HARTFORD, Conn. — Inflation is taking a hit on families and businesses across the country. Though it has impacted every one of us in one way or another, for some communities, the hit of inflation is even harder.
The Hankersons are a family of seven in Hartford. Not long ago, A trip to the grocery store was just a quick walk around the corner.
"The convenience of Sigourney Market was just everything," said Gerald Hankerson
However, when it burned down in early July, their routine went from walking to the store to walking to the bus stop to make their weekly grocery run.
"Sometimes, we must go as far as Bloomfield Copaco to shop. It can put a strain on your pocket; it can put a strain on anybody's condition," said Hankerson.
With the impact of the pandemic and the rise of inflation, Hankerson said it's creating a ripple effect in his community.
"You look at your check, and you try to figure out how to make ends meet and cut costs from there to there," Hankerson said. "But you have to go shop at a different market which is more expensive than the one you're usually shopping at."
And basic needs have new barriers.
"Inflation is tearing up everything," Hankerson said. "I mean gas prices to the cost of bread to the cost of cheese. It goes beyond that; it's terrible."
The Hankerson family isn't alone. A recent nationwide poll released on Monday, August 8th, Personal Experiences of U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minorities in Today's Difficult Times conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in conjunction with NPR and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health showed that at a time when individuals were experiencing negative impacts of inflation, people of color are more likely than Whites to report they are currently having severe financial problems.
Findings stated that 58% of Black and Native American families reported not having enough emergency savings to cover at least one month of their expenses, compared to 53% of Latino adults and 36% of White adults. Further, 39% of Native American, 32% of Black, 30% of Latino and 14% of Asian adults reported having serious problems affording food, compared to 21% of White adults.
"The survey showed very disproportionately, black, Latino, Native American families, much higher rates of being evicted, much higher rates of having food insecurity, much higher rates of not having access to any savings that will help to buffer this," explained Alonzo Plough, VP, Research-Evaluation-Learning and Chief Science Officer.
Plough said this impact is a part of multigenerational marginalization.
"This is an unjust situation, it is not related to race, but it's related to racism because there's nothing intrinsic in our race that make these things happen," Plough. "So how do we change these policies, these structures that perpetuate this across generations."
Raquel Harrington is the race and culture reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at rharrington@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.