Date: October 19th

Time: 6:30pm

Location: Union South

Participants will learn that for most of the 20th century, discriminatory covenants were an insidious tool used nationwide to segregate whites from Blacks and other minorities in America’s burgeoning residential neighborhoods. Discriminatory covenants were inserted into property deeds to prevent non-Whites and non-Christians from buying or occupying land. Although no longer legally valid or enforceable, they can still be found in the land deeds of almost every American community.

Inspired by efforts throughout the country, Dane County conducted a pilot in June of 2022 to identify and analyze records from 1937-1969. Since then, the team reviewed more than 330,000 records from 1900-1969. The project team uncovered and mapped 1,029 property records impacting roughly 4,000 parcels. Of these, property owners of 1,103 parcels, roughly 25%, already released these provisions. An interactive map showing the discriminatory real estate documents can be found here.

Meanwhile, on March 22, 2024, Governor Evers signed the 2023 Wisconsin ACT 210 declaring discriminatory restrictions void and unenforceable and allowing property owners to denounce the restrictions. And, given the prevalence of these covenants in the County, on February 20, 2025, the Dane County Board of Supervisors passed 2024 Resolution-305 Repudiating Racial and Discriminatory Covenants in Dane County Property Records, validating and advancing this effort locally.

County staff and volunteers are now helping community members file these forms at their neighborhood events. So far, nearly 50 denouncements were filed.