Journal of African American Solutions

Journal of African American Solutions
Leveraging Resources and Resolving Issues to Maximize Opportunities

Community Prosperity Scores: A Comparison Between Struggling and Prosperous Communities

Details
Written by: Dr. Jehoshaphat K. Jones

Community Prosperity Algorithm: CPSa = (F)(D)(CPSr)

Unity, Power, Transformation, and Innovation contribute to a maximum score of 100.

  • Raw Community Prosperity Score (CPSr) = Unity Score (U) + Power Score (P) + Transformation Score (T) + Innovation Score (I)
  • Power Score = (Unity Score)2 + Education Score + Economics Score + Employment Opportunity Score + Community Posture
  • Community Posture Score = (Value of Real Estate, Access to Capital, Political/Civic Engagement, Access to Healthcare Services, Community Crime)/5
  • Feasibility Factor (F) = (Feasibility Score + Leadership Score + Strategy Score)/3
  • Desirability Factor (D) = (Desirability Score + Leadership Score + Strategy Score)/3 
  • The Adjusted Community Prosperity Score  (CPSa) = (F)(D)(CPSr)

Where:

  • Unity Score = a range of (0 to 5)
  • Power Score = (Unity Score)2
    • Education Score = a range from (0 to 5)
    • Economics Score = a range from (0 to 5)
    • Employment Opportunity Score = a range from (0 to 5)
    • Community Posture Score = a range from (0 to 5)
      • Value of Real Estate = range from (0 to 1)
      • Access to Capital = range from (0 to 1)
      • Political/Civic Engagement = range from (0 to 1)
      • Access to Healthcare Services = range from (0 to 1)
      • Community Crime = range from (0 to 1)
  • Transformation Score = a range from (0 to 5)2
  • Innovation Score = a range from (0 to 5)2
  • Feasibility Score = a range from (0 to 1)
  • Desirability Score = a range from (0 to 1)
    • Leadership Score = a range from (0 to 1)
    • Strategy Score = a range from (0 to 1)

The Tale of Two Communities

Struggling Community

Given the conditions of high unemployment, high crime, low property values, and low education, we’ll assign low values for each factor.

  1. Unity Score (U) = 2
  2. Education Score = 1
  3. Economics Score = 1
  4. Employment Opportunity Score = 1
Community Posture Score for Struggling Community
  1. Value of Real Estate = 0.2
  2. Access to Capital = 0.3
  3. Political/Civic Engagement = 0.4
  4. Access to Healthcare Services = 0.3
  5. Community Crime = 0.1

Highly Prosperous Community

Using realistic data for a prosperous community with low unemployment, high property values, strong civic engagement, high education levels, and access to healthcare and capital:

  1. Unity Score (U) = 5
  2. Education Score = 5
  3. Economics Score = 5
  4. Employment Opportunity Score = 5
Community Posture Score for Prosperous Community
  1. Value of Real Estate = 0.9
  2. Access to Capital = 0.9
  3. Political/Civic Engagement = 0.8
  4. Access to Healthcare Services = 0.9
  5. Community Crime = 0.9 (low crime)

Struggling Community

CPSr = U + P + T + I

CPSr = 2 + 7.26 + 4 + 4 = 17.26

Prosperous Community

CPSr = U + P + T + I

CPSr = 5 + 40.88 + 25 + 25 = 95.88

Struggling Community

  • Feasibility Score = 0.4
  • Desirability Score = 0.5
  • Leadership Score = 0.4
  • Strategy Score = 0.5

Prosperous Community

  • Feasibility Score = 0.9
  • Desirability Score = 0.9
  • Leadership Score = 0.9
  • Strategy Score = 0.9
Metric Struggling Community Prosperous Community
Unity Score 2 5
Power Score 7.27 40.88
Transformation Score 4 25
Innovation Score 4 25
Raw Community Prosperity Score 17.26 95.88
Feasibility Factor 0.43 0.9
Desirability Factor 0.47 0.9
Adjusted Community Prosperity Score 3.49 77.68

 

  1. Struggling Community (CPSa = 3.49):

    • The very low Adjusted Community Prosperity Score reflects deep-rooted challenges such as low economic stability, poor access to education, high crime, and limited access to healthcare and capital.
    • This score indicates that the community lacks both the resources and the foundational conditions for significant prosperity.
    • Areas to focus on for improvement would include job creation, crime reduction, education initiatives, and community engagement.

  2. Prosperous Community (CPSa = 77.68):

    • A high Adjusted Community Prosperity Score of 77.68 reflects strong economic stability, access to resources, high education levels, and robust social cohesion.
    • This community has the foundational elements required for sustained prosperity and growth, making it resilient and adaptable to changes.
    • Further efforts can focus on maintaining the quality of life, continuing innovation, and investing in sustainable growth practices.

This comparison highlights the stark contrast between struggling and prosperous communities, demonstrating the impact of economic stability, access to resources, and strategic planning on community prosperity.

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The Solutions Matrix for African Americans, guided by the Standards of Unity, Power, Transformation, Innovation, and Prosperity, is dedicated to driving systemic change and empowering African American communities.

By fostering Unity, the Coalition of Advocates Corporation builds a network of mutual support and collaboration to amplify collective strength.

Through Power, the Solutions Matrix equips individuals with resources and knowledge for self-determination, advocating for political representation and economic empowerment. Transformation efforts focus on education, career development, and wealth creation, reshaping possibilities for individuals and communities alike. Innovation is embraced to lead in a digital world, leveraging technology to expand access to education and resources while enhancing advocacy efforts.

Finally, Prosperity is pursued through effective leadership, strategic planning, sustainability factors, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and wealth management programs, laying the foundation for generational wealth and community resilience. The Solutions Matrix also supports business growth, advocates for legal reform, and encourages political engagement, ensuring comprehensive support for sustainable advancement. United in purpose, the Solutions Matrix creates a path toward a future of shared success, empowerment, and equity for African Americans across generations.
The Relationship Between Unity and Community Prosperity: Learn More