Merging Data and Story to Win More Equitable Policies

Original post on NTEN.org. 

Compelling facts have always been a key ingredient in winning policy campaigns, and the rise of web technology has opened the floodgates for data that would have been out of reach to all but the most dogged advocates just 20 years ago.

But while we are awash in data, it is often like Coleridge’s famous line: “Water, water, everywhere; nor any drop to drink.” The sheer volume of data is overwhelming, and the data that is accessible is often not the right data. Advocates working for equity—just and fair inclusion for all—need data that is broken down by race, age, geography, income, and other dimensions. They also need a way to frame the data—a narrative that explains how and why these inequities matter.

As an organization founded to advance economic and social equity through policy change, PolicyLink is working to fill this need and equip changemakers with a data-backed narrative to help them win.

Equity Is the Superior Growth Model

About five years ago, Angela Glover Blackwell, the founder and CEO PolicyLink, saw the kernels of a new and powerful narrative for equity advocates. The 2010 Census results were out and they showed that the country was continuing to grow more diverse. Meanwhile, the Occupy Wall Street movement was bringing inequality to the public’s attention and new research was showing how rising inequality was a risk not just for those being left behind, but for the growth and prosperity of entire regions and nations.

Angela wove these threads together into a new story about the centrality of racial and economic inclusion not only as a moral imperative—which it continues to be—but as an economic one. America is bolting toward having a multiracial, people-of-color majority within just a few decades. Our growing, diverse workforce and population is a tremendous asset in the global economy—one that can only be fully manifested if people of color can access the resources and opportunities they need to participate in and contribute to growth and democracy. Dismantling lingering racial barriers and creating pathways to educational and economic security and success is critical to their future and the future of their communities and the country as a whole. The take-home is clear—equity is the superior growth model.

Building a Data-Backed Narrative

Data was at the heart of this framing from the beginning. Recognizing the importance of disaggregated and regularly updated data to keep the message fresh and give it legs, PolicyLink joined forces with the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity at the University of Southern California (PERE). PERE is a research and policy shop headed by Dr. Manuel Pastor who is a prominent researcher, speaker, and writer on issues of changing demographics, racial equity, and the economy. PERE conducts all kinds of research, but our partnership drew on their deep-bench strength in quantitative research and the development, maintenance, and facility with large datasets.

Our team worked together to produce a framing paper, America’s Tomorrow: Equity Is the Superior Growth Model (PDF), that bolstered the narrative with powerful statistics, maps, and charts and shared it with our networks of advocates and the broader world.

Going Local: Tailoring the Narrative to Regional Realities

The national story was critical for starting this narrative shift work, but we knew that advocates and policymakers needed data for their own community to put it to use. PERE painstakingly built the data infrastructure to make that possible, drawing from multiple data sources including historical economic data and demographic projections, aligning this data to consistently-defined boundaries for 202 geographies: the 150 largest regions, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States as a whole.

Equipped with this data, we began working with collaborations of local leaders who were developing regional sustainability plans. In about a dozen diverse counties, regions, and states, we developed Equity Profiles that document their changing demographics and performance on a host of equity indicators. These profiles helped these changemakers understand the trends in their communities, link these trends to the experiences of their constituents and community members, and develop shared narratives about how and why equity and inclusion mattered to their economic futures.

From the Heartland metros of Omaha and Kansas City to diverse regions like Miami and Houston, demographic change was a salient issue. Even in predominantly-White communities, Latinos, Asians, African Americans and other communities of color are usually driving population growth, and breathing new life into disinvested commercial corridors. Combining the demographic data with metrics showing how different groups are excelling—or in many cases, being left behind—on key indicators of economic success, health, education, and more was a good starting point for having productive local discussions about race, equity, and opportunity.

Coming together around the data helped these collaborations grow stronger, identify areas of focus, and bring on new partners. In Rhode Island, the profile led directly to policy action. After seeing how communities of color were responsible for all of the state’s population growth yet faced major barriers to economic opportunity, then-Governor Chafee opened a new Office of Diversity, Equity, and Opportunity focused on inclusive hiring and contracting in government jobs.

