Vital Signs: Statistics That Measure the State of Racial Inequality

In each issue, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education collects statistics bearing on the relative positions of blacks and whites in American society. Some of these statistics are interesting but not particularly important whereas others are highly relevant and critical to the overall measurement of racial progress.

• Percentage of all Americans who have not read a book in the past year: 27%
• Percentage of African Americans who have not read a book in the past year: 20% (Associated Press Ipsos Poll)

• Percentage of all non-Hispanic white children ages 1 to 2 who are read to by a family member seven or more times per week: 63.9%
• Percentage of all black children ages 1 to 2 who are read to by a family member seven or more times per week: 40.1%
(U.S. Census Bureau)

• Percentage of all non-Hispanic white children ages 12 to 17 who participated in after-school sports activities in 2004: 43.3%
• Percentage of all non-Hispanic black children ages 12 to 17 who participated in after-school sports activities in 2004: 29.5%
(U.S. Census Bureau)

• Percentage of black high school students in 1995 who reported being threatened with a weapon while on school property: 11.0%
• Percentage of black high school students in 2005 who reported being threatened with a weapon while on school property: 8.1%
(U.S. Department of Education)

• Percentage of black high school students in 2005 who reported being subjected to hate-related words while on school property: 15.0%
• Percentage of black high school students in 2005 who reported seeing hate-related graffiti on school property: 36.9%
(U.S. Department of Education)

• Percentage of white high school students in 2005 who said they had an alcoholic drink within the past 30 days: 46.4%
• Percentage of black high school students in 2005 who said they had an alcoholic drink within the past 30 days: 31.2%
(U.S. Department of Education)

• Percentage of white high school students in 2005 who said they had used marijuana on school property within the past 30 days: 3.8%
• Percentage of black high school students in 2005 who said they had used marijuana on school property within the past 30 days: 4.9%
(U.S. Department of Education)

• Black percentage of all school students in the United States ages 6 to 21: 15%
• Black percentage of all students in special education classes for those who have been classified as emotionally disturbed: 29%
(U.S. Department of Education)

• Number of births per 1,000 white females ages 15 to 19 in 2006: 26.6
• Number of births per 1,000 black females ages 15 to 19 in 2006: 63.7
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• Percentage of all white American women who gave birth in 2006 who were unmarried: 26.6%
• Percentage of all African-American women who gave birth in 2006 who were unmarried: 70.7%
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• Percentage of all white American babies who were born in 2006 who were at least three weeks early: 11.7%
• Percentage of all African-American babies who were born in 2006 who were at least three weeks early: 18.4%
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• Percentage of all white babies born in 2006 who were under 51/2 pounds at birth: 7.3%
• Percentage of all African-American babies born in 2006 who were under 51/2 pounds at birth: 14.0%
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• Percentage of pregnant white women in 2004 who smoked cigarettes: 11.0%
• Percentage of pregnant African-American  women in 2004 who smoked cigarettes: 8.2%
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• Percentage of all white adults over the age of 25 in the United States in 2007 who had a high school diploma: 89.7%
• Percentage of all African-American adults over the age of 25 in the United States in 2007 who had a high school diploma: 81.3%
(U.S. Census Bureau)

• Total number of African-American men in 2007 who held two-year, associate’s degrees: 822,000
• Total number of African-American women in 2007 who held two-year, associate’s degrees: 1,245,000
(U.S. Census Bureau)

• Percentage of all black households that had broadband access to the Internet in 2005: 14%
• Percentage of all black households that had broadband access to the Internet in 2007: 40%
(Pew Internet & American Life Project)

• Percentage of all black households where the head of household had a college education that had broadband access to the Internet in 2005: 48%
• Percentage of all black households where the head of household had a college education that had broadband access to the Internet in 2007: 70%
(Pew Internet & American Life Project)

• State with the highest number of black babies born in 2005: Florida (56,520)
• State with the fewest number of black babies born in 2005: Montana (62)
(National Center for HealthStatistics)

• Number of blacks who were not United States citizens who earned doctorates at American universities in 2006: 515
(National Opinion Research Center)

Note: Boldface type suggests items of positive or important change.

JBHE Past Vital Statistics

• Issue No. 57 – Autumn 2007
• Issue No. 55 – Spring 2007
• Issue No. 54 – Winter 2006/07
• Issue No. 53 – Autumn 2006
• Issue No. 52 – Summer 2006
• Issue No. 51 – Spring 2006
• Issue No. 50 – Winter 2005/2006
• Issue No. 49 – Autumn 2005