Black America: State of the race
By Kurt Greenbaum and Darryl Swint
Barack Obama’s election brought a question to the minds of some Americans: Is the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream fulfilled? Are we now blind to race? Some say yes, some say not yet. That’s why, shortly before the inauguration, we began the blog called “A Conversation about Race.” Our goal is straightforward: Invite a candid, civil discussion about race in America — and in the St. Louis area.
We’ve tackled questions such Obama’s status as “biracial”; whether Rod Blagojevich enjoys more support among blacks than in the state at large; and movies’ and television’s influence on perceptions of race.
We’ve also heard many questions. For Black History Month, watch the blog for information about two live discussions. One will address the questions surrounding “The State of Black America” and MLK’s dream.
Later, Richard Rosenfeld, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and an expert in crime statistics, will lead an online discussion about race and crime. What do crime statistics say — or not say — about the race of crime victims and offenders?
Twelve days after America inaugurated its first black president, the Post-Dispatch published an analysis of recent U.S. Census data of African Americans nationally and in the St. Louis area. The graphic is shown below. You can also download a PDF of the graphic here.
For some, Barack Obama’s election is a clarion call to end affirmative action programs. For others, the election signals that racism is no longer an impediment to success in our country.
However, the present state of the black race remains full of challenges, risks and harsh realities.
A look at the data shows that inequality persists.
Generally speaking, the 13 percent of Black Americans nationally and the 18 percent locally are 7 years younger (medians of 31 years old) than the national (37) and local (38) median ages. Nationally and locally, the 5-17 age group is the largest age group in the black community (22% and 23%). Nationally, the 35-44 age range is second at 15%. Locally, 25-34 year-olds is the next largest group.
MARRIAGE
In Metro St. Louis, nearly half of the black population over age 16 has never married (48.4 percent), substantially above the regional average of 30.6 percent. While 50 percent of Americans and Metro St. Louisans over 16 are married, only 31 percent of blacks nationally and 27 percent locally are. National and regional divorce percentages for Blacks are higher (11.5 percent and 11.9 percent) than the national and local averages (10.5 percent and 10.8 percent, respectively).
EDUCATION
In the U.S., 80 percent of black Americans age 25 and older graduated from high school or earned a G.E.D., below the national median of 84.5 percent. The percentage of local black high school graduates (79.5 percent) is lower than the regional average (87.2 percent). The national and local percentages of blacks with at least a bachelor’s degree (17.5 percent and 15.3 percent) lag behind national and regional averages (27.5 percent and 28.1 percent).
BUSINESS OWNERSHIP (2002 Business ownership Census data is latest available).
An encouraging sign is that black Americans own more businesses nationally (1.2 million) than all other racial group except whites (19.9 million). Out of the 50 states, Illinois ranks seventh and Missouri 19th in the number of black-owned businesses. The St. Louis area ranks 16th of all U.S. cities in the number of black-owned businesses with 12,067.
INCOME, POVERTY AND HEALTH
Black Americans have a median household income $17,000 less than the national average of $50,000. Locally, they earn $21,000 less than the average metro St. Louis household. The number of black American families living in poverty in the U.S. (21.8 percent) is more than double the national average (10 percent). Locally, the gap is even greater. The number of black St. Louisans in poverty in the metro area is 23.1 percent. The regional average is 7.9 percent. Fewer black Americans have health insurance nationally or locally than any other racial group. Nationally, only Native Americans (12.6 percent) have a higher unemployment rate than black Americans (12 percent). Locally, black Americans have the highest unemployment rate at 9.4 percent. The regional average is 4.5 percent.
HOME OWNERSHIP
While 47.2 percent of black Americans nationwide own homes, the percentage of black home ownership in metro St. Louis is higher (48.3 percent).
Look for a live chat discussion of these statistics and their impact on the debate about post-racial America here at A Conversation about Race.
Darryl Swint | Post-Dispatch
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‘Is the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream fulfilled? Are we now blind to race?’
By even asking the question, we already know the answer.
The election of President Obama was ALL about race. His ethnicity is why he won the election. It’s all he TRULY brought to the table. To pretend that wasn’t the case is to deny reality.
And the sad truth is that his election will not affect ANY of the problems plaguing black America today.
From my perspective, Shelby Steele is the brightest light today with regards to discussions on race. His wisdom and intellect contrast with so much of the nonsense being communicated today. I read his book ‘White Guilt’ this summer and am in the process of going through his other works. A brilliant man.
Two interviews with him, before and after the election, could serve as a catalyst in getting you started…
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6MjknUUzqts
and
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WjBNxVYw1Zk&feature=channel
Thanks for the data. It is very valuable for the “what so” aspect of the conversation.
Just as importantly, what we make it mean will identify where rascism exists.
I challenge the readers to listen this time a certain way for what they hear when they read this.
What are your automatic reactions to this information? What do you make it mean before you even consider it? In other way, when you read this information, what are your immediate concerns?
If there is something to transform, it resides in there.
Almost forgot, I’ll share it for me.
What I hear is the black community is growing, along with other minorities, and as a middle age white man I may soon not be the overwelhming political majority in this country, and I feel a lose of power, and fear and uncertainty. On top of that comes the thought that all the problems associated with racism; poverty, education, employment, crime, frustration, fear, and anger will grow.
