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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Some MO Children Face "Color Barriers" To Success

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Wednesday, April 2, 2014   

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - If all Missouri children deserve a chance to succeed, the state has some work ahead to ensure them equal opportunity. That's the finding of a new study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which looks at how children are doing on key milestones based on their race or ethnic group.

While Missouri's American Indian, Latino, and Asian and Pacific Islander kids scored above the national average, the report finds that African-American children lag far behind. It's the result of other key decisions, said Laura Speer, an associate director with the Casey Foundation.

"There's an unfortunate legacy of discrimination in our country that plays itself out in investments happening in communities," she said, "and how those decisions are being made about where investments are targeted, and the amount of money that goes into schools in particular communities."

The report examines benchmarks such as reading development, high school graduation rates and neighborhood resources, and suggests that increasing investments in urban areas can help turn some of the lower scores around.

In just four years, Speer said, children of color will represent the majority of children in the United States - which creates urgency to address inequalities.

"We think it's a really critical time for the country to focus on improving outcomes for these kids," she said, "since they really are going to be the future success of the country."

The report points to a growing diversity in Missouri's population, and experts say it will be all the more critical in coming years for the state to develop comprehensive policies that benefit all racial and ethnic groups.

The report, "Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children," is available online at aecf.org.


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