Report: State of Black Pennsylvania, 2010-2021

Posted by Office of PA State Senator Art Haywood on November 14, 2023

This report details the changing position of Black Pennsylvanians from 2010 to 2021, with several data points indicating the upward socioeconomic mobility of the Black community.

“In the past decade the black middle class expanded, black poverty declined, black high earners increased significantly, and black state incarceration dropped sharply,” said Senator Haywood. “These and other surprises are contained in this special report prepared by the Senate Democratic Policy and Research Office for Black History Month.  After centuries of enslavement, almost 100 years of segregation and continued discrimination this report highlights Black History Month achievements in Pennsylvania.”

“We now have foundational data that can lead us forward in this moment of incredible opportunity,” said Senator Vincent Hughes. “Pennsylvania is currently sitting on a growing budget surplus. We should seize the moment. We should embrace the opportunity to make an even bigger difference for African Americans. This report shows progress, but let’s keep fighting, let’s keep pushing.”

The 28-page report examines health, incarceration, income, and population data for Black Pennsylvanians. The data was pulled from a number of sources to put together a complete picture of the Black experience in PA over the past decade.

Read the full report.