Black America

Source: The Economist, 9 May 2015

Link: The fire and the fuel

Summary: Stark differences exist between the type of life a black American can expect compared to a white American. Potential contribution of high rates of single motherhood to the problem, to what degree those rates were caused by the legacy of slavery, consideration of what may have accelerated single motherhood more recently, and discussion of a new study on the effects of poor families moving to more affluent areas.

Statistics:

• If black America “were a separate country, it would have a worse life expectancy than Mexico, a worse honicide rate than Ivory Coat, and a higher proportion of its citizens behind bars than anywhere on earth.”
• “Black Americans are still eight times more likely to be murdered than whites and seven times more likely to commit murder, according to the FBI.”
• One third of African American men in their 30s have been in prison.
• “For every 100 non-incarcerated African-American women aged 25-54, there are only 83 black men, according to the New York Times. For whites, the ratio is 100 to 99: ie, there is hardly any gap at all.”
• 71% of black children are born outside marriage. 50 years ago, the number was 25%.
• “Black women with advanced degrees are about as likely to be single mothers as white women with a high-school diploma.”
• 9% of two-parent families are poor, compared to 40% of single mother-headed households.