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A new study on racial and income segregation in America sheds new light on the depth of these problems and exemplifies the dangers of color-blindness in housing, education, and other areas of social and economic policy.

The study, written by a team from Stanford, combined data from the 1990 and 2000 censuses (i.e. residency patterns) with data from the 2007-2011 American Community Survey (i.e. income distribution) to explore the linkage between income, residency, and race. The researchers found that exposure to poverty is not equal across racial/ethnic groups in America – Black and Hispanic Americans are much more likely to reside in low income neighborhoods than White and Asian Americas – and the racial composition of a neighborhood depends more on race than income.

The data is concerning.

Slide1Poor White and Asian American households (in the 10th percentile for income) live in middle-class neighborhoods, while poor Black and Hispanic American households live in poor neighborhoods (where average household income is about $10,000 less). And while affluent White and Asian American households (those in the 90th percentile for income) live in exceedingly affluent neighborhoods, affluent Black and Hispanic American households do not.

Rather, the average neighborhood income of affluent Black and Hispanic American households is equal to that of poor White and Asian Americans. This means that in many metropolitan neighborhoods, you have the richest ten percent of Black and Hispanic Americans living alongside the poorest ten percent of White and Asian Americans.

Compounding this, income segregation grew ten percent, nationwide, from 2000-2009.

Slide2

This study provides further evidence that Black and Hispanic Americans are doubly-disadvantaged. First, as people of color, they earn less than their White and Asian peers. Second, they are far more likely to be exposed to poverty than White or Asian Americans –regardless of household income. In light of the consequences of exposure to poverty, which the Equality of Opportunity Project at Harvard has so thoroughly detailed, the combined effect of lower average household and neighborhood incomes is the preclusion of social and economic mobility.

Racial and income segregation in American neighborhoods are not distinct problems, rather they are one in the same. That the vast majority of Black Americans live in poor, Black communities –where they face health and economic challenges not faced by poor, White and Asian Americans – is a function of racist policies and practices, both past and present, not “individual preference” as some contend.

Slide3As such, a colorblind approach to housing, education, healthcare, etc. does nothing but perpetuate racial inequities. If we’re serious about advancing equality, we must work (against years of color-blindness) to be actively color-conscious in our thinking and decision making. A good place to start would be to replace colorblind policies in education and the workplace with policies that promote racial integration, many of which have shown promise in closing achievement gaps, raising income levels, and supporting greater social and economic mobility.