Race Inequality, Class Inequality

MacEwan talks about race and class inequality. The harm that racism does to African Americans is severe and well known. It follows from Martin Luther King's speech that white working-class people, along with African Americans, are harmed by racism. When labor unions have been powerful, the share going to working people has been larger than when unions are weak. This difference is clear in a comparison of the third quarter of the 20th century to the first quarter of the 21st century. In the US, in 1968, the lowest-income 40% of the population obtained 18.1% of all income, while the top 20% got 41.1%; but in 2021, the lowest-income groups got only 12.1%, and the 20% at the top obtained 51.2%. Further, when broad, progressive coalitions have been strong, the political process has yielded more adequate social support programs.