Persistent Racial Inequality Research Articles

Centering Racial Health Equity in Systematic Reviews Paper 2: Themes from Semi-structured Interviews

ObjectiveIn the context of profound and persistent racial health inequities, we sought to understand how to define racial health equity in the context of systematic reviews and how to staff, conduct, disseminate, sustain, and evaluate systematic reviews that address racial health equity. Study Design and SettingThe study consisted of virtual, semi-structured interviews followed by structured coding and qualitative analyses using NVivo. ResultsTwenty-nine individuals, primarily US-based, including patients, community representatives, systematic reviewers, clinicians, guideline developers, primary researchers, and funders, participated in this study. These interest holders brought up systems of power, injustice, social determinants of health, and intersectionality when conceptualizing racial health equity. They also emphasized including community members with lived experience in review teams. They suggested making changes to systematic review scope, methods, and eligible evidence (such as adapting review methods to include racial health equity considerations in prioritizing topics for reviews, formulating key questions and searches, and specifying outcomes) and broadening evidence to include designs that address implementation and access. Interest holders noted that sustained efforts to center racial health equity in systematic reviews require resources, time, training, and demonstrating value to funders. ConclusionInterest holders identified changes to the funding, staffing, conduct, dissemination, and implementation of systematic reviews to center racial health equity. Action on these steps requires clear standards for success, an evidence base to support transformative changes, and consensus among interest holders on the way forward.

Structural Disadvantage in Housing Opportunities

This paper discusses the ways that race and migration have shaped the housing opportunities people experience in England. It explores the historical development of policy and practice that has shaped racial inequalities in housing. It argues that the violence created by national and local state-supported housing policies has disproportionately affected racialised minorities, as has the slow violence generated by the neglect and stigmatisation of working-class housing. In turn, this has provided the justification for clearances and the remaking of space for those with the money to invest in the financialisation of land and housing through dispossession and denial of the right to safe, secure, and affordable housing. This analysis will be used as a basis to propose ways in which housing research can develop a coherent, critical perspective to race and migration and develop an alternative discourse to challenge the dominant market-driven, individualistic narratives. Adopting a critical approach allows researchers to move beyond the logic of housing policies at national and local levels to analyse and propose action to address persistent racial inequalities in housing.

Reflections on Psychological Critical Race Theory (PCRT) as a framework for disrupting racism in pursuit of social justice

AbstractPsychological Critical Race Theory (PCRT) was introduced in 1998. PCRT illustrates the integral connection of psychological research and theory to the legal framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT). Five tenets of PCRT were described: (1) Spontaneous and persistent influence of race; (2) Fairness is derived from divergent racial experiences; (3) Asymmetrical consequences of racial policies; (4) Paradoxes of racial diversity; and (5) Racial identity requires a multidimensional approach. These tenets are reviewed and updated. A new set of seven PCRT principles are proposed that provide a broad framework within which to examine the PCRT concept and its role in reframing critical approaches to racial justice. Principle 1: Race and culture make each other up; Principle 2: Meaning Matters; Principle 3: Multilevel analysis is critical to unraveling Systemic Racism; Principle 4: Activism is a lever for social change; Principle 5: Power drives racial inequality; Principle 6: Storytelling disrupts status quo narratives; Principle 7: Diversity does not ameliorate systemic racism. PCRT is a 100‐year enterprise of psychological science, offering a complex and comprehensive framework for understanding and ameliorating persistent racial inequality. The comprehensive network of ideas, methods, goals, and strategies can engage and guide this work for years to come.

Race, historical redlining, and contemporary transportation noise disparities in the United States.

