SOCIAL INDICATORS 2007
I've avoided giving an extensive analysis of subgroups within American culture during this series on social indicators. I've been focused on trends at the aggregate level. However, one measure of the quality of life for the whole society is the degree to which each person has an opportunity for a quality of life similar to other groups within the culture. Because of their unique place in American history, African Americans have been subjected to the greatest oppression of any ethnic group within our culture. Their status with regard to the privileged status of white Americans can serve as a measure of how well we are doing in achieving equal opportunity for a high quality of life.
The first social indicators I mentioned in this series were life expectancy and the infant mortality rate. These rates are two of the best indicators for overall quality of life. Life Expectancy tells about the chances of living a long life. The infant mortality rate (number of deaths before age 1 per 1,000 births) tells about the most vulnerable among us and how well our cultural infrastructure meets their needs.
So how are African-Americans fairing compared to white Americans?
Life expectancy for African Americans as a percentage of life expectancy for white Americans increased for several years up to the mid-1980s. It appeared to be on a trajectory to equal that of White Americans by early this century. However, the rate took a noticeable dive in the late 1980s and stayed flat for the first years of the 1990s. Since then, the gap has been closing again at a rate similar to before 1984.
What happened? I suspect that rate declined due to the devastating crack cocaine epidemic that hit many black communities in the late 1980s. Murder rates and drug-related deaths soared for young African Americans. (See Crime (Part 1) ) It may not be the only cause, but I suspect it was a strong contributor.
The African American infant mortality rate declined from 32.6 in 1970 to 13.7 in 2005. However, the rate for white Americans declined even more precipitously. The rate of infant deaths for African Americans compared to white Americans was less than 2 to 1 in 1970, but by 2001 the rate was 2.5 to 1. There are likely several reasons for this, including a disparity in healthcare quality. The disparity seems to have leveled out in 1992 and has varied within a narrow range ever since. This trend also correlates well with the increasing ratio of African American single women having children (approximately 70% of all African American births) versus white single women having children over the same period.
Another important indicator of equality is the degree of poverty. How have African Americans faired compared to white Americans?
Some estimates place African American poverty rates above 80% before World War II. By 1975, the rate had dropped to 31.3%. The ratio of the African American rate to the rate for White Americans was 3.5 to 1 in 1975. Except for the minor setback in the 1980s (drug epidemic?), the ratio has slowly declined to a rate of less than 2.5 to 1.
Directly tied to economic viability is education.
The rate of high school graduation is approaching the rate for white Americans. The rate of college completion is also improving at a slower rate. It was just under 40% of the rate for White Americans in 1966 and is now over 60% of that rate. As education is one of the most important components of economic advancement, this gives some hope for gains in quality of life for African Americans in the future.
Possibly the most disturbing of all statistics is the ratio of black men ages 18-24 in college versus being in prison. For White males aged 18-24, there are 28 men in college for every 1 in prison. For African American men ages 18-24, the ratio is 2.6 to 1. (See More Brothers in Prison Than In College?) I don't know how this compares historically, but it indicates that we have a long road to equality.
Conclusions
When we look at group measures over time, there has been significant improvement in the absolute quality of life for African Americans. However, when we look at the quality of life relative to White Americans, we get a mixed picture of modest improvement. The quality of life for African Americans relative to White Americans is improving but disappointingly slowly.
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