Racial Equity

The factors most often connected to poverty – education, housing, health care, employment, wages and wealth – all show significant racial disparities. Centuries of entrenched discrimination and inequality have led to a significant racial wealth gap. Despite civil rights advances and increased attention to racial discrimination, that gap doesn’t only persist – it grows. Today the median white family’s net worth is five times that of the median black family. Communities of color are geographically concentrated in areas that tend to have fewer opportunities, worse schools and lower quality of life. Children of color are behind before they even begin, creating a persistent cycle of intergenerational poverty. Hispanic and black Americans are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than white Americans. This section of the Spotlight website gathers the latest research, news and opinion on racial equity and poverty.