Settlin’: Stories of Madison’s Early African American Families

by Muriel Simms

Only a fraction of what is known about Madison’s earliest African American settlers and the vibrant and cohesive communities they formed has been preserved in traditional sources. The rest is contained in the hearts and minds of their descendants. Seeing a pressing need to preserve these experiences, lifelong Madison resident Muriel Simms collected the stories of twenty-five African Americans whose families arrived, survived, and thrived here in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While some struggled to find work, housing, and acceptance, they describe a supportive and enterprising community that formed churches, businesses, and social clubs—and frequently came together in the face of adversity and conflict. A brief history of African American settlement in Madison begins the book to set the stage for the oral histories.

Genres: Nonfiction, African American, History, Book Club

224 pages, Paperback

Published November 28, 2018

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needed so many more pictures! So much interesting detail in the oral histories.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since it's a collection of oral histories, this book was a little too fact-heavy to keep me engaged for long periods of time, I chipped away at this one for a while. However, if you aren't looking for a super fast-paced or narrative book, I would definitely recommend this amazing collection! As a resident of Madison, it was neat to read about and see photos of the experiences of families that lived and worked on the same streets that I do today. This book is also full of personal experiences with racism that serve as evidence for why Madison is hardly the progressive bubble it often prides itself to be. If you want to read real stories about lived Black and/or Madison experiences, please consider this book!

[Ray Raasch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting oral history collection. Offered a thought-provoking peek into the daily lives of early Madison residents of color and the issues they faced. It revealed the structural systems of racism that continue to make it difficult for residents of color up to the present day. In doing so, it helped me to understand some of the concrete ways that I, as a white person, can be a part of the solution. For example, giving money to programs that tackle housing inequality and supporting black-owned businesses. You just can't forget those personal stories and I definitely felt a sense of frustration on behalf of the narrators who tried so hard and still couldn't get ahead because of the odds that were stacked against them.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I did like the oral histories but I also wish that there was a narrative summary of what was shared in the oral histories with more context. For instance, I didn't really know anything about the masons and would have appreciated more information on the topic and how the masons played into the African American community in Madison. So basically, I liked the book but wanted more.

[Kelly Miess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an important book, though admittedly for a small audience. It begins with a brief history of African American settlement in Madison WI, beginning in the 1700’s with the arrival of English fur traders and their enslaved peoples. This section is short, but informative, with footnotes for those who wish to learn more. The next section of the book, its bulk, consists of 20 or so oral histories of the descendants of the first African American families that settled in Madison, WI. There are two supplemental oral histories, one by a White woman who worked as a real estate agent helping Black families buy houses in the 1940’s when housing and lending policies were blatantly racist. The second supplemental oral history was given by an Italian immigrant who talked about the multicultural Greenbush neighborhood he grew up in where many Black families settled. Finally, the book ends with two appendices; one is notes from a Black book club from the early 1900’s and the other is a listing of Black families listed in the 1930 Census. I skimmed through these sections and think they have limited interest for most readers.

Madison is my hometown and the place I live now, after having lived on the west coast for almost 20 years. Madison is the state capital, home to the University of Wisconsin and known as a liberal haven in reddish-purple Wisconsin. However, there are large racial inequities in income, education and incarceration rates that belie its rosy self-image. What I found most interesting about this book is the continual references to systemic discrimination against Black folks going back to their earliest days here. As a White person, I have been somewhat recently awakened to the vast extent of systemic racism and this book documents that very clearly. It helps me understand how my city and our country have not been able to support and cultivate a thriving Black community.

There’s a particularly enlightening piece about Madison’s urban renewal efforts in the 1950’s and 60’s that decimated the Greenbush neighborhood and its residents. The “Bush” was primarily made up of African American and Jewish and Italian immigrant families and businesses. Properties were obtained through eminent domain with unfairly low compensation and sold to (White) developers at low cost. Many displaced families were unable to purchase homes in other areas of the City due to the blatantly racist policies of realtor associations and banks. And the Klan in Madison, who knew? Highly recommended.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the every day struggles and life of minorities, especially blacks, in Madison, Wisconsin through these oral histories. I found it somewhat hard to remember all the names that were mentioned. It would’ve been lovely to have some kind of chart indicating how people were related.

Appendix A contained The Book Lovers Club minutes, which really intrigued me. The structure of their meetings was very different from what I expected. They didn’t discuss books rather they discussed ideas and topics and shared music. Most unique to me was the role of a “Critic” for each meeting who would comment on how the meeting went. I’ve never heard of having that role in a club. Toward the end of the shared minutes (3-18-1910 & on), there was no longer a “Critic”.

[Emily Winecke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madison's story comes to life through oral histories demonstrating the complexity, joy, and struggles of being Black in our city. Perhaps the most surprising fact to me was that Black people could not stay in Madison hotels during the first half of the 20th century, so visiting cultural luminaries stayed in people's houses when they came through town. Several folks had memories of home or neighborhood visits from people like Booker T. Washington and Duke Ellington.

[Emily Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review is not reflective of the book overall, it’s that I wasn’t in the right frame of mind of read it. I couldn’t ever get more than a few pages in before I would lose focus and found myself skimming. Maybe I’ll try again in the future…

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A generous first taste of local Black History

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oral histories of the first Black people to live in Madison area. Learned a lot I didn’t know before.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oral history recounts of early Black Madisonians. Offers important perspective to better understand our city, culture, and how we need to continue to work for equality.

[JoAnn Dachenbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a history book than a story.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I wanted some more zoomed out historical context, that is not the charge of this book. So interesting to learn about all of these families that settled in the neighborhood I live in now