U.S. Blacks: Poor, losing ground

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What is the state of Black America almost 18 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?

According to "The State of Black America—1985," the annual National Urban League report, "In virtually every area of life that counts, Black people made strong progress in the 1960s, peaked in the "70s, and have been sliding back ever since."

Indeed, the situation for Blacks in the United States has worsened dramatically. The defeats being suffered by working people in general-through plant closures, strike-breaking, concessions, and cutbacks-have hit Black people the hardest.

Historically the victims of racism, discrimination, and violence, Black Ame -ricans face even more racist attacks today. In Philadelphia, racist forces recently mobilized to stop Black people moving into a mainly white neighborhood. In Concord, Calif., a young Black gay man was murdered by hanging.

Blacks also face increased poverty, unemployment, and attempts to roll back the civil rights gains of the 1960s. Despite the slight recovery in the economy from the 1981-82 recession years, Blacks in 1985 find themselves in the worst economic condition in 30 years! Furthermore, all trends indicate no improvement or relief in sight. The gap between Black and white America is widening.

Poverty has increased

Today, one out of three Blacks lives beneath the poverty line, compared to one out of eight whites. According to statistics compiled in 1982 (the last year available) over 47% of Black children under the age of 18 live in poverty. That is, almost half of all Blacks under 18 are poor. Over half (51.5%) of all Black children under the age of three live in poverty.

The scourge of unemployment, which has traditionally hit Black workers twice as hard as whites, has increased pro -portionally. In the recession year of 1975, (continued on page 4, in “Martin Luther King apartheid in South Africa”)

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Martin Luther King on South Africa, See p. 4