The local data strengthened our own advocacy as well. In California, the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, which we coordinate, married economic imperative data and messaging with the voices of youth leaders to successfully win a slate of state policies that reform harmful “zero tolerance” school discipline approaches, invest in career pathways for men returning from prison, and more. As youth advocate Angel Diaz put it, “If adults look at young people as assets to be developed instead of problems to solve, we can change the future.” We found that the mix of data, narrative, and testimonials is a potent advocacy tool.

Democratizing Data via the National Equity Atlas

From the beginning, our goal was to democratize this data and make it widely available to advocates and policymakers. Released last October, the National Equity Atlas is a one-of-a-kind resource to track, measure, and make the case for inclusive growth at the local, state, and national level.

The Atlas makes detailed data disaggregated by race, nativity, education, income, and more available through a user-friendly interface. At the click of a button, you can access 29 field-tested indicators of demographic change, racial and economic inclusion, and the economic benefits of equity for the 202 geographies in our database. The “equity is the superior growth model” narrative is embedded throughout the site, providing context for how the data matters for equitable growth, along with policy ideas, real-world examples, and links to additional data and policy resources

The Atlas is also a living resource, and next week we will be adding data for the 100 largest cities to the site (join us for the release webinar), and more indicators and data cuts (including disaggregating the Asian population) are in the works.

Data itself is not social change. But data combined with a story can power the bolder, smarter, more targeted strategies that communities need to leverage their increasing diversity as an asset and secure a bright economic future for all of their residents.

We're Hiring: Research Associate, Equitable Economy/National Equity Atlas (Oakland, CA)

PolicyLink is working to advance policies and strategies to build an equitable economy — one in which everyone can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. In 2010, we formed a formal research partnership with the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE) at the University of Southern California to provide equity advocates, practitioners, and policymakers with clear, convincing data and cutting-edge analyses to make the case that equity is both a moral imperative and the key to economic prosperity in their own communities and nationwide. In October 2014, we released the National Equity Atlas, a unique online resource to track and measure data, and to make the case for equity in the largest 150 regions, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States as a whole. The Atlas democratizes data, providing those working to build stronger and more inclusive local economies with essential information on demographic change, racial inclusion, and the economic benefits of equity through a user-friendly interface. Tens of thousands of people are now using this tool and our team is working to continue to evolve this living resource to make it an even more useful and powerful tool. 

PolicyLink is seeking a Research Associate to join our team and partnership. The ideal candidate is passionate about producing data and research that is relevant and actionable for those working on the frontlines to advance racial economic inclusion. He or she is skilled at analyzing data, producing compelling data displays and maps, and writing data analyses in an engaging and accessible way — and is looking for an opportunity to further grow skills and leadership by joining our dynamic team.
 

Position Responsibilities

  • Conduct quantitative and qualitative research and contribute writing to research briefs, analyses, and articles, including comparative analyses and equity profiles/research reports focused on particular regions/communities.
  • Develop creative solutions to communicate complex data and research findings, including through data visualizations (graphs, charts, and maps), presentations, and websites.
  • Participate in the development of new research and analyses and the selection of new indicators to incorporate into the Atlas.
  • Coordinate the development and maintenance of the National Equity Atlas site among our team and the consultants who design and manage the website.
  • Participate in developing and implementing outreach and dissemination strategies, including webinars.
  • Conduct trainings and presentations on the National Equity Atlas.
  • Stay current with pertinent literature, developments, and data visualizations around issues of demographic change, inequality, mobility, and equitable growth.
  • Occasionally conduct short-term data and mapping analyses for other teams at PolicyLink.
  • The position may involve travel.

 

Qualifications

  • Master’s degree in urban planning, community development, economics, public policy, public health, or related social science (e.g., political science, sociology).
  • Two years of relevant work experience conducting research to support policy development, advocacy, or organizing.
  • Excellent writing and research skills.
  • Experience with data analysis and quantitative research, including statistical analysis and spatial analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
  • Ability to translate complex data and analyses for mainstream audiences, including facility with using Excel for data analysis and the generation of graphs and charts.
  • Self-starter with good time management skills and ability to effectively work on multiple projects.
  • Experience working with low-income communities of color and familiarity with public policy and the legislative process are desirable.

