Funds to be Devoted to Research and Policy Development to Reduce Racial Health Inequities

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington-based research and policy institution that focuses on the concerns of African Americans and other people of color, has received a three-year, $3.6 million grant to fund its economic research and the work of its Health Policy Institute (HPI).

The funding comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, MI.

The grant will enable the Joint Center to continue HPI’s work with regard to research and policy development on health inequities, particularly those related to higher infant mortality, higher rates of disease and disability, and shortened life expectancy.

Those inequities added more than $50 billion a year in direct U.S. health care costs over a four-year period, according to a study released by HPI last fall, which found that more than 30 percent of direct medical expenditures for African Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics were excess costs linked to health inequalities. The study also estimated that the indirect costs of racial inequalities associated with illness and premature death amounted to more than a trillion dollars over 2006-2009.

“The health inequities experienced by minority Americans have a major impact across our society,” said Ralph B. Everett, the Joint Center’s President and CEO. “They hamper our workforce readiness and competitiveness as a nation, and they frustrate our ability to contain health care costs and improve overall health care quality. This grant will enable the Joint Center to continue our groundbreaking research and explore policy options that will drive solutions to this immense problem.”

Over the three year grant period, HPI intends to serve as an anchor institution for a wider effort among national and local partners to use its research and policy development activities in the quest for a more equitable health system and fairer health outcomes. Among the key elements of HPI’s activities will be:

• More effective advocacy for public and private efforts to address racial and ethnic health inequality, at local, state, and national levels.
• Greater public awareness of the consequences and costs of inequitable health opportunities for children, and of their relationship to structural inequality, particularly as manifested by racial and ethnic residential segregation.
• Greater awareness among policymakers, particularly those at local levels, of promising practices to address community-level determinants of children’s health.
• Local, state and federal government action toward developing and implementing comprehensive strategies to address health inequality.
• “Given the nation’s changing demographics by the year 2042, half the U.S. population will be people of color, which means that their health status increasingly defines the nation’s health. So it is critically important that we eliminate these health disparities,” said Brian D. Smedley, Ph.D., Vice President and Director of the Joint Center Health Policy Institute. “Through its initiatives to develop knowledge and a platform for action on health disparities, HPI is already having a broad impact on an issue that is becoming increasingly vital to our national well-being and our economic future. We are excited that the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has decided to continue to help us carry on this work.”

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is one of the nation's leading research and public policy institutions and the only one whose work focuses primarily on issues of particular concern to African Americans and other people of color. The Joint Center will mark its 40th Anniversary of service in 2010. To learn more, please visit www.jointcenter.org.

Established in 1930, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation supports children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society. Grants are concentrated in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and southern Africa. For further information, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.wkkf.org.

But Lower-Income and Less Educated Still Face Broad Digital Divide

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Middle and upper class African Americans and Hispanics are rapidly adopting broadband and are greatly narrowing the overall digital divide, according to a new study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a research and policy institution that focuses on minority concerns and issues.

The study found that 94 percent of African Americans and 98 percent of Hispanics who have college degrees are now online, and that college-educated minority Americans who make over $50,000 are adopting broadband at the fastest rate of any group in the country.

Across all education and income brackets, the report says that 69 percent of African Americans and 58 percent of Hispanics now regularly use the Internet, compared with 79 percent of whites, and that the rate of broadband adoption in African American homes has risen to 59 percent from the 46 percent reported by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project just last year.

Despite the gains for more affluent minorities, the Joint Center report also noted lagging broadband adoption for lower-income, older and less educated blacks and Hispanics – with only about a third of them or less regularly using the Internet – and provided new information on how important Internet access and proficiency for members of these groups.

In the study, 92 percent of low-income African Americans have used the Internet to search for a job, almost double rate of low-income whites, while 77 percent of blacks and 64 percent of Hispanics with less than a high school education rely on the Internet for job search, compared to 17 percent of whites in this group. These same minority populations also regularly access the Internet to search and apply for public benefits. The report also notes that low-income people, in particular, are heavily reliant on public institutions such as libraries, schools, and community centers to get access to the Internet.

