The Conditionof

African-AmericanChildren

inNew Mexico

February 2005

Page 2

The Long Shadow of Injustice

“Once one assumes an attitude of intolerance, there is no knowingwhere it will take one. Intolerance, someone has said, is violenceto the intellect and hatred is violence to the heart.”

Mahatma Gandhi, 1942During the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it isestimated that between 20 and 40 million African people wereabducted from their homes and sold into slavery. Between fifty andninety percent did not survive the journey across the AtlanticOcean. Those who arrived on America’s shores endured untoldhorrors from the years 1619 to 1865. Outright segregation,indentured servitude, and the terrorization of African-Americanpeople continued for another century. Even today, intolerance,discrimination, and institutional racism remain part of the African-American experience.

The effects of a coordinated, genocidial onslaught cannot beunderestimated. The legacy of slavery, and the deaths of unknownmillions of Africans still resonate in the pattern of our lives.

In New Mexico, the African-American population is relatively small,comprising only two percent of the total populace. Despite theirsize, the African-American community faces strong patterns ofdiscrimination. The data in this report raises difficult questions:

• Why do African-American mothers work longer hoursfor less pay than all other mothers in New Mexico?

• Why are one-third of African-American children livingunder the federal poverty level?

• Why do African-Americans own homes at half therates of all other ethnicities in New Mexico?

• Why are African-American children dramatically over-represented in the juvenile justice and foster caresystems?

It is our belief that by presenting an accurate portrait of theconditions of African-American children in New Mexico, a healthydialogue may in turn create a better future.

Page 3

A Note about Census Data

This report is based on a publication of New Mexico Voices for Children,entitled Majority/Minority: A Profile of New Mexico’s Children, published in2003.

Much of the data presented comes from the 2000 Census. Within thecensus, the terms African-American and Black are used interchangeably.For the first time in 2000, individuals could choose to identify more thanone race. In New Mexico, 10,683 children were identified as only African-American. This category is often referred to as “Black alone.” 1,251children selected at least two races, referred to as “Black in combination.”An amalgamation of these two groups, or all 11,934 children of Africandecent in New Mexico is referred to as “Black alone or in combination.”When possible, this report used the latter category. Unfortunately, somedata was only available for the category “Black alone,” such as thenumber of African-American children by county.

It is important to note that Hispanic or Latino origin is considered anethnicity not a race by the census, and is accounted for in a separatequestion.

Despite numerous steps taken by the census, it is known that the 1990Census failed to count 1,811 African-American, or 5.7% of those residingin New Mexico. The precise undercount of the 2000 Census in NewMexico is unknown, however the issue of undercounting children andminorities remains a problem.

“Now is the time toopen the doors of

opportuntity to all of God’schildren. Now is the time to lift

our nation from the quicksands ofracial injustice to the solid rock of

brotherhood.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.August 28th, 1963

Page 4

New Mexico’sAfrican-American Children

African-American children areapproximately 2% of all children

in New Mexico. Only fourcounties have higher figures. In

Curry County, 8% of childrenare African-American, in

Bernalillo and Lea counties, thefigure is 5%, while in Otero

County 4% of all children areAfrican-American. In 2000, 21of 33 counties had fewer than100 African-American children.This includes counties with the

following towns: Deming,Espanola, Gallup, Las Vegas,

Los Alamos, Silver City,Socorro, and Taos.

County # of children

Bernalillo 4,675Catron 4Chaves 399Cibola 46Colfax 17Curry 1,121De Baca 0Dona Ana 892Eddy 243Grant 64Guadalupe 2Harding 2Hidalgo 11Lea 769Lincoln 20Los Alamos 12Luna 79Mc Kinley 92Mora 2Otero 770Quay 23Rio Arriba 44Roosevelt 117San Juan 157San Miguel 69Sandoval 456Santa Fe 207Sierra 30Socorro 44Taos 28Torrance 56Union 0Valencia 232

Population By County

Population in New Mexico

Population in United States Black Children in USA 10,885,696Total Children in USA 72,293,812% of Black Children in USA 15%

Black Children in NM 10,683Total Children in NM 509,122% of Black Children in New Mexico 2%

Page 5

1999 Median Family Income by Race

Percent of Children in Poverty by Race

Income and Poverty Levels

Black $30,000Hispanic $28,600Native American $26,000White $48,360All New Mexico $33,900All USA $50,046Black America $33,255

