African Americans in 1981-1992

Political  

  • Reagan appointed black cabinet member and Colin Powell headed the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) under Bush  
  • More black candidates elected to political office, e.g., 1988 Jesse Jackson was the front runner of the democratic nomination (until he made antisemitic remarks) 
  • 1980s NAACP lawyers won hundreds of cases which led to change in congressional districts and voting systems à assisted the election of thousands of black officials by 1990s 
  • Number of black congressmen increased from 45 in 1990 to 69 in 1992 
  • Major cities continued to elect black mayor, e.g. Chicago 1984, Philadelphia 1988 

 

  • Black Americans rarely won the state-wide elections, e.g. 1992 sole black governor Douglas Wilder of Virginia, and black senator Carol Moseley Braun from Illinois (2nd black American elected to senate in 20th century) 

Legal 

  • By 1992, black Americans were represented in police departments 

 

  • Continued racism in law enforcement and legal systems, e.g. after car chase in L.A. 1991, white police caught up with black suspect Rodney King, and beat him up (led to riot in L.A. where an all-white jury found police innocent à riots erupted in Atlanta, Birmingham and Chicago) 
  • 1992, Sheriffs Department in Florida stopped a disproportionate no. of black drivers in the interstate highway (only 5% of the drivers on that highway, but constituted to 70% of the arrested) 
  • Disproportionate no. of black males in jail  

 

Economic  

  • 1970 to 1990, 30% of black Americans lived in poverty  
  • Black unemployment 2x that of whites, e.g. Chicago southside 1990 
  • 1990 median black household income of 24,000 compared to 40,000 for whites  

Affirmative Action  

  • Increased the number of ethnic minority students attending college  
  • 1983, 38.2% of black high school students enrolled in college, compared to 1992, 51.5% directly enrolled  
  • Average income rose by 20% between 1981 and 1992  

 

Social  

  • 1992, ½ black population lived in neighbourhoods that where more than 40% white 
  • Southern schools desegregation peaked in 1988, 43% of black school children attended schools that where >50% white   
  • Reagan wanted more equality, but congress rejected it, e.g. Constitutional amendment to outlaw bussing  
  • Reagan appointed 7 black judges  
  • Increased amount of racial tolerance, e.g. The Cosby Show (top rated sit com in 1980s), Oprah Winfrey Show (est. 48million Americans watched every week) 
  • High proportion of musicians black American, e.g., Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston 
  • Black sport stars, e.g, Michael Jordan, national heroes (black athletes dominated team sports) 

 

  • 9% of black Americans continued to live in de facto, segregated ghettos or life expectancy was lower 
  • Black peoples social status remained inferior