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UW-Madison SOC 220 - The State of the Dream 2004

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The State of the Dream 2004Enduring Disparities in Black and WhiteDedrick Muhammad, Attieno Davis,Meizhu Lui, and Betsy Leondar-WrightJanuary 15, 2004$5.00United for a Fair Economy raises awareness that concentrated wealth and powerundermine the economy, corrupt democracy, deepen the racial divide, and tearcommunities apart. We support and help build social movements for greaterequality.© 2004 United for a Fair EconomyFor additional copies of this report, visit www.FairEconomy.org orsend $6.00 plus $3.00 shipping and handling to:State of the Dream 2004 ReportUnited for a Fair Economy37 Temple Place, 2nd FloorBoston, MA 02111United for a Fair Economy37 Temple Place, 2nd FloorBoston, MA 02111Phone: 617-423-2148Fax: 617-423-0191Website: www.FairEconomy.orgEmail: [email protected] the AuthorsDedrick Muhammad is the Coordinator of the Racial Wealth Divide project atUnited for a Fair EconomyAttieno Davis is Education Coordinator of the Racial Wealth Divide project.Betsy Leondar-Wright is Communications Director of United for a FairEconomy.Meizhu Lui is Executive Director of United for a Fair Economy.Research assistance by Chris Hartman and Holly Sklar.ContentsKey Findings ...................................................................................................... 1Introduction ...................................................................................................... 3Unemployment................................................................................................. 4Income ............................................................................................................... 6Wealth ............................................................................................................... 8Poverty ............................................................................................................. 10Health ............................................................................................................... 12Housing ............................................................................................................ 14Education ......................................................................................................... 16Imprisonment ................................................................................................. 20Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 22Endnotes .......................................................................................................... 24Appendix ......................................................................................................... 25United for a Fair Economy • Racial Wealth Divide Project 1The State of the Dream 2004: Enduring Disparities in Black and WhiteKey FindingsAmerica has endured the unendurable for too long. More than 35 years after Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr. was assassinated, his vision of justice and equality remains on the distanthorizon.In some areas, the racial gap has actually widened since the 1960s.•One in nine African Americans cannot find a job. Black unemployment is more thandouble the white rate, 10.8% versus 5.2% in 2003 — a wider gap than in 1972.• The typical Black family had 60% as much income as a white family in 1968, butonly 58% as much in 2002.•Black infants are almost two and a half times as likely as white infants to die before ageone – a greater gap than in 1970. The 2001 mortality rate was 14 deaths per 1,000live births for Black infants, and 5.7 for white infants.Where progress has occurred in closing the Black-white divide, it has been so slow that itwould take decades, or even centuries, at the same pace of progress for African Americansto reach parity with white Americans.•For every dollar of white per capita income, African Americans had 55 cents in 1968 –and only 57 cents in 2001. At this pace, it would take Blacks 581 years to get theremaining 43 cents.•In 2001, the typical Black household had a net worth of just $19,000 (includinghome equity), compared with $121,000 for whites. Blacks had 16% of the medianwealth of whites, up from 5% in 1989. At this rate it will take until 2099 to reachparity in median wealth.•A Black high school graduate working full time from age 25 through age 64 wouldearn $300,000 less on average than their white counterpart during their workingyears. A Black college graduate would earn $500,000 less.• The Black poverty rate was three times greater than the white poverty rate in 2002. Atthe slow rate that the Black-white poverty gap has been narrowing since 1968, itwould take 150 years, until 2152, to close.•While white homeownership has jumped from 65% to 75% of families since 1970,Black homeownership has only risen from 42% to 48%. At this rate, it would take1,664 years to close the homeownership gap – about 55 generations.•If current rates of incarceration continue, one out of three African American malesborn today will be imprisoned at some point during their lifetimes.2 United for a Fair Economy • Racial Wealth Divide ProjectThe State of the Dream 2004: Enduring Disparities in Black and WhiteUnited for a Fair Economy • Racial Wealth Divide Project 3The State of the Dream 2004: Enduring Disparities in Black and WhiteIntroduction“There is nothing new about poverty. What is new is that we now havethe techniques and the resources to get rid of poverty. The real ques-tion is whether we have the will.”— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Sermon at the National Cathedral in Washington, DCMarch 31, 1968The question we face today is whether America has the will to address inequality andracism.The racial divide stands in sharp contrast to the legacy of Dr. King, a man who hasbecome the symbol of America’s moral conscience.Utilizing such diverse indicators as income, wealth, homeownership, poverty, unemploy-ment, and infant mortality, this report looks at the gap between the legacy of Dr. Kingand the America of 2004.Progress since Dr. King was killed in 1968 has been painfully slow. In education, onefinds the most hopeful signs of Blacks achieving equality with whites. African Americanshave improved greatly in educational attainment, but these efforts have not been fairlyrewarded with the levels of employment and income received by their white counterparts.King’s comment that “the Negro still lives in the basement of the Great Society” is stillvalid for


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