Blacks and Socioeconomic Inequalities

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Blacks and Socioeconomic Inequalities
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Social issues

• Housing
• Family structure
• Education
• Health
• Crime
• Chemical abuse

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Economic issues

• Income levels including welfare
• Unemployment rates
• Promotion
• Welfare

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Blacks and socioeconomic inequality

• Despite major improvement in the last 40
• Years there is still much to achieve.
• Money is not equally distributed.
• There now exists a large Black middle class and a
  large underclass stuck in the inner-city ghettos.
• Black middle/professional class still heavily
  discriminated against.
• White doctors and lawyers earn on average 62
  more than Black equivalents.
• Blacks are still much worse off in relation to
  Whites and also Hispanics.

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Cycle of Poverty
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Housing

• Residential segregation
• White flight
• Latinos and APIs more able to integrate
• Redlining
• 1970s renewal placed Blacks in projects. Have
  since become ghettoes.

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Family Life

• Ghetto experience puts pressure on families
• 2/3 of Black mothers are single (1/4 White)
• Break-ups often beginning of welfare dependency
  and downward spiral
• Families lose central position as gangs offer
  more protection
• Mothers struggle to retain respect, particularly
  from young males.
• Few male role models

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Unemployment

• Very high in recent years (11 compared to 5 for
  Whites)
• Blacks suffer as unskilled labour jobs decrease
• Competition with immigrants for base-level jobs
• Young Blacks particularly badly affected (3 times
  as many 16-19 year olds unemployed as Whites.

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Poverty levels
Poverty levels in the USA by
race and ethnicity ()
GENERAL POPULATION
CHILDREN
1990 2001
1990 2001 White
9.4 7.8
12.3 9.5 Black
31.9 22.7
44.8 30.2 Hispanic
28.1 21.4
38.4 28.0 API
12.2
10.2 17.6 11.5
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Poverty facts

• 37 million Americans (of all races) are
  officially poor. This figure has grown in the
  last 6 consecutive years
• 1 in 4 blacks are poor compared to 1 in 12 of
  whites
• 33 of black children are poor compared to 10 of
  white children
• Americas average wage is 17,874 - In
  Mississippi it is 13,370

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Health and Education

• Black life expectancy is 6 years lower than
  Whites.
• Black life expectancy lower now than in 1985.
• Young Black males have a lower life expectancy
  than Bangladesh.
• Military surgeons practice in South-Central LA.
• Many Black women do not see a doctor until late
  in their pregnancy.
• Black infant mortality is almost 3 times that of
  Whites.
• 6 million Blacks have no health insurance

• Ghetto schools have less equipment and often
  struggle to staff classes.
• Studying is regarded as White
• Low expectations.
• 21 of Black males drop out of high school. (12
  White)
• Street crime seen to be a faster way to make
  money.
• 17 of Blacks have University degrees compared to
  29 of Whites.
• Up to 30 of Blacks regarded as functionally
  illiterate.

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Crime and Punishment

• 44 of prison population are Black (12 of U.S.
  pop)
• 1 in 10 Black males aged 25-29 in jail.
• 6 times more likely to be murdered than Whites.
• 7 times more likely to kill than Whites.
• 94 of murder victims killed by their own race.
• ¼ of Black males will go to jail.
• 1980s saw high unemployment/welfare cuts/arrival
  of crack cocaine simultaneously.
• Community never recovered.
• Far greater chance of receiving the death
  penalty/harsh penalties

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Progress

• There now exists a large Black middle class.
• Gap between Black and White earnings has
  narrowed.
• Enrolment in College/University has increased
  dramatically.
• Overt racism significantly reduced.
• A Black man has become President.

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Government initiatives

• Affirmative Action
• No Child Left Behind
• TANF Temporary Aid for Need Families (social and
  economic programme)

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Unfortunately, there are many out there who see
the socioeconomic predicament of
African-Americans as entirely their own fault or
undeserving of any sympathy