Unjust Deeds: A History of Racial Covenants in Dane County and Beyond
Visit this traveling historical exhibit in Dane County public libraries from February 2025-January 2026.
For most of the 20th century, racial covenants were an insidious tool used nationwide to segregate whites from Blacks and other minorities in America’s burgeoning suburbs and residential neighborhoods. Racial covenants were clauses inserted into property deeds to prevent non-Whites and non-Christian’s from buying or occupying land. Although no longer valid or enforceable, they can still be found in the land deeds of almost every American community, including Dane County.
Racial covenants were made illegal with the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968. Nevertheless, their impacts are pervasive and still with us today. This program, presented by local historian Rick Bernstein, will explore the history of racial covenants in Dane County and nationwide. Learn more at the Dane County Historical Society's website.
Presenter bio:
Rick Bernstein, a graduate of Cornell University’s Historic Preservation Planning program, worked for nearly 30 years for the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Division of Historic Preservation and Local History until he retired in 2019. Since then, Rick has worked part-time as the Dane County Historical Society's Executive Director. DCHS was established in 1961 to promote Dane County’s history and to manage an archival facility at the Lussier Family Heritage Center in Lake Farm Park.
Exhibit locations and program dates:
February 2025: Monona Public Library | Opening Reception on February 6th at 6pm
March 2025: Belleville Public Library | Program on March 20th at 6pm
April 2025: Waunakee Public Library | Program on April 17th at 6:30pm
May 2025: Rosemary Garfoot Public Library (Cross Plains, WI) | Program on May 3rd at 1pm
June 2025: Marshall Community Library | Program on June 21st at 1pm
July 2025: Mount Horeb Public Library | Program on July 21st at 6:30pm
August 2025: Dane County Bookmobile | Details coming soon
September 2025: Verona Public Library | Program on September 20th at 1:30pm
October 2025: Sequoya Library (Madison Public Library) | Program on October 6th (time TBD)
November 2025: Sun Prairie Historical Museum and Library | Details coming soon
December 2025: Oregon Public Library | Program on December 13th at 1pm
January 2026: Middleton Public Library | Program on January 22nd at 6pm
GUILTY PLEASURES: Forward Theater Monologues
Indulge in confession and hilarity with Guilty Pleasures from Forward Theater! This sampling of performances from Forward’s eighth Monologue Festival offers a delightful journey through the joys, embarrassments, and sweet reliefs that come from embracing secret delights. Recommended for ages 16+.
Presenter bio:
Forward Theater Company was founded in 2009 to provide Madison-area audiences with exceptional theater productions, and local professional artists with an artistic home base. We are inspired by the Wisconsin Idea of service to the broader community, and we tie our onstage work to expansive engagement efforts throughout each season. The plays we produce are fresh, fun, and thought-provoking, bringing the very best of contemporary theater from Broadway and beyond to local audiences.
Program location & dates:
Coming soon!