Barack Obama: Incidental black man?

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:58:00 +0000

With all the distracting controversies piling on his political plate, who could blame President Obama for getting reflective at his recent commencement speech to Morehouse College graduates? Who could blame the first black president, typically a cool arbiter of analysis and restraint, for getting personal in his remarks to his receptive, brotherly crowd?

How does a black president deliver 2013 Morehouse graduates realistic advice and a pep talk at the same time? How can he optimistically send them forth — with straight talk, or a straight face?

The average white family has about $632,000 in wealth, versus $98,000 for black families. The overall unemployment rate for whites is 6.7 percent, versus 13 percent for blacks, generally. The unemployment rate for black young adults ages 16 to 24 -- those outside the commencement halls -- is 25 percent, on par with Spanish- or Greek-level joblessness.

Study: Wealth gap between whites and blacks has ballooned

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:12:00 +0000

A new Brandeis University social sciences study highlights that the wealth gap between white and black people has ballooned in recent decades. The study argues that "the dramatic gap in household wealth that now exists along racial lines in the United States... reflects policies and institutional practices that create different opportunities for whites and African-Americans."

The researchers assessed median household incomes and wealth (what you own minus what you owe) found that "there is no question that the difference in median wealth between America's white and African-American households has grown stunningly large. Via Brandeis' Institute on Assets and Social Policy:

The new study found the wealth gap almost tripled from 1984 to 2009, increasing from $85,000 to $236,500. The median net worth of white households in the study has grown to $265,000 over the 25-year period compared with just $28,500 for black households.

Salon.com > disparity

Barack Obama: Incidental black man?

Study: Wealth gap between whites and blacks has ballooned