“Whether they’ve done anything beyond performance could be argued”: A focus group study examining the perceived impact of a racism is a public health crisis declaration

In recent years, local governments have begun to explicitly recognize that racism is a public health crisis that requires policy reforms to address systemic drivers of inequality. In May 2019, Milwaukee County, WI became the first locality in the U.S. to adopt such a resolution. It is not clear to what extent these declarations foster substantive change. We use Milwaukee County, WI as a case study to determine community perceptions of the impacts of declarations naming racism as a public health crisis. Between December 2022 and March 2024, we conducted ten focus groups with minoritized communities in Milwaukee County, WI. The 50 participants were stratified based on self-identified race/ethnicity, with one group specific to LGBTQ+ members of these communities. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using rigorous and accelerated data reduction (RADaR) and reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) approaches to qualitative data. Focus groups suggest little awareness of the resolution and some skepticism toward its ability to foster change. Few indicated that the inequities within the county have improved since 2019. Analysis of perceptions of the declaration’s impact yielded three key themes: 1) the declaration represents the potential for needed reform, 2) limited public-facing action fosters frustration and skepticism, and 3) communication failures impact the promotion of health equity. There was a strong desire to see active, direct engagement from government officials in their communities. Overall, findings indicate that declarations alone may not be sufficient to spur meaningful policy action that impacts communities in a broadly noticeable manner.

Dr. Ihrke teaches in the Department of Political Science, the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, and in UWM’s interdisciplinary Urban Studies program. After receiving a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from the University of Minnesota, he worked as an engineering technician before pursuing an MPA degree at Northern Michigan University (NMU). Professor Ihrke also worked in municipal government in Michigan for two years. At Northern Illinois University, his doctoral studies focused on public administration, public policy, and urban studies.

Professor Ihrke has written on American bureaucratic institutions and politics, with special emphasis on public employee attitudes and behaviors. He also has written on various local government issues including city council/administrator relations and managerial innovation. He has published articles in journals such as Public Personnel Management, Public Administration Quarterly, Public Productivity and Management Review, and the Journal of Management History. Future research will more fully explore the nature of urban communities.

Dr. Ihrke teaches undergraduate courses in urban politics, public policy, public administration and American Government. He also teaches graduate courses on organization theory and public personnel administration in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program as well as courses on bureaucracy, and urban public policy and social institutions in the Urban Studies Programs.