Amherst Groups Working For Racial Justice Will Gather For Virtual Roundtable On Tuesday, March 23

Report Finds That Amherst’s Black Population Has Declined, While Income Disparities Are Major

Six local organizations will participate in a virtual gathering on Tuesday, March 23, to talk about attaining racial equity for Black residents, and fulfilling the Town of Amherst’s commitment to end structural racism.  

The League of Women Voters of Amherst’s Racial Justice Task Force (RJTF) is inviting the public to attend “Working Toward Racial Equity: A Round Table and Dialogue.” Participants will include the Racial Equity Task Force, the Interfaith Opportunities Network, Amherst Regional High School People of Color United, the Jewish Community of Amherst, the National Coalition of Blacks in America for Reparations-Amherst, and Reparations 4 Amherst.  Those who wish to join in the Zoom event can pre-register at this link. Plans are also underway to broadcast the roundtable via  Amherst Media, which posts videos on Youtube , and to air the meeting live on the LWVA’s Facebook page.

Ash Hartwell, a member of the RJTF, said the meeting goals include discussing progress toward a resolution passed by the Town Council in December, to end structural racism and bring about racial equity. That resolution also called for ensuring that all community members feel protected and heard, and are involved in shaping local policies.

Hartwell said that the RJTF wanted to provide a forum for local groups that are active on racial justice issues to share information about their work with one another. The RJTF hopes that a “loose regular network of communication and support,” might result, Hartwell said.  

The meeting’s goals also include determining how the public can assist in the efforts. 

The participating groups will be asked to describe their racial justice efforts, including obstacles they have encountered in trying to bring about change. Viewers registered for the Zoom event will be able to submit questions to the panel. 

Data Points to Racial Equity Issues, But More Details Are Needed 
A report this fall by the RJTF found that based on the data available, “disparities of racial equity and justice are very real across all the domains of income, employment, housing, health, education, police and justice.” The report, called “Indicators of Racial Equity and Justice for Amherst,” has been shared with the town’s Human Rights Commission and Community Safety Working Group, and with Town Manager Paul Bockelman, said RJTF Chair Marcie Sclove. It has been widely circulated, and is “being referenced in quite a number of dialogues,” Hartwell added. 

However, Hartwell noted that there are limits to the data available and information gaps. More local data collection will be needed to get a full picture of racial equity in Amherst, and determine steps going forward. “There is enough data to show that there is an issue,” he said. 

Sclove said the report data should be used as a tool to help evaluate the work that needs to be done. 

The LWMA, as a non-partisan organization, can produce information that will lead to informed dialogue and policies, according to Hartwell and Sclove. The LWVA can also convene discussions on racial equity which connect interested people and groups to one another. “We’re also just trying to be respectful and supportive of the wonderful work that is happening already,” Sclove said.

Amherst’s Black Population Is Declining & Major Income Disparities Are Noted 
Last fall’s report found that while Amherst’s total population grew from 37,820 in 2010 to 39,925 in 2019, the number of Black residents fell from 5,068 to 2,435 individuals. Black people used to comprise 13.5% of the Amherst population, but in 2019 accounted for just 6.1 percent. There are several possible explanations for the decline, according to the report, including growing numbers of people who identify as multiracial rather than Black/African-American. Trying to assess demographic trends in Amherst is challenging because of the large student population and unknown numbers living off-campus.

Amherst can be a “very difficult place to live,” Hartwell said, noting that rents, home prices and property taxes are higher than in some surrounding communities.  Average real estate prices range from $372,000 in South Amherst to $473,00 in North Amherst. Up to 45% of the Amherst population is spending more than one-third of their income on housing, and renters are more deeply affected by high housing costs.  

The report also found stark income disparities found between Blacks and whites in Amherst. The median Black family income here was $45,464 in 2019, while white family income was 2.4 times greater, at $108,500.  In 2019, 51% of Amherst’s Black population was below the poverty line, compared to 30% of the white population. 

The report recommends that the Town of Amherst develop a strategic plan including a program and budget to address racial equity challenges. The Town should engage in the collection of relevant data from its departments and committees, and from other organizations and institutions, the RJTF report stated. 

Black Students from Amherst Regional High School May Be Less Likely To Attend Four-Year Colleges 
The RJTF report looked at Amherst’s public school population, and found that of 1,100 elementary school pupils in 2019, less than half were white, while 21.5% were Hispanic, 9% were Black, and 7.5% were multiracial.. Meanwhile, the public school staff was 75% white, 13% Hispanic, 5.4 % Black, and 3.1% multiracial, 

Among Amherst Regional High School graduates who sought further education in 2019, 10 of the 11 Black graduates that year enrolled in two-year colleges, while 79% of white students went to four-year colleges. 

Documentation of Police Interactions Deemed “Critical” for Establishing Trust 
One of the RJTF report’s main findings was that “complete and accurate data” on all police interactions is needed, “if trust is to be established with all residents of color in Amherst.”  Although the Amherst Police Department posts a summary on its website of call-ins and arrest logs, the information doesn’t include racial identities, making it “impossible” to document potential racial bias, the report stated. It added that racial identity should be noted during all police interactions, including arrests, citations and traffic stops, and subjects given the opportunity to confirm or correct the racial identity recorded. 

Members of the RJTF include Sclove, Hartwell, Andrea Battle, Martha Hanner, Sudha Setty, Mira Setty-Charity, David Williams, Rebecca Fricke, Meg Gage, and Renee Moss.