Fiscal Note
No fiscal impact.
Title
Honoring the Life and Work of Milele Chikasa Anana and Recognizing Her Impact on the City of Madison.
Body
WHEREAS, Ms. Milele Chikasa Anana passed away on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at the age of 86; and,
WHEREAS, Ms. Milele served as the editor and publisher of UMOJA Magazine for almost three decades, launching the publication in 1990 to celebrate and promote the achievements and celebrations of African Americans in Madison; and,
WHEREAS, she was the first African American to serve on a Wisconsin School Board, elected to serve on the Madison Metropolitan School Board in 1974; and,
WHEREAS, she was later appointed as the City’s first Affirmative Action Officer from 1975-1978 and later appointed Acting Equal Opportunities Executive Director from 1992-1993; and,
WHEREAS, during her tenure with the City she worked diligently to overcome the strong opposition she encountered from enforcing compliance with city policies and contributed significantly to the city by increasing diversity, employment opportunities and contracts for minority and women-owned businesses; and,
WHEREAS, during her time with the city she founded the Minority Affairs Committee (currently known as the Multicultural Affairs Committee) that worked to increase cultural awareness and promote the importance of diversity in Madison by creating an environment that actively recruits and retains diverse employee talent; and,
WHEREAS, though she served our community in many official roles she was most well known as “Ms. Milele” or “Mother Milele”, offering her unvarnished advice and wisdom while challenging long standing prejudices in our community,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Common Council of the City of Madison express their condolences to the family of Milele Chikasa Anana and their deep respect, admiration and gratitude for the many significant contributions she made to improve the quality of life for all Madisonians.