MADISON, WI – On Wednesday, April 9, Representative Shelia Stubbs joined Madison West High School students and staff for their second annual Equity Symposium and presented on her work to create a Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls Task Force in Wisconsin. Representative Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) released the following statement:
“It was my pleasure to join students and staff at West High School for their second annual Equity Symposium this past Wednesday. I have always stood for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and I applaud West’s commitment to continuing these shared values and creating a school environment where all students feel heard and represented.
I was able to present to two sections of students and staff on my efforts to create a Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls Task Force in the Legislature and discuss with them the importance of supporting this work. We talked about the disproportionate homicide victimization rate facing Black women and girls in our state, as well as how the missing cases of African Americans are portrayed in the media. I finished each presentation by asking students to join me in advocacy for the task force.
Attorney General Josh Kaul and Governor Tony Evers have openly supported the creation of this task force and allocated $80,200 in Fiscal Year 2026 and $99,500 in Fiscal Year 2027 to fund it. It is my hope that the task force will remain in the budget so that we can ensure this critical endeavor is properly resourced.
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing students gather together, both to engage with my presentation and with all the other diverse workshops taking place. Our youth are bright, empathetic, and curious, and I can’t wait to see the ways in which they will use their voices and their newfound knowledge to enact positive change.”