“The news that those that have the means are starting to regularly use the Internet for everyday activities is promising because it narrows the digital divide at that level,” noted Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee, Vice President and Director of the Joint Center Media and Technology Institute. “In today’s economy, however, with more low-income people needing to find work and government support to keep their heads above water, their access to the Internet is critical to moving them out of poverty.”

While the report said that broadband access has helped usher in social and economic gains for many minority Americans, it shares that “those Americans who stand to gain the most from the Internet are unable to use it to break the cycles of social isolation, poverty, and illiteracy” and that “this segment of the American population – one that is wrought with economic and social hardship – is largely prohibited from reaping the benefits of digital access."

“There is a ‘tale of two cities’ element in our research as poorer and less educated people – who perhaps can benefit most from use of the Internet – are still much less likely to be online. This should continue to be a key issue for our policymakers as we invest in broadband improvements across the nation,” said Dr. Turner-Lee.

Among the other findings detailed in the report:

• Higher income African Americans and Hispanics are embracing today’s online content and “quality of life” applications at increased rates. Four of five respondents reported using the Internet to visit government websites and to search for health or medical information, and three of five users reported regular access to social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn.
• While ownership and use of cell phones were high for minority users, most African Americans and Hispanics prefer to conduct broadband-enabled applications on a lap top or desktop. For Hispanics, the cost of accessing the Internet on their mobile device was a major factor in their decision.
• For minorities, having someone to help with making the transition online is also a significant factor in minority broadband adoption. Young people (27 percent) are the major drivers for getting new Internet users online.
• African American and Hispanic non-adopters of the Internet reported interest in getting online if they could share information with family and friends, and access public benefit.

The study also argues that efforts focused on broadband adoption are simply not enough to get more minorities and other non-adopters online. The report suggests that policymakers focus on increasing the value proposition for these groups, in addition to removing barriers to access. Moving people to integrate broadband Internet into all aspects of their daily lives will serve to improve their educational, health and employment opportunities.

“This study sheds further light on the enormous potential of the Internet to expand opportunity for every American,” said Ralph B. Everett, President and CEO of the Joint Center. “And it highlights the great promise of broadband for uplifting the prospects of historically distressed communities if the nation’s policies and practices can do more to expand access and adoption across the board. We have a long way to go, but this at least gives us a framework to address some of the problems that have plagued our communities for far too long.”

The study, National Minority Broadband Adoption: Comparative Trends in Adoption, Acceptance and Use, is available on the Joint Center’s website at (www.jointcenter.org). This study is the first in a series of publications to be issued by the policy institute.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is one of the nation's leading research and public policy institutions and the only one whose work focuses primarily on issues of particular concern to African Americans and other people of color. The Joint Center will mark its 40th Anniversary of service in 2010. To learn more, please visit www.jointcenter.org.

SEATTLE – The King County PLACE MATTERS Team will host a three-day meeting Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at the Pan Pacific Hotel to address the social conditions that lead to poor health outcomes in individuals from low-income communities and communities of color.

More than 100 representatives from 24 U.S. cities and counties will attend the PLACE MATTERS Design Lab 11. PLACE MATTERS is a national initiative of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Health Policy Institute and is funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

"We are honored to host this important meeting among groups from around the country that are addressing the root causes of inequities," said King County Executive Kurt Triplett. "With our King County Equity and Social Justice Initiative, we have made a commitment to work with our local communities on comprehensive solutions. We want all our residents to live in vibrant communities where they can achieve their full potential."

“We need new approaches if we are to unravel the complex problems that contribute to the health care crisis in communities of color,” said Ralph B. Everett, President and CEO of the Joint Center. “We can never lose sight of the fact that inequitable social conditions contribute to health inequities.”