Legacies of discriminatory federal housing practices-e.g., racialized property appraisal by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) and institutionalized redlining by the Federal Housing Administration-include disparate present-day environmental health outcomes. Noise pollution is health-harming, but just one study has associated contemporary noise with redlining in some HOLC-mapped United States (US) cities, while two national studies found associations between greater neighborhood-level people of color composition and increased noise. No studies have examined noise pollution exposure disparities across all HOLC-mapped cities or based on the intersection of race/ethnicity and redlining. We address three objectives: (1) Assess disparities in fine-scale, per person transportation noise exposures by historical redlining status across all HOLC-mapped cities. (2) Quantify disparities in noise exposures by race/ethnicity nationwide. (3) Explore interactions between redlining status and race/ethnicity in noise exposures. We analyzed three data sources: (1) complete digital HOLC maps of ordered investment risk grades (A-D), (2) fine-scale (30 m) estimates of transportation noise levels (year-2020), and (3) sociodemographic characteristics of individuals in year-2020 census blocks. We find an approximately monotonic association for excess transportation noise with HOLC grade, marked by a pronounced exposure increase (17.4 dBA or 3× loudness) between contemporary residents of grade A (highest-graded) and D (lowest-graded) neighborhoods, a pattern consistent across HOLC-mapped cities. People of color experience ~7 dBA greater (2× louder) excess transportation noise exposures than White people nationwide, a pattern consistent across US counties. Noise exposure disparities are larger by HOLC grade than by race/ethnicity. However, contemporary racial/ethnic noise exposure disparities persist within each HOLC grade at levels approximating those disparities existing in ungraded areas, indicating that historical redlining is one of multiple discriminatory practices shaping contemporary national soundscape injustices. Findings illustrate how historical redlining and broader racialized inequalities in US society have shaped environmental injustices nationwide. Excessive noise exposures harm human health. Communities of color in the United States experience disparate noise exposures, although previous studies are limited by reliance upon aggregated data. They are also disproportionately concentrated in historically redlined areas. Legacies of redlining include persistent racial and economic inequalities and environmental health disparities. Here, we conduct the first complete national examination of contemporary noise pollution disparities with respect to historical redlining and race/ethnicity. Findings advance understanding of the historical roots and enduring salience of race-based disparities in noise pollution exposures and can inform efforts to address these disparities through noise pollution policy-making.

Evaluating the impact of the race equality charter on diversity staff outcomes

ABSTRACT The Race Equality Charter (REC) was established with the main objective of tackling persistent racial inequalities in the UK Higher Education sector. There are currently over 100 REC member institutions holding close to 50 awards between them. While the sector uptake of the REC is notable, there are currently no empirical studies evaluating its impact. Using data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), this study uses a matched difference-in-difference approach to investigate the effect of the REC on the proportion of staff from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic groups, their corresponding share of total staff in professorial or senior academic posts, as well as their corresponding share of total staff holding permanent contracts. The results reveal non-significant treatment effects which indicates that there is no difference in diversity staff outcomes between REC and non-REC institutions.

“MAMA’s is like a second mom:” Client and Staff Experiences in a Comprehensive Social Risk Care Management Program Within a Perinatal Medical Home

IntroductionAddressing persistent racial inequities in preterm birth requires innovative health care approaches. The Los Angeles County Maternity Assessment and Management Access Service Synergy Neighborhood program (MAMA’s) is a perinatal medical home program designed to alleviate the impacts of chronic stress by addressing social determinants of health. It reduced odds of preterm birth rates in Black participants, yet it is unclear which program components most contributed to this reduction. This study seeks to understand the experiences of staff and clients within the MAMA’s program to identify what factors decrease stress, how the program addresses racism and the challenges and opportunities of optimizing health during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods21 staff and 34 clients completed semi-structured interviews from November 2020–December 2021. Separate interview guides for staff and clients explored experiences within the program, experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how racism affects clients. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Analysis used a phenomenologic framework. Coding was performed using grounded theory to identify themes.ResultsAnalysis revealed six key themes: Stressors clients face, barriers for undocumented, Latina, and Spanish-speaking clients, exceptional care, emotional support, naming and responding to racism and discrimination, and impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.DiscussionStaff and clients work together to address social needs in order to address chronic stress and racism in their lives, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews revealed relationship building is a cornerstone of the program’s success and plays a significant role in alleviating chronic stress in this population.

An Exploration into People with Disabilities’ Access to Sex, Sexuality, and Sex Education in South Africa

IntroductionThe needs of people living with disabilities regarding sex and sexual health remain largely neglected. Knowledge and resources about disabled sexuality have emerged mainly from the global north and have centered on heteronormative ideas about sex, gender, and sexuality.MethodsAn affirmative, sex positive, queer, and intersectional exploration was undertaken of the experiences and needs a group of adults with disabilities living in Gauteng, South Africa in relation to accessing information about sex, sexuality, and sexual health. Interviews were conducted with people of diverse disabilities, language groups, and cultural backgrounds. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsThe participants revealed that sexual encounters, relationships, and dating were infused with negative experiences related to lack of understanding about sex, internalized ableism, exploitation, and physical, sexual, and emotional abuse resulting from societal stigma and ignorance regarding disability. Participants offered suggestions for how their needs could be addressed.ConclusionOur study concludes that the denial of sexual rights is a central element of the broader forms of social exclusion that people with disabilities. In South Africa, many of these forms of exclusion have been compounded by the legacy of apartheid, and the persistence of racial inequality, taboos about sex, and stigmas associated with disability.

