Closing the Wealth Gap - What can we do?

[SummerChild]

Ladies (and Gents),
I was reading The Black Elite thread and thinking of how we can close the wealth gap between the low and middle-class AA population. I have heard that it is wider now than it has ever been.

Any ideas?

SC

[lovehaiku84]

There are so many factors that go into there being a gap in the first place, and I feel that if we are looking for a solution we need to fully understand the problem. So what is the problem? That although now more than ever the Black middle class is growing and thriving, we are still a people who are, in many cases, living in poverty. It's really hard to break it down. BUT in my heart I feel like middle and upper class African Americans have a responsibility to find a way to reach back and pull these other, less fortunate people up. Because lets face it, any one of us could be in the position that they are in and we are very BLESSED to not be there right now. It is great that organizations with the mission to serve exist, but I feel like they are not the only ones who should be doing work. Everyone who has SOMETHING should find a way to give back. Is it possible that we could all, as a people work together on this problem? I feel like we need to be a well oiled machine, with different parts serving a specific and important purpose with the ultimate goal of closing the gap between the upper and lower class, and then moving on to improve the lot of African Americans in this country. Personally I think that the two fronts that should be pursued most vigorously are Education and the Black Family. I think that to start improving on these two things will lead to positive results in other areas, including economics.

[Honeykiss1974]

I agree with Lovehaiku84 on many fronts - its a very complex and multi-faceted issue.

I do know that education is key to rising up out of poverty, so therefore we need to remove this twisted idea that "going to school (education) is for white folks". We need to let kids know that the key to ending poverty is not with a basketball, but with a book (statistically speaking).

We need to let parents know that they need to be involved with the school and their kids education as much as they can - even if its phone call once a week to their child's counselor to see how they're doing (because I know some parents work one/two jobs).

Our churches need to become active again in our communities, showing Christ in action. If the local school is either too dangerous (larger cities) or if they feel that they just don't care about black students (smaller cities) then start your own neighborhood school - I've seen it done right here in my city. White people homeschool their kids all the time, so why can't we (via the church)?

In one of the poorer neightborhoods here, a lady noticed that black students were getting expelled from school at higher rates than whites. Once expelled, these students were just left to hang out at home or in the streets until the next school year, where they would be so behind in the coursework, they would more than likely repeat the grade. So she started a "homeschool" out of the basement of the church. It's about 10 years later and her "school" is so popular that parents WANT to send their kids there. This lady was no one rich or famous - just a retired teacher that saw a problem and did what she could.

The education issue is a universal problem - from the large urban ghettos all the way to the poor small towns. Somehow, we've got to instill in our kids that they can make it through school and even onto college or technical school. That type of life isn't just for certain people, but you too.

[Little32]

Hard question. A question to ask in conjunction with that would be is it possible to close the income gap? I don't know.

Capitalism seems to insist upon and push towards a permanent underclass. Capitalism coupled with racism ensures that that underclass will be composed primarily of people of color.

Anyone up for a revolution? Wait, can I say that?

[Lady of Pearl]

Yes, the idea that education is a way out of poverty, is so true- children need to understand the importance of it, just today I was explaining to my second graders that there is not one job where the ability to read is not important, and how tests will be a huge factor in their lives from their academic to their professional career choices. No one wants to hire an incompetent person! Also, in addition to education a trade or a skill should be learned to keep one versatile or marketable. As my aunt would tell me when I was growing up learn how to do more than one thing! We also must be willing to become entrepreneurs rather than mere consumers in this society whereby we can create jobs and opportunities for ourselves.

[darling1]

regardless socio/economic status, if you understand the importance of education or being educated on issues that may affect you, you do a great service to yourself and ultimately you family and community.

regardless of church or org. affiliation, we all must agree on the problem and be willing work collectively on the solution. we must also respect that people may have different ways of reaching the goal. undermining ourselves has been a detriment to our progress as a community.

personally, i slightly disagree with lovehaiku in that i dont feel that those of us in higher income brackets need to help the lower class. i refuse to help anyone if they are unwilling to educate themselves and do the necessary self-work. i am always willing to share what i know. but you can lead a horse to water but etc.

times are different. information is out there and we all need to make the effort to learn or be left behind.

Originally posted by Lady of Pearl
Yes, the idea that education is a way out of poverty, is so true- children need to understand the importance of it, just today I was explaining to my second graders that there is not one job where the ability to read is not important, and how tests will be a huge factor in their lives from their academic to their professional career choices. No one wants to hire an incompetent person! Also, in addition to education a trade or a skill should be learned to keep one versatile or marketable. As my aunt would tell me when I was growing up learn how to do more than one thing! We also must be willing to become entrepreneurs rather than mere consumers in this society whereby we can create jobs and opportunities for ourselves.

