Publications - Recent Publications
Racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care in the United States are persistent and well documented. Communities of color fare far worse than their white counterparts across a range of health indicators: life expectancy, infant mortality, prevalence of chronic diseases, self-rated health status, insurance coverage, and many others. As the nation’s population continues to become increasingly diverse—people of color are projected to comprise 54% of the U.S. population by 2050 and more than half of U.S. children by 2023— these disparities are likely to grow if left unaddressed. Recent health care reform legislation, while not a panacea for eliminating health disparities, offers an important first step and an unprecedented opportunity to improve health equity in the United States.
Retirement Savings Behavior and Expectations of African Americans: 1998 and 2009
Among pre-retirees, confidence about having enough money to live comfortably throughout retirement typically reflects the state of one’s current savings behavior, known savings vehicles and expected major sources of retirement income. African Americans and whites have differing assessments of their own retirement security, and their differing views suggest that the recent economic downturn may have constrained African Americans’ ability to save for retirement to a greater degree than it has for whites. This brief provides details about differences between the two groups in retirement saving and expectations in both 1998 and 2009.
African American Perspectives on the Social Security System: 1998 and 2009
Striking differences in perspectives about the Social Security system exist between African Americans and whites. African Americans are more likely than whites to expect that Social Security will be their major source of income during retirement. African Americans also are more likely than whites to support the Social Security system as currently structured and to believe that the system should continue to provide the same type and level of benefits. A range of views, however, is held by African Americans and white Americans on selected proposals to ensure solvency of the system. This brief presents findings about these and other differences between African American and white adults in their perspectives on the Social Security system.