The Effects of Residential Segregation on Black and White Mortality in the United States

Abstract

Higher rates of black mortality compared to whites in the United States are longstanding and well documented. Wide variation across racial and socioeconomic groups suggests that many deaths may be preventable. We hypothesize that higher mortality for African Americans is due to the fundamental causes of structural racism and poverty. We developed a new index, the Racial Isolation of Poverty (RIP), to examine how the race/class nexus of disadvantage is associated with higher rates of mortality for African Americans. A wide range of policies has isolated black people into areas with poorer-quality schools and fewer jobs, where over-policing substitutes for community resources. Geographic isolation by race and income has enabled sub-standard resource distribution to African Americans. Geographic isolation also allowed us to measure the effects of racism in US counties. Two main effects, Racial Isolation (RI), and the interaction of RI with economic deprivation, or RIP, were tested in a cross-sectional fixed-effects model. Both RIP and RI increased mortality for blacks while only RIP increased mortality for whites. Universal policies to promote economic security for all and reparations especially designed to promote economic security and wealth for African Americans are proposed.