This event started as a celebration of suffragette Susan B. Anthony’s birthday by a group in Janesville, but when the League of Women Voters took over eight years ago, they started this event as an alternative. The event was given a new name three years ago to expand its reach and now operates as the Advancing Democracy Annual Celebration.

The guest speaker, Rock County Judge Ashley Morse, was chosen as the main speaker because of her experience in the courts and her close involvement with the community, according to board member Bette Carr. Morse spoke about the topic, “When Race and Trauma Collide: The need for trauma-informed care for BIPOC youth.”

“Each year we try to choose a topic that is relevant for the community and the times,” Carr said. “This is a social issue that is a barrier to our youth and citizens. We want to learn how we as league members and community members can help.”

Morse was appointed as a judge by Gov. Tony Evers last March. She was the first Black woman named to the bench in Rock County history. Prior to her current position as a judge, Morse was a defense attorney for 12 years and served on several community organizations, such as the Rock County Youth Justice Racial Disparities Committee and the Rock County Trauma Task Force.

Morse spoke about the effects of Adverse Child Experiences (ACE) on Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) children. She stressed that these experiences can affect all children, but because of racism in society, children of color encounter stresses most frequently.

“What we know is that instances of racial trauma have the same affect as any other kind of trauma,” Morse said. “There’s a biological component to being exposed to constant stress.”

Morse mentioned that Black youth made up 9% of Rock County’s population, but they account for nearly 40% of all youth arrests. Data showed that disorderly conduct was the most common offense among all youth arrests, which Morse labelled a “subjective crime” since what is considered disorderly often varies based on each officer.

The part of the presentation that inspired the most chat discussion was body cam footage of a black youth being pulled over by police in a video entitled “The Traumatic Impact of Policing on Youth Health and Well Being.” The clip showed officers requesting the young man exit his vehicle, patting him down for drugs or weapons, handcuffing him, and searching his car when the stop was for a wide turn.

The young man was visibly agitated in the video, often turning around to look at the officer searching his car, balling his fists, and calling out to his mother on the phone. The officers perceived this behavior as aggressive and a suggestion of guilt, but Morse explained that it was more likely signs of anxiety and nervousness.

The Q&A portion of the event involved members discussing things like more rigorous training for police officers and judges on the subject. Morse claimed that there was no mandatory training currently available for judges on race and trauma, and learning about this topic is up to each judge’s personal discretion.

“As humans, we have so many things in common so think about the commonality you might have,” said Morse.