[lovehaiku84]

Originally posted by darling1


personally, i slightly disagree with lovehaiku in that i dont feel that those of us in higher income brackets need to help the lower class. i refuse to help anyone if they are unwilling to educate themselves and do the necessary self-work. i am always willing to share what i know. but you can lead a horse to water but etc.

Ok. I'm also against helping those who refuse to help themselves. I think the higher income brackets should help through service and being an example for those without. To me it's all about "teaching a man to fish" rather than just giving handouts. Hope I cleared that up.

[Eclipse]

Two words: delayed gratification.

As long as we are wearing it, riding in it, drinking it or eating it, we will not be wealthy. You can accumulate wealth without being highly educated. It just takes discipline and the ability to see beyond the immediate.

I do believe it is apart of my responsible as a citizen of this earth and a Child of God to make it better for someone else.

[SummerChild]

It is interesting that the approach posed in many of the replies seem to be primarily from a preaching down, I got mine, this is what they need to do to get theirs. I guess that I just don't think that my getting mine was all about the education that I received. Partly so but partly a result of people who helped me in various ways along the way. For instance, I have two degrees in EE but did not know what an Engineer was (besides a train engineer) until an AA man came to a program that I attended during highschool to tell us about his career as architectural engineer. Then wham, it was as easy as that, I decided to study engineerin in college instead of business. I thought business b/c that was what I had heard of and I was good in math. Did anyone of us really do it all by ourselves? Kudos if so.

In my opinion, technically there are three ways to close *any* gap, move one side down, move one side up or move both sides toward one another. My approach would be to move both sides toward one another by actively taking part in the lives of those who have less and allowing them to take part in our lives. I like programs like Big Brother, Big Sister but those programs require us to wait 10-15 years for the kid to grow up and (hopefully) graduate from college and get a decent paying job to begin to create wealth. I often feel like we just forget about the people who are already adults. I only know of the program that helps get moms off welfare and give them business suits, training, etc. Are there any programs for adult men?

On a previous tangent, why do we assume that those who are economically disadvantaged don't want anything better? Or that if they did, then it would be as easy as picking up a book? How many children are being passed from grade X to grade X + 1 by teachers and cannot even read? How many parents would like to help their children with math homework but they don't know how to do it themselves? I've seen this when I tutored in math. Shoot, I have two degrees in EE and sometimes the new way of doing math was a little lost on me. I had to take the kids back to the old way of doing math sometimes.

Why do discussions like these disintegrate into cliches like you can lead a horse to water? What does that have to do with closing the wealth gap? The implication is that the bulk of the economic underclass "refuses to drink." For those on Greekchat who are first-generation college graduates, does the you can lead a horse to water cliche apply to your family *before* you graduated? Those who were the upper class before you graduated and looked at your families from the outside would probably say so. Let us not forget so easily.

SC

[Exquisite5]

Originally posted by SummerChild
My approach would be to move both sides toward one another by actively taking part in the lives of those who have less and allowing them to take part in our lives.
SC

RE: moving both sides towards each other which of the following do you mean:

a) move them towards each other physically, as in more intermingling amongst classes and physically interacting with each other

b) move them towards each other finanically, as in the "haves" need to give some up and the "have nots" receive some?

If you mean, financially- how does this help?

Even the richest AfAms are still WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY behind whites (the top 20 BE companies could be bought EASILY by the money that Exxon Mobil has CASH - that is not even considering their money that is not liquid). I really don't see how making the richer AfAms poorer, helps anything.

Our community NEEDS rich people, because in these days money matters. The best way for us to get ahead is to fund campaigns and play the big money game corporate America plays- we can't do that if our richest give all their money so the poor can be middle class. Now, rich AfAms need to support candidates who are favorable to ALL classes of AfAms not just the rich, but we can do alot more by playing the game of politics and capitalism than just making someone poor, not so poor.

[Eclipse]

Originally posted by SummerChild
It is interesting that the approach posed in many of the replies seem to be primarily from a preaching down, I got mine, this is what they need to do to get theirs. I guess that I just don't think that my getting mine was all about the education that I received.

I often feel like we just forget about the people who are already adults. I only know of the program that helps get moms off welfare and give them business suits, training, etc. Are there any programs for adult men?