I do not like that, and I have to work to let it go. It is my automatic reaction, fear and uncertainty.
What is important for me is that first automatice reaction does not have to be who I am. I get to say who I am and have the strength and integrity to realize for myself.
I am not a racist. I am not because I say I am not, have declared it for myself, and have made a commitment to give it up. It does not come automatically.
For that to work, I must first acknowledge my automatic way about it. I can accept it about myself, and then dismiss it with choice. To help it work, none of the above is wrong, there is no guilt to disable me.
It is who I am, and what I am up to, disappearing racism in the world.
Some people just can’t move forward. Conversely, people like actor Will Smith can. Smith told USA TODAY, in part: “I love that all of our excuses have been removed. African-American excuses have been removed. There’s no white man trying to keep you down, because if he were really trying to keep you down, he would have done everything he could to keep Obama down. Yes, there are racist people who live here, absolutely. But they’re not the majority anymore.” I only with people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would find something better to do than stoke the old flames of racism. Let ‘em burn out.
Does the black business include store front churches? If not they should.
Will your stats on Education beg the question, Do African America fail because of pass history? Or Cultural failings? The artist needs a clean canvass to create a work of art.
Another issue. Percentage of African Americans children attending public schools, the percentage of time teachers and administrators spend not on education but social ills. Percentage of AA’s children that according the mental health community would be determined as suffering with some form of metal health disease.
Other stats are missing. Children raised by pre-generation family i.e. Grandparents…..
Keep looking people, Post dispatch, you’ll find the real reason they as a “group” fail. No matter if you celebrate one month or one year, you can’t change people’s opinions about a race of people that portrays itself as discriminated, vs. challenges.
What I take from the stats, is things are improving. I was talking to my pops about this over breakfast this morning. When he was a kid in the 40’s, less than 50% of black kids graduated from high school. Poverty rates were higher and a black manager of a store? Even the military was segregated. Today, well, it may not be perfect but it is much better.
I have a college degree, I spent 30 years in the military, with no segregation rules, even was a command NCO. I am married to a polynesian woman and rarely have been discriminated against.
Why focus on the bad part of being a black man in America? Life is good for 90% of us. Same as life is good for 90% of whites. It all depends on your point of view I guess.
Each person who looks at the data will draw whatever conclusions their preconceived ideas send them. I’ll agree, they do paint a very disturbing picture of the black community. The question is, how will they be used?
If leaders look at the numbers and give up because it’s just too big, then no benefit will come from it. If people look at the numbers and find more ways to point fingers and lay blame, then the negative spiral will continue. The blame-gaming, by the way, can come from any direction. Many of the data groupings can easily be combined. For example, the high school graduation rate is directly tied to the college education rate. The teen pregnancy rate is tied to the high school graduation rate. And so on.
Here’s an honest question:
Why are blacks programmed from day one to absolutely hate whites, distrust them yet are told to expect to be carried from cradle to grave by the white race.
Despite what the media peddles: My ancestors are Irish and I can fully support with documentation that we came to America prior to the Civil War. I don’t carry “white guilt” nor do I allow it any circles that I travel in. The original sin of “white guilt” is a useless burden that the media uses to enslave whites and we won’t stand for it any longer. Especially since it is used against the middle class and not the upper class. The upper class is who would have owned slaves not the “entire white race”. The same burden is used against whites for the holocaust. Whites did not kill the jews, Nazi’s did.
This is tough for me. My family is very racist, I have had conflict with this my whole life. I’m 35 and a mother of two boys. I try hard everyday of my life to not be like them. I try to teach my children to see people as people, not their race, because we all bleed the same the color. I’m not perfect by no means, but I try to make a conscience effort to not judge based solely on the color of skin. In my efforts to not be racist, I have learned it’s not always easy. I never know what to say, I hate labels, are they black people or African Americans, why can’t everyone just be people, why do we have to add a color in there? As a woman I have seen discrimination towards me based on being a woman. Throughout history, woman have had it bad too. We were the last ones to have the right to vote. I have no answers or solutions to this racial divide in America, but I am one person trying to not be a racist and hopefully passing that on to my boys. Can’t we all just get along?
One thing that’s lost here is the amount of time with which blacks have had to have any impact on these statistical categories. In my opinion, it’s not as much about racism as it is about opportunity. Blacks were NOT given equal opportunities until 1964, and many establishments did not conform to these laws and rules for a great time after(some still haven’t, such as private golf clubs and the like). Now consider that it takes generations to accumulate wealth, to alter the socio-economic regions of cities and towns, to set the standards high for your children.
Think about it - it’s been ony 45 years - that means only 2 generations have had an opportunity to make a difference. Let’s say generation number 2 was born in the early 1980’s. Do you think they had the same chance to go to college as other students? Not really, because their parents’ incomes and savings (to help pay for tuition) were not on the same plane as that of other races.
Does this mean racism does not exist? Absolutely not, people will always have anxiety and stereotypes over cultures and people they don’t spend as much time with, aren’t as comfortable around. But I will tell you that racism won’t be as prevalent the day when all kids go to the same sort of schools, work in the same fields, live in the same communities. We’re becoming more diverse every day. It just takes time.