UF researchers and local institutions have teamed up to launch a study on racial inequity in Alachua County.
Researchers from seven institutions will study economic well-being, family structure, educational achievement, health status, involvement in the juvenile justice system, child welfare involvement, involvement in the adult justice system, housing and transportation in the county, said Susan Crowley, UF’s assistant vice president for community relations.
The study, “Understanding Racial Inequity in Alachua County,” will take about six months, she said. Members from the City of Gainesville and UF Health are among those participating.
“This will give us a pretty clear picture of what’s impacting the lives of people in Alachua County,” Crowley said.
Crowley said the idea for this study started when she heard about similar research at a conference in March sponsored by United Church of Gainesville.
“To have a preeminent community, all areas of our community need to be brought along as we seek to make Gainesville a vibrant place,” she said.
Jim Wagner, a member of the United Church of Gainesville, helped organize the March conference that started the initiative.
Wagner, 74, said the issues that Alachua County residents face span from housing to the criminal justice system, all of which impact equal opportunity. With the study, he said he hopes researchers can find the disparities.
“We’re always going to have poverty,” Wagner said. “We’re always going to have people who have more means than they need or can use, but the huge disparities that exist, we hope those will be softened.”
