THE STATE OF BLACK FAMILIESIN RHODE ISLAND

While Rhode Island has made progress in the areas of human rights and equality, far too many African heritage people in Rhode Island are still con�ned to segregated and substandard neighborhoods, and have limited

access to employment, education and affordable healthcare opportunities.

Population and Geography

NativeBorn

Foreign Born,Naturalized Citizen

Foreign Born,Not a U.S. Citizen

46,908

68,243

RHODE ISLAND’S BLACK POPULATIONGREW 45% BETWEEN 2000 AND 2015

NEARLY ONE IN THREE BLACK RHODE ISLANDERS ARE FOREIGN-BORN

More than four in five Black Rhode Islanders live in Providence, Pawtucket, Cranston, Central Falls, East Providence, and North Providence.

68,243Black Rhode Islanders call the Ocean State home; 6.5 percent of the overall population.

Forty-one percent of the growth was due to an increase in the Black foreign-born population.

Population Growth

Income Inequality

BLACKHOUSEHOLDS

WHITEHOUSEHOLDS

To access the full report, including sources, visit:www.economicprogressri.org/blackrhodeislanders

29.4%

For every dollar of income in the median White household, the median Black

household realizes just fifty-seven cents.

Unemployment & Underemployment

Black

White

BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT CONSISTENTLY EXCEEDS WHITE UNEMPLOYMENT

2002 2016

BLACK UNDEREMPLOYMENT* RATE1.7 TIMES GREATER THAN WHITE

UNDEREMPLOYMENT

WHITE BLACK

*The underemployment rate includes those who are unemployed, those working part time for economic reasons, and marginally-attached workers.

Education

Black

White

LARGER SHARE OF BLACK RHODE ISLANDERS LACK HIGH SCHOOLDIPLOMA & SMALLER SHARE HAVEBACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHERCOMPARED TO WHITE RHODE ISLANDERS

less than high school

diploma

High school graduate (includes

equivalency)

Some college or associate’s

degree

Bachelor’s degree or

higher

*Based on share of Population 25 years and older at each level of educational attainment

Black Rhode Island studentsconsistently trail their Whitecounterparts in NationalAssessment of EducationalProgress (NAEP) testing in both4th and 8th grade reading and mathematics.

Criminal Justice

Black Rhode Islanders in Ocean State cities face arrest rates that range from 3.4 to 9.1 times non-Black arrest rates.

Black

White

LARGE DISPARITIES IN ARREST RATES FOR POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA

BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITERESIDENTS OF MA, RI, CT, AND U.S.

MA RI CT US

21%

10%

27% 27%

33%29%

19%

34%

6116

681

201

524

205

716

192

We are grateful to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island for its support of this report.

17.7% 18.1%

7.2%

4.6%

4.1%

8.9%

9.7%

8.6%

14.8%