Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper

Our view: Words and numbers

How do you measure progress?

In the 50 years since the march on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s signature "I Have a Dream" address, this nation has witnessed significant improvement in opportunities for African-Americans.

Access to education was emphasized by civil rights leaders. In 1964, only 365,000 blacks in this country held at least a bachelor's degree. Now 5.1 million have completed at least four years of college study. More that 21 percent of those aged 25 and over hold degrees, compared to 3.9 percent in the year after King's speech.

Political involvement was another issue. As late as 1970, the U.S. counted only 1,469 black elected officials at all levels. Forty years later, voters put more than 10,500 in office--including the highest office in the land. And in the wake of the voting rights act, black participation in presidential elections outpaces that of the electorate as a whole, 62 percent to 56.5 percent.

Of course, some people allege that certain states are again trying to block access to the polls through voter ID laws and other measures.

Adjusted for 2011 dollars, the median family income for blacks in America was $22,266, or 55 percent of the figure for all families. Today income has almost doubled, to $40,495.

But that is still just 66 percent of the national average.

For many blacks living in the decades before civil rights, poverty was common. At the start of World War Two, when factories were desperate for help, one major employer declared that blacks were only fit for janitorial service. In 1966, the poverty rate for blacks stood at a whopping 41.8 percent, compared to 14.7 for the entire nation--including blacks. By 2011 that figure had dropped to 27.6 percent for single-race blacks.

Yet that still seems high.

King had a dream. In the 50 years since he outlined it so powerfully, we can measure significant progress. But can we be satisfied when the numbers don't always add up to equality?

 

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