Research & Studies

“Loneliness is undeniably damaging, but we were struck by the resilience we observed among minority communities,” said lead author Dr. Oluwasegun Akinyemi of Howard University. “It points to cultural strengths and social ties that may help protect mental health, even when people feel disconnected.”

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.

When modern social justice issues are framed as attacks on civil rights, Americans of all backgrounds are less likely to support government action. The authors theorize this language evokes memories of the civil rights movement, prompting unfavorable comparisons that may undermine the severity of contemporary problems.

Notably, the authors found that simply increasing corporate board diversity does not necessarily increase workplace safety. However, their research revealed that when diverse directors are in powerful board positions or on key board committee, their firms' workplace safety increases.

Over the past four years, Black women's satisfaction with the direction of the United States has plummeted, dropping from a 58 percent satisfaction rate in 2021 to a current rate of just 8 percent. However, the majority of Black women are still motivated to protect their rights and improve the country's prospects.

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.

Since the 1980s, the study authors estimate gentrification in the United States has led to the displacement of 500,000 Black Americans. Over 500 majority-Black urban neighborhoods have been impacted by gentrification, with a third undergoing full racial turnover by 2020.

Overall, Black Americans view retirement similarly to others with comparable financial means. However, they are more likely to report problematic debt, lower incomes, retiring earlier than expected, and working for pay during retirement.

A team of scholars from several partnering organizations has identified the names of 2 million Black Americans born before emancipation who were included in the 1900 census. The database opens the door for numerous future research applications and could serve as a resource for people seeking to discover their family history.

In a study of more than 2 million genetic variants in over 230,000 Americans, researchers have found subcontinental genetic ancestry, rather than self-reported race, may be a better method of understanding health disparities facing populations in the U.S.

Drug overdose deaths in the United States have decreased since 2022, but this is largely due to decreases in overdoses by White Americans. In contrast, Black Americans and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders experienced statistically significant increases in the same time period.

In an analysis of each state's education system, researchers at WalletHub have identified Wyoming, New Mexico, and West Virginia as the most racially equitable states and Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Minnesota as the least racially equitable states for Black Americans.

A new study from scholars at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found over 82 percent of Americans are in support of diversity and inclusion initiatives in the United States, but just 55 percent think the overall American population is pro-diversity.

"That police expenditures were associated with increases in suicide and police-perpetrated killing for Black residents is alarming given the national norm for suicide and mental health crisis intervention is a police-led response," the authors write. Instead, they suggest increasing spending on social services such as housing and community development to improve Black life expectancy.

A new study from New York University has found Black, Latinx, multiracial, and Indigenous adults aged 18 to 29 are 60 percent more likely than their White peers to experience psychosis. The study authors found evidence this could be because of experiences with discrimination and police violence.