Chapter 8: African Americans Today

Education Disparity in both the quality and quantity of education of African Americans suggests structural racism Educational gap between between Blacks and Whites  Always been present  …although the gap is narrowing in recent years

Education There are also a number of qualitative differences identified as deficiencies in the schooling of African American children  insensitive teachers and unresponsive administrators  poor counseling  overcrowded classes  irrelevant curricula  poor school facilities

School Segregation De jure (by law) patterns of segregation - according to policy or law children were assigned to schools on the basis of race  U.S Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education Topeka, Kansas. De facto (in fact) educational segregation  Income and residential segregation

Tracking – results in school isolation and internal segregation  Tracking and lower academic standards and achievement  Lower tracks results in lack of college preparedness School Segregation

Higher Education Over the years there has been an increase in African - American students going to college and graduating Upward trend to higher education has declined and in part is a function of  decline in educational financial aid  push for higher standards w/ no remedial courses  employment opportunities may lure young blacks away  negative publicity and a decline in enforcement of affirmative action  racial incidents on college campuses discourage many

The Economic Picture Income and Poverty:  In 2003 the median income of Black households was $29,681 and White non-Hispanic households had a median income of $45,631  Twenty-four percent of Black families live in poverty in comparison to 8% of White non-Hispanic families  The disparity in wealth between Blacks and Whites is greater than for income

Employment National unemployment rate is higher for Blacks than Whites  Impact is more severe during economic downturns or recessions  Worse for African-Americans between the ages of  Underemployment - working in a job in which one is over qualified, working part-time, or intermittently

Employment Factors related to the rate of unemployment among African-Americans  High concentration of African-Americans in depressed central city economies  Increased job competition from other immigrant groups and white middle-class women  Illegal job opportunities (informal job market)

Family Life Challenges to Family Stability  Female-headed household (single income)  Economic status of African-American male has been deteriorating  …however, the tradition of the extended family has provided a means of emotional, social and physical support

Figure 8-3 Children’s Living Arrangements

Strengths of African American Families Robert Hill (1999) - strengths of African American Families 1. Strong kinship bonds 2. Strong work orientation 3. Adaptability of family roles (egalitarian) 4. High achievement orientation (college emphasis) 5. Strong religious orientation

The African American Middle Class Approximately 29% of African-Americans are middle class or higher The interaction between race and class (class becoming more significant) African-American middle class and the African-American community Prejudice continues

Housing Factors that contribute to housing segregation: 1. Personal prejudices 2. Steering by real estate companies 3. Lack of vigorous enforcement of anti-bias legislation 4. Public housing policies and patterns of construction reinforce housing for the poor in inner-city neighborhoods 5. Bank financial and loan bias 6. Persistence of redlining 7. Zoning laws and residential segregation – curb low income construction in suburbs

Criminal Justice Victimization surveys: African-Americans are more likely to be victims of violent crime and property crime Differential justice – Whites treated more leniently than Blacks  police protection  racial profiling  sentencing  victim discounting – victim defined as less worthy => crime less serious

Health Care High rates of disease due to:  In part a function of class and less access to health care resources  Fewer Black health care professionals  Environmental racism: more likely to live in toxic environments

Politics The number of Black elected officials between 1970 and 2001 has increased by more than five-fold  Population concentration and election patterns – Black politicians seen as no more than spokespeople for other Blacks  Race-based districts: Gerrymandering the courts leads to minority controlled political districts that are based on the common interests of the people.