This week and in the coming months we are going to explore what 60 years of Census Data tell us about where African Americans and Latinos stand in relation to the economic gains of whites. Colorado once led the nation in closing that gap - blacks and Latinos earned about 73 cents on the dollar earned by white families, and that was better than most other states. Now, though, blacks earn about 60 cents on the dollar earned by whites, and Latinos are worse off - earning about 50 cents on the dollar earned by whites. This is just one statistic of many that show how blacks and Latinos are losing ground here and around the nation. They have lower graduation rates and lower rates of homeownership compared to whites. This isn't just bad news for minorities, but many observers say these inequities will drag down Colorado's economy if the trend is allowed to continue.
The data was researched by INews, a non-profit investigative reporting group, and we'll present the INews data, stories and charts along with our reports and interviews to help you understand the scope of the findings and their impact on all of Colorado. And we want to hear from you about your experiences so please join the conversation about Losing Ground by becoming part of our Public Insight Network.
Below find links to all our stories. But first, you can explore the findings in this interactive chart prepared by INews. Click on the areas you want to explore - housing, education, income - for more information.
Interactive Timeline
"Losing Ground" is based on a new analysis of years of census data, done by I-News, a non-profit investigative news service. CPR’s Andrea Dukakis discusses the findings with Burt Hubbard of I-News and with Richard Fry of the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C.
For a lot of people, “the American Dream” means that their children will do better than they did. But for some folks, especially blacks and Latinos, that’s not happening. As we’re reporting, in our series “Losing Ground,” those groups started gaining economic ground compared to whites in the 1960’s and 70’s. Since then, those gains have begun to erode. CPR’s Andrea Dukakis has this story about John Carillo, who worked his way up at the steel mill in Pueblo. His daughter hasn't been able to move up the economic ladder the way he did. Then, we explore why the income gap is growing between whites and blacks and whites and Latinos.
There’s a powerful story we’ve all heard about living in America: it’s the land of opportunity. Everyone can chase the Dream. But the latest census figures show the Dream’s easier to catch if you’re white. That’s increasingly true in Colorado. One of the key areas in which minorities are falling behind is in education. In Colorado, whites get college degrees at three times the rate Latinos do and twice the rate of blacks. CPR education reporter Jenny Brundin has the latest in our series Losing Ground--about one girl who’s trying to beat the odds. It's followed by a discussiong with Colorado Matters Host Ryan Warner about the causes and solutions.
Coloradans Speak Out on Racial Disparities
I-News studied census data from 1960 to 2010 and found that blacks and Latinos are falling behind whites in education, income and homeownership. Through our Public Insight Network we’ve been asking you for your experiences. Our Public Insight editor Lee Hill shares what you've been telling us.
