The data set that I have decided to focus on is the Equity Indicator Baseline Report in the City of St. Louis as of 2018. The data set was created following the death of Michael Brown, Jr in 2014. The executive summary states ““Ferguson” became synonymous with racial strife and inequality in the United States. But St. Louis’ history includes generations of segregation and inequity, which provided the context for the events of Ferguson.” The summary also goes on to discuss Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, who appointed The Ferguson Commission. He appointed them to direct a “thorough, wide-ranging and unflinching study of the social and economic conditions that impede progress, equality and safety in the St. Louis region.” The data was collected from the 2016 American Community Survey (ACS) that is facilitated by the U.S. Census Bureau. Although it is similar to the census, they are not the same. Census data is collected every 10 year, the ACS continues every year, all year and randomly samples addresses in all 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The report splits the data into three main themes, Youth at the Center, Opportunity to Thrive, and Justice for all.
Within the Youth at the Center theme, fields include metrics related to academic performance, access to quality education, and educational outcomes for young adults. The data was collected to assess the access to quality education and learning environments, while also collecting data to examine how disadvantages that children are experiencing outside can impact their ability to perform in school. Opportunity to Thrive encompasses economic indicators, environmental factors, and health-related data such as wealth-building opportunities, living costs, neighborhood amenities, and disparities in health outcomes Lastly, the Justice for All theme incorporates data on police demographics, court system experiences, sentencing disparities, government representation, and community involvement.
The data is structured in the form of a written report but includes visual aids and statistical evidence. The way in which the data has been presented facilitates comprehensive analysis across various socio-economic dimensions, allowing policymakers, researchers, and community advocates to identify disparities, trends, and areas for intervention. However, the effectiveness of its use may depend on the granularity and specificity of the fields chosen, as well as the accessibility and comprehensiveness of the data sources. The report consists of 262 pages that go into depth not only on analyzing the data and assigning an equity indicator, but what the scores mean, how they are measured, what the analysis means, and if there are any Calls to Action from the Ferguson Commission that are linked to specific equity indicators.
The report listed all 81 communities/towns in St. Louis that were surveyed to collect this data. This list included towns such as, Botanical Heights, Tower Grove East, Tower Grove Heights, Tower Grove South, and many other towns that surround the Missouri Botanical Gardens. This information can help us understand where and what inequities are impacting these communities and how other institutions, like the MOBOT can help close the gap of inequities in the communities that surround it and evaluate what practices they might have that are contributing to the inequitable environments that are affecting these communities.