Research & Studies

Racial Inequality and the Staggering Toll on Life Expectancy

A new study led by researchers at Yale University reveals a staggering disparity in life expectancy between Black Americans and their White counterparts. The results show that there were 1.63 million excess deaths in the Black population compared with White Americans in the 1999-2020 period, representing more than 80 million excess years of potential life lost.

New Report Examines Racial Differences in Early Signs of Dementia

An estimated 6.5 million persons aged 65 years and over in the United States live with Alzheimer's disease, the most common dementia. This number is projected to double by 2060, with African Americans projected to have among the largest increases. College education was associated with a lower prevalence of subjective cognitive decline among all racial and ethnic groups.

Land Conservation Measures May Be Widening the Racial Wealth Gap

A new study by researchers at the University of Rhode Island and the University of Illinois finds that protecting open space from development increases the value of surrounding homes. But a disproportionate amount of that newly generated wealth goes to high-income White households.

Study Finds That Black Consumers Brush Off Poor Customer Service Because They Are Used to It

White, Hispanic, and Black testers who sought out small business loans at local banks reported similar levels of satisfaction during encounters with bank employees. But a a analysis of videos of these encounters showed that Blacks were given significantly less time than White participants, waited longer to see a bank employee, and experienced other subtle forms of discrimination.

How to Stem the Alarming Decline in Black Enrollments in Higher Education

A new report finds that over the last 20 years, the nation has lost 300,000 Black learners from the community college system, with participation rates among Black students lower today than they were 20 years ago. If we look at higher education as a whole, Black enrollments are down 600,000 students.

Racial Differences in Employment Status of College Students and Recent Graduates

For people 20 to 29 years of age, Blacks made up 11 percent of all students who earned a bachelor’s degree in 2022. Some 83.6 percent of these recent African American college graduates were employed compared to 81.1 percent of Whites. But 8.7 percent of 2022 African American college graduates in this age group were unemployed, compared to 5.5 percent of White college graduates in this age group.

Report Looks at Reasons for Declining Enrollments in Higher Education

Black students are more likely than White students to say it was difficult for them to remain enrolled in their programs. Some 43 percent of Black students say they considered stopping out in the past six months — up from 37 percent in 2021. The cost of higher education is cited as the main reason for stopping out.

HBCUs Receive Only a Tiny Fraction of Higher Education Grants From Major Foundations

From 2015 to 2019, the eight Ivy League schools received a combined $5.5 billion in philanthropic dollars from major foundations compared to HBCUs’ $303 million. The average Ivy League institution received 178 times more foundation funding than the average HBCU.

African American Voting Statistics in the 2022 Midterm Elections

For Blacks who did not vote, 25.8 percent said they were too busy or had conflicting schedules. Nearly 16 percent said they were not interested, a lower rate than for White non-voters. Nearly 10 percent of Blacks who did not vote said they forgot to do so, 8 percent said they were away from home, and 13.4 percent said they were sick or disabled.

How to Maintain Racial Diversity If the Supreme Court Prohibits Race-Sensitive Admissions

A new report from the Center on Education and the Workforce in the School of Public Policy at Georgetown University finds that the racial and ethnic diversity of students at the nation's most selective colleges and universities will decrease significantly unless these colleges fundamentally alter their admissions practices.

Black Mothers With Advanced Degrees Have a Higher Rate of Preterm and Low-Weight Babies

The study, presented recently at the Pediatric Academic Societies in Washington, D.C., found that nearly 10 percent of Black mothers with a graduate degree had low birth-weight babies compared to 3.6 percent of White mothers with a master's or doctoral degree.

The Presence of Black Physicians in a County Boosts Black Life Expectancy

In a study by the Association of American Medical Colleges, researchers found that there were no Black primary care physicians in more than half of all counties in the United States. They also found that a 10 percent increase in Black primary-care physician representation in a county was associated with a higher life expectancy for Blacks of 30.61 days.

Brookings Institution Study Examines the High School Graduation Rate Gap by Race and Gender

In some states, the on-time high school graduation rates for specific sub-groups are quite low. In Michigan, for example, only 61 percent of Black boys graduate high school on time, compared to 75 percent of Black girls, 81 percent of White boys, and 87 percent of White girls.

Blacks Make Up a Large Share of Students With Some College Credits But No Credentials

A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center finds that Black students made up 13.8 percent of all enrolled undergraduate students but 19.4 percent of all students who entered college in 2013 or later and who have not earned a credential.

Report Examines Racial Diversity in the Nation’s Newsrooms

A new study from the Pew Research Center finds that only 6 percent of all reporting journalists in the United States are Black. Only 3 percent of all journalists whose primary beat is science are Black. Blacks are 2 percent of all reporters whose primary focus is on the environment or energy.

New ACE Report Presents Data on College Presidents Who Are Black

The American Council on Education report finds that the college presidency remains older, White, and male. But, Blacks or African Americans were 13.6 percent of college or university presidents, approximately equal to the percentage of Blacks in the U.S. population.

Racial Disparities in Working From Home Before and After the Pandemic

In 2019, Whites were 80.5 percent of all people who worked from home. Blacks made up 7.8 percent of all home-based workers. By 2021, Whites were 66.8 percent of all home-based workers and Blacks made up 9.5 percent of this group.

Special Education Teacher Shortage Has Huge Impact on Black Students

A new study finds that special education is the No. 1 teacher shortage area in 48 states. At the same time, a growing number of students of color have been identified as having a disability.

Zillow Study Finds Racial Disparities in Rental Applications and Security Deposits

The report found that on average Blacks had a $150 higher security deposit than Whites. About 93 percent of renters of color had to pay a security deposit last year, while 85 percent of white renters had to post a security deposit.

Nursing Staff Shortages at Some Hospitals May Impact the Black Maternal Mortality Rate

A new study found that hospitals serving more patients at risk for complications during childbirth are less likely to have enough nurses to care for patients. This may be contributing to poor maternal health outcomes in the U.S. for the most vulnerable childbearing populations, including Black mothers.

Get the FREE JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News