Minorities Still Face Daunting Transportation Issues in U.S.

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Many of us are familiar with the historic connection between civil rights and transportation, from Plessy vs. Ferguson in the 1890s to the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the 1960s, writes Angela Glover Blackwell, founder and CEO of PolicyLink, in a recent e-mail to PolicyLink followers.

Today, transportation remains a 21st century civil rights issue for minorities and low-income people.

For example, nearly 20% of African American households, 14% of Latino households, and 13% of Asian households lack access to automobiles, compared with nearly 5% of white households.

Also, nearly 60 percent of public transportation riders are people of color.

For decades, advocates all over have continued to push for much-needed reforms in America’s transportation policies that will help bridge this divide. This month, Glover Blackwell spoke with National Public Radio for three different programs dedicated to this important topic:

• Transportation Nation’s “Back of the Bus: Mass Transit, Race and Inequality”
• WNYC’s The Takeaway, “Equal Rights in Public Transportation Still a Battle for Minorities”
• Marketplace, “Transportation Projects Make Budget Sense”

Glover Blackwell urges advocates to continue spreading the word about this issue. Learn more about Glover Blackwell and her work at PolicyLink.