On Wednesday, participants will be welcomed to King County by Councilmember Julia Patterson, who is also chair of the King County Board of Health. A King County tour on that day will include a visit to the Longhouse of the Duwamish Tribe, the host tribe for Seattle, in addition to visit and walking tour of Greenbridge, a new, mixed-income, master planned community in White Center.

PLACE MATTERS takes an approach that crosses disciplines in problem solving. Teams, comprised of business, public and private sector leaders, are exposed not only to experts in community health and public health but also others in economic development, transportation, affordable housing, public policy and smart growth. PLACE MATTERS has 16 teams across the United States that are engaged in forming partnerships with major stakeholders in a variety of fields to make systemic changes that can lead to improved health status in their communities.

Improving health status by tackling broad social problems such as a lack of affordable housing, inadequate schools, violence and anemic economic development combines social and medical theory. PLACE MATTERS is moving theory into practice by equipping communities with the tools to change the social conditions that impact health outcomes.

A hallmark of the PLACE MATTERS Initiative is the collaboration and networking among team members both to provide a support system and to disseminate best practices.

For more information on the King County Equity & Social Justice Initiative, visit: www.kingcounty.gov/equity.

WASHINGTON –A majority of African Americans believe climate change is a growing problem that both government and individuals should take action now to mitigate the potential impacts, according to the results of a national poll conducted by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a research and policy institution in Washington, DC.

The survey of 750 African American adults found that more than half of respondents identified the issue as a “major problem,”with 58 percent giving that response when it was described as “global warming”and 52 percent reacting that way when the term “climate change”was used. Only about ten percent in each group said global warming or climate change is not a problem.

A large majority of respondents said that government and individuals can do things to reduce global warming. About a third believe federal and state government can do a lot to mitigate the problem, while some three-quarters believe government can at least do something. A majority of African Americans express support for the cap-and-trade legislation passed earlier this year by the U.S. House of Representatives, and a large majority said they would be even more supportive with strong provisions for green jobs and incentives to buy more energy efficient cars and improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

The poll was the second that the Joint Center has conducted to determine African American views on climate change. The previous survey, released in July 2008, also found a majority of African Americans defining climate change as a problem that government must address.

A key finding in this year’s survey is that 26 percent of African Americans think they –and others like them –can do a lot to reduce global warming, and an additional 44 percent believe they can take at least some measures to combat the problem. The survey results indicate that a majority of them recycle and purchase energy saving appliances and light bulbs, while nearly half of them purchased products in the last year that were better for the environment even though the products were more costly than similar non-environmentally friendly items.

“While African Americans are underrepresented in the public debates on climate change and environmental issues generally, they are as aware of these issues as other groups in American society, and committed to action –both personal and governmental –to deal with the problems associated with climate change,” said Ralph B. Everett, President and CEO of the Joint Center.

Like all Americans, there are limits to what African Americans will buy into on public policy choices for the environment. The survey found that about half of black households having two or more cars, and while they are willing to pay more for energy in some circumstances, they oppose higher gasoline taxes. Similarly, while about two in five African Americans support building more nuclear power plants, fewer than one in four would support building a nuclear power plant in their own community.

Other key findings in the survey include:

• Majorities of respondents thought climate change is already causing –or will soon cause –worsening public health (59 percent), economic instability (61 percent), increasing flooding, fires, and droughts (60 percent), and energy dependence (64 percent). Even larger majorities thought these would be problems for future generations if climate change is not stopped.
• A majority of African Americans (59 percent) believe environmental conditions will be worse for future generations, while only one-in-six believe environmental conditions will be better.
• With regard to their electric bills, a solid majority of African Americans (61 percent) are willing to pay an additional $10 per month to fight global warming, while 30 percent were willing to pay an additional $25 per month and 16 percent were willing to pay an additional $50 per month.
• While opposition to gas tax increases is strong, a solid majority of African Americans (63 percent) believe that people they know would be willing to change their driving habits or drive less to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Findings from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies' National Survey Results, African Americans on Climate Change and Conservation are from a random digit dialing telephone survey of 750 African American adults conducted between July 20, 2009 and July 30, 2008. The survey has a margin of error of + or - 3.6 percentage points. The full survey can be downloaded at www.jointcenter.org/climate.

