National Journal Uses Equity Atlas Data to Examine Black Education Gaps in Metros

The most recent article in the Next America series on education gaps by race in metros uses the Equity Atlas to explore the “Best and Worst Cities for Educating Blacks.” Analyzing the data on Black college graduates who come from out-of-state versus native Black college graduates, Janie Boschma highlights how many of the regions with the highest levels of Black achievement like; Washington, Atlanta, Raleigh, Nashville and San Francisco, are still lagging in their preparation of their own Black youth for the jobs of the future. Boschma writes, “Educated transplants mask some of the actual low attainment levels of local students in these cities.”

National Journal Series 

Washington DC illustrates the phenomenon. While DC is top ranked for Black educational achievement in both high school and bachelor’s degree attainment, it is not preparing youth for the jobs of the future. According to a study referenced in the article, only 9 out of 100 students in DC public schools will attain a post-secondary degree, a requirement of 36 percent of the jobs created between 2000 and 2010. 

The analysis draws attention to the ongoing need to invest in the educational attainment of local Black youth, even where attainment levels are high-ranking.

Where attainment levels are low, investment in Black youth is even more crucial for long-term economic prosperity. Milwaukee has the lowest Black educational achievement of Bachelor’s degrees and is tied with three other cities; Minneapolis, New Orleans and Miami, for the second worst attainment of high school degrees -- only 14 percent of Milwaukee’s Black residents have a Bachelor’s degree.

Sociology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, William Velez, told the National Journal Series that, “if you have a large minority population that is not getting a college education they're not going to get the good jobs and contribute to the economy the way a college graduate can do. We have real challenges here in Milwaukee.”

This story is the third in a series using data from the Atlas, read about the others here.

Public Policy Research Center Releases an Equity Profile of St. Louis

The University of Missouri- St. Louis Public Policy Research Center (PPRC) just released an equity report of the St. Louis Region based on National Equity Atlas data. Mark Tranel, the director of PPRC, told St. Louis Public Radio that the report is meant to “be a tool for government agencies and non-profit organizations working to bridge disparity gaps in St. Louis.” Founded 25 years ago, PPRC does applied policy research to promote the region’s progress and prosperity. In an effort to understand inequity in the region, the report authors explored the changing demographics, persisting racial inequities, and the economic benefits of an equitable regional economy. The St. Louis economy would have been nearly $14 billion larger in 2012 if there were no racial gaps in income.

The first section of the report explores the changing demographics of the St. Louis region and projects that by 2040, people of color will be 33.4 percent of the population, up from 20 percent in 1980. Communities of color have also been driving growth since 1990 whereas White growth decreased in 7 of 15 counties from 2000-2013 and was marginal in the remaining 8 counties.

Using the Equity Atlas framework for an equitable economy, the report details indicators of economic vitality, readiness and connectedness. Large racial disparities persisted across all three categories. In terms of economic vitality, White St. Louisans make about $5 more per hour than St. Louisans of color, a slight reduction from the $6 gap in 1980. The unemployment rate for people of color in St. Louis was twice the rate of White unemployment and was the highest it had been since 1980.

There were also large racial disparities in measures of connectedness. One of the report’s most unsettling findings is that nearly 17 percent of Black St. Louisans live in high-poverty neighborhoods compared with less than one percent of Whites.

Credit: University of Missouri–St. Louis/Public Policy Research Center

Youth of color were more disconnected from education and work in St. Louis, which is likely to hinder their ability to participate, thrive, and contribute to the region’s workforce and economic prosperity.

Credit: University of Missouri–St. Louis/Public Policy Research Center

Ultimately, the report outlined the enormous potential economic gains of racial equity: the region’s economy could be $14 billion larger with an average of 63% income gains for people of color. The authors hope that the report will be a tool for government agencies as the St. Louis region joins, “a growing number of metropolitan areas that are proactively addressing issues of equity.”

We look forward to seeing how advocates and policymakers use this report as a tool to create a more equitable and prosperous St. Louis region. This report also provides a terrific model of how local communities can develop their own Equity Profiles using data available in the National Equity Atlas.

National Journal Series Analyzes Education and Workforce Issues in Metros Using National Equity Atlas Data

Last week, the National Journal began a series of stories exploring the skill and education gaps between whites and communities of color in the workforce based on data in the National Equity Atlas. The series is led by journalist and editorial director Ronald Brownstein, who has written extensively about the political and economic ramifications of America’s changing demographics, and leads the Journal’s Next America project exploring these issues.