Panacea or Placebo? The Diverse Pathways and Implications of Drinking Water System Consolidation

AbstractScholars and policy makers alike frequently promote drinking water system consolidation as a solution to the longstanding struggles of small water systems and the related consequences of service fragmentation, including vulnerability to climate change and persistent racial and economic inequalities in access to safe and affordable drinking water. Despite enthusiasm for the concept, however, our understanding of how, why, and where consolidations occur has remained stubbornly limited such that the promise of drinking water system consolidation remains theoretical at best. This study analyzes all known water system consolidations (n = 206) in the state of California over a 7‐year period (2015–2021). We find empirical support for certain theoretical claims about consolidation, including an overall reduction in the number of regulated systems, with the largest reductions occurring among particularly underperforming, climate‐vulnerable, and unrepresentative system types. Other findings, however, do not align with the literature on the subject. We find limited evidence of either water service privatization or remunicipalization trends and seemingly limited prospects for economies of scale benefits through consolidations. Moreover, roughly half of consolidations during the study period involve non‐residential water systems. Among the consolidated community water systems, systems serving higher‐resourced communities are overrepresented compared to those serving lower‐resourced communities by a margin of two‐to‐one. It is time to move beyond the blanket assumption of positive consolidation benefits toward a more nuanced understanding of the associated opportunities and limitations. Depending on their goals, policymakers may need to support more specific types of consolidation.

Improving health equity through health care systems research.

To describe health equity research priorities for health care delivery systems and delineate a research and action agenda that generates evidence-based solutions to persistent racial and ethnic inequities in health outcomes. This project was conducted as a component of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) stakeholder engaged process to develop an Equity Agenda and Action Plan to guide priority setting to advance health equity. Recommendations were developed and refined based on expert input, evidence review, and stakeholder engagement. Participating stakeholders included experts from academia, health care organizations, industry, and government. Expert group consensus, informed by stakeholder engagement and targeted evidence review. Priority themes were derived iteratively through (1) brainstorming and idea reduction, (2) targeted evidence review of candidate themes, (3) determination of preliminary themes; (4) input on preliminary themes from stakeholders attending AHRQ's 2022 Health Equity Summit; and (5) and refinement of themes based on that input. The final set of research and action recommendations was determined by authors' consensus. Health care delivery systems have contributed to racial and ethnic disparities in health care. High quality research is needed to inform health care delivery systems approaches to undo systemic barriers and inequities. We identified six priority themes for research; (1) institutional leadership, culture, and workforce; (2) data-driven, culturally tailored care; (3) health equity targeted performance incentives; (4) health equity-informed approaches to health system consolidation and access; (5) whole person care; (6) and whole community investment. We also suggest cross-cutting themes regarding research workforce and research timelines. As the nation's primary health services research agency, AHRQ can advance equitable delivery of health care by funding research and disseminating evidence to help transform the organization and delivery of health care.

Immediate and long-term outcomes of the Scholars Committed to Opportunities in Psychological Education (SCOPE) Program

ABSTRACT Persistent racial inequities in the field of psychology have resulted in exclusion and marginalization of racially/ethnically minoritized (REM) students. This manuscript discusses the effectiveness of an endeavor to increase admission, recruitment, and retention of REM students, the Scholars Committed to Opportunities in Psychological Education (SCOPE) Program. Study 1 examined the effectiveness of the second implementation of the virtual SCOPE program. Pre-post scores comparisons indicated decreases in perceived stress (d = .82), and increases in self-efficacy (d = .37), GRE knowledge (d = .81), application knowledge (d = .71), perceived application preparation (d = .85), and qualification (d = .53). Study 2 examined outcomes of previous SCOPE programs. Results indicated that the majority of participants were enrolled in a psychology graduate program. Results suggest that while SCOPE can benefit from curriculum modifications, there is initial evidence that SCOPE can make a significant impact in increasing equity in the field of psychology.

