The Racialized Structure of Opportunity

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The Racialized The Racialized Structure of Structure of OpportunityOpportunity

Stephen MenendianSenior Legal Research Associate,

The Kirwan Institute For the Study of Race and EthnicityThe Ohio State University

March 10, 2010

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►What is an “Opportunity Structure”?What is an “Opportunity Structure”?

►Opportunity MappingOpportunity Mapping To represent the distribution of To represent the distribution of

opportunityopportunity

To design interventions to challenge To design interventions to challenge these structuresthese structures

OverviewOverview

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Opportunity MattersOpportunity MattersRace, Place and Life OutcomesRace, Place and Life Outcomes

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Opportunity StructuresOpportunity Structures► Opportunity structures are the web of Opportunity structures are the web of

influences beyond our control that enhance influences beyond our control that enhance and constrain our ability to succeed and and constrain our ability to succeed and excel. excel.

► Life chances are shaped by Life chances are shaped by opportunity opportunity structuresstructures, and those structures are often , and those structures are often just as important, if not more so, than the just as important, if not more so, than the choices that individuals make. choices that individuals make.

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The The opportunity structureopportunity structure includes the includes the geographically varying set of institutions, geographically varying set of institutions, systems, and markets of the area in which a systems, and markets of the area in which a person is born. person is born.

Achieved Outcomes

Metropolitan Characteristics(employment, income, industry)

Fixed Personal Characteristics (race, gender, status, ethnicity, primary language)

Local Jurisdictional Characteristics (health, education, safety programs)

Neighborhood Characteristics (peers, networks, institutions, transportation)

Malleable Personal Characteristics(skills, experience, et)

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►This is a claim that these opportunity This is a claim that these opportunity structures are structures are racializedracialized, meaning , meaning that they that they produceproduce and and reinforcereinforce racial racial advantages and disadvantages. advantages and disadvantages.

►The linkage between race, place, and The linkage between race, place, and life outcomes is mediated by three life outcomes is mediated by three related forces:related forces: Sprawl (Jurisdictional Fragmentation) Sprawl (Jurisdictional Fragmentation) Concentrated PovertyConcentrated Poverty Racial and Economic SegregationRacial and Economic Segregation

Structural RacializationStructural Racialization

N

EW

S

African American Population in Franklin County by Census Tract 1970

Prepared by:Kirwan Institute for the

Study of Race & EthnicityDate: 10/13/05

Source: Census, NCDB

0 - 5%5 - 10%10 to 25%25 to 50%50 to 100%

Highways

Columbus Public School District

% African American

Legend:

N

EW

S

African American Population in Franklin County by Census Tract 1980

Prepared by:Kirwan Institute for the

Study of Race & EthnicityDate: 10/13/05

Source: Census, NCDB

0 - 5%5 - 10%10 to 25%25 to 50%50 to 100%

Highways

Columbus Public School District

% African American

Legend:

9

N

EW

S

African American Population in Franklin County by Census Tract 1990

Prepared by:Kirwan Institute for the

Study of Race & EthnicityDate: 10/13/05

Source: Census, NCDB

0 - 5%5 - 10%10 to 25%25 to 50%50 to 100%

Highways

Columbus Public School District

% African American

Legend:

N

EW

S

African American Population in Franklin County by Census Tract 2000

Prepared by:Kirwan Institute for the

Study of Race & EthnicityDate: 10/13/05

Source: Census, NCDB

0 - 5%5 - 10%10 to 25%25 to 50%50 to 100%

Highways

Columbus Public School District

% African American

Legend:

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The Rise of Suburbia:The Rise of Suburbia:But not accessible to everyoneBut not accessible to everyone

In the suburb-shaping years (1930-1960), less than one-percent of all African Americans were

able to obtain a mortgage.

