We envision the Greater Louisville region as a place where zip code doesn’t determine destiny and everyone has the opportunity to live up to their full potential. But the realities are that there are inequities and disparities all around us in educational attainment, occupational opportunity, employment, wages, home ownership, gender, race and ethnicity, access to healthy environments, and more.
The Need
In 2019, the poverty rate for African Americans in Louisville was around 26%, compared to approximately 10% for white residents.
In 2020, the high school graduation rate for African American students in Jefferson County Public Schools (which includes Louisville) was around 81%, compared to approximately 89% for white students.
As of 2019, African Americans made up about 20% of Louisville’s population but accounted for over 50% of the arrests made in the city.
In 2020, African American residents in Louisville experienced higher rates of chronic health conditions like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension compared to white residents.
Sources: Data USA, Kentucky Department of Education, WFPL News, City of Louisville Health Equity Report, MUW data analysis
...and our partners in this work
It will take all of us working together to ensure every individual in the Greater Louisville region has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. Only then will we achieve an equitable community. Join us and invest today.