 

How to Apply

Email Résumé and Cover Letter to: jobs@policylink.org (include subject line: “[Your Name] (Research Associate-Equitable Economy/National Equity Atlas)

OR fax to (510) 663-4323

OR mail to:
PolicyLink –Search Committee (Research Associate-Equitable Economy/National Equity Atlas)
1438 Webster Street, Suite 303
Oakland, CA 94612

Position open until filled.

Please note: No phone calls please. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Excellent benefits including paid vacation, health, vision and dental insurance, and 401(k) retirement plan.

PolicyLink is committed to maintaining a diverse, multicultural working environment.

Propelled by New Data, Boston Takes Steps to Build Wealth of All Residents

In the face of widening inequality and persistent racial economic gaps, Mayor Marty Walsh is implementing a new approach to achieving shared economic prosperity in Boston. Bolstered by the support of a powerful advocacy coalition and detailed data on financial inclusion, in 2014 Mayor Walsh opened a new Office of Financial Empowerment. “Whatever it is that we’ve been doing for the past 10 to 20 years may have helped,” program director Trinh Nguyen told Next City, “but it’s not denting inequality and access.” The Office of Financial Empowerment aims to move the city forward by providing financial empowerment services to those who need them most: low and middle-income Bostonians who’ve not benefited from recent growth.

Financial vulnerability is widespread and bad for Boston’s economic future

Family Assets Count, a coalition of local financial empowerment advocates along with national institutions CFED and Citi community development worked to bring financial security and detailed data on financial instability across Boston’s diverse communities to the city’s attention. Family Assets Count defines financial instability as the inability to cover basic expenses for three months after a major life disruption like a job loss or health crisis. An inability to save and invest in the future is not only harmful for individual families, it contributes to the rising inequality that is threatening sustained economic prosperity.

The coalition uses data from the CFED Assets and Local Opportunity Center to provide local estimates of financial vulnerability and catalyze new conversations about financial security in cities across the country. They provide two primary measures of financial instability: liquid asset poverty and asset poverty. A family is liquid asset poor if they don’t have enough in their savings to live above the poverty line for three months; they are asset poor if they don’t have enough net worth to live above the poverty line for three months.  

Credit: Family Assets Count/Financial Insecurity in Boston Data Profile

Family Assets Count, in partnership with the Midas Collaborative (a statewide asset-building organization), examined the data and found that financial insecurity in Boston is widespread. While the traditional income-based poverty measure estimates that 17 percent of Bostonians live below the poverty line, this measurement underestimates the 46 percent of Boston residents who are vulnerable to financial collapse should they experience normal life disruptions (download the Family Assets Count data profile of Boston). 

The prevalence of liquid asset poverty in Boston closely resembles national trends: an estimated 45 percent of households are liquid asset poor. When almost half of families don’t have savings, they can’t invest in their children’s education or their own retirement. Such anemic investment in the future undermines economic growth and prosperity — in Boston and in cities across the country.

While Bostonians of all levels of educational attainment experience financial insecurity, those without college degrees are much more likely to be financially insecure. About seven of every 10 residents without more than a high school degree are liquid asset poor compared with 25 percent of those with bachelor’s degrees.

Asset Poverty by Education

Credit: Family Assets Count/Financial Insecurity in Boston Data Profile

Demographic shifts in Boston make financial inclusion an economic imperative

The City of Boston has undergone a profound demographic shift over the past several decades and is now a majority people-of-color city. Yet Boston’s communities of color are far more likely to be financially insecure: 69 percent of Black households and 75 percent of Latino households are liquid asset poor compared with 29 percent of Whites. Latinos are the fastest-growing population in the city but they also have the highest rates of liquid asset poverty at 75 percent. Without strong and effective financial inclusion strategies, Boston’s economic future looks bleak.

Asset poverty by Race & Ethnicity

Credit: Family Assets Count/Financial Insecurity in Boston Data Profile

Mayor Walsh leads on financial inclusion

Given Boston’s growing economy, creating pathways to opportunity and prosperity for the 46 percent of Bostonians who are financially insecure is an economic and moral imperative. In an interview with WBUR, one of Boston’s National Public Radio news stations, Mayor Walsh said: “We have a city that is doing very well [and] a lot of people are doing well in our city, but we still have half our residents that aren’t and we have to really try and assist them and help them prosper during these good economic times.” 

