African American Urban Injustice

Urban Injustice: How Ghettos Happen, explains that the gap between the rich and the poor in the United States is greater than it has been in thirty years (Hilfiker & Edelman, 2002). Furthermore, every forty three seconds, a child is born into poverty (Hilfiker & Edelman, 2002, p. IX). Those citizens most affected by these realities are African Americans (Hilfiker, 2002). These people face unique hardships and oppression as compared to the rest of the population. A 1990 survey of non-black respondents found that sixty five percent of those surveyed believed that blacks were lazier than other races. In addition, it was found that seventy eight percent of respondents were under the impression that African Americans were “less self-supporting and

has a history of incorporating discrimination into social programs. Perhaps the program with the most evidence of oppression was Aid for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). AFDC was created as a part of the New Deal intended to provide financial assistance for widows and children and excluded unmarried women with children. In 1964, a report was released that claimed that black poverty was primarily the result of African American culture, and there was no solution for helping these people get out of poverty (Hilfiker, 2002, p.14). This led to the perception that black Americans are lazy and create their own destiny. During the same time, AFDC was being expanded to assist single, unmarried mothers (Hilfiker, 2002, p.15). Due to these two events arising simultaneously, the program began to be associated with “young, black single mothers” along with the belief that African Americans were too lazy to work, therefore receive assistance from the government (Hilfiker,

Anyone, regardless of income, is eligible for most types of adult education (Hilfiker, 2002, p. 110). In the U.S., people who are receiving benefits are usually forced to take jobs that pay low because they lack the knowledge or skills to land high paying jobs (Hilfiker, 2002). In addition, due to their low wages, pursing an education is usually out of the question. People in Finland are able to access education at no cost to them, which in turn leads to their ability to qualify for jobs that will allow them to earn enough money to support themselves (Hilfiker, 2002). Additionally, they do not have to worry about child care while they are at school because of their universal preschool system. The government also provides living supports and rent assistance for adults attending school so that it is economically feasible to pursue an