Sistallect, Inc. in partnership with Sierra Health Foundation and with a coalition of Black Women leaders took on the task to look at equity for Black Women and Girls in California. This effort represents the first time this type of collective, conscious effort has been done in the state. Although Women of Color are progressing as a whole, Black Women in California are more likely to be single breadwinners, live in poverty and face significant barriers in regards to pathways to success economically, socially and professionally.

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Throughout history, Black Women have played a pivotal role in the success of our community and addressing systemic barriers for all marginalized communities. Black Women have been at the forefront of change and never-wavering in our commitment to the fight. This effort capitalizes on that change agent spirit and energy to move that needle in a systematic and sustainable manner. The focus of this collaborative work is to utilize data that shows Black Females in California are faring far less than their counterparts in important areas of life including employment, housing, health and economics.

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The State of Black Women in California explores the way in which we can collectively work on addressing these issues and the impact that Black Women can have when there is an investment of time and resources. More than 60 Black Women powerhouse leaders, who represent various industries, came together to help ensure inclusive perspectives with one common goal...improve our current state by working toward our ideal state.

 

The goal of the State of Black Women in California was to approach our work in a strategic and collaborative manner with the main focus on Black Women and Girls in California. The focus was on six core areas - Political Participation; Employment and Earnings; Work & Family; Health and Well-Being; Poverty and Opportunity; and Violence & Safety. 

Sistallect, Inc. releases The State of Blacks in California that focuses on the quality of life indexes for the top ten counties and cities that have the largest Black population. The report is a supplemental report to California Black Media's Counting Black California, which dives down to the census track level within the county and cities.

 

"The State of Blacks in California provides a snap shot of our disparity gaps that continue to have negative impacts on our ability to thrive in the world's fifth largest economy," states Kellie Todd, founder of Sistallect, Inc. "It’s a painful reality that there is so much work that still needs to be done. As a supplemental report to Counting Black California, it also reinforces the need for us to be counted in the upcoming census, which will determine redistricting, representation and hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding."

 

According to the report issued by the California Black Media, Black Californians were undercounted by two percent in the last census. More than 72 percent of the Black population lives in the southern counties of the state. However, there are significant pockets of Black Californians in most parts of the state.

 

Counting Black California report provides insights into areas within the state that have the highest percentages of hard to count individuals. It will give editors, journalists, program producers and media/marketing professionals access to important localized data that helps them craft, deepen and geo-target their Census 2020 public education messages. The main goal is to maximize their effectiveness and reach.

 

“California Black Media is relying on our media network that serves more than 1 million people in the state to raise awareness about the importance of African Americans participating in the Census, said Regina Wilson, executive director of California Black Media. “Historically, we have been one of the most undercounted groups in America. Census counts affect everything – from our representation in congress to the amount of federal aid a neighborhood receives for programs like Head Start.”

Research for the CBC report was conducted by Walter Scott Hawkins. He is a senior research associate with NewHawk, a data collection firm that focuses on gathering, mining and analyzing demographic information and providing political campaign support.

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The State of Blacks in California provides a closer look at what the Black experience is in these hard to count areas as well as throughout our communities identified in the CBC report. It heightens the need to ensure we are at the table because we cannot afford to be undercounted with so much at stake. There is hundreds of millions of dollars being allocated from the state to ensure there isn't an undercount and our grassroots organizing efforts can be a valuable resource to connect with our community especially those who have been hard to count," adds Todd.

“We are the community mavens that have the trust of our community…no one else can engage us but us!”

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