The release of the Official 2023-2025 State of Black Los Angeles County Report exposes the inequities originated by institutional racism in Los Angeles County that continue to hinder economic mobility and prosperity for many Black Angelenos. This installment of the report emphasizes County services aimed at addressing the disparities Black communities face in economic development, health, education, social equity, housing, and homelessness. These are all subjects United Way of Greater Los Angeles aims to support by investing in bold solutions to close the gap. The release of a report like this gives us an opportunity to spread awareness of the Black community and our neighbors’ well-being. Not only does it talk about the challenges that Black Angelenos face, but also of the progress we’ve made thus far.
Economic Development
As we know, economic development is paramount to the well-being of people. In Los Angeles, Black residents continue to face significant economic disparities compared to their counterparts. On average, the median income of Black households is the lowest, creating the highest poverty rates for this community. These disparities in income can be attributed to factors like unemployment, a lack of a college degree, or high school completion.
Black residents have the highest unemployment rate in L.A. County at 10.6%. This is compared to those of Asian descent at 5.4%, Hispanic at 6.8%, and white residents at 6.9%. The rate at which Black residents receive a college degree in Los Angeles County is 41.5%. This is compared to white and Asian graduates at 63.1% and 62.1% respectively. When it comes to high school completion, Black high schoolers graduate at a rate of 73.4%. This is less than white high school students at 87.1% and Asian high school students at 94.9%.
The Black community looks to be underrepresented in Los Angeles County. A larger concentration of Asian (56%) and white (62%) residents are represented in management, business, science, and art occupations whereas Black residents make up 43%. However, Black Angelenos are overrepresented in the public sector. Within the County’s workforce, Black workers represent 16.9% which is twice their population within L.A. County.
Housing and Homelessness
The report highlights that Black residents are more likely to experience housing instability and homelessness compared to other racial groups. Rent burden seems to be one of the main causes of this instability as 65% of Black Angelenos pay more than 30% of their gross income on rent. This is compared to 43% of their non-Black counterparts paying more than 50% of their income on rent. Black residents are also noted to have the highest eviction rate in the County with the reported reason to be a delay or inability to pay mortgages in the last two years.
The rate of homelessness among Black Angelinos is much higher than the rate of home ownership at 46.2% and 32.5% respectively. Black residents face discrimination in the housing market with only 51% of applications for mortgages being approved. With high rent costs and increasing inability to own a home, homelessness among Black residents only seems to increase. From 2022 to 2023, L.A. County reported an increase in homelessness amongst Black people with a homeless rate that is four times the overall homelessness rate.
Education
If knowledge is power, education is one of the most powerful tools to create economic prosperity. It’s common knowledge that a college degree helps the economic potential of the graduate. Obtaining a high school diploma creates the prospect of going to college. However, there are still disparities in obtaining both milestones when it comes to the Black community. Black students have the second lowest rate of graduating high school at 82.1% compared to 96.1% for Asian and 90.7% for white students. Black students also have the second lowest rate of completing college courses at 51.2% compared to 82.7% for Asian students.
One could attribute this divergence to the lack of representation in the classroom. Without representation, students lose a sense of belonging when it comes to creating relationships with the adults they see at school. Respondents in the report discuss that about 1/3 of Black students said they had any meaningful relationship with the faculty of their school. The percentage of Black teachers in the County accounts for only 8.2% of the workforce. In comparison, white teachers have a higher teacher-to-student ratio of the same race. For every 1,000 white students, there are 178 white teachers. For every 1,000 Black students there are only 66 Black teachers.
With the goal of doubling the community college graduation rate for Black and other students of color, UWGLA launched the Community Colleges Success Initiative last year. The initiative includes mentorship, academic support, financial assistance, and policy strategies. It connects students to essential resources such as housing and food assistance through the Student Success Fund program and the annual Community College Resource Fair. This is to ensure students can successfully transfer to a 4-year college or complete a technical degree.
As a part of the initiative, our Mentorship Program pairs students with a diverse set of mentors, and some of them share the same cultural background. This allows students to see that success is being represented and gives the mentors the opportunity to share their personal experiences in overcoming barriers and navigating the college system, especially for first generation college students.
More Work to Do
With all the inequities, Black residents still find pride in their communities regardless of where they live in L.A. County. The 2024 Angeleno Poll showed that Black residents were more likely than any other group to strongly agree with the statement “I belong in my community.” The disparities also don’t stop Black residents from being involved in their local politics. Even though Black residents only comprise 9% of the County population, they account for 11% of registered voters. More black respondents than any other group have also reported that community art centers, museums, and concert halls are important to one’s sense of belonging quality of life. The Black community is doing what can be done for not only their betterment, but the betterment of others by association. Yet, there is still more work to be done.
The report’s main purpose is to bring to awareness the blockages to the dignity and belonging that should be afforded to all people. These statistics mean very little if we are not able to do our part. While significant disparities persist, there are also promising developments that indicate progress and resilience.
Addressing the systemic issues that contribute to these disparities requires a multifaceted approach, involving policy reforms, community initiatives, and collaborative efforts across sectors. When we look at the solutions posed to us in the report, specifically regarding the Black community, we know that the benefits of the solutions are benefits for all those around. If we focus on the Black community and the disparities that exist within it, we know by experience that “a rising tide raises all ships.” For more detailed insights and vast data points please visit the 2023 – 2025 State of Black Los Angeles County Report.