Inequality of Minorities in the United States

Minority inequality in the United States has been happening for as long as anyone can remember, but has gotten increasingly worse since the summer of 2020 with the murder of George Floyd. Since the summer of unrest the demand for basic and more fair civil rights has become more and more political. However, racism is not the only issue, minorities and people of color are also discriminated against when it comes to applying for jobs, receiving an education, and how much they are paid. This is called systemic racism and is explained in the video below by the progressive media company ACT.TV.

(act.tv, 2019)

Inequality in Education

While schools are getting more diverse, they still remain very segregated. This was shown ‘during the 2020-21 school year, more than a third of students (about 18.5 million) attended schools where 75% or more students were of a single race or ethnicity. Because district boundaries often determine which school a student can attend, school district boundaries can contribute to continued division along racial/ethnic lines’ (Office, U.S.G.A. 2022). You can see in the graph below that the Midwest had the highest percentage of schools with the same race/ethnicity, and the top race being white. This is a direct result of redlining, which is defined as ‘the discriminatory practice outlining areas with Black populations as a way of isolating Black people in areas that would suffer lower levels of investment than their white counterparts’ (Harshbarger, 2019). Redlining began to pick up momentum in the 1920s when people of color were discriminated against even more than today. Subsequently, today we are still facing the consequences of this discriminatory offense and it is hurting entire communities. Every child should be given an adequate education no matter which neighborhood they live in.  

(GAO Analysis of the Department of Education’s Common Core of Data for School Year 2020-21)

Inequality in the Work Force

While the labor market has been increasing and more jobs are becoming available it is not enough to close the racial gaps. After the U.S. endured a recession after the pandemic, and vaccines were made available more jobs reopened for the public. However, racial wage gaps still remained with ‘Black workers earning roughly 79 cents for each dollar in median weekly earnings for white workers in 2021 and 2022, while Latinx workers earned 76 cents for each dollar of usual median weekly earnings for white workers’ (Weller). Employers today are still struggling to find workers with millions of people applying for jobs but they are not being hired. It is hard enough to face discrimination and prejudice in their everyday lives, but now they have to worry about whether the color of their skin determines if they get a job or not. It is not only exhausting to live like that, it is unfair.

Wage Gap Inequality

Not only do minorities have to battle against prejudices and racism, they have to fight for equal pay. According to the Federal Reserve, ‘in the United States the average Black and Hispanic or Latino households earn about half as much as the average White household and own only about 15 to 20 percent as much net wealth’ (Aladangady and Forde, 2021). The wage inequality in America between different races and ethnicities has risen substantially. As of the third quarter of 2022, the median white worker made 25 percent more than the typical Black worker and around 28 percent more than the median Latino worker, according to the data below (Inequality.org, 2022). We are able to see this in the graph below showing that Black and Latino wages are significantly smaller compared to everyone else. This is a very clear sign of discrimination based on the color of their skin.. Minorities are having to work twice as hard to try and catch up with their White and/or Asian counterparts and are not being compensated enough. 

(Bureau of Labour Statistics, 2022)

Can this be fixed?

So, what can be done? It is going to take bold action not only from the people but also from legislators and other people in power. If nothing is done soon the divide between races will only grow larger which in turn will worsen the situation in the country. Some programs that can start being implemented include; medicare for all, raising the minimum wage, and investing in affordable housing (Inequality.org, 2019). The healthcare system in the United States is directly tied to racism since it continuously leaves low-income, low-wealth in the most vulnerable position (Inequality.org, 2019). Going to a quick care for a small cold can cost an American citizen up to $60 just to see a physician. Just waiting to see a professional can take an entire day which means taking a day off work. Low-income families that are already living paycheck to paycheck can not afford this. Medical care is a basic human right, not a privilege for a select few. 

The cost of living in this country is significantly lower than the minimum wage making it impossible for these families to not be classified as poor (Inequality.org, 2019). The problem is not that there aren’t enough jobs, the problem is that there are jobs that do not pay enough for an individual to live off of. In order for this to change it would be beneficial to implement more federal jobs that would provide universal job coverage for all adult Americans and eliminate involuntary unemployment (Inequality.org, 2019). This solution would decrease unemployment and make it easier for Low-come families to rise up out of poverty. 

Lastly, affordable housing is no longer attainable for millions of people. However it is becoming increasingly harder for minority families. This is where the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act would help families because it is not allowed to discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, source of income, veteran status, or an individual’s perceived membership in a protected class (Congress, 2021). Not only would this bill help out families who are struggling on the poverty line, but it would also help other future homeowners. If even one out of these three options is put in action and is successful, then minorities will start living in a more fair world.

Bibliography

Act.tv (2019) Systemic Racism Explained. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrHIQIO_bdQ [Accessed: 12 March 2023]

Aladangady, A. and Forde, A. (2021). Wealth Inequality and the Racial Wealth Gap. www.federalreserve.gov. [online] Available at: https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/wealth-inequality-and-the-racial-wealth-gap-20211022.html. [Accessed 12 March 2023]

Congress (2021). American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2021. [online] Congress.gov. Available at: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1368 [Accessed 14 Mar. 2023].

Harshbarger, A.M.P. and D. (2019). America’s formerly redlined neighborhoods have changed, and so must solutions to rectify them. [online] Brookings. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/research/americas-formerly-redlines-areas-changed-so-must-solutions/#:~:text=Redlining%20was%20the%20practice%20of. [Accessed 13 March 2023]

Inequality.org (2019). Ten Solutions to Bridge the Racial Wealth Divide. [online] Inequality.org. Available at: https://inequality.org/great-divide/ten-solutions-bridge-racial-wealth-divide/. [Accessed 12 March 2023]

Inequality.org. (2022). Racial Economic Inequality. [online] Available at: https://inequality.org/facts/racial-inequality/#:~:text=Racial%20discrimination%20in%20many%20forms. [Accessed 12 March 2023]

Office, U.S.G.A. (2022). K-12 Education: Student Population Has Significantly Diversified, but Many Schools Remain Divided Along Racial, Ethnic, and Economic Lines. [online] www.gao.gov. Available at: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104737. [Accessed 14 March 2023]

Tedx Talks (2016) Let’s Get to the Root of Racial Injustice. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aCn72iXO9s [Accessed: 12 March 2023]

Weller, C. (n.d.). A Hot Labor Market Is Not Enough For Racial Equality. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christianweller/2022/09/12/a-hot-labor-market-is-not-enough-for-racial-equality/?sh=54e6bf797512 [Accessed 14 Mar. 2023].