A report from the Institute of Urban Policy Research and Analysis at the University of Texas at Austin finds that the economic condition of African Americans in Texas has deteriorated since the beginning of the century. The report found that the income of African Americans increased at a slower rate than the income of other racial and ethnic groups.
Other important information in the report includes:
- More than 70 percent of female-headed African American families lived below the poverty line.
- African Americans had the lowest median income of any racial or ethnic group.
- About 20 percent of all African Americans in Texas did not have health insurance.
King Davis, professor of African American studies and director of the Institute of Urban Policy Research and Analysis, stated, “The state’s favorable economic condition continues to bypass these communities and families. The findings make it clear that unless changes are made soon, the quality of life for Black families will decline for the remainder of the decade.”
Professor Davis holds a master of social work degree from California State University at Fresno and a Ph.D. from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He is the co-editor of The Color of Social Policy (CSWE Press, 2004).
The report, The Lives of Blacks in Texas: Income and Poverty, may be downloaded here.