The Fair Housing Act of 1968The Fair Housing Act of 1968

• The last ‘plank’ in the Civil Rights movement.The last ‘plank’ in the Civil Rights movement.– Signed into law a week after the assassination of Signed into law a week after the assassination of

MLK MLK

• Prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental Prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of residential housing. of residential housing. – Exempted single family dwellings that were not Exempted single family dwellings that were not

sold using a realtorsold using a realtor

• Duty of all executive and administrative Duty of all executive and administrative agencies to ‘affirmatively further’ fair agencies to ‘affirmatively further’ fair housing.housing.

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► Sprawl: Sprawl: Between 1950 and 1990, the Between 1950 and 1990, the number of municipalities in metropolitan number of municipalities in metropolitan areas grew from 193 to 9,600. areas grew from 193 to 9,600.

► Segregation:Segregation: Typical white resident resides Typical white resident resides in a neighborhood that is 80% white. A in a neighborhood that is 80% white. A typical Black person lives in a neighborhood typical Black person lives in a neighborhood that is 33% white.that is 33% white.

► Concentrated Poverty: Concentrated Poverty: 3 of 4 persons living 3 of 4 persons living in concentrated poverty are Black or Latino in concentrated poverty are Black or Latino even though more whites are poor. even though more whites are poor.

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Neighborhood Neighborhood SegregationSegregation

School SegregationSchool Segregation

Racial stigma, other Racial stigma, other psychological impactspsychological impacts

Job segregationJob segregation

community power, civic community power, civic participation and participation and individual assetsindividual assets

Educational AchievementEducational Achievement

Cross-Domain Impacts of Cross-Domain Impacts of Opportunity SegregationOpportunity Segregation

Exposure to crimeExposure to crime

Transportation limitations Transportation limitations and other inequitable public and other inequitable public servicesservices

Adapted from figure by Barbara Reskin at: http://faculty.washington.edu/reskin/

Segregation impacts a number of life-opportunitiesSegregation impacts a number of life-opportunities

Impacts on HealthImpacts on Health

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Opportunity MappingOpportunity MappingThe Geography of OpportunityThe Geography of Opportunity

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N

EW

S

African American Population in Franklin County by Census Tract 2000

Prepared by:Kirwan Institute for the

Study of Race & EthnicityDate: 10/13/05

Source: Census, NCDB

0 - 5%5 - 10%10 to 25%25 to 50%50 to 100%

Highways

Columbus Public School District

% African American

Legend:

Maps can visually track the history and presence of discriminatory and exclusionary policies that spatially segregate people.

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ColumbusColumbus

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►Since opportunity is a spatial Since opportunity is a spatial phenomena, maps are naturally an phenomena, maps are naturally an effective way to represent iteffective way to represent it

►Opportunity mapping is a research Opportunity mapping is a research tool used to better understand the tool used to better understand the dynamics of “opportunity”dynamics of “opportunity”

►Maps allow us to understand volumes Maps allow us to understand volumes of data at a glance through layeringof data at a glance through layering

Opportunity MappingOpportunity Mapping

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Demand

Connection

Supply

Layering of Information

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Comprehensive Opportunity Map

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Comprehensive Opportunity Map: Greater Boston

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Access to Opportunity: RaceAccess to Opportunity: Race►Racialized isolation from neighborhoods Racialized isolation from neighborhoods

of opportunity in Massachusetts: of opportunity in Massachusetts: More than 90% of African-American and Latino More than 90% of African-American and Latino

households in 2000 were isolated in the lowest households in 2000 were isolated in the lowest opportunity neighborhoods in the Stateopportunity neighborhoods in the State

Over 55% of Asian households were found in Over 55% of Asian households were found in low-opportunity neighborhoodslow-opportunity neighborhoods

By contrast, only 31% of White, Non-Latino By contrast, only 31% of White, Non-Latino households were found in low-opportunity households were found in low-opportunity neighborhoodsneighborhoods

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►School School Composition Composition layered over layered over census tract census tract data in data in Montclair, NJMontclair, NJ

►Maps illustrate Maps illustrate how residential how residential segregation can segregation can manifests in manifests in schoolsschools

