Racial and Ethnic Disparities

Map Racial and Ethnic Inequality in Your Community

Though much progress has been made, there are still vast racial and ethnic disparities that exist in our communities today. Having an understanding of these disparities and their ongoing impact on different racial and ethnic groups is a vital first step in working toward equity.

Map shows historical redlining, as demonstrated by lending risk assessment grades assigned to different neighborhoods by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (1935-1940) | Source: University of Richmond, University of Maryland, Virginia Tech, and Johns Hopkins University

Mapping inequality is difficult, and even more so without the right data.

That’s why PolicyMap has compiled these resources and solutions to help you get started on mapping and analyzing disparities. How might you use our data to examine inequality in your community?

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Achievement Gap

Another way to look into racial and ethnic disparities is through access to internet. Now, more than ever internet access is becoming a vital part of everyday life, some even argue that it should be treated as a public utility or a human right. We’ve seen the proliferation of telecommuting and distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and those without internet access are being left out.

BLOG POST

Racial Inequities in Education Exacerbated by COVID-19

Identifying which students are at higher risk of falling behind and needing support is key to addressing inequality exacerbated by the pandemic.

CUstomer story

First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides new books and resources to educators serving kids in need, uses PolicyMap to identify “resource deserts” and ensure resources get distributed to those who need them most.

CASE STUDY VIDEO

University of Delaware sociology professor Dr. Victor Perez uses PolicyMap to educate students about the geography of environmental injustice.

What if we were to ask, what patterns do we see in internet access in New Orleans? The two maps in this section show the relationship between households without any type of computer and predominant race in New Orleans.

In the first map we see the estimated percent of households with no internet access with the darkest purple areas having nearly a quarter of households without internet access.

We are then able to compare that map to a map of predominant race. In this map, the green represents areas with > 50% Black residents, while the blue represents areas with >50% White residents. We are able to see that the areas with the least internet access are often times the areas with the highest percentage of Black residents.

Environmental Justice

Environmental justice issues are one of the many ways to look at racial and ethnic disparities. If we were to ask the question, which communities in Philadelphia are the most likely to live near polluted areas, how would you go about finding an answer to that?

The following map provides an example of one way to go about finding this answer. The data available on PolicyMap allows one to look further into disparities by layering Census data (like race, income, education, etc.) with other datasets.

Case Study Video

University of Delaware sociology professor Dr. Victor Perez uses PolicyMap to educate students about the geography of environmental injustice.

In this instance, we see predominant racial or ethnic group Census data layered with EPA brownfield sites in Philadelphia. According to the EPA, Brownfield sites are locations that may be deemed hazardous due to either contamination and/or pollution. These sites then undergo testing to determine the severity of the contamination and how to move forward with cleanup if necessary.

Taking a look at the map, it is clear that the vast majority of these sites are located in neighborhoods that are either predominantly Black or predominantly Hispanic (darker green or orange on the map). This is only one of the many types of spatial analyses that are possible with PolicyMap.

Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that Racial and Ethnic disparities in health care and access to medicine are still prevalent today. We know that these disparities exist, but what if we were to ask a specific question like what populations are at highest risk for COVID-19 and also more likely to be uninsured.

BLOG POSTS

Doctor is preparing to give patient vaccine in arm

New Study Can Help Target COVID-19 Vaccines

A new study shows two tools that help people understand their risk of dying from COVID-19 based on where they live, along with their socioeconomic information and certain health conditions.

Intergenerational family enjoying a meal together.

The Risk of COVID-19 Spread in Intergenerational Households

The spread of COVID-19 has put intergenerational households at high risk, making it critical for health officials to be able to identify them.

For this question, we will be looking at the city of Columbia, SC. The two maps in this section attempt to answer that question, while also providing a view of the Racial and Ethnic populations in the area.

In the first map we see the intersection of populations that are at severe risk of developing COVID-19 symptoms mapped in conjunction with areas where the greater than 10% of the population is uninsured. The residents in these areas are at a higher risk of developing COVID-19 symptoms while also being less likely to have insurance to cover the costs of medical bills associated with the treatment of their symptoms.

We are then able to compare that map to a map of predominant race. In this map, the green represents areas with > 50% Black residents, while the blue represents areas with >50% White residents.

Real World Solutions

Access to Homeownership

It has been shown that homeownership is one of the primary ways to build wealth in the United States today. However, the lasting impacts of redlining and discrimination make the possibility of homeownership very difficult for Black and Latino Americans.

The following series of maps shows the percentage of home loan denials, predominant racial or ethnic group, and bank branch locations.

Blog post

Addressing Racial Inequality by Investigating Mortgage Denials

New mortgage denial data shows how certain racial groups face greater challenges getting home loans, denying them a crucial tool in generating wealth.

The first map displays areas where more than 25% of home loan applications have been denied (dark purple areas). You can look at these areas in comparison to a map of areas that have higher percentages of minority populations in Orlando (orange and green shading on the map) and see that they align.

Based on these previous maps, you may want to understand if proximity to a bank branch increases the likelihood of accessing a home loan. By layering on bank branch locations, you can see that physical bank branch locations within Orlando’s city limits are plentiful. We can see that, although minority populations are served by banks in Orlando, albeit far less than neighboring predominantly white neighborhoods, we can conclude that close proximity to bank branches does not guarantee access to fair lending for Black and Hispanic applicants.

Achievement Gap

Another way to look into racial and ethnic disparities is through access to the internet. Now, more than ever, internet access is a vital part of everyday life. Some even argue that it should be treated as a public utility or a human right. We’ve seen the proliferation of telecommuting and distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and those without internet access are being left out.