Is there an American Dream?

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ContextUntil the mid 1960s, it was still legal to discriminate against African Americans in education, housing and jobs.

In the South, especially, political participation was low, due to intimidation by the KKK and by the low levels of education attributable to Jim Crow laws which sent blacks to impoverished schools.

The film Mississippi Burning does contain some exaggeration and fictional relationships but it does capture the mood of the times.

1964 When America was at war – with itself

Demographics39.9 million African Americans live in the United States, comprising 13.8% of the total population. African Americans were once the largest minority in the United States, but are now second, behind Hispanics.

Among cities of 100,000 or more, Gary, Indiana, had the highest percentage of black residents of any U.S. city in 2000, with 84%.

Other large cities with African-American majorities include New Orleans, Louisiana (67%), Baltimore, Maryland (64%) Atlanta, Georgia (61%), Memphis, Tennessee (61%) and Washington, D.C. (60%).

Wealth

"It's not what they're doing to us. It's what we're not doing"

Bill Cosby (comedian and Conservative)

There are many rich African Americans.

E.g. Daphne Dufresne, black CEO

Economically, blacks have benefited from the advances made during the Civil Rights era.

The racial disparity in poverty rates has narrowed. The black middle class has grown substantially. In 2000, 47% of African Americans owned their homes.

In 2004, African American workers had the second-highest median earnings of American minority groups after Asian Americans. In 2001, over half of African American households of married couples earned $50,000 or more.

A black middle class, helped in part by Affirmative Action, has emerged. About 1.1m blacks earn over $100,000 a year.

But, there are still wide inequalities

A 2009 survey by researchers at Brandeis University, Mass, found that a typical white family is five times richer than it’s African-American counterpart.

Only 1 in 10 African-Americans owns any shares. A third do not have a pension plan and among those who do, the value is, on average, a fifth that of whites.

Earnings by race (both genders)Earnings Median High school Qualified BA Qualified

White $32,919 $27,291 $43, 841

African American $27,110 $22,318 $41,565

Hispanic $23,615 $22,941 $37,819

Asian $36,152 $25,285 $42,466

Source: US Census Bureau, 2006

The Brandeis report explain inequalities as partly due to discrimination. The fact that it African-Americans historical lack of access to credit for mortgages has meant that there has been much less inherited wealth. Since the 1980s, US tax policies have also tended to favour the already well-off.

Representation

110th Congress of the USA

November 2008 House of Representatives (435) The Senate (100)

African Americans 42 0

Hispanics 24 3

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

5 2

American Indians 1 0

Women 73 16

Representation

Four decades ago, there were only 300 black elected officials nationwide and three African-American members of Congress. Today there are around 9,000 black elected officials (BEOs).

Supreme Court judge Clarence Thomas

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice I think you know this guy!

Participation

65% of African Americans voted in the 2008 Presidential election, the highest figure ever.

2008 Presidential Election turnout

HealthIn 2003, the gap in life expectancy between American whites (78.0) and blacks (72.8) had decreased to 5.2 years, reflecting a long term trend of this phenomenon.

The current life expectancy of African Americans, as a group, is what one would expect in any developed nation. Females now live longer than males, regardless of race. Rich African Americans live longer than poor whites.

President Obama’s health care reforms are likely to benefit African-Americans more than any other racial group. This is not because they are favoured, but because they are, at the moment, more likely to be poor and not have medical insurance.

Education Compare, for example Harvard Westlake, home of Megan Van Dusen of LA Mix fame and Young HS, just off Crenshaw Boulevard.

Young HS has a student population comprising 89.4% African American and 10.6% Hispanic. 0.0% white. 88% of children receive free school meals.

Harvard Westlake is in Studio City, LA and overwhelmingly white. 99% of students go to university upon completion of school. Fees for 2010-11 are $29,200 pa, plus $4000 for other expenses.

High School life, South Central LA

Crime and JusticeWhile only 13% of the US population is African American, African Americans make up 50% of the prison population.

There are several reasons for this. Crack cocaine, which is more likely to be used by African-Americans, will trigger felony charges for amounts 100 times less than powdered cocaine, which is more likely to be used by whites.

Racial profiling has been shown to target African-Americans for police stops and searches. And drug dealing is more likely to be out in the open in poor communities, but behind closed doors in suburbs.

Poverty and dysfunctional family life play their part too. Does the glamourisation of crime by rappers play its part too?

LA Gang Wars

Hurricane Katrina

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, 28% of people lived in poverty. 84% were black. 35% of blacks had no car.

Those with money got out. Those who were on the top of the Houston astrodome were overwhelmingly poor and black.

When the Levees Broke

The Obama Effect?

President Obama tells African Americans to take more responsibility

Many African Americans have viewed the election of Barack Obama as a symbolic and psychological victory.

In 2008 a black man was elected to the most powerful office in the land, perhaps in the world.

It was a vindication of the American Dream.

Will the message of Yes We Can cross over to wider social and economic African American life ?