Link: Black boys are the least likely of any group to escape poverty
Summary: This article covers the topic of economic mobility. Recently in class we have been learning about macroeconomics, and part of what we learn about relates to the economic wellbeing of a population. We haven't done much work with economic mobility among certain populations, despite learning about economic growth of a nation as a whole and what influences it.
The article reviews a study that argues black men "fare worse economically than white men even if they are raised in households with similar incomes and educated similarly." Basically, it shows that for men, race is a determinate factor of economic mobility, and that black men are just as likely to be poorer than their parents than richer, while white men are likely to be slightly richer. In contrast, however, black women are mostly equivalent with white women - race isn't a major determining factor in their economic outcome.
The major factor that resulted in this outcome cited by the article is the heavy influence of racism among whites and presence of black fathers in the community. Connecting to the latter, the article discusses the higher incarceration rates for black men that stems from racism and prejudice (black men spend longer jail sentences than white men for the same crime). It draws the connection between high incarceration among black men as a large reason why there is a lack of black fathers in most black communities, which leads to poorer outcomes for black boys economically.
Analysis: I think this article presents a very interesting and prevalent issue. It may not directly relate with the topics we are learning presently, but it connects a variety of them, such as discussions of welfare programs or economic wellbeing for an individual. I think that recognizing that even among black and white men starting in the same position, white men are more likely to move up the economic ladder. I think this opens the door to understanding why this is, and while we obviously understand racism/prejudice, higher incarceration rates, etc play a factor, pinpointing causes can help systematically "cure" this problem. This is essential to help get African Americans to enjoy the prosperity that white Americans see.
I think that people who look at these results and try to use them as evidence/proof that black men simply are "inferior" (as some undoubtedly will) is foolish and nearsighted in addition to racist. Not only does the incarceration issue help contribute to the results seen, but personally I think that systematic bias outside the justice system (such as the remnants of housing discrimination and its impact on intergenerational wealth) and cultural barriers also contribute. I can't think of any solutions that would be passed, given the current political solution, which is scary, to say the least.
Discussion Questions:
1. What are some causes you think might result in the outcomes seen in the article (i.e., black men more likely to fall into poverty even with similar/equal education and economic starting point)?
2. What are some reasons that black women don't face the same race-connected struggles (and instead deal more solely with gender-connected barriers)?
3. What are some ways we might adequately deal with this problem politically? Are these methods feasible in today's political environment?
4 comments:
I think one of the main reasons that black men are more likely to fall into poverty than white men is a lack of trust. Possible situations such as a white man being hired over a black man with the same qualifications or background, people choosing services run by white men instead of the same quality business owned by black men, and as you said, the higher chance for a black man to end up in prison. I think the elimination of the bias has to be a gradual occurrence, as a lot of it is unconscious bias, and many discriminate without trying to do so.
Marginalization of blacks has always been a prevalent issue in our society. I believe that this issue will definitely not stop immediately, but a gradual decrease in marginalization will be beneficial to blacks. Even with similar education or economic starting points, people function on the ideas of others. If one person believes something that is false, another person may also believe it's false even though it's true. People will follow each other making racism and marginalization an issue that needs constant attention. I think that black women do not face the same race-connected struggles because this could be connected to a male's need for authority and power, but I'm not really sure about this. I think the only way to alleviate this issue is to like I mentioned before, gradually raise awareness and promote equality and equity between all races.
I think that there is a horrible feedback loop that black men are stuck in. Like Gabe mentioned in his summary and analysis, black men are far more likely to get incarcerated for the same actions as a white man and often receive far longer sentences because of unconscious racism and profiling. They are also waaaaaay more likely to be falsely accused of crimes they didn't commit (black people represent 47% of exonerations). Those with criminal records are typically trusted less than those without, and because black men are more likely to have more intrusive criminal records even after committing the same acts as white men, they, like Arthur mentioned, are less trusted in society. If that reflects on the demographic as a whole, the lack of trust and undeserved bias will then cause black men to be incarcerated at a higher rate and with longer sentences than a white man with the same charges and the loop begins again. It's definitely a trend that needs to be broken but also an incredibly difficult one to break because, like Arthur said, a lot of it is unconscious.
I think that black women don't face the same race-connected struggles because there is already an unconscious discrimination against women. I don't have the stats, but I would guess and say that if you compared the economic success of any women to that of a white men, it would also fall short. Furthermore, Gabe mentions that the lack of a father figure contributed to economic downfall. Black women are probably incarcerated less than black men, so the mother figure in the household is still present more often for daughters to learn from and improve.
I'd like to discuss one factor beyond explicit racism alone, and that is racism that is hidden deeper within our psychology. Ask most people in the United States today, and they will claim that they are not racist; that they believe in equality amongst all races. Yet psychological experiments in the past have revealed startling conclusions. When participants were subliminally primed with images of the face of a black person instead of a white person, they were more likely to react in a much more hostile and angry manner when they were provoked by a malfunction in an experiment. The fact is, although many of us agree in word that we are not racist, some racist beliefs and stereotypes may still be ingrained within our unconscious minds. And these stereotypes continue to affect us today, with black men receiving longer prison sentences, lesser pay, etc. Nevertheless, I would argue that nowadays racism is decreasing, even amongst our unconscious psychology. I hope to see these problems resolved in near future generations.
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