Racial Gap

Report Ranks U.S. States by Prevalence of Racial Segregation in Public Schools

According to the report, New York's public school system is the most racially segregated among all U.S. states, followed by Illinois and Pennsylvania. In contrast, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming have the lowest levels of racial segregation in public schools.

How Parental Engagement, Race, and Socioeconomic Factors Impact Children’s School Readiness

After controlling for parents' income, education, and engagement, a new study found African American children's reading scores were comparable to their White peers. However, racial differences in mathematics readiness remained

UCLA Report Examines Racial Diversity in 2025 Streaming Films

Of the 89 English-language streaming original films released in 2025, 16.9 percent featured Black lead actors and/or actresses, 14.3 percent were directed by Black filmmakers, and 8.7 percent were written by Black screenwriters. Overall BIPOC representation among streaming film leads, directors, and writers has declined over the past year.

Few African Americans Among U.S. Senate Committees’ Top Staff

Of the 37 Senate staff directors in committee offices, only one is African American. Among the 88 other Senate committee top staff positions, only two are held by Black Americans.

Ranking U.S. States on Racial Equality in Education

According to a new WalletHub analysis of all 50 states' education systems, Wyoming has the overall most racial equality in education, followed by West Virginia and New Mexico, In contrast, racial equality in education is the lowest in Wisconsin, Connecticut, and New Jersey.

What’s Driving the Significantly Low Employment Rate Among Black Men?

In 2025, 79.3 percent of prime age (25 to 54 years old) Black men were employed. This is roughly 8 to 9 percentage points less than the employment rates of similarly aged Hispanic men (87.2 percent), White men (87.4 percent), and Asian men (88.8 percent).

Research Highlights How Racial Bias in Pulse Oximeters Affects Black Patients

Pulse oximeter devices often give artificially high blood oxygen levels for people with darker skin because the melanin in their skin absorbs light differently than lighter skin. Thus, Black patients who need supplemental oxygen are likely missing out on crucial follow-up care.

Report Examines the Underfunding of Boston’s Nonprofits Focused on Women and Girls of Color

Of Greater Boston's $112 billion in total nonprofit revenue in 2023, only $1 billion went to women- and girls-serving organizations. Just $25 million went to groups specifically focused on women and girls of color.

The Racial Gap in Maternal Mortality Rates by Education Level

For Black women with a college degree, the maternal mortality rate in 2019 was 26.21 per 100,000 women. This was more than four times the rate for White women with a college degree.

Report Discusses How to Prevent AI From Widening the Racial Wealth Gap

Yvette Pappoe of the University of the District of Columbia is the lead author of a new report that outlines how companies and policymakers can establish transparency and accountability in artificial intelligence algorithms used in housing, lending, and employment.

UCLA Study Analyzes HIV-Criminalization Among Black Americans

Compared to other Americans, Black Americans are more likely to live with HIV and experience greater police surveillance. Together, these twin epidemics have placed Black Americans living with HIV at an increase risk of criminal justice system involvement.

Changes to Cannabis Laws Have Not Reduced Racial Disparities in Arrests

Notably, legalization has substantially reduced the volume of cannabis-related arrests in the United States, but it has not changed the relative differences in arrests between Black and White Americans.

Recent National Institutes of Health Grant Terminations Disproportionately Impacted BIPOC Scientists

“When funding disruptions disproportionately affect researchers who focus on health disparities, the consequences go far beyond individual careers,” said Rebecca Fielding-Miller, associate professor at the University of California, San Diego. “They also shape which scientific questions get asked, and whose health ultimately receives attention.”

Study Finds AI Models Are Less Likely to Give Constructive Criticism to Black Students

A team of scholars at Stanford University asked four AI chatbots to provide feedback on essays by middle school students of different races. Essays by Black students were given more praise, while White students' essays received more constructive criticism to improve their writing skills.

Racism and Socioeconomic Distress May Alter Pregnancy Biology in Black Women

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have found three key physiological processes linked to pregnancy complications that are more prevalent in Black women than White women. Notably, these processes cannot be explained by genetic differences, suggesting these outcomes are likely driven by socio-environmental stressors.

Racial Disparities in Mortality Risk Linked to Black American’s Greater Lifetime Exposure to Stress

Using 20-years-worth of data from blood draws, surveys, and retrospective reports of childhood experiences, a study from scholars at Washington University revealed Black participants experienced more stress throughout the lifetime and had higher levels of inflammation compared to White participants, which may explain Black-White disparities in mortality risk.

Research Shows a Small Increase in the Share of Black Administrators in California Schools

From 2019–2020 to 2023–2024, Black representation among California administrators rose from 7.62 percent to 8.04 percent. Notably, there is a greater representation of Black administrators compared to the share of Black students and Black teachers across the state.

Black-Led Nonprofits Receive Less Private Foundation Funding Than Other Organizations

In the two-year period following the onset of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, foundation funding to Black-led nonprofits increased; however, the majority of that funding went to a small group of large organizations, while funding to smaller nonprofits remained unchanged. By 2023, overall foundation funding at Black-led nonprofits declined.

An Update on the Economic State of Black American Women

According to a new report from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Black women are among the most active participants in the U.S. labor force. However, there are still significant disparities in educational attainment, income, and wealth compared to White and Asian women.

Study Finds Persistent Racial Disparities in Lung Cancer Treatment

“If you’re developing cures for cancer, but it’s not getting into the hands of everybody who needs it, then you haven’t succeeded,” said lead author Olivia Lynch, postdoctoral research fellow at the Yale School of Medicine.
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