Black 33%Hispanic 30%Native American 42%White 13%All New Mexico 25%All USA 17%Black America 33%

Thirty-three percent of African American children live inpoverty, but only 8% of families receive TANF.

family size 20001 $8,3502 $11,2503 $14,1504 $17,0505 $19,950

Federal Poverty Guidelines

Page 6

Income Distribution ofBlack Children in New Mexico

100-199%FPL26%

over 300% FPL19%

200-299% FPL22%

under 100% FPL33%

Number of Children by Federal Poverty Level (2000)

under 100% FPL 100-199%FPL 200-299% FPL over 300% FPL Total

Black 2,675 2,130 1,781 1,561 8,147Hispanic 76,732 82,828 45,783 50,992 256,335Native American 25,140 18,082 10,013 6,456 59,691

White 21,814 34,024 36,649 75,023 167,510

All NM 129,335 140,298 97,661 141,105 508,399

Fifty-nine percent of African-American children liveunder 200% of poverty, as compared to thirty-threepercent of White children in New Mexico.

Page 7

TANF Cases (May 2003)

Average weekly hours of work for mothersreceiving public assistance

Percent of respondents working 6-9 monthsafter leavng TANF

1 pa re nt 2 pa re nt Tota lBla ck 583 39 622Hispanic 9,904 1,176 11,080Native Am erican 840 137 977W hite 2,846 484 3,330

Black 68%Hispanic 64%Native American 54%W hite 63%Total 63%

Black 27Hispanic 21Native American 18W hite 21Total 21

Page 8

Average Earnings of Mothers who WorkFull-Time and Year-Round

Black $22,824Hispanic $24,412Native American $23,299White $30,859

Employment

Infants with All Parentsin the Labor Force

Percent of Employed Mothers withMinor Children at Home

1990 2000Black 42% 61%Hispanic 50% 55%Native American 56% 46%White 51% 53%Total 51% 54%

Black 81%Hispanic 70%Native American 69%White 75%Total 72%

African-American mothers work longer hours for lesspay than all other mothers in New Mexico.

Page 9

Number and Percent of Childrenwith All Parents in the Work Force (2000)

Percent of Mothers who Work Full-Time andYear-Round and Live in Poverty

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

Black Hispanic Native American White

Infant Pre-SchoolSchool Age TotalBlack 804 875 3,492 5,171

61% 71% 62% 63%Hispanic 23,454 22,478 101,676 147,608

55% 56% 58% 57%Native American 3,810 4,841 22,290 30,941

46% 54% 52% 52%White 11,961 12,697 80,268 104,926

53% 54% 66% 63%Total 41,567 42,288 211,722 298,403

54% 55% 61% 59%

Poverty levels remain high for African-American familiesdespite substantial hours of work.

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HousingPercent of Children

Living in Owner-Occupied Homes (2000)

Total Rural Urban SuburbanBlack 38% 30% 44% 44%Hispanic 69% 70% 66% 81%Native American 71% 72% 53% 82%White 74% 70% 75% 85%Asian 64% 64% 61% n/aTotal 70% 70% 68% 82%

Across the United States, the median value of an African-American owned home is only two-thirds of the national average($80,600 as compared to $119,600).

African-Americans own homes in far smaller numbersthan all other racial groups in New Mexico, even whencompared to those who also struggle with high povertylevels.

Page 11

Gross Rent as a Percent of Household Income inHouseholds with Children

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Black Hispanic NativeAmerican

White Asian Total

While African-Americans and Hispanics spend similaramounts on rent, this costs affects a greater proportion ofthe African-American community, as a far larger percentare not homeowners, and the average earnings ofmothers are less.

The foster care system also shows a similarover-representation of African-Americanchildren. While Black children represent 15%of the total child population nationally, theycomprise 45% of those in foster care.

In New Mexico, a similar over-representationoccurs. While Black children comprise 2%all children, they are 6% of those in fostercare.

Foster Care

Page 12

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately12% of Black men in their twenties or early thirties were injail or prison in 2002. African-Americans are five times morelikely than Caucasians to be incarcerated.

These numbers extend to the juvenile population as well.While 45% of adult inmates serving sentences over one yearare Black, for juveniles, the national rate is 40%.