The first article in the series, Education Gaps Pose Looming Crisis for U.S. Economy, examined the education gaps between Whites and Blacks and Whites and Latinos on high school graduation and bachelor’s degrees across the nation’s largest 150 metros. They found large gaps across all types of metros, including those experiencing fast job growth, with smaller gaps only in metros that are “struggling to attract and hold college graduates of any race” such as Flint, Youngstown, and Allentown. Sarah Treuhaft, director of Equitable Growth Initiatives at PolicyLink, spoke with Brownstein about these findings. "It is clear that growth alone does not solve these issues, and we really need to look at structural issues," she said.

The article includes new data interactives showing education levels by race and racial gaps: 

Credit: Ronald Brownstein and Janie Boschma/National Journal

The second piece in the series, Fastest Growing Cities Import their College Graduates, explores how many of the fast-growing regions with large racial education gaps are, as Manuel Pastor, director of PERE, said, “masking a lot of their problems with the importation of highly skilled labor.” Using additional data provided by PERE, Brownstein looked at the shares of college grads among the in- and out-of-state working-age populations in the 20 metros that added the most jobs since 2000. He found enormous gaps in most of the cities, including Denver, Baltimore, Charlotte, and more, as illustrated in the chart below.

Credit: Ronald Brownstein and Janie Boschma/National Journal

We are looking forward to seeing additional stories in the series and will share links here when they are up.

Introducing Four New Indicators: Median Age, Asthma, Diabetes, and Commute Time

Today we are excited to announce the addition of four new indicators to the Atlas:

  • Median Age
  • Asthma
  • Diabetes
  • Commute Time

 

Here’s what you can find for each of the indicators:

Median age: What’s the average age of residents in your community?

Latinos and other communities of color are comparatively younger than whites in most regions. As younger populations grow increasingly diverse and the senior population remains largely white, ensuring the success of youth of color – our future workforce – will become increasingly important to regional economies.

What it measures

This indicator measures the average age of residents by race/ethnicity.

Key facts

  • People of Other/mixed race and Latinos are the youngest racial/ethnic groups in the United States, with a median age of 20 and 27, respectively.
  • The median age of people of color is about 13 years younger than Whites: 29 compared to 42 years old.

 

How to find it

  1. Click indicators on the navigation bar
  2. Select the “Median age” indicator under Demographics
  3. Select “By race/ethnicity” in the breakdowns underneath the chart
  4. Here is what you will see

Credit: Median age by race/ethnicy/National Equity Atlas 

This data can be used to support strategies that would ensure all youth, including low-income children of color can access the education and supports they need to succeed. For example, the implementation of Universal Pre-K in Tulsa has proven to have strong economic and social benefits, improving future earnings potential by thousands of dollars.

 

Asthma: What share of adults suffer from asthma?

Healthy workers are critical to a healthy regional economy.  However, adult asthma leads to more frequent absences from work, and can result in lower productivity on the job.  Asthma is more than a physical health problem; its prevalence and severity are directly affected by environmental, housing and social conditions often present in lower income communities of color.  Poor children are more likely to live in neighborhoods with known toxicities and attend schools and recreation centers filled with undetected asthma triggers.  As a result, low-income families spend more of their time and limited resources addressing asthma-related hospitalizations.

What it measures

Percent of adults with asthma by race/ethnicity.

Key facts

  • Nationally, one in every seven Native Americans and those of Other/mixed race suffer from asthma.
  • Among the largest 150 metropolitan regions, Vallejo, CA has the highest share of adults with asthma (14 percent). Yet within the same state, the nearby region of Salinas, CA has one of the lowest rates at 6 percent (ranking 143rd).

 

How to find it

  1. Click indicators on the navigation bar
  2. Select the Equity indicator “Asthma” under Readiness
  3. Select “Ranking,” “Region,” and “All” in the breakdowns underneath the chart
  4. Here is what you will see

Credit: Percent of adults with asthma by race/ethnicity/National Equity Atlas

Data on asthma rates can be used to press for the reduction of hazardous chemicals, pesticides and emissions from industrial plants, automobiles, and diesel engines in your community. It can also be used to call for targeted green jobs and investments in communities with high risks and inequities.

 

Diabetes: What share of adults are diabetic in your state or region?

Healthy neighborhoods provide residents with access to parks, healthy food, clean air, safe streets, and health care and social services. When communities lack these components, residents are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, which in turn affect their ability to fully participate in the workforce.

