We, the undersigned, call on state and local agencies to disaggregate demographic data to identify American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) within existing racial categories. Accurate, standardized data are essential for effective public health surveillance, health services planning, program evaluation, and the equitable allocation of public resources. Descendants of people enslaved in the United States constitute a historically continuous population whose health, educational, economic, and environmental outcomes have been shaped by slavery, Jim Crow, redlining, discriminatory zoning, and other well-documented structural barriers. Yet current data collection practices often group all Black populations together, making it difficult to measure the distinct disparities experienced by ADOS communities.
Without more specific demographic categories, policymakers and researchers are limited in their ability to assess disparities in infant mortality, chronic disease, access to care, employment, educational attainment, business lending, homeownership, and environmental exposure. This lack of precision undermines transparency and weakens state agencies' ability to develop evidence-based policies that effectively address longstanding inequities. Enhancing demographic specificity for statistical purposes will improve data quality and accountability without altering civil rights protections or eligibility standards.
By disaggregating data, state leaders can better understand the unique conditions affecting American Descendants of Slavery and design targeted policies to address these disparities. While data disaggregation is not a substitute for full reparations and comprehensive redress, it is an important and immediate step toward recognizing our community and ensuring that public policy reflects our distinct historical experience and present-day needs.
We urge our elected officials, public health agencies, and state institutions to implement data disaggregation for American Descendants of U.S. Chattel Slavery and to use this information to advance equitable, evidence-based policies that improve health, economic opportunity, housing access, and environmental justice.
Sign this petition to support data disaggregation and help ensure that American Descendants of U.S. Chattel Slavery are accurately counted, properly understood, and effectively served.