Analysis: Race report shows gaps growing worse in Lorain County

Lorain County is becoming more diverse, with Black and Latino residents making up a growing portion of the population. But using hard data, a report commissioned in early 2021 by the Amherst-based Nord Family Foundation determined conditions and opportunities aren't the same for local residents of different races. Worse, it showed disparities between life for minorities and white people getting worse, not better, said Emily Campbell, associate director of the Center for Community Solutions. "We're very concerned that we'll see these gaps get bigger, not smaller," she said Wednesday in a virtual session to analyze the results of a six-month study. As previously reported, almost two-thirds of Black children in the county are growing up in poverty. That will have profound impacts in decades to come, since poverty is closely tied to just about every health, social and economic condition, Campbell said. Latinos in Lorain County are 300 percent more likely to be living in poverty than white people, while the poverty rate for Black people is 400 percent higher, the study found. The average income in white households is 170 percent higher than Latino households, and 200 percent higher than Black households. Disparities start at birth, Campbell said. From infant mortality to education, school discipline, involvement in the criminal justice system, employment, wealth, health and death rate, white Lorain County residents just have it better. The report does not delve into why, neither making accusations or suggesting solutions. It was intended to be an audit of the facts that organizations can use to improve life in the county. Campbell said it's important to note that the data was compiled from publicly available sources in 2019, before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. "We know that a lot of things happened during 2020, both in terms of health, social and economic conditions, of course, but then also in terms of racial equity and understanding about the importance of race and racism in our communities," she said. While Lorain County is becoming more diverse, it's not doing so evenly. Rural communities and suburbs are still disproportionately white. As may be expected, Lorain, Elyria, Oberlin and Grafton have much higher concentrations of Black residents; and Lorain, Elyria and Oberlin are also home to more Latino residents. The kind of housing they have is also vastly different — 59 percent of Black households rent, compared to 24 percent of white households and 20 percent of Latino households. Black residents have by far the lowest home ownership rate, and Black adults are significantly more likely than other groups to be homeless. Campbell also laid out striking differences in health facts and figures. For example, white residents of Lorain County are more likely to have cancer, but Black people are more likely to die of it. Black residents also have a higher mortality rate for diabetes, stroke, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and chronic lower respiratory disease. "Really, just about any health condition we look at, we see worse outcomes for African American and Black residents than we do for white residents," Campbell said. Similar trends are being found with regard to COVID-19. Compared to their share of the county's population, Black and Latino people appear less likely to contract the virus but more likely to be hospitalized and die. They also have a significantly lower vaccination rate — although Black and Latino residents are starting to gain ground. That data may be clouded, however, since the race of many patients is unknown, Campbell said. The report indicated there are clear correlations between varying conditions and opportunities in Lorain County and life expectancy. In some cases, there are wide disparities in life expectancy between neighborhoods just a few streets apart, it said. Take downtown Elyria — the average lifespan there is 64.8 years, and the neighborhood is 22 percent Black and 8 percent Latino. In nearby Eastern Heights, the average lifespan is 80.2 years and the neighborhood is 87 percent white. Black life expectancy is nearly five years less than whites in Lorain County, the report found. Latinos have the longest life expectancy, which aligns with national trends. Another meeting will be held to review the data in the report at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, this time in person. The deadline reservations is today. Register by contacting Nord Family Foundation Evaluation and Learning Officer Melissa Federman at melissafederman@nordff.org or (440) 984-3939. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.