About Stats, Gaps, And Biases

Article by Laura Rogora

In reading Michelle Wimes's July 18 post on inclusive initiatives, I was struck by a question she posed: how can law firms go from "well-meaning" to "well-doing"? A thought-provoking question, I thought.

So let me start in a way that Ms. Mann, my first memorable English teacher, taught me never to start: by quoting statistics in an apparent non sequitur.

• One in three residents of the United States is a minority.
• Minorities—including Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, and those of mixed race—reached 50.4 percent of births for the 12-month period ending in July 2012. This represents a majority for the first time in U.S. history.
• By 2042, today's racial minorities will be the majority of the U.S. population. (U.S. Department of Labor and Census Bureau, 2012; New York Times, May 17, 2012)