Roy Exum: Where Blacks Suffer Worst

  • Tuesday, December 16, 2014
  • Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

When I noticed a blog on the 24/7 Wall Street website was naming “The Worst States for Black Americans,” I winced in anticipation of a renewed bashing of Southern states like Alabama and Mississippi where the Civil Rights Movement triggered such horrible despair 50 years ago. But as I read the well-written and amply-documented report, I was relieved to find the Deep South was conspicuously absent.

I know the Southern states are among the poorest in the nation but are working hard to make things better for all races and creeds.

Then again, Dr. Valerie Wilson of the Economic Policy Institute is right when she said, “You’re never going to find a state or city where the outcome for blacks is better than for whites.”

According to the 24/7 Wall Street report, blacks make 62 cents for every dollar a white person makes. Blacks are twice as likely to be unemployed and, because of that, more live in poverty. In November the national jobless rate was 5.8 percent – that’s 4.9 percent white and 11.1 percent black.

There is also this: The article read, “Segregation also creates different communities with different social services. The quality of schools, property values, the quality of services available, and the quality of food are all “legacies of racially segregated neighborhoods in this country,” said Wilson.

“Six of the worst states were home to nearly half of the 30 most segregated U.S. cities, according to a University of Michigan Institute for Social Research study on racial segregation in large metropolitan areas,” the article added.

“Few factors do more to improve people’s livelihoods than access to good jobs,” the paper stated “High employment rates contribute to higher incomes, better health insurance coverage, as well as lower poverty rates. In eight of the worst states for black Americans, the difference between black unemployment rates and that of the whole workforce was higher than the national difference.”

Based on 12 socio-economic measures, here is 24/7 Wall Street’s worst states for black Americans:

1. WISCONSIN – Black households made roughly half what white households did and there were 288 more deaths among blacks than whites per 100,000 people. Blacks in the state are 10 times more likely to go to prison than white and black children had the worst educational outcomes than both their white classmates and black peers in other states.

2. MINNESOTA – Unemployment among blacks is 15 percent in a state where most health insurance comes from employers. In 2013 there were 6.9 percent of whites who did not have health insurance while 33 percent of blacks were uninsured. In Minnesota 67.2 percent of whites are homeowners compared to 29.4 percent of blacks.

3. RHODE ISLAND – Black households made 52.5 percent of what white households did in Rhode Island, where 23 percent of blacks live in poverty compared to 11 percent of whites. There were 234 more black deaths than whites based on 100,000 people.

4. ILLINOIS – Chicago is one of the most segregated metro areas in the nation and the death rate is 925.6 for blacks versus 711.8 per 100,000 whites. Unemployment for blacks is 17 percent versus 9.1 for whites.

5. PENNSYLVANIA – Philadelphia, Pittsburg and Harrisburg are among the nation’s 20 most racially segregated cities and while 8.5 percent of white are uninsured, the rate for blacks is 28 percent. Black children face huge obstacles to opportunities and the difference in educational outcomes is among the highest in the nation. Blacks are nine times more likely to go to prison than whites.

6. MICHIGAN – Detroit is now a small part of Michigan’s population but it is the most segregated city in America. Michigan police reported 31 racially-motivated “hate crimes” per 100,000 people and education outcomes for black children is among the worst in the nation. The fact that 965 blacks died per 100,000 is among the highest mortality rate in the nation.

7. CONNECTICUT – The state’s largest three metro areas – Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven – are among the top 30 most racially-segregated in the country. There is a 41 percentage point gap between white homeowners and blacks and the fact that blacks are nine times as likely to go to prison is twice the national average.

8. NEW JERSEY – The state is one of the wealthiest in the country so the 16 percent of blacks living in poverty is lower than the national average of 17.1. One in five blacks have college degrees, as compared to 40 percent of whites. Black households made 58 percent of what white households did and while 75 percent of white households own their homes, the number for blacks is 40 percent.

9. KANSAS – Blacks represent just 5.8 percent of the population but where eight times more likely to go to prison (the national average is 5.12 percent). There are no black representatives in Congress from Kansas and 14 percent more whites hold college degrees.  Lower incomes for black are believed due to poor educational outcomes and higher incarceration rates.

10. ARKANSAS – The most southern state on the “Worst Ten,” Arkansas is 16 percent black but has no blacks in Congress. The unemployment rates are ten percent higher for blacks who made 60 cents for every dollar generated by white households. The odds of a person born in the bottom quintile of reaching the top quintile in Little Rock are 5.4 percent which is lower than the U.S. average.

* * *

After reading the report, the best chance a young child has – black or white – is with an education. You can lose everything you’ve got except your mind and still have a chance. I believe that never before has a sound education been as vital to mere survival and I wish our lower performing schools had classes all year round.

I’m not an expert but the notion of not having a background check on an application is a violation of a potential employer. I believe allowing a child to not attend school is a violation of a human being. We as a society must become united, not in police protests but in educating our young.

royexum@aol.com

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