Black middle class families trail whites in education, income
Submitted on July 18, 2005 - 12:00am.
Aleea S. Slappy - Summer 2005
WASHINGTON – Fewer black families make it to the middle class because they don't make it through college, three researchers told the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights last week.
“Incomes are up for African-Americans, but white incomes have grown just as fast, meaning the gap hasn't closed,” said Douglas Besharov, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. “Blacks haven't caught up to whites.”
“The immediate cause of economic stagnation is the difference in education completion for blacks and whites,” Besharov said. The number of blacks attending college is high, but blacks don't graduate at the same rate as whites, he said.
“Incomes are up for African-Americans, but white incomes have grown just as fast, meaning the gap hasn't closed,” said Douglas Besharov, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. “Blacks haven't caught up to whites.”
“The immediate cause of economic stagnation is the difference in education completion for blacks and whites,” Besharov said. The number of blacks attending college is high, but blacks don't graduate at the same rate as whites, he said.
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