Overview: The Mapping Black California initiative released an update to the M.E.C.C.A. IE Fund Report, which highlights both progress and areas of improvement across the Inland Empire. While the region has experienced strong economic development and rising educational attainment, significant gaps remain in health, pay, and housing access, particularly for Black and Latino residents. The report also highlights the need for adequate prenatal care, with only 64.7% of Black residents receiving it compared to the state average of 85%. The report aims to use data to address these disparate outcomes and guide local and state-wide solutions.
Breanna Reeves
Mapping Black California, a data-centered initiative of Black Voice News, released an update to what was formerly known as the Black Equity Initiative (BEI) Data Report, highlighting the progress and areas of improvement across the Inland Empire.
Recently changed to the Mobilizing and Edifying for Collective Community Advancement (M.E.C.C.A.) IE Fund Report, the report was initially commissioned by the Black Equity Initiative of the Inland Empire in 2023. The latest report reveals that the Inland Empire is one of the fastest growing regions in Southern California and has experienced strong economic development over the years.
“The data shows great improvements over the past two years,” said Alex Reed, project manager for Mapping Black California. “We can see really encouraging changes in educational attainment and a rise in higher paying jobs, but the large gaps between the racial/ethnic groups and between men and women across health, pay, and housing access, specifically for Black and Latino residents, show us there’s still a lot to do.”
“This isn’t just statistics; these are the real barriers all our neighbors face,” Reed continued.
The M.E.C.C.A. IE Fund Report shows an in-depth look at the socioeconomic landscape impacting the 4.7 million residents of the Inland Empire such as the regional wage gap that falls along racial and gender lines, with women earning $10,000 to 15,000 less than men.
According to an analysis from the report, 38% of all households in the Inland Empire are making less than the minimum Annual Income needed to make ends meet based on $15.50 per hour, 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year.
“The disparities in this report call for action. By grounding our grantmaking, programs, and partnerships in data, we ensure our investments are responsive and equitable,” said Michelle Decker, president and CEO of the Inland Empire Community Foundation, which houses the M.E.C.C.A. IE Fund.
The report also highlights strides Inland Empire residents are making such as the rise in educational attainment, with the majority of adults across most ethnic groups holding at least some college education.
“This report presents a clear and honest account of the Inland Empire. Our residents are working hard, pursuing education, and remaining civically engaged, even as existing systems fail to provide fair opportunities.” said Dina Walker, president and CEO of BLU Educational Foundation and co-founder of M.E.C.C.A. IE. “The resilience of Black, Latino, and other communities of color is evident, but resilience should not be necessary for survival.”
In addition to highlighting progress in the IE, the report also examines challenges residents in the region still face such as Black and Hispanic/Latino communities who continue to struggle with disparities across access to health, education, and housing.
The report noted that Riverside and San Bernardino counties share California’s upward trend in homelessness from 2021-2024, with increases in total homeless populations. Black residents remain overrepresented in the count, making up nearly one quarter of all unhoused individuals identified during the 2024 Point-In-Time count in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
Additionally, the report noted that birthing people in the Inland Empire are less likely to receive adequate prenatal care throughout their pregnancy. This lack of access is particularly apparent for Black residents, with only 64.7% receiving adequate care compared to California’s state average of 85%.
“This updated report reminds us that behind every data point is a person,” said Dr. Paulette Brown- Hinds, publisher of Black Voice News and founder of Mapping Black California. “At Mapping Black California, we see data as a tool for truth-telling and accountability. It helps us track progress, but it also makes clear where systems are still falling short. The Inland Empire is growing, but growth alone isn’t enough if too many residents are still locked out of real opportunity.”
With the publication of the report, the goal is to utilize the data as a tool and guide to examine local and state-wide solutions to addressing the disparate outcomes that impact Black communities and communities of color across the Inland Empire. In examining these issues in the region, the report also highlights organizations in the region doing work on the ground across different sectors.