A study from The Equality of Opportunity Project documents the on-going racial gap in upward mobility.
“[R]acial differences in economic opportunity using data on 20 million children and their parents. . . . show black children have much lower rates of upward mobility and higher rates of downward mobility than white children, leading to black-white income disparities that persist across generations. While Hispanic and black Americans presently have comparable incomes, the incomes of Hispanic Americans are increasing steadily across generations.
The black-white gap in upward mobility is driven entirely by differences in men’s, not women’s, outcomes. Black and white men have very different outcomes even if they grow up in two-parent families with comparable incomes, education, and wealth; live on the same city block; and attend the same school. Black-white gaps are smaller in low-poverty neighborhoods with lower levels of racial bias among whites and a larger fraction of black fathers at home.”
To see the non-technical summary, full paper, or data tables, click here.
Absolutely, the upward mobility conundrum is an equity gap that society continues to identify in isolated segments. The truth is that there is an equity gap between in Whites and African Americans in housing, education, healthcare, career opportunities and every other facet of life that would support well-being. The institution of racism is purposeful to advantage by a large majority White people, at the cost of disadvantaging a smaller population of White people and oppressing African American people by intentionally designed processes that marginalize from cradle to death.