In July of 2017, Nicole Brookshire became the first director of Milwaukee County's Office on African American Affairs (OAAA). "I am past the shocked phase," Brookshire says. "I am in the observation mode where I am looking at what is working well, where changes need to be made, and developing those core partners to help bring that change to light."
The Milwaukee County Board created the Office in 2016 hoping to end the racial disparities against African-American communities in Wisconsin. OAAA focuses on eight areas: education, economic growth, transportation, housing, social justice initiative, youth engagement, health metrics (physical and mental) and food deserts. "Our first step is to run data to find out where we [the African-American community of Milwaukee] are at now, where we have been historically and layer that with community organizations and groups that are currently addressing those areas to get a better understanding of where the racial inequality is found in our city,” says Brookshire.
Data from Wisconsin Budget Project, an initiative by Kids Forward, a non-profit organization working on behalf of low income families, shows that disparities in the unemployment rate between white and black Milwaukee residents is still an issue. In February 2017 the statewide unemployment rate for blacks was at 9.6% compared with 2.6% for whites.
"Some will say we are in an extreme deficit knowing we are number one across the nation in several disparity areas including incarceration, housing segregation, and economic wealth gaps," Berkshire said. She offers solutions. "We must create a mechanism to use our resources as a way to maximize impact and eliminate the silo effect. On day one I shared how this is a collective effort. Our nonprofits and grassroots too have a role".
The entrenched racial disparities found in Milwaukee has been an ongoing issue for many decades. "Being from Milwaukee has helped mold who I am today,” Brookshire continues. “Seeing the shift of lack in safety concerns me. Being aware of all the immense possibilities and intelligence found within Milwaukee's Black community is one of the reasons why I'm still here and be a part of making our community move forward."
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Before accepting the role of OAAA director, Brookshire has had a 19-year long career working in corporate and government sectors including the City of Milwaukee and Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation. She served as Vice President of Operations for Junior Achievement of Wisconsin. "I am passionate to make sure that the community is safe for my children and future generations. We need to unite the voices of every generation," said Brookshire. The Milwaukee native has great expectations in the years to come.
