A recent study that counted the number of women of color who donned major women’s magazine covers and found that over a one year period 82% were white (women of color make up 36% of the population of women in the US), prompted me to look at other areas where the statistics are “upside down”.
Marijuana Arrests Are Upside Down
According to the Human Rights Watch, people of color are no more likely to use or sell illegal drugs than whites, but they have much higher rate of arrests.
Startling Inequities in the Criminal Justice System
People of color make up about 30 percent of the United States’ population, they account for 60 percent of those imprisoned.
Black and Hispanic students represent more than 70 percent of those involved in school-related arrests or referrals to law enforcement.
Evidence shows that spending time in prison affects future earnings with a disproportionate impact on black men and women.
Studies show that wages are comparable prior to incarceration; however following release, wages grow at a 21 percent slower rate for black former inmates compared to white ex-convicts.
Upside Down Workforce
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Stark Disparities in High School Graduation Rates
There are countless other “upside down” scenarios, such as healthcare, too numerous to mention here. Do you ever wonder why? Do you ever wonder what will become of us as a nation if we do not turn the tide? It seems like an easy fix to start equalizing the positive portrayals of people of color in the media. Let’s start with women of color on magazine covers!
Sources:
- http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/03/13/11351/the-top-10-most-startling-facts-about-people-of-color-and-criminal-justice-in-the-united-states/
- http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/report/2012/07/12/11938/the-state-of-diversity-in-todays-workforce/
- http://politic365.com/2013/01/29/report-black-high-school-graduation-rates-lowest-in-country/
