The simplistic idea that impoverished African Americans have only themselves to blame for their poverty, due to their poor cultural values—a notion advanced by many, including black public figures such as Bill Cosby—is believable only if a blind eye is turned to those inconvenient things social scientists like to call “facts.” Algernon Austin soundly refutes the “culture of poverty” argument by paying careful attention to marco-economic data about long-term poverty trends and sociological case studies about persistent discrimination. In other words, unlike the glib punditry, Austin actually looks at the “facts.”
--Dr. Andrew Hartman, professor and audience member, Illinois State University
Contact Dr. Austin to arrange a speaking engagement.
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As illustrated previously, if a black person wishes to earn the same amount as a white person, the odds are that the black person needs to be better educated than the white person. This relationship also holds for simply finding a job. If a black person wishes to have the same odds of finding work as a white person, the black person needs to be better educated than the white person.
Above is the third quarter (July-September) unemployment rates for this year. At all education levels, the black unemployment rate is higher than the white rate. Blacks with high school diplomas or GEDs have an unemployment rate similar to whites who dropped out of high school. Blacks with a bachelor's degree or higher have an unemployment rate that is similar to whites with high school diplomas or GEDs. If a black person wishes to have the same odds of finding work and working for similar earnings as a white person, the black person needs to be better educated than the white person. When one considers this, it is simply economically rational for blacks to value education more than whites. Blacks need education more than whites for economic success.
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--Algernon Austin, Ph.D.
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