American Underclasses in Late 20th Century

Jacqueline Jones in the excerpt ‘ American underclasses in the late twentieth Century,’ outlines the several aspects of life that were dominant for both black and white Americans. The late twentieth century marked a period of poverty with many Americans in the southern living below the poverty line compared to the northerners. Many Americans associated the blacks living in the urban areas as underclass. The number of black families that were poor was much higher than that of the whites and this trend was associated with slavery that existed until 1865. She says that blacks were often scorned and this was also experienced by middle class whites who involved in drugs and violence. In the late 1980s cases of young blacks attacking middle-class white women were rampant and this posed a security concern to them. Due to these violent acts, the black poor were neglected and many who worked hard to achieve success were not appreciated. The American’s classification of blacks as underclass obscured the economic activities that many non-northern residents dominated. Poverty became a national problem in America and it eventually impacted the political and historical culture.

The author points out that poverty was highly associated with morality and work was seen as a participation in paid labor force for a considerable length of time. The introduction of social security was expected to reduce the poverty rate as many households were entitled to access assistance but most of them ended up missing out. The gap between the rich and the poor increased as the manufacturing sector begun to adopt the use of computers. The failure of antipoverty initiative to yield positive results saw the withdrawal of support from the government and responsibilities bestowed on the federal government were shifted to the local government. Most poverty programs that had been enacted were turned political and racism more than class became a stumbling block towards meeting its objectives. 

The author explains that cases of prejudice were common in the Northern ghettos and it was well known for guns and drugs. The conditions worsened and the middle class people fled leaving few poor people who could not access job opportunities. The entry of cocaine marked another period when the poor blacks plunged to a state of confusion and loss of culture. These people ended up in innovating survival strategies. These included rearranging households and dividing labor. As the people from the south migrated, the ghetto neighborhoods increased. The civil rights Act just like emancipation of slavery was not able to reverse the economic inequality that had been witnessed to make the black people powerless. They were not eligible for health care and the little wages they earned from casual jobs were barely enough to sustain their families. The price of housing in the urban areas confined them to specific locations they could afford. Many of them moved from house they no longer afford to the abandoned homes where water was unavailable. The children were used to borrow water from the neighbors who had access to it. 

Jones points out that the ghetto had few individuals who were privileged to complete high school although they still found it hard to secure jobs compared to whites who dropped out of school. As a group, the blacks did not have a role model who could provide training in retailing and the lack of capital also did not allow them start businesses. At some point most of them lost hope and decided to care less so as to avoid being hurt. Teenage pregnancies within the black families were common and most children born in or outside wedlock were considered a gift from God. Young men enticed young girls with gifts and the crack plague helped to reorganize the live of the blacks as women were made to care for their children. The crack affected everyone involved and many people considered it a new form of slavery. The sale of drugs was a vicious business and the crack helped to reduce the number of deaths that occurred as a result of fights for deals. This business attracted many young people who were mainly unemployed. This turned drug dealing into a street activity controlled by few people who used young people to take them to desired destination. 

Black criminals were highly targeted by media when they attacked the whites and the blacks in inner-city suffered more than other people. These young men were seen to be resistant to advise from any person and when they started fighting, they attracted national attention. They instilled fear in people who lived in their neighborhood and they the women and children were mostly affected. Most people even moved back to the south. The ghetto street culture also targeted the old people regardless of color. The drug dealers always fought their relatives and friends who could not respect them. Similarly, abuse of drugs was a sign of the end of politics and people went back to a state of despair with no culture and obligation.

The author acknowledges that the conventional categories that were established grounded on national origin, culture, and race inhibited discussions regarding underclass and poverty in America. The poverty and unemployment rate of the poor people was of no interest to the policymakers as they defined underclass in terms of special extent. The female-headed families grew significantly n some areas and distressed communities were created as American corporations went for cheap workers. Every family in the south regardless of their color greatly suffered from impacts of the change in global economy. The elected black officials were powerless and they could not make any changes to the taxation policies to favor promising sectors.

Finally, the author notes that the dominance of the racial politics gave a national philosophy that the south would continue to fight against reality of having many ‘underclasses’ in America. She emphasizes that choosing individual interests based on color is another way of promoting slavery in the modern society.