History of Rid Racism Milwaukee (RID) 

RID began in 1997 as the Public Issues Intergenerational Consortium (PIIC), a public policy coalition of Milwaukee area nonprofit social service agencies supporting clients across the generational spectrum. Through 2004, PIIC co-sponsored events with other Milwaukee area coalitions to raise awareness of how public policies impact people across the life span and to advocate for public policies responsive to all generations.

Over time, PIIC coalition members recognized that differing experiences across race and culture, not just generations, played a critical role in issues affecting the Milwaukee community.  In response, PIIC broadened its mission and was rebranded as Milwaukee Intergenerational/Intercultural Community Connection (MIICC) in 2004. Its expanded purpose was to work in partnership with stakeholders to create a more inclusive Milwaukee community.

MIICC organized multiple coalition projects and programs from 2004 – 2008, involving community stakeholders across Milwaukee and the surrounding areas in inclusive dialogue, facilitator training, and civic engagement. In 2008, MIICC’s steering committee identified institutional racism and racial stereotyping as the primary barriers to economic and social progress in metropolitan Milwaukee. Through overwhelming consensus, the committee concluded that any approaches or solutions to bridging the divide must engage intergenerational and interracial perspectives across southeastern Wisconsin in order to realize progress and lasting change.

The organization was again renamed as Southeast Wisconsin Intergenerational/Interracial Community Connection (SEWIICC), reflecting its evolved mission and purpose. From 2009 – 2014, SEWIICC organized cross-regional, inter-racial, and inter-generational programs and discussions around the impact of racism on a range of issues, from poverty and unemployment to healthcare, housing and education. SEWIICC established a Steering Committee to lead actions and a Partnership Committee to promote existing programs and projects in Southeast Wisconsin that addressed the elimination of racism. Through its monthly e-newsletter and blog, SEWIICC connected members of the community with relevant programs, projects, news and resources, striving to become a central “anti-racism” clearinghouse for the community.

In late 2014, the SEWIICC Steering Committee refocused its primary attention on metro Milwaukee, while recognizing the inter-connected relationship among urban and suburban communities. The committee also changed the organization’s name to Rid Racism Milwaukee (RID) to more directly the key purpose of the group: achieving racial equity and justice in our community. Since 2014, RID’s primary activities have included providing racial literacy programming (e.g., book clubs, presentations), co-sponsoring racial literacy events (e.g., The Courage to Act workshop), creating an online calendar for local racial justice events, publishing a bi-monthly electronic newsletter featuring local racial justice issues, and increasing social media education and presence around issues of local and global racial justice. 

In 2018, Rid Racism Milwaukee (RID) became a non-profit organization, with co-chairs, an Executive Committee, a Steering Committee, and action groups. In addition to its current activities, RID is working to increase its presence as a leader in racial literacy education via its web site, to strengthen its role as a clearinghouse via developing a database of local organizations to facilitate coalitions working toward racial justice, and increase equitable access for people of color to community resources through asset mapping.