Inequality in America

The Urban League recently unveiled its first "Equality Index," a statistical measure designed to gauge the disparities that exist between whites and blacks in a variety of socioeconomic categories. The results are an alarming reminder of America's persistent equity gaps. The report found that, "despite substantial progress, the status of African Americans is .73, or 73 percent, when compared to their white counterparts." The economic data were particularly troubling: African Americans came in at 56 percent of the white America's index. The Urban League report, combined with other recent data on Americans' economic well-being, shows that:

• Employment and benefit numbers for minorities are worse than those of white Americans. The unemployment rate for African Americans has been over 10 percent for 15 consecutive months (versus 7.3 percent in March 1999). African American teenage unemployment was an astounding 33 percent in 2003. Minorities are less likely to be offered any sort of retirement savings plan at work than are white Americans: 49 percent of Hispanics and 58 percent of African Americans have this option, while 73 percent of white Americans do.
• In terms of health status and insurance coverage, minorities are measurably worse off than are white Americans. Forty-one percent of Hispanic adults are uninsured, compared to 20 percent of African-Americans and 12 percent of whites. Minorities are also less likely to get health care than are whites: 27 percent of Hispanics did not visit a health care provider in the last year, compared to 15 percent of whites. Twenty-nine percent of Hispanic women and 20 percent of African American women report that they are in fair or poor health, compared to 3 percent of white women.
• Proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicaid have a disproportionate impact on minorities. According to the AARP, older African Americans receive more than 44 percent of their total income from Social Security. The program is the only source of income for one-third of African-Americans over the age of 65. The numbers for Medicaid are similar. Recent proposals to privatize Social Security and cut Medicaid funding would thus exacerbate the equity gaps that already exist.

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