MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -University of Wisconsin- Madison’s first research lab in the African American Studies department is collecting data on spaces where Black people thrive throughout the city.
The UW-Madison research lab, Soulfolk Collective, partnered with the Center of Black Excellence and Culture to determine how to amplify Black voices, stories and lived experiences.
The study was inspired by ‘The Negro Motorist Green Book.’
“It was something that was developed in the time of Jim Crow when segregation was justified under separate but equal policy,” Curtis O’Dwyer, a researcher for the project said.
Black people used the book when traveling throughout the U.S. from 1936 to 1966.
“It was important to understand where the safe spaces are that they could go to reside for services and be safe,” O’Dwyer said. “It was literally a book for Black survival.”
O’Dwyer, participant Jason Fields and leader of the project, Dr. Jessica Lee Stovall, journeyed around Madison to find those locations.
‘The Black Madison Archive’ project is a modern take on the book. Researchers are interviewing 90 participants like Fields, to get a sense of where Black life and joy flourish in the city.
“I feel like I’m on the right side of history,” Fields expressed.
Originally from Milwaukee, Fields feels a sense of comfort at Penn Park and Coda Cafe.
“When I came here, it was a place that jumped out at me as here’s a place where Black folks gather for events to celebrate each other from 5Ks to church community events to regular community events,” Fields said.
Dr. Stovall leads the project and wants to focus on an affirming approach for Black research.
“The culture and climate for black folks have historically been atrocious,” Dr. Stovall said. “We have a lot of work to do and how we’re going to support black residents in all aspects, from mass incarceration to educational outcomes.”
The Soulfolk Collective team is still looking for participants for their research. Interviews for the study end on November 1.
Those interviews will be donated to the Wisconsin Historical Society and showcased during Black History Month in 2026.
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