Wednesday, July 1, 2009

REPORT: Race and the Recession

The Applied Research Center recently released a report titled "Race and the Recession: How Inequity Rigged the Economy and how to Change the Rules." This report details the stories of people of color who are disproportionately affected by the recession. It uncovers root causes of long-term racial inequities that fed into the economic crisis. It proposes structural solutions to change a system that threatens future generations.

You can look at a synopsis of the report and watch a video of personal stories here.

The report finds that: "People of color have been relegated to precarious, low-wage work - or no work - at disproportionate rates. Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian communities face barriers in employment, including discrimination in hiring and promotions, unfair criminal background checks and the lack of protections for immigrant workers. As a result, communities of color on the whole, relative to whites, face higher rates of poverty, are less likely to have healthcare and consistently face recessionary levels of unemployment and underemployment."

Be sure to check out the Action Steps listed on the ARC's website and make sure your voice is heard!

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