On a previous tangent, why do we assume that those who are economically disadvantaged don't want anything better? Or that if they did, then it would be as easy as picking up a book? How many children are being passed from grade X to grade X + 1 by teachers and cannot even read? How many parents would like to help their children with math homework but they don't know how to do it themselves? I've seen this when I tutored in math. Shoot, I have two degrees in EE and sometimes the new way of doing math was a little lost on me. I had to take the kids back to the old way of doing math sometimes.

Why do discussions like these disintegrate into cliches like you can lead a horse to water? What does that have to do with closing the wealth gap? The implication is that the bulk of the economic underclass "refuses to drink." For those on Greekchat who are first-generation college graduates, does the you can lead a horse to water cliche apply to your family *before* you graduated? Those who were the upper class before you graduated and looked at your families from the outside would probably say so. Let us not forget so easily.

SC

Not sure if I was included in that number of people who came "from a preaching down, I got mine, this is what they need to do to get theirs." mentality, because that was certainly not my intention.

I do believe not delaying gratification is a big thing, but I do believe that part of my role is to help other. I teach a weekly GED class through the community center run by my church and I have 2 -3 consistent students. The class is free, I gave each student my home cell number and encourage them to call me, I break my neck to leave the job that keeps a roof over my head and food in my stomach to go there and do it for free and they won't do their homework, don't half come, etc. Yeah, it's frustrating, especially when I they want to talk about the lack of jobs or opportunities for them. I share stories about the Dave Thomas' of the world (founder of Wendy's), Bill Cosby another others who are successful despite never graduating from HS. These individuals got their GED and because very successful.

There are programs for adult men, as a matter of fact, one of the challenges with the homeless population right now is that many of the services (including education) are geared towards adult men, not women and certainly not women with children.

[darling1]

we bare soooooo on the same page. regardless of status all of us she have that mentality.

Originally posted by lovehaiku84
Ok. I'm also against helping those who refuse to help themselves. I think the higher income brackets should help through service and being an example for those without. To me it's all about "teaching a man to fish" rather than just giving handouts. Hope I cleared that up.

[Little32]

Originally posted by SummerChild

In my opinion, technically there are three ways to close *any* gap, move one side down, move one side up or move both sides toward one another.

Summerchild, I like a lot of what you had to say. When I said anyone up for a revolution, I was partially being facetious but I was also partially serious.

One of the ways that we can move towards each other is to stop thinking that a person's value lies in their accumulated wealth. In a capitalist society, you are what you own; but the value of people is so much more than that.

However, in a very real way more money means more access to a lot of things including education. I think that part of what we would have to do is work towards a more equal distribution of resources so that people whose don't have much personally still have access to the things that the very well off have.

For example, it terms of public school funding: each school receives a certain amount of funding per child from the federal government and that money is supplement by funding from property taxes. Of course, the schools in the more wealthy neighborhoods are more well-equipped. And, while I am a believer in education being what you make it, seeing that other children's education seems to be valued so much more than your own can be demoralizing. (This is in my home state, I don't know if this is the case everywhere else.)

So, to sum up: MORE EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES, especially within the public service sector.

[SummerChild]

I meant the former although donating to a good cause or helping a family in need (or sponsoring a child for a good charter school) probably wouldn't bankrupt those of us who are on the wealthier side. But I meant the former.

SC

Originally posted by Exquisite5
RE: moving both sides towards each other which of the following do you mean:

a) move them towards each other physically, as in more intermingling amongst classes and physically interacting with each other

b) move them towards each other finanically, as in the "haves" need to give some up and the "have nots" receive some?

If you mean, financially- how does this help?

Even the richest AfAms are still WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY behind whites (the top 20 BE companies could be bought EASILY by the money that Exxon Mobil has CASH - that is not even considering their money that is not liquid). I really don't see how making the richer AfAms poorer, helps anything.

Our community NEEDS rich people, because in these days money matters. The best way for us to get ahead is to fund campaigns and play the big money game corporate America plays- we can't do that if our richest give all their money so the poor can be middle class. Now, rich AfAms need to support candidates who are favorable to ALL classes of AfAms not just the rich, but we can do alot more by playing the game of politics and capitalism than just making someone poor, not so poor.

[Exquisite5]

Originally posted by SummerChild
I meant the former although donating to a good cause or helping a family in need (or sponsoring a child for a good charter school) probably wouldn't bankrupt those of us who are on the wealthier side. But I meant the former.

SC

Thanks for the clarification. I agree with everything what is quoted, but I don't think that "donating to a good cause" is the same thing as a rich persong giving enough money to a poor person to make that particular person no longer poor. I think everyone should "donate to agood cause," but IMO asking someone to personally lift another person out of poverty by finanical donation of his or her own is extreme.