An Analysis of the Inequality of Adverse Childhood Experiences Facing African Americans in Illinois and the Impact of State Economic Policy

Abstract

In the words of a past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Robert Block; “Adverse Childhood Experiences are the single greatest unaddressed public health threat facing our nation today”. Adverse Childhood Experiences or “ACEs” are potentially traumatic events that occur before a child turns 18. With that in mind, we want to look at the connections between economic policy, both current and historic, and their effect on ACEs, specifically within the Black community in Illinois. Although ACEs are not solely confined to the Black community, through data reports of ACEs across all racial populations in our state, it is found that Black people experience ACEs more often than any other racial population. We know that ACEs increases risk factors in various medical diseases and mental health issues, which makes researching solutions to reduce elevated ACEs rates in Black individuals that much more vital. By looking at recent data on ACEs from Illinois as well as economic policies, we hope to discover what impact state policy can play in reducing the elevated ACEs score in Black individuals, with hope to reduce this elevated number, leading to less harmful effects on Black people because of a high ACEs score.