Decades after the civil rights movement, the income gap between black and white families has grown, according to a study released Tuesday that tracked the incomes of 2,367 families for more than 30 years, surveying parents and children, who are now grown.
Incomes have increased among both black and white families in the past three decades — mainly because more women are in the workforce. But the increase was greater among whites.
“Overall, incomes are going up. But not all children are benefiting equally from the American dream,” said Julia Isaacs, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, who compiled the data for the Washington think tank.
Other findings: [ AP ]
— 67% of children grew up to have higher family incomes than their parents had 30 years earlier.
— 33% of black children from middle-income families grew up to have higher incomes than their parents.
— 67% of white children from middle-income families grew up to have higher incomes than their parents.
