Racial and ethnic disparities is the gap that exists in outcomes for children of different racial and ethnic groups in Rhode Island. Disparities exist in economic well-being, health, safety and education outcomes.

Racial and ethnic disparities in child well-being can be traced to the founding of the United States and the inequitable practices and policies that harmed Families of Color. From the removal of Native Americans from their lands and the use of Africans as enslaved labor, the country’s first People of Color were prevented from fully participating in the economy while simultaneously building wealth for the country and its white citizens. Racism became an economic tool infused into laws, policies, and practices that has harmed Asian, Black, Latino, Native American, and low-income white people for centuries. Substantial changes to these laws and policies did not occur until the late 1960s, and the harm continues to reverberate in the lives of Children of Color.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities Factbook Indicators

The Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook provides a statistical portrait of the status of Rhode Island’s children and youth.

Publications

• Root Causes of Overweight and Obesity: Community-Driven Solutions to Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Rhode Island, June 2023
• Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Maternal, Infant, and Young Children’s Health in Rhode Island, January 2023
• Multilingual Learners in Rhode Island, February 2023
• Racial and Ethnic Disparities in K-16 Education in Rhode Island, January 2023
• Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Children’s Economic Well-Being in Rhode Island, December 2021