KINGSTON – Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher, Tuesday, released a racial equality report detailing the disparate experience of black and brown community members on a number of health, economic, and quality of life indicators.
They were selected in consultation with an advisory board comprised primarily of black and brown residents.
The report finds significant inequities in Ulster on nearly every metric from education to wealth, similar to other parts of the country. Black and brown community members not only experience inequitable health outcomes, but also experience greater involvement with the criminal justice system, lower wages, and fewer opportunities to work remotely, the study found.
Gallagher said the single area of improvement in Ulster was its workforce.
“The one ray of good light is actually the diversification of the workforce for Ulster County,” she said. “We have seen a significant change just in the first year of the Ryan administration.”
“Racial inequality is pervasive and impacts every aspect of the lives of African Americans in Ulster County, including our social mobility, health and quality of life,” said Rashida Tyler, advisory board member and founder of the Real Kingston Tenants Union.
The full report can be read here.
