California is a notoriously progressive state.
When Brown v Board was passed and the Supreme Court declared racially segregated schools were unconstitutional in 1954, California had already been integrating schools for almost a decade. California will be among the first eight states to have legalized recreational marijuana in 2018. And California’s Governor, Jerry Brown, passed a bill to gradually raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 even though the current state average is $7.25.
But not everyone prospers in California.
Despite its nickname as “The Golden State”, when it comes to creating public policies or institutions, policy makers often ignore the many communities of color that continue to suffer even when California strives.
The California Endowment has sponsored a website that highlights disparities that have for decades been overlooked. Race Counts collected data from all of California’s 58 counties to highlight disparities specific race groups suffer in seven key areas: democracy, economic, opportunity, crime and justice, access to health care, healthy built environment, education, and housing.
Latinos and Blacks make up 22.1% and 9.5% of Sacramento County’s population, but Blacks have the lowest employment rate, lowest median household income, lowest life expectancy, and lowest graduation rate. Latinos have the highest subprime mortgage loans, least income left after housing cost, and the third highest foreclosure rates.
At California State University, Sacramento, 3,000 of its low income students are homeless. Many are forced to sleep in cars and shower at the gym as they continue to pursue their education.
Many attribute this to the increase in housing prices, forcing many low income students of color into homelessness as rents around the university are around 1,000 for small studios or half that amount for a single bed.
“We have had a sharp increase (in homelessness) we attribute to the housing affordability crisis,” Beth Lesen, Vice President of CSUS Student Affairs said. “Rents have skyrocketed.”
Compared to other counties, Sacramento County has a low performance and low disparity rate. But there are still areas that need improvement to make the county equal to all its racial groups.