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Black Progress Index

#BlackProgressIndex

Improving Economic Mobility with Data

Improving life outcomes among Black people demands research and tools that recognize and measure Black progress in a way that reflects the intersectional nature of our lived experience.

NAACP and Brookings have partnered on The Black Progress Index, a new analysis of the places where Black people are thriving most, as measured through their life expectancy. The Index supports a greater understanding of the well-being of Black people and the conditions that surround their lives.

In the spirit of NAACP Co-Founder W.E.B. Du Bois' novel use of data to identify racial inequity, the Black Progress Index focuses on life expectancy and the "social determinants of health" — such as homeownership rate, education attainment, business ownership rate, and air pollution — to help provide insight into the local civic actions that can improve life expectancy outcomes.

Community organizers, elected officials, and researchers can use the interactive dashboard in their work to examine the impact of social and neighborhood conditions in their city and others across the country.

Explore the Black Progress Index

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Data for Change

To fuel direct action, The Black Progress Index will:

  • Serve as an invaluable resource that community leaders can trust and call upon for research and policy analysis.  
  • Elevate the national discourse on improving upward economic and social mobility in America. 
  • Advance policy ideas for adoption among federal, state, and local policy makers to accelerate economic opportunity for individuals and communities. 
  • Create a lasting hub for young and diverse experts to exert positive influence on the future of public policy and life chances for low-income Americans.  
  • Improve the impact and relevance of national policy institutions by generating research and ideas that reflect the experience of low-income and marginalized communities. 

Sign Up for Updates

This partnership combines NAACP's commitment to advancement and civil rights and Brookings' commitment to rigorous, independent research. Together, we will shift policies and deficit narratives, leading to collective action and impactful policy change.  

Sign up to be the first to receive updates on the Black Assets Index and to learn more about increasing economic and social mobility for the Black community.

We've recently seen conspiracy theories with harmful racialized overtones drive elections and policy. The only way to combat this is with facts. The need for a trusted source for information is needed now more than ever.

- Derrick Johnson, President and CEO, NAACP

Leading the charge

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All In For Democracy

Assaults on civil rights are part of an intensifying anti-Black agenda. We're leveraging all avenues of advocacy, mobilization, and litigation to fight back but we need your support. Donate now to help us reach our $75k goal by March 31 to protect democracy. 

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