A new report commissioned by the Mississippi NAACP reveals a disparity in health and income among Mississippi blacks and whites. the report, "A Portrait of Mississippi: Mississippi Human Development Report 2009," finds that while the average white Mississippian earns between $22,000 and $38,000, black Mississippians earn between $13, 000 and $25,000. Non-blacks in three county groups--Forrest and Lamar counties, Lee and Pontotoc counties, and Alcorn and Prentiss counties--the report says, also have an infant-mortality rate of more than 18 per 1,000, almost three times the national rate.
But the disparity between blacks and whites in only one part of the report. According to "Portrait of Mississippi," white men in Mississippi earn an average $5,000 more than the everyday American worker, yet women earn what equals to the typical American's earnings in 1980.
"This study will be an especially useful tool to Mississippi legislators, activists and individuals because it provides a real county-by-county comparison of living conditions in the state. It looks at our health, our education and our economic status, and draws important and useful conclusions," Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson said of the report in a statement.
The report offers recommendations, from increasing health care for black teenagers to improving quality of education. Read the full report here (PDF, 2.86 MB).
Previous Comments
- ID
- 143115
- Comment
Great article, maggie. I am so happy to see a study that addresses the issue of income disparities here in our State. I have been in the system for a very long time and have witnessed these acts of promotions and salary increases for whites, especially males. I have also witnessed the hiring of a certain type of African-American to serve as a window dresser; one to keep other blacks in check. In other words, the success of their job depended on there ability to keep the status quo. With the possibility of MS getting billions of dollars for infrastructure development and other stimulus driven insentives, it is my hope that there will be oversight to ensure fair and equitable distribution of job opportunities.
- Author
- justjess
- Date
- 2009-01-28T11:38:47-06:00
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