From the Declining Significance of Race by William J

Essay

From The Declining Significance of Race by William J. Wilson
In The Declining Significance of Race William Wilson assesses the causal importance of race and social class in structuring economic opportunities for blacks across American history. This relationship has varied across time and is demarcated by three distinct historical phases: During the caste oppression phase in the rural South between 1870-1920, blacks were born into poverty and lived their lives out in poverty because of pronounced discrimination based solely on race. During the competitive period from 1920-1950, race still predominated as blacks asserted a presence in the industrializing centers of the Northeast and Midwest; at this time they competed with whites for jobs and residences, but were rebuffed, resulting in segregation that limited opportunities, primarily because of race. Finally, during the class subordination phase after World War II, blacks became distributed across the United States and across the class structure in such a manner that their economic status superseded race as a determinant of economic prospects.
-What demographic shifts in American history have helped to shape the race/class relationship among African Americans? When did they occur?