African Americans

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African Americans

• Is there an American Dream?

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Context
Until the mid 1960s, it was still legal to
discriminate against African Americans in
education, housing and jobs. In the South,
especially, political participation was low, due
to intimidation by the KKK and by the low levels
of education attributable to Jim Crow laws which
sent blacks to impoverished schools. The film
Mississippi Burning does contain some
exaggeration and fictional relationships but it
does capture the mood of the times.
1964 When America was at war with itself
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Demographics
39.9 million African Americans live in the United
States, comprising 13.8 of the total population.
African Americans were once the largest minority
in the United States, but are now second, behind
Hispanics. Among cities of 100,000 or more,
Gary, Indiana, had the highest percentage of
black residents of any U.S. city in 2000, with
84. Other large cities with African-American
majorities include New Orleans, Louisiana (67),
Baltimore, Maryland (64) Atlanta, Georgia (61),
Memphis, Tennessee (61) and Washington, D.C.
(60).
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Wealth
Economically, blacks have benefited from the
advances made during the Civil Rights era. The
racial disparity in poverty rates has narrowed.
The black middle class has grown substantially.
In 2000, 47 of African Americans owned their
homes. In 2004, African American workers had
the second-highest median earnings of American
minority groups after Asian Americans. In 2001,
over half of African American households of
married couples earned 50,000 or more. A black
middle class, helped in part by Affirmative
Action, has emerged. About 1.1m blacks earn over
100,000 a year.
There are many rich African Americans. E.g.
Daphne Dufresne, black CEO
"It's not what they're doing to us. It's what
we're not doing" Bill Cosby (comedian and
Conservative)
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But, there are still wide inequalities
A 2009 survey by researchers at Brandeis
University, Mass, found that a typical white
family is five times richer than its
African-American counterpart. Only 1 in 10
African-Americans owns any shares. A third do not
have a pension plan and among those who do, the
value is, on average, a fifth that of whites.
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Earnings by race (both genders)
Earnings Median High school Qualified BA Qualified
White 32,919 27,291 43, 841
African American 27,110 22,318 41,565
Hispanic 23,615 22,941 37,819
Asian 36,152 25,285 42,466
Source US Census Bureau, 2006
The Brandeis report explain inequalities as
partly due to discrimination. The fact that it
African-Americans historical lack of access to
credit for mortgages has meant that there has
been much less inherited wealth. Since the 1980s,
US tax policies have also tended to favour the
already well-off.
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Representation
110th Congress of the USA November 2008 House of Representatives (435) The Senate (100)
African Americans 42 0
Hispanics 24 3
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 5 2
American Indians 1 0
Women 73 16
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Representation
Supreme Court judge Clarence Thomas
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
I think you know this guy!
Four decades ago, there were only 300 black
elected officials nationwide and three
African-American members of Congress. Today there
are around 9,000 black elected officials (BEOs).
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Participation
65 of African Americans voted in the 2008
Presidential election, the highest figure ever.
2008 Presidential Election turnout
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Health
In 2003, the gap in life expectancy between
American whites (78.0) and blacks (72.8) had
decreased to 5.2 years, reflecting a long term
trend of this phenomenon. The current life
expectancy of African Americans, as a group, is
what one would expect in any developed nation.
Females now live longer than males, regardless of
race. Rich African Americans live longer than
poor whites. President Obamas health care
reforms are likely to benefit African-Americans
more than any other racial group. This is not
because they are favoured, but because they are,
at the moment, more likely to be poor and not
have medical insurance.
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Education
Compare, for example Harvard Westlake, home of
Megan Van Dusen of LA Mix fame and Young HS, just
off Crenshaw Boulevard. Young HS has a student
population comprising 89.4 African American and
10.6 Hispanic. 0.0 white. 88 of children
receive free school meals. Harvard Westlake is
in Studio City, LA and overwhelmingly white. 99
of students go to university upon completion of
school. Fees for 2010-11 are 29,200 pa, plus
4000 for other expenses.
High School life, South Central LA
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Crime and Justice
While only 13 of the US population is African
American, African Americans make up 50 of the
prison population. There are several reasons
for this. Crack cocaine, which is more likely to
be used by African-Americans, will trigger felony
charges for amounts 100 times less than powdered
cocaine, which is more likely to be used by
whites. Racial profiling has been shown to
target African-Americans for police stops and
searches. And drug dealing is more likely to be
out in the open in poor communities, but behind
closed doors in suburbs. Poverty and
dysfunctional family life play their part too.
Does the glamourisation of crime by rappers play
its part too?
LA Gang Wars
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Hurricane Katrina
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005,
28 of people lived in poverty. 84 were black.
35 of blacks had no car. Those with money got
out. Those who were on the top of the Houston
astrodome were overwhelmingly poor and black.
When the Levees Broke
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The Obama Effect?
Many African Americans have viewed the election
of Barack Obama as a symbolic and psychological
victory. In 2008 a black man was elected to the
most powerful office in the land, perhaps in the
world. It was a vindication of the American
Dream. Will the message of Yes We Can cross
over to wider social and economic African
American life ?
President Obama tells African Americans to take
more responsibility