Local Equity Analysis

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As one of the wealthiest, healthiest, and most diverse communities in the state and the US, the perception or belief that racial inequity does not exist here can harm the progress and opinions of advancing issues of equity within the county.

As a library system, we aim to properly accommodate everyone and meet them where they are at. To do this, we recognize that there are still inequities in our community and work to create an inclusive and equitable learning environment. We aim to equip our community with the tools, resources, space, and connections to advance their priorities.

This report demonstrates that even in a county where most residents appear to be thriving, there are communities and subgroups that do not fully reap the benefits of residing here.

Summary

• Non-Hispanic Black residents were anywhere from 1.5-11 times more likely to fare worse than Non-Hispanic White residents.
• Hispanic residents were 1.5-7 times more likely to fare worse than Non-Hispanic White residents.
• While Asian residents were more likely to have similar or better outcomes than Non-Hispanic White residents across education and legal systems, they fared worse in housing, health and economic outcomes.
  Read full Summary in the report

Limitations

• Within this report most of the data used was in the aggregate, drawn from other data reports, and not in a raw data format.
• Depending on the way the data was reported some comparison charts and tables may not include data for all groups.
• We recognize that inequities exist across multiple demographic groups including age, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status and often intersect. This intersectional analysis has not been done and so leaves room for further in-depth inquiry.
  Read full limitations in the report

We welcome customer feedback on this report, as well as requests to help community organizations get involved in Howard County Library’s Brave Voices Brave Choices initiative. Email: [email protected]