PPIC: Racial disparities are wide in California
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In response to the police killing of George Floyd and days of global protests, the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released data showing the wide racial disparities within California.
The nonprofit is a nonpartisan think tank that helps guide the state on police decisions from race, water, education and voting.
The research covers the state’s criminal justice system, education, income and wealth, as well as the current COVID-19 pandemic.
“We need to think about this from a broader perspective—and that is, how can we actually reduce these inequities,” said Magnus Lofstrom with PPIC. “We see it in terms of education, we see it in terms of employment opportunities, in income, in wealth and we certainly see it in terms of our criminal justice outcomes.”
Overall, black Americans make up 6% of California’s population, but make up:
- 16% of all arrests
- 26% of the state’s probation population
- 25% of the jail population
- 29% of the prison population
Black Americans are much more likely to die from COVID-19. The death rate about twice that of whites, according to the California Department of Public Health.
“There’s strong evidence that the pandemic itself is not something that is playing out equally across our communities,” Lofstrom said.
Richard Owen is with the United Professional Educators—which represents principals and administrators in Sacramento City Unified School District. He also with the Law Enforcement Accountability Directive (L.E.A.D.).
“No, it’s not surprising because we have the highest number of the underlying conditions and we have the least access to quality healthcare,” Owen said.
The PPIC report also found black Californian families are about two times more likely to be earning at low income levels than at high income levels. But for white families in the state the opposite is true-- they are more than twice as likely to be earning at the top of the distribution.
“Wealth is where we see the biggest difference and that is more of a representation of how we have been able to accumulate our income and put it away towards savings,” Lofstrom explains.
In California, the median wealth of a white family is eight times greater than that of a black family.
“You build wealth and you pass it on to your kids,” Owen said. “But if you don’t have any wealth to pass on—then it’s everybody for themselves.”
PPIC also found the racial disparities start young with a concern that the pandemic and distance learning is further exacerbating the existing inequalities in education.
“We’re pulling a scab off of a sore here and it’s exposing all of the inequities in the system,” Owen explained. “So, if kids were not doing well prior to distance learning how do you think they are doing now?”
In fourth grade across the state PPIC found:
- 32% of Black American children met English standards, versus 64% of white children.
- 25% of Black American children met math standards, versus 60% of white children.
This impacts higher learning. Black Californians are 25% likely to hold a four-year degree (or higher), while white Californians are 44% likely to hold a four-year degree (or higher).
“So, when you have an educational system that’s failing them, when you have lack of economic opportunity and growth in their community—combined with this police treatment-- I mean it explains why people are so mad, so upset and so angry,” Owen said.
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