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Why some low-income neighborhoods are better than others

Exposure to lead, violence and incarceration affects kids’ upward mobility

a photo of a low-income neighborhood

STRUCTURAL RACISM  Poor, black neighborhoods tend to have higher rates of violence, incarceration and lead exposure, on average, than poor, white communities. The three conditions hurt low-income children’s upward mobility, a study finds.

Paul Sableman/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

By Sujata Gupta

- More than 2 years ago

Chicago’s mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot pledged in her victory speech on April 2 to “make Chicago a place where your zip code doesn’t determine your destiny.”