WASHINGTON--Ralph B. Everett, President and CEO of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, today announced that the Joint Center Health Policy Institute (HPI) has been awarded more than $2.58 million in federal stimulus funds to enhance communication among groups working to reduce health inequities in more than 20 communities around the United States.

HPI will use a grant of $1.33 million during the coming year to develop and disseminate locally-tailored Community Health Equity reports in 24 communities where PLACE MATTERS teams are operating. Generating and disseminating research in these communities will lead to long-term improvements in the health of low-income communities and communities of color. The grant is from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health.

HPI also will use a $1.25 million grant from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPH) to give PLACE MATTERS teams greater access to Internet-based tools for mapping, information sharing and community engagement. Then, the teams can monitor and collect data on community health status and social determinants of health and share ideas that work with other CDC grantees. NCCDPH is an agency in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This grant will be spent in equal parts over five years.

“We are delighted to obtain new, long-term support for our PLACE MATTERS initiative, which is enabling local citizens to make genuine progress against health inequities in their communities,” said Everett.

“These grants speak to the potential of PLACE MATTERS to empower people and transform neighborhoods to promote good health,” said Dr. Brian D. Smedley, Vice President and Director of HPI.

PLACE MATTERS takes an approach that crosses disciplines in problem solving. Teams, comprised of public and private sector leaders, are exposed not only to experts in community health and public health but also others in economic development, transportation, affordable housing, public policy and smart growth. PLACE MATTERS has 16 teams across the United States that are engaged in forming partnerships with major stakeholders in a variety of fields to make systemic changes that can lead to improved health status in their communities. The program was initiated with generous support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

WASHINGTON – The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies today convened a new Commission on Paternal Involvement in Pregnancy Outcomes to raise public awareness of how greater involvement by expectant fathers can improve maternal and child health.

The Commission is co-chaired by Michael Lu, M.D., MPH, an Associate Professor of obstetrics and gynecology and public health at UCLA’s Schools of Medicine and Public Health in Los Angeles, and Willie J. Parker, M.D., MPH, Medical Director of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC.

During their meeting today at the Joint Center, Commission members identified factors that discourage fathers-to-be from playing an active role during pregnancy. The panel developed guidelines that can be incorporated in research, public health policy and clinical practice that recognize the important role expectant and new fathers can play in family health matters, and to encourage their participation during and after pregnancy.

The Joint Center is a leading public policy and research institution whose work focuses primarily on African Americans and other communities of color, and the Commission’s work will place special emphasis on the problems of African American expectant fathers.

Low birthweight and preterm birth are leading risk factors for infant mortality, which in turn is an important indicator of the health of a nation. The United States ranks 29th in infant mortality among developed countries. The infant mortality rate for non-Hispanic black women was 2.4 times the rate for non-Hispanic white women, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Seventy percent of African American children are born to unmarried mothers and 40 percent of all American children live in homes without fathers.

“The Commission is initiating important work that will lead to healthier mothers and babies and stronger families,” said Ralph B. Everett, President and CEO of the Joint Center. “We believe the Commission will be a catalyst for positive changes in policies, programs, personal behavior and clinical practice.”

“This is about building a movement to change the way we perceive the man's role during pregnancy and to make sure that fathers-to-be understand how their involvement can make a profound difference in the lives of their pregnant partners and children,” said Dr. Jermane Bond, the Joint Center Research Associate who is directing the work of the Commission. “Ultimately, we want all young men to accept their share of responsibility and embrace their proper roles during pregnancy.”

The Commission’s work is funded with a grant from the Office of Minority Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In addition to the chairpersons, other commission members are:

Allen Herman, M.D., Ph.D., founding Dean of the National School of Public Health, Medical University of Southern Africa, Republic of South Africa, Pretoria.

