Resilience: Meadville, PA - 10: Reduced Inequalities

Reduce inequality within and among countries

Globally: Inequalities come in a multitude of forms, including economic disparities and access to healthcare or education. Effectively reducing persistent inequalities is complex and must be cognizant of the needs of disadvantaged and marginalized populations, environmental considerations and economic disparities within a community.

Meadville: Diversity, racial income inequality, sexual orientation, and hate groups were assessed.

Local Facts and Figures

What is the assessment of diversity in Meadville by percentage?

Meadville is less diverse than the United States as a whole.

Table 1. Assessment of diversity in Meadville by percent (1)

What is the median income by race?

Minorities in Meadville earn significantly less than their white counterparts.

Table 2. Median income by race in the past 12 months in Meadville, PA (2) and the United States (3)

How does education level compare between races?

Minorities in Meadville are less likely to be a high school graduate compared to both whites in Meadville and minorities nation-wide.

Table 3. Percent high school graduate or higher by race (4)

Is discrimination present in our schools?

In a 2015 Pennsylvania Youth Survey of Crawford County, 17% of students who reported being bullied said the bullying was based on the color of their skin, their religion, or the country they were born in. 10% of students who reported being bullied said it was for their sexual orientation. (5)

How does Pennsylvania rank compared to other states in terms of number of hate groups?

Pennsylvania has the fifth highest number of hate groups in the United States, with 36 state-wide organizations. Meadville is the host of an active hate group called the Ku Klos Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. (6)

Are there minority owned businesses in Meadville?

Only 3% of Meadville businesses were minority owned in 2012. There are 38 minority owned firms in Meadville compared to 1,188 non-minority owned firms. (7)

Local Strengths and Opportunities

SURJ is a local organization that stands for Showing Up for Racial Justice. They believe in collective liberation and work as part of a multi-racial movement to undermine white support for white supremacy and to help build a racially just society.
Allegheny College has a Statement of Community that calls to create a "community that will actively confront and challenge racism, sexism, heterosexism, religious bigotry, and other forms of harassment and discrimination."

Local Weaknesses and Threats

There is a significant wage gap by race in Meadville, leaving minorities in a disadvantaged position.
Education level between races shows large disparities, meaning that minorities are less likely to attain higher level jobs.
Discrimination is a source of bullying in schools.

Case Studies

THESSALONIKI, GREECE: Focusing on "co-creating an inclusive city", Thessaloniki is addressing resiliency as a whole, and part of their plan is to solve economic inequality through the creation of development centers.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Recognizing the damage that systemic racism has done to the city, Boston is facilitating discussions for healing and social cohesion. The Racial Equity and Resilience Leadership Program (REAL) aims to include racial equity into city policies.

Citations