on "Mind the Gap"

summary and policy recommendations

By Antonio Rosell
Published 01.22.06

Although we strongly disagree with the framing of the key issues presented in "Mind the Gap" (framing basic human rights issues in terms of "competiteveness" and "costs" to the Twin Cities region), the report performs a valuable service in gathering existing information on the gaping disparities that exist in the Twin Cities. This is a summary of some of the salient statistics presented in the report. Where necessary, this information is supplemented from other sources. A brief list of policy initiatives to address these inequalities is also presented below.

Statistics presented are for the Twin Cities metropolitan region unless otherwise noted.

You can download the original report here »

the gap

health disparities

• Black children born in the Twin Cities are twice as likely to die before their first birthday than White children (infant mortality rates of 12.7 per thousand live births vs. 6.2 per thousand).
• Thirty three percent of Latinos are uninsured, vs. 12% for Blacks and 5% for Whites.

educational disparities

• Sixty-six percent of all children attending Minneapolis public schools are eligible for free and reduced lunch (eligibility for free and reduced lunch is a proxy for family poverty).
• A Black student has less than a 50-50 chance of graduating from high school in four years (43% vs. 87% for White students).
• Only 28% of Black high school graduates go on to college, vs. 45% of White students.*

economic disparities

• Average Black household income in the Twin Cities region is $30,500 vs. $56,500 for Whites.
• One out of every three Black children in the Twin Cities region lives in poverty (vs. one out of every twenty-five White children, or 32% vs. 4% child poverty rate). In Minneapolis, one out of every two Black children lives in poverty.
• Nationally, Black household net worth is $6,000 vs. $89,000 for Whites.
• Black homeownership rate is 40% vs. 76% for Whites.
• Over one-third of Black households in Minneapolis-St. Paul lack access to an automobile.
• Although just over one-fifth (20%) of the region's population lives in the two central cities, more than half of the region's poor people (54%) live there.
• The two central cities are home to 66% of the region's Black population, vs. 17% of the White population.

* Values supplemented from additional sources.

Resources

• Brookings: Mind the Gap
• Wilder Research Center: Metro Trend Watch 2004 - School success
• Spokesman-Recorder: Who really wants to close the gap?