The Office launched three Financial Opportunity Centers in partnership with United Way and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). These centers provide a range of services including: financial coaching, job search and advancement support, tax filing support, and help applying for benefits. Two similar centers, run by United Way, demonstrated significant results last year. According to the City of Boston, “77 percent of clients at those centers who completed pre- and post-assessments reported increases in one or more of the following measures: net income, net worth, or credit score.”

The power of data in the hands of a strong coalition

Financial insecurity data can be paradigm-shifting for communities and policymakers, like Mayor Walsh, who want prosperity for all but don’t have a clear picture of who’s being left out and which communities need to be lifted up to get there. Community advocates in the Midas Collaborative have been working toward equitable growth and financial security for all residents knowing full well the extent of the city’s existing inequities. The Family Assets Count data helped make the problem urgent and undeniable. Margaret Miley, executive director of the Midas Collaborative, said “the data provided an opportunity to frame the urgency of the problem and to focus a broad group of stakeholders for action.”

CFED Project Director Solana Rice said that Family Assets Count data profiles, like the profile of Boston, create “an opportunity for our partners to reframe and reposition themselves for new partnerships.” The Midas collaborative and Family Assets Count found a new partner in Mayor Walsh who cited the Family Assets Count data in his announcement of the office. You can watch a video about how partners lifted up data to influence Boston’s financial inclusion strategy [here].

Following in Boston’s lead, financial inclusion strategies are ramping up across the country. Family Assets Count is partnering with organizations in nine other cities to implement some of these municipal strategies for financial security, including: Chicago, Houston, Miami, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Oakland, the Bronx (New York City), and Newark. In addition to working closely with these 10 cities over the next two years, Family Assets Count features estimates of financial inclusion for thousands of cities and counties on their online mapping tool — find out how your city is doing [here].

Latino Education Gaps in Metros Pose Challenges for Growth and Prosperity

In “The Five U.S. Cities with the Most Educated Latinos,” National Journal writer Janie Boschma describes how many regions are failing to prepare their fast-growing Latino populations for the jobs of the future. This was the fourth piece in the National Journal’s series on educational equity drawing from National Equity Atlas data.

Having a bachelor’s degree (BA) is becoming increasingly important as the economy shifts towards analytical work – yet Latinos lag far behind in terms of college attainment. Even in Miami, the city with the highest bachelor’s degree attainment for Latinos, there is still a 16-percentage point gap between Latino and White achievement.

All five cities with the lowest rankings for Latino BA attainment are in California, and four of them are in the Central Valley. They include: Bakersfield, CA (5 percent), Visalia, CA (6 percent), Salinas, CA (7 percent), Stockton, CA (7 percent) and Modesto, CA (7 percent). These statistics are particularly dire given the size of the Latino population: 61 percent of Bakersfield’s residents are Latino, for example.

Michele Siqueiros, president of the Campaign for College Opportunity, explains that California is: “on track to under-produce the number of graduates [they] need for the state's workforce and economy. We do absolutely need to close gaps that exist for students of color in our state." 

Credit: Janie Boschma/National Journal Series

The top five cities with the highest percent of Latinos with a bachelor’s degree are: Miami, FL (26 percent), Washington DC (23 percent), Orlando, FL (20 percent), Boston, MA (20 percent), San Francisco, CA (18 percent). 

Credit: Janie Boschma/National Journal Series

Education professionals in Miami emphasized the importance of a successful and supportive adult Latino population that give youth hope of success after school. A significant number of Latino teachers, for example, act as mentors to Latino youth. As more Latino youth are pursuing post-secondary education, the City is also focusing on improving completion rates. Joaquin Martinez, associate provost for student achievement at Miami Dade College, told the National Journal that encouraging students to declare a major improves their likelihood of graduating. Since beginning work with students, the number of undeclared majors dropped from 44 percent to just under 5 percent.

While the five metros with the highest rate of bachelor’s degree attainment are doing much better than the Central Valley, they still aren’t doing enough to provide educational opportunities to their Latino population, putting their future economic prosperity at risk.

Using Atlas Data to Share Inclusive Innovation Economy Strategies at the Philadelphia Fed Conference

One of the main reasons why we built the National Equity Atlas was to provide changemakers with the data they need to frame why racial and economic inclusion matters to the future of their regions. So we are thrilled to learn how our allies are using Atlas data and visualizations to make compelling presentations and expose more people to the idea that equity is both an economic and moral imperative.

