Race in America Past Reports Minorities in America continue to be affected by inequality — here’s a broad look at GAO’s work on this issue.
Census
Minorities, renters, and homeless people are more likely to be undercounted in the census. In the course of our work on the Census Bureau, we’ve reviewed efforts to improve its count of people in hard-to-count groups.
Economic/ Financial
We’ve examined challenges minorities face gaining access to lending (both personally and professionally) and differences in social status that affect economic outlooks.
Education
The link between racial and ethnic minorities and poverty has been studied for decades. Our work has looked at how socio-economic status has been linked to school safety, education quality, and higher school discipline rates among minorities.
Environmental Justice
Minority and low-income communities are more likely to be exposed to air pollution, hazardous waste, and industrial facilities. Much of this is due to disparities in the development and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Equal Employment
Federal, state, and private companies have struggled to integrate and achieve diverse workforces. This also includes access to equal opportunities for promotions, pay, and upward mobility in places of work.
Government Programs
Minorities continue to face difficulties accessing federal programs, grants, and government services.
Health Care
We examined how lack of access to quality health care and certain Social Security benefits affects minorities.
Justice and Law Enforcement
We looked at disparities in voter ID laws, court sentencing, and policing, and how they affect minorities.
Military
We found that racial disparities continued to persist in military justice, education, and employment opportunity, long after minorities were allowed to serve.