racism is not dead
Racism is a system that encompasses economic, political, social, and cultural structures, actions, and beliefs that institutionalize and perpetuate an unequal distribution of privileges, resources, and power between white people and people of color.1
impacts of racism
on crime and criminal justice
impacts of racism
on women and children
Black students are
3x
more likely to be suspended and expelled than white students,2 putting them at higher risk of entering the juvenile justice system.3
Black West Virginians are
11.8x
more likely to be incarcerated than whites.4
Reported hate crimes increased by 17% from 2016 (6,121 cases) to 2017 (7,175 cases). Two-thirds of victims were targeted for their race, ethnicity or ancestry. Half were due to anti-black bias.5
Low-income black women were found to be at a much higher risk of delivering low-birthweight babies.6
Black women are
3–4x
more likely to die due to pregnancy-related complications than white women.7
African American women in the U.S. are
40%
more likely to die than Caucasian women from complications due to breast cancer.8
impacts of racism
on income
impacts of racism
on wealth
In Charleston, West Virginia, black people comprise 11.3% of the population and are nearly
2.3x
more likely to be unemployed (13.5% versus 5.9%) and
1.8x
more likely to live in poverty
(34.0% versus 19.4%).9
Stark disparities are observed for African Americans and Latinos in several key indicators of wealth, which are inextricably linked to economic security:
2013 median net worth10
African American households: $11,000
Latino households: $13,700
White households: $141,900
2016 homeownership rates11
African American households: 42%
Latino households: 46%
White households: 72%
2017 home-purchase loan denial rates12
African American households: 18.4%
Latino households: 13.5%
White households: 8.8%
impacts of racism
on education
By fifth grade, black and Hispanic children reported experiences of discrimination
2x
more frequently than their white peers.13
Children who experience discrimination have been shown to have higher rates of depression, ADHD and other behavioral problems.14
The average composite ACT score of white students in WV (20.7) is competitive for 440 colleges nation-wide. The average score of black students in WV (17.4) makes them competitive for only 43.15
Colleges
competitive for
white students
Colleges
competitive for
black students
Diversity and inclusion are good for business.
Amongst 350 large public companies in North America, Latin America and the U.K., those in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity produced at least
15%
higher profits than their peers.16
Help us end racism in our communities!
1 A. Hilliard, Racism: Its origins and how it works, (1992)
2 US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, (2014)
3 Tony Fabelo, Breaking Schools’ Rules…, (2011)
4 US Census Data, Prison Policy Initiative Report, (2010)
5 US Department of Justice, 2017 Hate Crime Statistics Report, (2017)
6 Maeve E. Wallace, Pauline Mendola, et al., Joint Effects of Structural Racism…, (2015)
7 US CDC, Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System, (2006–2013)
8 A.M. Noone, N. Howlader, et al., SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975–2015, (2018)
9 US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (2016)
10 US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (2013)
11 US Census Bureau, Quarterly Homeownership Rates by Race and Ethnicity…, (June 2017)
12 J. Dietrich, F. Liu, et al., Data Point: 2017 Mortgage Market Activity and Trends, (2018)
13 T.R. Coker, Perceived Racial/Ethnic Discrimination Among Fifth-Grade Students…, (2009)
14 Ibid.
15 PrepScholar (2014)
16 McKinsey Consultants (2015)