Evaluation of emission reduction and other societal and environmental outcomes: Structured decision making for the Louisiana climate action plan

Climate action planning continues to accelerate rapidly across the globe as communities seek to prepare to thrive in an uncertain future. Climate action planning is a particularly contentious and complex topic in the southern United States, however, because of significant economic reliance on industries that contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions, and due to a complicated relationship between industry and persistent racial and economic inequities that contribute to distrust between communities, businesses, and state governments. Within the last decade, research efforts have begun to evaluate approaches used to develop city, state, and national-level climate action plans, finding that planning efforts are often as diverse as the localities they represent. Climate action planning processes that evaluate the potential implications of climate action on greenhouse gas emissions and societal values are often driven by either qualitative stakeholder engagement or by the results of numerical models. While both approaches are valuable, they also have limitations that can result in climate action plans that are unrealistic or unimplementable. Limited research is available that assesses planning efforts that integrate multiple evaluation methodologies. In this study, we evaluate the strengths and limitations of integrating qualitative and quantitative climate action evaluation methodologies in a planning process grounded in structured decision making using Louisiana as a case study. This mixed method planning approach applied both quantitative numerical models and qualitative expert elicitation to evaluate potential implications of climate action for Louisiana. We found that integration of approaches through a transparent, structured, and objectives-orientated process allowed for robust analysis of potential climate actions while engendering process buy-in across diverse stakeholder interests. This process ultimately resulted in the unanimous adoption of Louisiana's climate action plan, characterized by a wholistic and implementable set of climate actions balanced against the values of Louisianians. The process outlined in this study represents a replicable approach for other climate action planning efforts.

Intergenerational mobility and racial inequality: The case for a more holistic approach

AbstractIntergenerational social mobility studies have largely explored the relationship between one aspect of parent background (e.g., education, income, occupational status, wealth, or neighborhood context) and the corresponding aspect of that parent's child once they reach adulthood. Studies examining these various measures have provided differing conclusions about the extent that social origins constrain attainment in the U.S. In contrast, the persistence of racial inequality in intergenerational mobility is one consistent finding. For instance, across various measures, research demonstrates Black individuals are more likely than White individuals to experience downward mobility, and less likely to exceed the socioeconomic standings of their parents. In this article, we argue that a more holistic measure of both origin and destination, one that combines the above‐mentioned indicators, is necessary to advance our understanding of the extent that origin constrains future attainment. We summarize lessons gleaned from one‐dimensional estimates, and from other approaches that either combine some dimensions of socioeconomic background or attempt to capture a more holistic background in other ways. We then make a recommendation for methodological interventions to accomplish this more holistic approach and conclude with research and policy implications.

Work in prisons: Considerations on racial inequalities and labor activities in Brazilian prisons

The problem of violence has been studied by several researchers who analyze contemporary society. In these debates, reflections on the involvement of young people in crime, the increase in incarceration of the black population and the importance of public policies for the prevention of this phenomenon are common. The Federal Constitution of Brazil - CRFB of 1988 and Law 7.210/84 of Penal Execution (LEP) show that educational and work activities must be carried out by the prison population, mainly because they represent efficient mechanisms in the rehabilitation of inmates. This research aims to analyze the criteria used by the penitentiaries to select the convicts considered apt to develop productive activities, verifying, above all, if the convicts' race, color, or ethnicity interfere in their possibilities of access to work activities. The methodology used consisted of the literature review produced on this topic specifically in Brazil in the last five years. The data obtained revealed aspects that allow the permanence of an unequal society, which violates rights guaranteed in the Magna Carta and in the Criminal Executions Law. Among them, the persistence of racial inequalities in prisons, the overcrowding and precariousness in prisons and, above all, the neglect of the public power in not expanding policies aimed at resocialization, stand out. In view of this, the need for the State to intervene in this reality is identified by implementing public policies capable of collaborating with the effectiveness of basic guarantees guaranteed to all citizens, including those who are under deprivation of liberty.

The LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities Initiative: Community-Participatory Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change

The LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities Initiative: Community-Participatory Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change

404 Identification of Persistent Racial Inequities in Recommendations for Resection of Primary Brain Tumors Using a Harmonized Dual Registry Analysis

INTRODUCTION: Disparities in outcomes disproportionately affect minority populations in many surgical fields. In contrast, racial disparities in surgical decision-making remains an enigma due to the difficulty in capturing surgeon recommendations during initial patient workup. METHODS: The odds of recommendation against surgical resection at initial diagnosis of primary brain neoplasms was determined using multivariable logistic regression with clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic factors. A dual registry analysis was designed using two national databases (NCDB and SEER), with independent analyses that were harmonized to ensure robustness of conclusions. Adults with the six most common intracranial neoplasms were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Two registries were queried to identify adults with meningioma (n = 63674, n = 222673), glioblastoma (n = 35258, n = 104047), pituitary adenoma (n = 27506, n = 87772), vestibular schwannoma (n = 11525, n = 30745), astrocytoma (n = 5402, n = 10631), and oligodendroglioma (n = 3977, n = 9187) in SEER and NCDB databases, respectively. Multivariable analysis in SEER demonstrated that, independent of clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic factors, Black patients had significantly higher odds of recommendation against surgical resection of meningioma (odds ratio [OR] 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.21, p < 0.001), glioblastoma (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01-1.28, p = 0.038), pituitary adenoma (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.05-1.22, p < 0.001), and vestibular schwannoma (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.19-1.84, p < 0.001) when compared to White patients in the SEER dataset. Performing a parallel analysis in NCDB confirmed these results in meningioma (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.22-1.30, p < 0.001), glioblastoma (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.13-1.29, p < 0.001), pituitary adenoma (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.22-1.31), p < 0.001), and vestibular schwannoma (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.15-1.48, p < 0.001). These findings persisted independent of both patient comorbidities and potential overlap between the databases. CONCLUSIONS: Racial disparities in surgery recommendations for patients with primary brain tumors independent of multiple potential confounders including clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic factors.

Ending the HIV epidemic PrEP equity recommendations from a rapid ethnographic assessment of multilevel PrEP use determinants among young Black gay and bisexual men in Atlanta, GA.

Efforts to mitigate HIV transmission among gay and bisexual men have not been sufficient to level persistent racial inequities which now extend to the use of daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention. Community-involved ethnographic research is crucial to galvanizing collaboration between patients, researchers, and policymakers to identify the social determinants of emerging PrEP inequities. In partnership with community key informants, we conducted a Rapid Ethnographic Assessment (REA) of multilevel PrEP use determinants among young Black gay and bisexual (YBGBM) men in the metropolitan Atlanta area to inform the development and coordination of local HIV programs. In the assessment, we drew upon the perspectives of local clinicians, community-based organization leaders, health educators, and PrEP clients to identify barriers and facilitators to PrEP use among YBGBM through interviews (N = 23). Data were collected from September 2020 -to January 2021 and were analyzed through a staged deductive-inductive thematic analysis. The themes were later summarized and presented to community stakeholder participants to facilitate member-checking. Our analyses revealed structural, cultural, relationship, and developmental factors which shaped PrEP use. The most prominent being "ease of access to PrEP" (structural level), "provider support" (interpersonal), and "life-stage traits" (individual). Our results also contribute novel information concerning the axes of intersectional stigma (spatial, racial, sexual identity, and HIV) among YBGBM in Atlanta and its divergent effects on PrEP use. Increased PrEP use among YBGBM, particularly among those living in the south, is essential to ending the domestic HIV epidemic. Altogether, our results emphasize the need for PrEP program modifications, which increase flexibility in methods and modes of access and are culturally adapted to the needs of YBGBM. There is also a need for resources that holistically focus on mental health, trauma, and racism as critical components of support.

Nice to Whom?: How Midwestern Niceness Undermines Educational Equity

While U.S. schools grapple with persistent racial inequities, we argue that niceness, a socioemotional way of being that privileges whiteness, regularly impedes “equity” and “diversity” efforts in K-12 and teacher education settings. In the Midwest, niceness is uniquely rooted in a historical “obsession with public civility” (Cayton & Gray, 2002) that advances whiteness through a “demure white supremacy” (Cleveland, 2021), particularly in education. Here, the authors theorize Midwestern educational niceness, a regionally produced and enacted phenomenon “nicely” instantiated by the predominantly overwhelmingly white, Midwestern teacher workforce that actually stymies equity efforts. The authors conceptualize the ways whiteness through niceness works through a number of other phenomena including color evasiveness (Annamma et al., 2017; Bonilla-Silva, 2003), white fragility (DiAngelo, 2018), and emotionalities of whiteness (Matias, 2016). Countering the insidiousness of Midwestern educational niceness will require a recognition that this regional form of niceness and equity are incommensurate.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Opioid Access and Urine Drug Screening Among Older Patients With Poor-Prognosis Cancer Near the End of Life.

