Whatever their faults, unions have been the only powerful and effective voice working people have ever had in this country.

—Bruce Springsteen

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

Thirty-six years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an ugly racial divide persists in the United States. African-Americans have made great strides since segregationist James Earl Ray gunned down Dr. King on April 4, 1968.

But the victories in the struggle against racial inequality have largely been in the political and legal arenas. Great economic differences continue — and in some cases they are widening. Interestingly, toward the end of his life, Dr. King foresaw the threat of a persistent economic divide as he shifted his focus from pushing for civil rights to attacking poverty.

A recent report by the Community Service Society, a local non-profit anti-poverty group, highlighted how joblessness disproportionately hits African-American men in New York City. The report found that 52 percent of African-American men between 16 and 64 held jobs in 2003. By contrast, 76 percent of White men, 66 percent of Latino men and 57 percent of African-American women had jobs.

High unemployment
The report measures the percentage of the working-aged population with jobs. The more commonly cited unemployment rate measures the proportion of the population that is actively searching for work.

A study by Boston-based United for a Fair Economy, “The State of the Dream 2004: Enduring Disparities in Black and White,” suggests that high African-American joblessness points to deep-seated, structural problems in the U.S. economy.

The UFE report examines persisting gaps between Blacks and Whites. It shows that racial inequities in unemployment, family income, imprisonment, average wealth and infant mortality have grown since Dr. King’s death. The great civil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis as he built support for sanitation strikers in DC 37’s parent union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Equal education, unequal pay
The study says progress has been made in narrowing the differences in per person income, poverty, homeownership, life expectancy and median wealth.

In particular, it cites educational achievement. It notes that, “Black students are making great strides despite tremendous obstacles.” The report points out that the proportion of African-Americans 25 and over with high school degrees rose from 30 percent in 1968 to 79 percent in 2002, compared with 55 percent for Whites in 1968 and 89 percent in 2002.

But at the same time, the research shows that African-American high school graduates with full-time jobs can expect to earn $300,000 less on average than their White counterparts during their working careers. African-American college graduates earn $500,000 less than comparable Whites.

So, while the report finds areas of progress, its distressing central message is that equality is a long way away. “The phrase ‘snail’s pace’ doesn’t describe the slow progress in some Black-White gaps, because snails travel faster than that,” said Meizhu Lui, UFE’s executive director.

For instance, the poverty rates for Whites and Blacks fell from 10 percent and 35 percent in 1968 to 8 percent and 24 percent in 2002. With progress so slow, the disparity won’t disappear for 150 years.

Parity in median household net worth won’t be reached until 2099 if current trends continue, the report says. “The United States has never resolved the continuing impact of slavery and Jim Crow segregation,” said Bill Fletcher Jr., president of the Washington, D.C.-based TransAfrica Forum, a non-profit organization and education center for the African-American community.

Privilege based on inheritance is a principal cause of racial disparities. “The idea that you are starting out on an equal playing field is a myth,” he said.

A broken check
African-Americans face economic barriers because of the legacy of slavery and the segmentation of the labor force, which has historically steered or even forced them into less-skilled and worse paying jobs than Whites, according to Mr. Fletcher. He suggests that the racial divide be addressed through reparations for slavery, affirmative action and stiff inheritance taxes.

In his “I Have a Dream” speech on Aug. 28, 1963, Dr. King charged that the United States had “defaulted” on a “promissory note” of the country’s founders.

Unfortunately, with the country led by a callous president who this year appointed an opponent of civil rights to the U.S. Court of Appeals hours before the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, it doesn’t appear that the United States will make good on its promise anytime soon.