Talk:Mystery:Why Are Black Americans Still Poor?

I see this turning out badly...
Check out this site, which shows poverty levels over time by race. I don't think it can be said that black americans are "still" poor, when poverty levels have been going down since the 60's: from 55% to ~20% in 40 years. It's not equal to that of whites by any means, but certainly better than it was. Note, also, that black poverty rates mirror those of latinos in recent years. HelpJazz 21:43, 20 October 2008 (EDT)

Excellent point! BHarlan 21:50, 20 October 2008 (EDT)

Quibbles

A) You say, "Black Americans are much poorer than White Americans, yet racial discrimination by the state, and by almost all private entities, has been illegal for over 40 years." If your intended point is that racial equality should bring wealth equality, then it should be pointed out that making something illegal is not the same as making it non-existent. B) In the phrases "Black Americans" and "White Americans", "black" and "white" should not be capitalized, as they are not proper nouns. Ditto "Affirmative Action". Also, "Abortion".--XavierJ 22:12, 20 October 2008 (EDT)

Thanks for the constructive criticism!

I'll look into the "Black"/"White" capitalization thing. Do you have a citation? I think the rule is different for races.

I seriously doubt that illegal discrimination is keeping Black (or "black") people poor. There would be serious outrage if the government were discriminating, or Black Americans were still excluded from lunch counters or the front of the bus. Don't you agree? If anything, we now live in a world where reverse racism is so common that people are very careful. Just Google "niggardly" if you don't know what I mean. BHarlan 22:24, 20 October 2008 (EDT)