What it measures

Percent of adults with diabetes by race/ethnicity.

Key facts

  • West Virginia has the highest share of adults with diabetes: 12.2 percent compared to 9.4 percent nationally.
  • Latinos in West Virginia have the lowest rate of diabetes (10.2 percent), compared to 12.2 percent of Whites, and 14.5 percent of Blacks.

 

How to find it

  1. Click indicators on the navigation bar
  2. Select the Equity indicator “Diabetes” under Readiness
  3. Select “By race/ethnicity” in the breakdowns underneath the chart
  4. Enter West Virginia in the “Compare” field
  5. Here is what you will see

Credit: Percent of adults with diabetes by race/ethnicity/National Equity Atlas 

Data on diabetes rates can be used promote healthy eating and active living in your community. Policies and programs that improve the quality of school lunches, access to farmers markets, and create opportunities for physical activity can improve health outcomes for all residents.

 

Commute time: How does average travel time to work vary by race/ethnicity in your state or region?

In an equitable region, all workers would have comparable commute times regardless of race/ethnicity. Long commute times indicate a lack of nearby job opportunities and slow transit options, and can lead to high transportation and child care costs, job instability, and lower quality of life for workers.

What it measures

Average travel time to work (minutes) by race/ethnicity.

Key facts

  • The average commute time for U.S. workers using public transportation is 47.6 minutes, nearly double the commute time of workers using private modes of transit (24.5 minutes).
  • Blacks on average have the highest public transit commute times at 50.1 minutes, followed Asians at 48.2 minutes, and those of other/mixed race at 47.9 minutes.
  • Commute times vary significantly by geography. For example, public transit users in Nevada on average spend 10 more minutes commuting to work (57.1 minutes). For black workers it’s even longer at 62 minutes.

 

How to find it

  1. Click indicators on the navigation bar
  2. Select the Equity indicator “Commute time” under Connectedness
  3. Select “By year,” “Public,” and “2012” in the breakdowns underneath the chart
  4. Enter Nevada in the “Compare” field
  5. Here is what you will see

Credit: Average travel time to work (minutes) by race/ethnicity/National Equity Atlas 

This data can be used to advocate for the development of robust public transit systems including buses and bus rapid transit that connect low-income communities to jobs, education and training opportunities, and services. Transit-oriented developments (TODs) that include clear equity goals can be an effective tool to expand affordability and access low-income residents and prevent displacement of both people and small businesses.

 

We hope you'll enjoy exploring these new indicators! Please share your thoughts on these Atlas additions, and tell us how you'll be using this data to inform change in your community. You can contact us at info@nationalequityatlas.org.

Want to Create Your Own Local Equity Atlas? Start Here

Have you explored the National Equity Atlas and want to dig in deeper to understand how access to resources and opportunity is distributed across the neighborhoods in your region? It might be time to start thinking about developing your own local equity atlas. And a new set of resources from the Coalition for a Livable Future – the creators of the nation’s first regional equity atlas back in 2007 – is now available to help guide you through the process.

The National Equity Atlas was inspired by local equity atlases: data tools that local leaders, advocates, and policymakers are using to inform decision-making and make the case for inclusive policies and practices at the local, regional, and state level. Local equity atlases allow users to examine access to opportunity by race and geography. In Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, and New York (in addition to Portland), these atlases have put important facts, analyses, and data visualizations in the hands of changemakers, and they are being used to shape investment decisions and policy.

We’ve written several “Data In Action” stories about how advocates are using these local data resources to advance systems and policy change:

 

As the pioneers of the approach, the Coalition for a Livable Future has learned a great deal about how to successfully build a local equity atlas, and they want to share those learnings with the many cities that have approached them for advice and the broader field. They teamed up with the Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation to develop an online toolkit and are also hosting two webinars in May:

  • RESOURCE: The Equity Atlas Toolkit shares information about the uses of such atlases and describes the process of creating an equity atlas to support research, coalition-building, and policy change. It describes what equity atlases are and why they are valuable tools, and includes sections on planning, building a team, engaging stakeholders, selecting indicators, creating maps, developing a website, and conducting outreach and education.
  • WEBINAR: Equity Atlas Basics, May 12, 2015 11:00-12:00pm PST. Learn more about what equity atlases are and how they can empower communities to advance equity. Register Online
  • WEBINAR: Building an Equity Atlas, May 27, 2015 11:00-12:00pm PST. This webinar focuses on the equity atlas development process. Learn about how you can develop an equity atlas for your community. Register Online

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