Communities of color make up 60% of those on the organ transplant waiting list nationally, yet are a relatively low percentage of registered donors. While organ recipients are not determined by race, compatible blood types and tissue markers are critical qualities for donor-recipient matching, are more likely to be found within members of the same ethnic group. 

One study indicated that in 2019, just 26 percent of Black Americans on a waiting list to receive an organ received a transplant due to the gap in available donors. Closing the gap in communities of color in Arkansas would improve the health of those communities and expand transplantation nationally. 

For more information about the impact of organ donation registration on minority groups, read this article: https://armoneyandpolitics.com/viewpoint-rising-to-the-challenge/