A 16-year long study in the journal Pediatrics finds “marked racial and ethnic differences” when comparing the death rates of youth shot and killed by police. Black youth are six times more likely to be shot and killed and Hispanic youth, three times more likely to be shot and killed than white youth.
Members of the Black community have long felt that has been the case and the data backs them up. Additionally, the authors of the study note that this number is artificially low because it does not account for the children who died before reaching the hospital or those who were hospitalized but did not die. The study also adds to a growing body of research on disparities children of color face.
These disparites include:
- Black newborns are three times more likely to die if their doctor is white instead of black.
- Black children are 3.5 times more likely to experience serious complications, including death, after surgery
- Black children are more likely to go missing than white children
- Black and Hispanic children are more likely to be hospitalized after contracting COVID-19 and more likely to have virus-related complications.
This data, this year’s protests against racial injustice and Utah’s new Compact on Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion will undoubtedly inform legislation on Utah’s Capitol Hill this coming legislative session. If you want to weigh in on this important issue, please contact your legislators and let them know where you stand.
