POVERTY AND INEQUALITY AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES

Overall, this author believes that poverty and inequality, are, to a large extent synonymous. Throughout this introduction, this author should like to provide a background as to the nature and extent of the problem, as well as other relevant factors. To begin with, for purposes of addressing the nature, extent and intensity of the problem, this author should like to cite some demographic statistics regarding African Americans, as well as related observations. African Americans, along with the rest of American, are seeing improvements in poverty and income statistics, while overall, there exists an inordinate disparity among African Americans versus white Americans, for example. In 1999, the poverty rate for African Americans dropped to 23.6 percent, the lowest for blacks ever recorded by the U.S. Census bureau. This amounts to about 700,000 fewer statistically poorer African Americans in 1999 (8.4 million) than in 1998 (9.1 million). However, this author should like to focus more on current statistics, as well as the overall socioeconomic state of African Americans. A current report has stated that there are more African Amer...