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►Magnet school Magnet school policy policy counteracts counteracts effects of effects of neighborhood neighborhood segregationsegregation

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Opportunity Mapping For Opportunity Mapping For SchoolsSchools

► Mapping the geographic distribution of opportunity helps us to evaluate where these opportunity mismatches exist in a community and to design interventions to move people to opportunity

► Education Quality and OpportunityEducation Quality and Opportunity Student ExpendituresStudent Expenditures

Student Poverty RateStudent Poverty Rate

Test Scores for Neighborhood Schools Test Scores for Neighborhood Schools

Graduation and Dropout RatesGraduation and Dropout Rates

Teacher Quality (Experience, Qualifications, etc)Teacher Quality (Experience, Qualifications, etc)

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Three Zone Integration Three Zone Integration ModelModel

► GOAL: Each school GOAL: Each school has diversity of has diversity of students from each students from each zone, within 5% point zone, within 5% point deviation of K class deviation of K class zone baseline.zone baseline.

► K and transfer students K and transfer students are assigned based on are assigned based on parental preference parental preference and zone balance.and zone balance.

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Application: Application: Thompson v. HUDThompson v. HUD

Baltimore, MABaltimore, MA

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Example: Opportunity Based Housing in Example: Opportunity Based Housing in Practice (Baltimore – Practice (Baltimore – ThompsonThompson

Litigation)Litigation) Plaintiffs used opportunity mapping to frame Plaintiffs used opportunity mapping to frame

their remedial proposal, in response to a their remedial proposal, in response to a liability ruling that found the U.S. liability ruling that found the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Department of Housing and Urban Development in violation of the Fair Housing Development in violation of the Fair Housing Act Act

The plaintiffs have proposed establishing The plaintiffs have proposed establishing 7,000 affordable housing units in the region’s 7,000 affordable housing units in the region’s high- opportunity communities, available to high- opportunity communities, available to volunteers who wish to relocate out of the volunteers who wish to relocate out of the City of Baltimore’s public housingCity of Baltimore’s public housing

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Methodology:Methodology:Indicator CategoriesIndicator Categories

► EducationEducation Student/Teacher ratio? Test scores? Student mobility?Student/Teacher ratio? Test scores? Student mobility?

► Economic/Employment IndicatorsEconomic/Employment Indicators Unemployment rate? Proximity to employment? Job creation?Unemployment rate? Proximity to employment? Job creation?

► Neighborhood QualityNeighborhood Quality Median home values? Crime rate? Housing vacancy rate?Median home values? Crime rate? Housing vacancy rate?

► Mobility/Transportation IndicatorsMobility/Transportation Indicators Mean commute time? Access to public transit?Mean commute time? Access to public transit?

► Health & Environmental IndicatorsHealth & Environmental Indicators Access to health care? Exposure to toxic waste? Proximity to parks or Access to health care? Exposure to toxic waste? Proximity to parks or

open space?open space?

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Proposed remedy identifies Proposed remedy identifies Communities of Communities of

Opportunity Opportunity ► Used 14 indicators of Used 14 indicators of

neighborhood neighborhood opportunity to designate opportunity to designate high and low opportunity high and low opportunity neighborhoods in the neighborhoods in the regionregion Neighborhood Neighborhood

Quality/HealthQuality/Health► Poverty, Crime, Vacancy, Property Poverty, Crime, Vacancy, Property

Values, Population TrendsValues, Population Trends Economic Opportunity Economic Opportunity

► Proximity to Jobs and Job Proximity to Jobs and Job Changes, Public TransitChanges, Public Transit

Educational OpportunityEducational Opportunity► School Poverty, School Test School Poverty, School Test

Scores, Teacher QualificationsScores, Teacher Qualifications

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Application: Stimulus Projects and Job Creation

We can use opportunity maps to see if ARRA funds are being used to help those communities that have been hardest hit by the recession

Save the date; March 11-13, Save the date; March 11-13, 20102010

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AppendixAppendix