Racial Gap

According to a new study, school finance reforms that were designed to close spending gaps between high and low-income school districts increased spending disparities between districts with low and high percentages of Black and Hispanic students.

Compared to the mean of medical school matriculants from 2019 to 2023, there was a significant decline in the share of matriculants from racial backgrounds underrepresented in medicine compared to their White and Asian peers. Notably, declines were most pronounced at institutions located in states without prior state-level affirmative action bans.

Today, 64 percent of all U.S. adults think racism against Black Americans is widespread. Black adults are the most likely racial group to agree, with 83 percent holding this sentiment. In comparison, 64 percent of Hispanic adults and 61 percent of White adults say the same.

People who live in historically redlined neighborhoods, which have lower shares of White residents and higher shares of Black residents, are less likely to live within five minutes of an emergency medical services station - the national benchmark for critical call response time.

After the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, there was a major increase in investment for Black-owned businesses, particularly from investors who had never previously invested in a single Black entrepreneur, according to a study led by researchers at Cornell University. However, investment in Black-founded startups was short-lived, returning to prior levels within two years.

Colleges and universities that have eliminated test score requirements for admissions have generally increased their overall student diversity. However, those that have experienced institutional hardships and those that continue to prioritize test scores despite their optional policy have not seen a significant increase in their enrollment of students from underrepresented racial backgrounds.

“Our hope is that this policy agenda will serve as a rallying point to increase momentum for positive, holistic change,” write the authors of the report from the Congressional Black Caucus and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. “These challenges are not new, and we remain resolute and hopeful that change can and will be achieved.”

Using data from a U.S. university with one of the largest undergraduate populations, scholars from New York University and Princeton University have found that although students of color visit academic advisors more often than their White peers, they do not receive the same academic benefits.

The representation of Black speaking characters in the top 100 films of 2024 is roughly on par with Black Americans' share of the overall U.S. population. However, Black directors remain vasty underrepresented in their field; only 3 of last year's highest-grossing films were made by a Black director.

“Policies aimed at reducing healthcare disparities must prioritize racial justice, addressing digital redlining, technological exclusion, and the economic marginalization of Black communities,” write the study authors. “By leveraging health technology effectively, healthcare systems can work towards reducing disparities, enhancing patient engagement, and improving health outcomes for all populations.”

The ACLU has found Black Americans' higher likelihood of opposing the death penalty has led to their disproportionate exclusion from serving on capital trial juries, thereby increasing discrimination in the form of nonrepresentative and biased juror pools.

The "Hear Us, Believe Us, Invest In Us: Helping Parents Advocate for Black Teachers" toolkit is designed to help mobilize parents to advocate for more Black teachers through outreach to local representatives, school district administrators, and community organizations.

As of 2022, Black Americans represent some 8 percent of all adults over the age of 25 with a bachelor's degree in the United States. Black bachelor's degree holders typically make less than their White and Asian peers, even in fields of study with an overrepresentation of Black professionals.

Despite their overall underrepresentation in the profession, a significantly higher share of Black superintendents (80.4 percent) hold a doctorate than White superintendents (41 percent). Black superintendents also have higher median annual incomes, potentially due to their greater representation in larger and more urbanized districts.

"Currently, the ethno-racial gap in family income appears smaller than it otherwise would because women of color tend to work more when men of color earn less," said Dr. ChangHwan Kim of the University of Kansas. "Thus, unless there is an improvement in the earnings of men of color, closing the gender income gap could inadvertently exacerbate the ethno-racial gap in family income."

According to a new study, letters of recommendations received by Black students have fewer overall sentences than those received by White students. Additionally, Black students' letters are less likely to mention key topics such as their intellectual promise.

In an analysis of admissions data at 18 universities, research from the Urban Institute has found slight increases in Black students' applications and enrollment, while admittance rates have remained unchanged. However, at highly selective institutions, Black students' enrollment is decreasing, despite recent increases in their share of applications.

In a study led by scientists at MIT, Black patients in need of an organ transplant are 7 percent less likely to have a liver offer accepted, and 20 percent less likely to have a lung offer accepted compared to White patients with similar wait-list priority.

Black homeownership rates in New York City are plummeting. In response, scholars from Medgar Evers College have announced plans to provide public workshops and legal classes focused on supporting the financial stability of Black New Yorkers.

Of the 1,244 total top house staff positions, 77 are held by Black Americans, equating to just 6.2 percent of top staffers in personal and committee offices. Over 94 percent of all Black top house staffers are employed by Democratic members.