Community Center on the city's east side, Boggess raised the issue of racial disparities in a society that claims to be "colorblind." She noted that it's an uncomfortable topic. "It's a hard problem and nobody wants to talk about it. We don't talk about it enough because we always want to go to action steps," Boggess said. "People say, 'Let's reverse the effects of slavery, but I've got to be back by 5.'" Boggess discussed her work at the Center for Family Policy and Practice, which centers on social welfare for low-income families, particularly with Latino and African-American men. These men, she said, face daunting obstacles in trying to become productive citizens, but most of the problems stem from policies, not individual acts of racism. "[Racial disparity] has little to do with persons. It's the structure of laws," Boggess said. "We need to ask, 'Who are we not considering when we make this policy?'" According to Boggess, these "colorblind" policies include Social Security, Federal Housing Authority, child support enforcement, policing and incarceration policies and public school funding. Boggess criticized punitive approaches to enforcing child support, like jailing or taking away the driver's licenses of those who don't pay. This does nothing to solve the problem, as a person who cannot drive has limited employment options, and a person in jail is certainly not making any money. In addition, a criminal record drastically limits employment options in an already tough economy. "You all know what happens if you have a felony record in Madison. You don't find a job," Boggess said, drawing emphatic agreement from some audience members. "If people won't hire you, what are you supposed to do?" Boggess is one of the four featured speakers at the summit, which continues Wednesday at Monona Terrace. "I think [Boggess] is an absolute treasure in the Madison community," said Colleen Butler, racial justice and outreach director for YWCA Madison. "She's sought after as a keynote speaker nationwide and we're so lucky to have her as a resource."
Racial Justice Summit offers frank discussion of race in 'colorblind' Madison
Boggess: 'We need to ask, 'Who are we not considering when we make this policy?''