To characterize racial and ethnic disparities and trends in opioid access and urine drug screening (UDS) among patients dying of cancer, and to explore potential mechanisms. Among 318,549 non-Hispanic White (White), Black, and Hispanic Medicare decedents older than 65 years with poor-prognosis cancers, we examined 2007-2019 trends in opioid prescription fills and potency (morphine milligram equivalents [MMEs] per day [MMEDs]) near the end of life (EOL), defined as 30 days before death or hospice enrollment. We estimated the effects of race and ethnicity on opioid access, controlling for demographic and clinical factors. Models were further adjusted for socioeconomic factors including dual-eligibility status, community-level deprivation, and rurality. We similarly explored disparities in UDS. Between 2007 and 2019, White, Black, and Hispanic decedents experienced steady declines in EOL opioid access and rapid expansion of UDS. Compared with White patients, Black and Hispanic patients were less likely to receive any opioid (Black, -4.3 percentage points, 95% CI, -4.8 to -3.6; Hispanic, -3.6 percentage points, 95% CI, -4.4 to -2.9) and long-acting opioids (Black, -3.1 percentage points, 95% CI, -3.6 to -2.8; Hispanic, -2.2 percentage points, 95% CI, -2.7 to -1.7). They also received lower daily doses (Black, -10.5 MMED, 95% CI, -12.8 to -8.2; Hispanic, -9.1 MMED, 95% CI, -12.1 to -6.1) and lower total doses (Black, -210 MMEs, 95% CI, -293 to -207; Hispanic, -179 MMEs, 95% CI, -217 to -142); Black patients were also more likely to undergo UDS (0.5 percentage points; 95% CI, 0.3 to 0.8). Disparities in EOL opioid access and UDS disproportionately affected Black men. Adjustment for socioeconomic factors did not attenuate the EOL opioid access disparities. There are substantial and persistent racial and ethnic inequities in opioid access among older patients dying of cancer, which are not mediated by socioeconomic variables.

Course Overview Note: Implementing Urban Economic Development

This course described in this note provides a guide to implementing urban economic development at the local and regional level. This course is based on the assumption that, effective implementation of urban and regional economic development requires an entrepreneurial approach. Development is entrepreneurial in the sense that, from the point of view of an urban official, most of the big picture policy levers will probably be set exogenously. (For example, Federal income tax rates, immigration policy, and much else are set by the US Government, and a local official has little room to directly change these policies.) So, a local economic development official must understand the goals of the community and its overall economic environment, and imaginatively use the available tools to create public value. Among the issues commonly facing urban development professionals are: persistent racial inequality, rising income inequality, climate change, hollowing out of middle class jobs, and so on. Hence, the course’s focus is on tools available to state and city leaders (without dramatic changes in legislation) to drive economic development at the regional and urban levels. Finally, this is a case study course on the implementation of policy – it’s not a course on urban economic theory, nor is it a course on what Federal policy should be towards urban areas – though to some extent both of these topics are touched on. At Princeton, this is taught as a semester long graduate course of twenty-four 80 minute sessions. If you are a faculty member and would like a copy of the full syllabus for the current version of this course, please e-mail me from your university account.

Still Separate and Unequal: Persistent Racial Segregation and Inequality in Subsidized Housing

Initially, U.S. federally funded low-income rental housing was racially segregated and unequal. Activists decried this injustice and pressured legislators to introduce new practices and procedures. Since the passage of these initiatives in the 1960s, scholars have repeatedly documented ongoing racial inequality in housing at large. Yet rarely have researchers investigated whether racial inequality persists within governmentally subsidized housing units. By merging the restricted American Housing Survey with the American Community Survey at a Federal Statistical Research Data Center, the authors find that low-income renter subsidies are effective and beneficial but disproportionately grant White residents access to cheaper and higher quality units. Moreover, subsidized renters remain racially segregated across program type and neighborhoods. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for future research and policy decisions.