In New Mexico, 3.9% of individuals in the juvenile justicesystem are African-American, a number almost twice itsproportion to the total child population.

Incarceration

If present trends continue, almost one-third of African-American men will enter prison in their lifetime.

Page 13

Healthcare and Well-BeingInfant Mortality

Total Live Births and Births to Teens (2001)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Black Hispanic NativeAmerican

White Total NM All USA BlackAmerica

African-American babies face the highest infant mortalitylevels in New Mexico.

Total Births

Births aged 15-19

% Teen Mothers

Black 812 149 18%Hispanic 15,075 3,075 20%Native American 3,668 624 17%White 7,035 718 10%Total NM 27,101 4,607 17%

Low birth weight, congenital malformations, and SuddenInfant Death Syndrome are the three leading causes ofinfant death in New Mexico. These conditions can beameliorated through prenatal care, home visits,breastfeeding, and encouraging parents to place babieson their back while sleeping.

The death rate for African-American males is 14.3 per 1,000live births, while the female death rate is 12.0 per 1,000 livebirths in New Mexico. The lowest rate is found among Hispanicfemales, at 4.0 per 1,000 births.

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Percent of all Medicaid Enrolleesunder Age 21 by Race/Ethnicity

Black2%

White22%

Hispanic59%

NativeAmerican

17%

Health Insurance Coverage forChidren in New Mexico

Estimated Number of MedicaidEnrolees under 21 by Race/Ethnicity

insured uninsuredBlack 82% 18%Hispanic 83% 17%Native American 60% 40%White 85% 15%Total NM 79% 21%

Black 5,643Hispanic 152,702Native American 44,241White 55,730Total NM 259,733

According to a national report, lack of health insurancecoverage is the most important factor to explain the differencesin the health status of African-Americans and Hispanics ascompared to Anglos.

In 2001, 1.5 million African-American children were uninsured nationally.

Page 15

SOURCESMost data comes from: Majority/Minority: A Profile of New Mexico’s Children, A Kids Count SpecialReport, (Albuquerque: New Mexico Voices for Children, 2003). New Mexico Kids Count Data Book 2002, (Albuquerque: New Mexico Voicesfor Children, 2002). Kids Count is indebted to Kelly O’Donnell for the original work on this project.

All other sources include: Paige Harrison and Allen Beck, Prisoners in 2002, Bureau of JusticeStatistics Bulletin, July 2003. Found in www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/p02.pdf Paige Harrison and Jennifer Karberg, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear2002, Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin, April 2003. Found inwww.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/pjim02.pdf Martin Luther King, Jr. papers project, Stanford University. Found in:www.stanford.edu/group/King Betsy Leondar-Wright et al. State of the Dream 2005: Disowned in theOwnership Society, (Boston: United for a Fair Economy, January 10, 2005). John E. McDonough et al. A State Policy Agenda to Eliminate Racial andEthnic Health Disparities. (New York: The Commonwealth Fund, June 2004). New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, Annual Report 2003(Albuquerque, 2003). New Mexico Selected Health Statistics Annual Report for 2002, Office ofNew Mexico Vital Records and Health Statistics (Santa Fe: State Center forHealth Statistics, June 2004). Mark Oldknow, New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Division, personalcorrespondence. US Census 2000, found at www.census.gov.

“Let us rise uptonight with a greater

readiness. Let us stand witha greater determination. And letus move on in these powerful

days, these days of challenge, tomake America what it ought to be.We have an opportunity to make

America a better nation.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.April 3rd, 1968

New Mexico Voices for Children2340 Alamo SE, Suite 120Albuquerque, NM 87106

(505) 244-9505www.nmvoices.org

This report has been produced by New Mexico KIDS COUNT,in honor of Black History Month.

KIDS COUNT is a project of New Mexico Voices for Children, funded bythe Annie E. Casey Foundation. It calls attention to the pressing needs of

New Mexico’s families through public education and awareness. KIDSCOUNT seeks to create public accountablity, develop strategies, and

build the political will necessary to improve outcomes for New Mexico’schildren - our most valuable resource and vulernable population.

With special thanks to:The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Their funding makes it possible to better understandthe needs of all of our children.

Any errors are the sole responsibility of New Mexico Voices for Children