Social Impact Across the U.S.

This week in Social Impact Across the U.S.:

• In states that opted out of expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, African Americans are disproportionately falling into a “coverage gap,” Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts, reports. As for Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf has vowed to transition former Governor Tom Corbett’s Healthy Pennsylvania plan into a full Medicaid expansion.

• Recently nominated by the National Magazine Awards, “Segregation Now” is a special report by Pro Publica and The Atlantic on how segregation has persisted in schools despite the Supreme Court ruling over 60 years ago that “separate but equal” has no place in education.

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $3.2 million in Choice Neighborhood Planning Grants for targeted redevelopment in distressed neighborhoods in six cities across the country, Housing Plus reports. Philadelphia was not among the recipients this year, although it has been in the past. Projects funded by Choice Neighborhood grants are now underway in the neighborhoods of Sharswood and North Central Philadelphia. 

• The Marshall Project explores the “Politics of Mercy” in the U.S., or more specifically the use of clemency (pardons and commutations) in states. Considered by some as the “third rail” of criminal justice politics, clemency has fallen by the wayside due to political pressure to keep criminals behind bars. This may be about to change.

What do you think about what’s happening in social impact across the U.S.? How might Philly learn from other cities and states? Please leave a comment to help us bring the national and local conversations together.

Photo via Flickr user Phil Roeder