Whiteness Index

April 2000

• Group most likely to be strip-searched or x-rayed by U.S. Customs officials when returning from overseas: Black women
• Group least likely to be found carrying illegal drugs when returning from overseas: Black women
• Percent of Black residents in metropolitan areas who have a white neighbor, 1990: 29
• Percent of white residents in metropolitan areas who have a Black neighbor, 1990: 5
• Black/white unemployment ratio for 25-64 year-old males, 1950: 1.88 (6.4% Black:3.4% white)
• Black/white unemployment ratio for 25-64 year-old males, 1995: 1.89 (7.2% Black:3.8% white)
• Mean math SAT score of Black student with family income of $70,000 or more, 1995: 442
• Mean math SAT score of white student with family income of $10,000 or less, 1995: 460
• Median family income of native-born ethnic Cuban-Americans, 1990: $37,452
• Median family income of native-born ethnic Irish-Americans, 1990: $38,022
• Median family income of native-born ethnic Polish-Americans, 1990: $41,943
• Median family income of native-born ethnic Mexican-Americans, 1990: $26,766
• Median family income of native-born ethnic African Americans, 1990: $20,209

Sources: Chicago Sun-Times, Stephan Thernstrom and Abigail Thernstrom, America in Black and White

February 2000

• Number of Black students admitted to University of Texas Law School in 1996: 65
• Number of Black students admitted to University of Texas Law School in 1997 (the year after affirmative action was abolished): 11
• Percentage of first-time, full-time freshmen who are Black at Tennessee colleges, 1976: 22.3
• Percentage of first-time, full-time freshmen who are Black at Tennessee colleges, 1996: 17.7
• Percentage of white college and high school age students with access to a home computer: 73%
• Percentage of Black college and high school age students with access to a home computer: 32%
• Percentage of whites with a bachelor's degree, 1997: 29%
• Percentage of Blacks with a bachelor's degree, 1997: 14%

Sources: The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Southern Education Foundation, New York Times, Wall Street Journal

September 1999

• Infant mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) for Black babies in 1994: 15.8
• Infant mortality rate for white babies in 1994: 6.6
• Maternal mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) for Black women in 1990: 22.4 In 1980: 21.5
• Maternal mortality rate for white women in 1990: 5.4 In 1980: 6.7
• Cancer rates for black men per year per every 100,000 persons: 557.2 cases
• Cancer rates for white men: 464.0
• Cancer rates for white women: 348.0
• Cancer rates for black women: 331.0
• Life expectancy for Black females, in years, as of 1995: 74.5
• Life expectancy for white females, in years, as of 1995: 80.1
• Life expectancy for Black males, in years, as of 1995: 64.8
• Life expectancy for white males, in years, as of 1995: 73.6
• Percent of American population that is Black: 13
• Percent of person with AIDS who are Black: 45
• Percent of all new HIV infections who are Black: 57
• Percent difference of incidence of colon cancer for black men compared to white men: 20%
• Percent difference of incidence of multiple myeloma for black men compared to white men: 50%
• Percent difference of incidence of prostrate cancer for black men compared to white men: 71%
• Percent difference of incidence of lung cancer for black men compared to white men: 36%
• Median waiting time, in days, a Black person waits for a kidney for transplant: 1,082
• Median waiting time, in days, a white person waits for a kidney for transplant: 553
• Percentage of blacks who live in poverty (as defined by the federal government): 30%
• Percentage of whites who live in poverty: 13%
• Percent of Black babies born of low birth rate in 1975: 13.1% In 1994: 13.2%
• Percent of white babies born of low birth rate in 1975: 6.3% In 1994: 6.1%

Sources: Rachel's Environmental Weekly, Statistical Abstract of the United States, Black Americans: A Statistical Sourcebook, New York Times, Arizona Republic

May 1999

• Amount Black households earn for every dollar earned by white households: 62 cents
• Median net worth per white family: $45,740
• Median net worth per Black family: $4,418
• Median net financial assets (net worth minus home and car equity) per white family: $7,000
• Median net financial assets per Black family: $0
• Black-white gap in wealth accumulation, 1967: $16,000
• Black-white gap in wealth accumulation, 1988: $72,000
• Average mortgage rate for Black homeowners: 9.614%
• Average mortgage rate for white homeowners: 9.07%
• Amount extra that Black homeowners pay the banks: $10.5 billion
• Projected amount extra that the next generation of Black homeowners will pay the banks: $21.5 billion
• Price of being Black for this generation (totaling higher mortgage rates, less housing appreciation and denied mortgages): $82 billion
• Projected price of being Black for the next generation: $93 billion
• Projected advantage of being white for the next generation: $93 billion

Sources: Journal of Blacks in Higher Education; Melvin Oliver and Thomas Shapiro, Black Wealth/White Wealth 1995)

April 1999

• Average number of months white prisoners serve for a crime: 24 months
• Average number of months Black prisoners serve for the same crime: 26 months
• Average number of months white prisoners serve for rape: 56 months
• Average number of months Black prisoners serve for rape: 70 months
• Percent of drivers on Interstate 95 who are Black: 20
• Percent of drivers pulled over and searched on I-95 who are Black: 70
• Number of Black men disfranchised in 1998 because of felony convictions: 1.4 million
• Total percentage of Black male voting-age population disfranchised: 13 percent

Sources: New York Times, ACLU, Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

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