By Homa Bash
Eye-opening new data from a local think tank shows it is more difficult to be black than white in Cleveland and in Cuyahoga County.
The research from the Center for Community Solutions finds that there is no question that race matters when it comes to outcomes — health, economic, and more. It quantifies what has been anecdotally known for decades.
“Black residents in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County would not be surprised by this, but I think what is surprising is the magnitude of the issue,” said research associate Kate Warren.
According to Warren, black residents face worse outcomes throughout their lifetimes — from birth to death.
The infant mortality rate is higher for black babies, who are six times more likely to die.
White residents live six years longer than their black counterparts and the poverty rate is nearly double when it comes to black residents.
In schools, the study found, black children are disciplined at higher rates, which leads to a higher number of African-Americans in the juvenile justice system — and that disproportionately higher number continues in the adult prison system.
When it comes to health —those living in the highly segregated black neighborhoods and cities on the East Side are at a much higher risk of having asthma, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Source: JusticeCenter