Last month, our partner Adam Friedman, who leads the Pratt Center for Community Development in New York City, used Equity Atlas data to talk about the importance of inclusive growth and urban manufacturing as a critical strategy at the Philadelphia Fed’s Equitable Economic Development Conference held in Lancaster, PA. “The Atlas is a quick, easy way to analyze how an area is doing in comparison to the rest of the nation” says Friedman, “More than an overview, it lets you do some quick diagnoses about current and future challenges.” (Download his presentation.)

The Federal Reserve of Philadelphia, in partnership with the Community First Fund, hosted the conference to explore how to include equity goals in economic development planning and decision-making. Lancaster Online coverage of the event reported over 100 in attendance to learn about regional strategies for more equitable growth.

Friedman used the Equity Atlas to describe the challenges of rising inequality and persistent racial inequities in Lancaster, PA: the site of the conference. Friedman presented Lancaster’s economic and workforce challenges and described how growing good, accessible jobs and investing in the skills and capabilities of its less-educated communities and growing communities of color are central to the region’s economic prosperity and competitiveness.

Friedman made several key points:

Income disparity is growing in Lancaster

While Lancaster is growing more middle-skills jobs than many other regions, wages are relatively stagnant across the board, contributing to widening inequality. Between 1980-2012, households at the 10th percentile (the bottom 10 percent) saw their incomes increase by a mere 0.3 percent compared to incomes at the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent) which increased 13 percent. 

Credit: Adam Friedman/Presentation at the Equitable Economic Development Conference 

The region’s workers of color face a large wage gap. While about 67 percent of White workers earned at least $15/hour during the 2008-2012 period, only 44 percent of workers of color did.   

Credit: Adam Friedman/Presentation at the Equitable Economic Development Conference 

The Lancaster region is not adequately preparing any of its racial/ethnic groups for the jobs of the future

Latinos are the regions fastest growing population but only 13 percent of Lancaster’s U.S.-born Latinos will be prepared for the more than 44 percent of jobs that will require an Associate’s degree in 2020.

Credit: Adam Friedman/Presentation at the Equitable Economic Development Conference  

Credit: Adam Friedman/Presentation at the Equitable Economic Development Conference 

Lancaster would be stronger with racial economic inclusion

These racial economic inequities take a toll on Lancaster’s economy: the regional economy could have been $1 billion larger in 2012 if there were no racial gaps in income.

Urban Manufacturing as a Strategy for Equitable Economic Development

Urban manufacturing is one equitable economic development and job creation strategy that regions like Lancaster should consider. Growing middle-wage jobs is critical for regions because they provide pathways to economic security and also because living wage jobs are the critical counterpoint to rising housing costs. While manufacturing has been in decline for decades, cities and regions are experiencing a new wave of urban manufacturing—including the “maker economy” and facilities like TechShop that are making it possible to launch small manufacturing companies in cities as well as advanced and supply chain manufacturers.

Most efforts focused on supporting innovation sector growth do not include a focus on equity and inclusion for workers or neighborhoods. The Pratt Center’s Equitable Innovation Economy (EIE) initiative is taking on this challenge to help cities develop strategies that increase access and economic inclusion within the innovation economy and local manufacturing sectors. This effort, a partnership between Pratt, the Urban Manufacturing Alliance, and PolicyLink, centers around a learning community with four cities that are each working on different inclusive innovation economy sectors and strategies. Indianapolis, for example, is focused on attracting employers by reviving legacy industrial properties. San Jose is trying to create more career pathways into hardware manufacturing and the maker economy. Portland is focusing on their tech, green-tech and athletic and outdoor industries. New York is seeking to extend innovation-sector opportunity across its five boroughs.

Working together to share equitable job creation strategies, the four Cities are rejecting the age old notion that Cities must compete with one another for jobs and are instead sharing program ideas and best practices to lift each other up. The goal is to expand their network and the number of cities that are building equitable innovation sectors.

We look forward to updates about how the partners are advancing their equitable economic development goals and will highlight their progress as they move forward. Many thanks to Adam for sharing with us how he is using the Equity Atlas.

How are you using the Atlas in your work? Please let us know by filling out this survey or writing me at tsmiley@policlink.org.

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