The Metropolitan Integration Research Center (MIRC) was incorporated in August 1978.
Its purposes included examination of the causes of racial segregation in schools and
housing in the Milwaukee metropolitan area, collection of evidence for a
metropolitan desegregation lawsuit, and education of the public regarding possible
public policies to promote housing and school integration. MIRC's research for the
National Institute of Education on interrelationships between school desegregation
and housing integration included surveys of African American families volunteering
to bus their children to suburban schools and examination of government actions
restricting housing movement of non-white families into suburban communities. The
center successfully advocated in 1980 for increased hiring of African Americans and
Latinos as top administrators at Milwaukee Public Schools. Much of the research
collected by the center was provided to Milwaukee Public Schools for its 1984
desegregation lawsuit against the State of Wisconsin and 24 suburban school
districts. The suit resulted in increased commitments to suburban school openings
for minority students under Wisconsin's Chapter 220 legislation but did not address
housing or land use issues.
MIRC board of directors included African American, Hispanic, and white attorneys,
community activists, educators, and elected officials. A national advisory board of
civil rights attorneys and university faculty provided legal advice and reviewed
MIRC research studies. Attorney William Lynch was the founding board president
(1977-1983), followed by Mary Bills (1984-1987). Lois Quinn was MIRC's first
executive director (1978-1980), followed by Kenneth Robinson (1980-1982?).
Additional part-time staff included law and graduate students from UW-Milwaukee,
UW-Madison, and Marquette University.
MIRC was housed at St. George's Episcopal Church at 12th Street and North Avenue in
Milwaukee and worked closely with the Milwaukee Urban League, Metropolitan Milwaukee
Fair Housing Council, and Greater Milwaukee Conference on Religion and Urban Affairs
to encourage desegregation and affirmative hiring at Milwaukee Public Schools,
suburban school districts, and local and federal housing agencies. Funding support
was provided by the Cudahy Foundation, Episcopal Church, Lutheran Church in America,
United Church of Christ, Catholic Archdiocese, and the National Institute of
Education (for a competitive research grant). MIRC went out of existence around
1987.
