The Black Middle Class

Growing up in Crown Heights in the 1950's-60's was not only to be witness to the end of overt racial discrimination in New York City, but also to see the huge expansion of the black middle class. Black professionals had always lived in my neighborhood. In fact, a segregated New York of my childhood was filled with black professionals -- black doctors, ministers, dentists, lawyers like my father, real estate brokers, undertakers, chiropodists like my grandfather, pharmacists like my aunt, and the list goes on. During those years, we wouldn't have even considered going to any other professional and, given the virulent racism of the time, we wouldn't have been welcome in the waiting rooms of most white professionals.

The black middle class of my childhood was well educated and obsessed with education as a way to keep their children moving forward. When the civil rights movement of the 1960's hit its stride, it was this relatively small black professional middle class who were the overwhelming winners, stepping into the opportunities thrown open by the marches and sacrifices of the civil rights movement.

When I was at Yale Law School in the early 1970's, this was what I remember most vividly about my classmate Clarence Thomas, who use to wear overalls to class and castigate the rest of us as being the product of the middle and upper class group of black professionals, while he was up from the bottom. In essence, a privileged group of black professionals and their children were getting all the benefits of access to elite educational institutions, while the overwhelming majority of African-Americans -- with substandard educational preparation and without the social networks of the elite -- got very little, despite the end to overt discrimination.

There's more than a grain of truth in this argument. But, the fact was, the civil rights movement led in part to the first real explosion of the black middle class in America, expanding the original group many fold during the period 1960 to the present. I think that I along with many others thought this was a permanent structural change. Despite the fact that so many in the black community got left behind, still mired in lousy education and dead end jobs, the assumption was that the numbers of the black middle class would continue to expand. That is, until what now is accepted as the Great Recession hit, and suddenly the gains of the black middle class in many parts of the country are looking shaky.

With unemployment rates for black Americans fast approaching 20 percent in many communities, not only are the unskilled finding it difficult finding work, but also the nearly emerged black middle class and their children. The problem is being compounded by the fact that the primary method of wealth accumulation in the black community -- owning a home -- is the area which is seeing some of the sharpest declines in real estate values and, in part because of racism, is very much a part of the subprime debacle.

If history is any guide, the recovery in jobs will trail the economic indicators, and the recovery for black workers in higher wage brackets will trail even further. All this is to say that it is incumbent on the black political leadership to ask hard questions when stimulus proposals are examined -- just how effective are they in terms of the most seriously impacted groups in America, the black middle class among them. While stimulus dollars are moving Wall Street forward, we now need to use those stimulus funds to provide the unemployed with stable jobs and greater security.

 

Comments

[whitegayrepublican]

I disagree with you entirely however the writer was presumably presenting a point of view more national rather than global as ultimately the dollars from the stimulus bil did not flow back into all communities equally.

I also disagree with your argument that its the black folks fault for the meltdown as more whites than blacks historically have always had the opportunity to own homes. There are alarmingly disproportionate numbers that would suggest blacks and other minorities weren't afford the option of favorable loans supported by recent law battles with overwhelming evidence in support of the writer's point of view.

Before we can ever come to terms with "jobs at home", it would be nice if we come together as "one nation under God" as our pledge describes so eloquently.

[PoliticalRockChick]

Tell me you are not a gay republican? That's like an oxymoron.

[whitegayrepublican]

There are many like myself who do not subscribe to the notion that all Republicans are bad people and crazy lunatics as its the media who paints us this way in order for folks like GE to keep getting war funding and new multi-billion dollar contracts from the likes of Energy Plan.

Just as you have Conservative Dems, there are also Progressive Repubs. Look it up: http://progressiverepublican.ning.com/

[k1dork]

Sir, we don't need stimulus money to provide jobs---we need jobs to COME BACK to America. That may go against some idea of globalization and the "one world" community, but I think we need to take care of our OWN first.

Stimulus jobs would NOT be permanent, and would only be temporary infrastructure building projects.

Also, I question rather "racism" was part of the subprime debacle, seeing that the banks were FORCED by Congress to make loans to the poor and minorities that they normally would NOT have for financial risk reasons, in an effort to get more of them INTO homes.

[whitegayrepublican]

I disagree with you entirely however the writer was presumably presenting a point of view more national rather than global as ultimately the dollars from the stimulus bil did not flow back into ALL communites equally.

I also disagree with your argument that its the black folks fault for the meltdown as more whites than blacks historically have always had the opportunity to own homes. There are alarmingly disproportionate numbers that would suggest blacks and other minorities weren't afford the option of favorable loans supported by recent law battles with overwhelming evidence in support of the writer's point of view.

Before we can ever come to terms with "jobs at home", it would be nice if we come together as "one nation under God" as our pledge describes so eloquently.

[Intelligentia]

The "the poor and minorities" did not bankrupt our system, it is the thieves on Wall Street and Bankers. Does the name Madoff ring a bell? $50 dollars looted by one man alone; fraudulent, predatory loan terms. This was pre-palnned, in my view, to disposess minorities what they worked hard to gain. The criminals came up with subprime loans. Blacks in Congress dropped the ball also, because they did not ask the hard questions when the thieves were devicing all sorts of fraudelent mechanisms to rape the people, like ARM loans, interest only laons, etc. What is galling is that the crooks who looted the money in the first place are the ones being given the money in the name of a "bail-out." Honestly, I do not know what the Black elected officials are doing in Congress. Soon, we will see enter the battle for immigration reform. The Hispanic delegation are ready to rumble. What will the Congressional Black Caucus do to insure that whatever bill is on the table addresses the current immigration equity against people of African descent? We will see.

[PoliticalRockChick]

I see. We need to take care of our OWN first, like the Wall Street is taking care of their own first. Why can't we all take care of each other together as one? Why don't we take care of those who most need it? Poor, disabled, children, women, people of any race or religion. I can't stand to hear people say we need to take care of our OWN first. It makes no sense to me. I'm not religious, I don't follow a religion, but it baffles me how America calls itself a judeo-christian society and say Jesus is right. How would you feel if Jesus stated, I need to take care of my OWN? It would sound very divisive wouldn't it.