Current Events > Black and White economic divide is as high as it was since 1968

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/06/04/economic-divide-black-households/

UP

Why

Sadly not surprised

Yeah the 2008 crash basically undid all of the gains that POC had made in the previous decades. Covid shutdowns impacted them the most as well.

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ImAMarvel posted...

Honestly I wonder if we'll ever close the wealth inequality. Like fuck, I feel like blacks in this country are going to be at a disadvantage for as long as the US exists.

No. It will never go away because the economically successful choose to not partner with African Americans or persons of dark skin, thus the elite remain light-skinned predominantly. Rich white people will marry rich white people, and have rich white kids who will also marry and have kids with other rich white people.

Racism is fundamentally powered the inability of people to climb the social latter, and the historical context of a recently slave-based society. It is also fueled by racism, which enacted through sexual selection

If you are white, wealthy, and have a white and wealthy partner, you are the cause of the next racist generation.

It lowered a lot during the Trump era

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PC-Builder_Pony posted...

It lowered a lot during the Trump era

this is the kind of shit tier response that is blatantly part of the problem

1968 is essentially when "white flight" snowballed exponentially. What's the parallel now?

Questionmarktarius posted...

1968 is essentially when "white flight" snowballed exponentially. What's the parallel now?

I remember hearing reporting about economic crashes affecting minorities much more harshly. The 2008 crash did so, and it wouldn't surprise me if the covid crash had a similar effect.

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CableZL posted...

The 2008 crash did so

The subprime disaster was an early attempt at anti-racism that didn't work.

There's just no good method to undo redlining. Section-8 is the best there's been so far, and that's not working out that great.

So, is this a problem with society in general or is it a matter of personal choices?

In other words, is it "the man" keeping people down or people choosing to stay down?

Serious questions. I've had black bosses who were treated no differently than the white bosses.

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LeoRavus posted...

So, is this a problem with society in general or is it a matter of personal choices?

A, then A strongly encouraging B.
We went from overt racism to welfare traps. The end result is largely indistinguishable in both cases.

Questionmarktarius posted...

A, then A strongly encouraging B.
We went from overt racism to welfare traps. The end result is largely indistinguishable in both cases.

Here's my take. Speaking as someone who lives in a small mostly black town fueled by manufacturing. And I say this truthfully, not trolling at all. My town used to be mostly white at one point until 3 manufacturing facilities moved in. And I work in one of them. I have an easy job there and it's only 2 minutes from home. Great gig.

At my plant, the lower end "grunt work" is almost exclusively black. The front office where I work is 100% white.

So let's ask ourselves, what are people striving for? Are people being thrust into lower end jobs or are they choosing to do that based on what they're accustomed to? There have been black managers at my job. And there could be more if people would actually go for that type of work.

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LeoRavus posted...

That's what I see happening. At my plant, the lower end "grunt work" is almost exclusively black. The front office where I work is 100% white.

I think that's more an issue of the poverty trap than anything race.
Or rather, it's the lingering racism unpinning the poverty trap, more than racists in the office.

CableZL posted...

I remember hearing reporting about economic crashes affecting minorities much more harshly. The 2008 crash did so, and it wouldn't surprise me if the covid crash had a similar effect.

Customer service jobs was the sector hit the hardest. It's also where a lot more people of color are employed, for various reasons that have plenty of systemic issues influencing.

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Questionmarktarius posted...

LeoRavus posted...
I think that's more an issue of the poverty trap than anything race.
Or rather, it's the lingering racism unpinning the poverty trap, more than racists in the office.

Yes it is a problem. But I think it's more of a mindset problem than a society in general problem.

People need to break free. Realize they're more than what they're led to believe and what they've been raised around.

People tend to become their parents. The model of how to live your life is set early on. It's why well-to-do college educated parents have kids who become the same. And parents who live paycheck to paycheck produce the same offspring.

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LeoRavus posted...

or people choosing to stay down?

lol

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LeoRavus posted...

Yes it is a problem. But I think it's more of a mindset problem than a society in general problem.

Once there's a larger realization that "systemic racism" does not mean "you, personally, are racist", then we can actually move forward at unwinding the lingering bits of actual systemic racism.

UnfairRepresent posted...

lol

It's not even funny. People become what they know. It's a choice because it's like, "what other choice do I have".

There are many, many successful minorities. And there are many, many more who do what they know. As well as white people who don't have financially successful role models in their lives.

It's a fact.

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Are you not pretending that Obama, a successful, well educated black man was not subject to racist attacks? Black Americans are damned if they do, damned if they don't.

Bump

America working as designed.

ImAMarvel posted...

You realize the income and wealth disparity among even blacks and whites who are successful, in STEM fields, or even in business, who make six, or damn near close to six figures, is still quite high right? You realize even a lot of those blacks are still subject to housing discrimination or find it hard to find a promotion at their job, right? You wouldn't make such an argument without educating yourself or without arguing in bad faith, right?

Also, we have a 'new' troll. I wonder whose alt is this?

Me?

I am on your side

Questionmarktarius posted...

Once there's a larger realization that "systemic racism" does not mean "you, personally, are racist", then we can actually move forward at unwinding the lingering bits of actual systemic racism.

TC this is a good thread, as you said an frequently overlooked issues. Some good points in this thread, especially this one, as the defensiveness is often hard to dissolve.

do you mean bootstraps and trickle down isn't working.

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bloodyarts posted...

America working as designed.

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