Bryant Marks, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of the Morehouse Male Initiative, Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA.

Yolanda C. Padilla, MSSW, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work and Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Texas, Austin, TX.

Audra Robertson, M.D., MPH, Clinical Director, Birth Equity Initiative: Eliminating the Racial Disparity in Infant Mortality, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Center for Community Health and Health Equity.

Roland Warren, President of the National Fatherhood Initiative in Washington, DC.

Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge, M.D., MPH, Director, Bureau of Family, Youth and Infant Health, Metro Nashville Davidson County Public Health Department, Nashville, TN.

Pete Thomas, M.D., Medical Director, Project Brotherhood, Chicago, IL.

A quarter century has passed since the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson launched an historic campaign for the presidency – historic because it marked the first time that an African American or person of color managed to place among the front-running candidates for a major party nomination.

In 1984, the seasoned observers who initially pronounced him to be a fringe candidate were quickly proven wrong as Reverend Jackson demonstrated the breadth of his political support. He went on to win five primaries and caucuses, garnering nearly 20 percent of the primary vote and finishing third in both delegates and vote total, well ahead of five other national candidates. In 1988, he ran again, and this time placed second with nearly a third of the primary vote in a crowded field of candidates.

By advancing the American ideal that any talented, hard-working citizen can be elected to the highest office in the land, Reverend Jackson perhaps did more than anyone else in our era to enlarge civic engagement and broaden public confidence in our system. He inspired and energized millions to greater involvement in their communities, in the political process and in determining their own futures.

Of course, Reverend Jesse Jackson did not run for President to prove a point. He ran to win. And though he did not win, in the final assessment he brought into the realm of possibility what had before been beyond our capacity to dream. Though he did not silence the voices of those who said a black person could never become President, it was because of him that the unthinkable suddenly became thinkable.

What started 25 years ago with a presidential candidacy is today an historic milestone on the American journey. Today we pay tribute to that candidate and offer our gratitude for enabling so many to dare to dream.

WASHINGTON – The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Media and Technology Institute (MTI) has endorsed a new report, issued by a broad coalition of organizations that are working toward a comprehensive national broadband strategy, that presents a set of policy options for rapidly expanding access to and the use of broadband technology.

The report by the U.S. Broadband Coalition, which is comprised of more than 160 organizations representing industry, labor, state and local governments, public interest groups and other stakeholders in America’s broadband future, emphasizes the strategic national importance of speeding up broadband adoption and expanding its use throughout the economy. The report lays out an assortment of ideas for overcoming the barriers to ubiquitous broadband coverage and adoption.

It was written by a working group co-chaired by Karen Archer Perry of the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Charles Benton from the Benton Foundation, Link Hoewing, Verizon’s Assistant Vice President-Internet and Technology Issues, and Kenneth Peres, Ph.D., from the Communications Workers of America and the Alliance for Public Technology. Nicol Turner-Lee, Ph.D., Vice President and Director of the Joint Center Media and Technology Institute, was one of the contributing authors.

“The U.S Broadband Coalition’s report reflects a growing consensus on the need for rapid action to close gaps in broadband availability and use. The Joint Center is pleased to have the opportunity to contribute ideas toward ensuring that broadband adoption and advocacy are at the core of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan,” said Dr. Turner-Lee.

“The coalition is to be commended for recognizing the positive impact that rapid broadband adoption can have on our economy and highlighting ways to accelerate the process,” said Ralph B. Everett, President and CEO of the Joint Center. “We expect that this report will be critically important in guiding the process for establishing and implementing the National Broadband Plan.”

The report is posted on the Joint Center web site, www.jointcenter.org.

MTI and five partner organizations representing black elected officials recently released their own report, Broadband Imperatives for African Americans: Policy Recommendations to Increase Digital Adoption for Minorities and Their Communities, which also can be viewed at the Joint Center’s web site, www.jointcenter.org.