Does working hard automatically mean more money for you?

The United States Census Bureau reported that the median income for African Americans is less than 2/3 of the white American’s income and less than ½ of an Asian American’s income.

Some issues affecting income levels:

• Institutional racism
• Family background (lack of opportunities)
• Unequal opportunities in the workplace
• Unequal opportunities in society
• Physical and mental health issues

What can be done to solve this?

Changes in policy

Changes have been made in the workplace where companies are reaching out to assist minorities to overcome hurdles at works. Mentorship programs and diversity tracks for entry-level programs have opened doors for minorities to enter into those fields that were dominantly white enabling them to advance their income levels.

Social media has started to act as the trade unions of this day and age. Shocking stories have since surfaced about various companies turning down a person or refusing them a promotion or paying them less because of their ethnicity.

The states of New York, New Jersey and California have been working to ban hair discrimination on African Americans in the workplace. These are small steps towards a greater victory.

Representation

Many times people cannot become what they do not see. To some this can seem like an excuse, however, the barrier is not only here, but it also lies where those in higher positions are usually more likely to support those who look them or have the same interests as them. Representation in the workforce could also encourage more minorities to attain higher positions within firms or ask to be paid their worth.

Many African American men do not have stable jobs due to a history of incarceration, which automatically puts them at a disadvantage. Sadly, the statistics for this are about 1 in every 10 African American men are in prison.