21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge

October 21st marked the final day of the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge. United Way of Central New York is incredibly grateful to the 98 partner companies/organizations and over 3,500 registered participants who joined us on this journey. If you missed the challenge, or would like to revisit the materials, view the Resource Library, here.

This 2-minute video from Black Cub Production features the voices of Challenge participants, sharing their thoughts and reactions throughout the 21-Day journey. 

However the road to a more equitable future doesn’t end here. There is still much work to be done as people of color still face the following racial disparities right in our community of Central New York:

– Syracuse has the highest rate of concentrated poverty among Black and Hispanic/Latinx residents in the United States.

– Median income for white residents in our county is $62,805, almost twice that of Black residents, which is $30,165.

– Prior to the pandemic, the unemployment rate for the county was 6.4%. Of this percentage, Black residents carry the brunt of the burden compared to their white counterparts, with 16.9% experiencing unemployment.

– While 87% of white Syracuse residents age 25 or older have a high school education or higher, only 72.5% of Black residents in the same age group have a high school education or higher.

As we more forward on this journey, United Way of Central New York will continue to invite the community to further utilize the resources provided throughout the challenge, and to continue pursuing conversations surrounding issues of race and equity in Central New York.

UNITED, we can create a more equitable future for generations to come.