The Gap

A new study of the strides made in America to narrow the economic gap between blacks and whites is reassuring, but no cause for complacency. As the report notes, “Black poverty remains at unacceptably high levels.” Along with evidence of progress are deeply disquieting developments. The keys to further progress, the researchers conclude, are improvement of schooling available to blacks, and national economic growth.

“Closing the Gap” is the work of the Rand Corp., written by James P. Smith of Rand and Finis R. Welch of UCLA and Unicon Research Corp. Their analysis covers the 40-year period preceding the 1980 census.

They report that “the real story of the last 40 years has been the emergence of the black middle class, whose income gains have been real and substantial,” and who now outnumber the black poor. By 1980 the incomes of 29% of black male workers were above the median for white workers.

“For the first time, many blacks now have the financial ability to secure the American dream for their children,” they report.

The study focuses on male black workers, finding that at every level they narrowed the income gap with whites. Women did even better. “Today, racial wage parity prevails for women,” the report notes--a finding that will surprise many. The gap for male workers remains substantial, however: “The typical black male worker in 1940 earned only 43% as much as his white counterpart; by 1980 the figure was 73%.” That still leaves a long way to go.

Most of the gains occurred before 1965--that is, before the federal government launched its war on poverty and initiated equal-opportunity programs, including affirmative action. This led the researchers to conclude that these government programs were not of prime importance, although they brought significant gains for some. What mattered most was the improvement of education for blacks and the economic expansion that generated prosperity. The effect of World War II is not detailed.

The findings downplaying the importance of the government programs seem premature to us. It is too early to draw reliable conclusions about the overall effect of affirmative action and the merits of the “safety net” of social services for the poor. But the findings regarding the critical importance of equal education are persuasive, and should give impetus to adequate funding at a time of deteriorating support for the schools.

The report also notes the development in the last decade of disquieting factors: (1) an increasing tendency of middle-aged black men, particularly in low-paying jobs, to withdraw from the labor force, “forfeiting opportunities for economic self-reliance and advancement,” and (2) “the deterioration of the black family.” In 1940, 18% of black families and 10% of white families had female heads; in 1980, more than 40% of black families and 12% of white families were headed by females.

“The contrasting economic progress of intact and female-headed families is an excellent illustration of an increasingly segmented black experience--growing numbers of black families participating in an affluent America while distressing numbers are left behind in the ravages of poverty,” the analysts report.

“But rest assured,” they note, “until we deal with the problems in our nation’s black schools, and until we restore the economic growth rates of the 1960s, further long-term reductions in black poverty will not materialize.”

The report does a special service in pointing to a single clear and productive thing that can be done to make a difference: assuring equality of education for all--which means, among other things, improving the quality of schools in the central city where most blacks live.