1. Blacks and Socioeconomic Inequalities

2. Social issues Housing Family structure Education Health Crime
Chemical abuse

3. Economic issues Income levels including welfare Unemployment rates
Promotion
Welfare

4. 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.

6. Cycle of Poverty

7. Housing Residential segregation “White flight”
Latinos and APIs more able to integrate
“Redlining”
1970s renewal placed Blacks in ‘projects’. Have since become ghettoes.

8. 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

9. 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 year olds unemployed as Whites.

10. Poverty levels Poverty levels in the USA by race and ethnicity (%)
GENERAL POPULATION CHILDREN
White
Black
Hispanic
API

11. 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
America’s average wage is £17, In Mississippi it is £13,370

12. 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’.

13. Crime and Punishment
44% of prison population are Black (12% of U.S. pop)
1 in 10 Black males aged 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

15. 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.

16. Government initiatives
Affirmative Action
‘No Child Left Behind’
TANF: Temporary Aid for Need Families (social and economic programme)

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