Mapping resistance. Preserving Oral History. Reclaiming Place.
Each pin on the map below has been sited as a Black-affirming place to Black Madison residents. Click each pin to listen to stories about these sancturaries and view photographs that document Black Madison.
Inspired by the legacy of the Negro Motorist Green Book, The Black Madison archive is a living, community-driven collection of stories that chart where Black life and joy flourish in Madison. The archive reimagines the city through the lens of Black resistance and liberation. From historic Black churches and community organizations to present-day community hubs, the archive traces how Black people have co-constructed spaces of refuge, often in places that have gone unrecognized by official histories.
At its core, this is an oral history project, centering the voices of Black Madison residents whose stories challenge the dominant narrative about this city. We hope this collection will reshape how we understand space and memory in Madison. Every recorded memory is a map point in a larger geography of Black liberation. This study is ongoing, so please check back for more stories as we conduct more oral histories. The full oral histories will be donated to the Wisconsin Historical Society at a future date.
Kaleb Autman, a founding member of The SoulFolk Collective and an undergraduate at UW-Madison, has been taking photographs of the mentioned places on the map in the spirit of the original Negro Motorist Green Book. As you listen to the stories, Kaleb’s photographs offer a visual representation of a modern-day network of safe havens for Black folk.
Why is this work important?
Because Black people have always made a way out of no way–often without public recognition or support. This archive honors that labor, ingenuity, and resistance. In a city and state where racial inequities run deep, preserving these studies is a radical act of memory and a blueprint for building freer futures.
Whether you’re a student, resident, or just learning about Madison for the first time, the Black Madison archive invites you to explore the city through a new lens–one rooted in truth and the hope for liberation.
How can you support this archive?
This work has so far been generously supported by UW-Madison’s Department of African American Studies, the College of Letters and Science, and the Morgridge Center for Public Service. We still need funds to complete the project, so we’d appreciate your donations here.
If you identify as Black and have lived in Madison for at least 30 days and would like to participate in this project, please click below to have a member of our team contact you.