County Executive Melissa Agard Hosts “Prejudice in Places” Event to Acknowledge and Address Legacy of Racial Covenants in Dane County Property Records

June 18, 2025
execmedia@danecounty.gov, (608) 800-1127
County Executive, Planning & Development, Office for Equity & Inclusion

MADISON — Last night, Dane County Executive Melissa Agard joined community members, legal experts, and county staff at the Alliant Energy Center for Prejudice in Places—a public event aimed at confronting the legacy of racial covenants and offering residents a pathway to formally renounce discriminatory restrictions in their property deeds.

During this process, County Executive Agard learned that her home had a deed restriction within her ownership documents. After the presentation last night, she was the first Dane County resident to fill out the new state form renouncing the discriminatory restriction on her property deed.

Note: Attached is a photo of County Executive Agard signing the forms.

“These covenants, though legally void, continue to live on in documents that shape our neighborhoods and our collective memory,” County Executive Agard said. “This event was about continuing our journey as a community—through legal action, collective reflection, and a shared commitment to building a more equitable Dane County.”

The Prejudice in Places project is a county-led collaboration between the Dane County Planning & Development Department, the Office of Equity & Inclusion, and community partners. It highlights the thousands of racially restrictive covenants that were historically written into property deeds across Dane County—language that often excluded Black, Jewish, Asian, Italian, and other non-white families from owning homes in certain neighborhoods.

With recent changes in state law, Wisconsin homeowners now have the ability to file a legal “Discharge and Release of Discriminatory Restriction” form, removing these restrictions from their property records. This evening’s event provided step-by-step guidance on that process, with free assistance from county staff and local legal partners.

“Recognition. Responsibility. Remediation. Those are our guiding principles with this project,” Agard said. “We must confront the truth of what was written into our neighborhoods, take ownership of the work ahead, and take real steps to remove the barriers that still echo today.”

County Executive Agard emphasized that this event is only the beginning. In the months ahead, Dane County will continue to digitize records, expand public education, and develop long-term policy recommendations. The initiative will result in a public digital archive, community reports, and tools to support equity-focused planning across the region.

“In removing these racist covenants, we are not erasing history—we are writing a new chapter,” Agard said. “We honor those who were excluded by ensuring that our future is built on fairness, inclusion, and justice.”

Agard concluded her remarks by thanking the Planning Department, Office of Equity & Inclusion, Dane County Board of Supervisors, and community legal partners for making the event—and this work—possible.

For more information on the Prejudice in Places project, visit: danecountyplanning.com/Prejudice-in-Places