Wisconsin Academy: Discussion on race and shifting demographics at a special Academy Evenings event on February 16

Join a Discussion on Race and Shifting Demographics at a Special Academy Evenings Event on February 16 @ MMoCA in Madison

With an African American president and Latina supreme court justice, it would seem that America is on its way to becoming a more pluralistic place. But what about here in Wisconsin, where minorities today comprise 15% of the state population? While this is not a large number (compared to the rest of the U.S. our state ranks 39th, well down the list), demographic projections tell us that not only will the next U.S. generation be larger—growing from 300 to about 440 million people—but it will also be more racially and ethnically diverse. A recent U.S. Census Bureau report indicates that the state’s Hispanic population is growing at 4% faster than the national rate, yet Latinos represent only 5.1% of Wisconsin’s total population; African Americans represent 6.2%, yet over 75% of this population lives in Milwaukee County. So, how diverse are we, really, and how will living in a more pluralistic society affect us?

University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers and Academy Evenings panel participants Katherine Cramer Walsh, Michael Thornton, and Lynet Uttal, along with moderator Emily Auerbach, will explore our shifting demographics and changing attitudes in the “Wisconsin 2050: Pioneering the Future” presentation, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: The Nature of Tolerance in 2050. This free, public discussion forum will be held on Tuesday, February 16, from 7:00–8:30 pm at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Lecture Hall, 221 State Street, Madison. Seating is first-come, first served. Doors open at 6:15 p.m.

The “Wisconsin 2050: Pioneering the Future” Academy Evenings series is sponsored by the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, University of Wisconsin–Madison, M&I Bank, the Evjue Foundation, and Isthmus Publishing Company.

About Academy Evenings

Academy Evenings engage the public in a wide variety of topics of public interest and feature Wisconsin’s leading thinkers, scholars, and artists. These free forums are intended to encourage public interaction with these leaders in an intimate atmosphere designed to foster discussion and build community. The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters sponsors Academy Evenings regularly in Overture Center for the Arts in Madison and at other venues across the state. For more information on Academy Evenings in your area, visit http://www.wisconsinacademy.org.