Economic and social discrimination Notes

Economic and Social Discrimination

1. In the previous sections, you have seen how African Americans faced systemic discrimination and violence in education and lack of political rights.
2. For the exam, it is fundamental that you emphasize that Jim Crow laws institutionalized social and economic inequality, African Americans were excluded from quality education, healthcare, and public services across the Southern United States.
3. In this section, we will look at other aspects of this discrimination that complement what you have already learnt.

Discrimination in higher education

1. Before the 1960s, African Americans faced deep structural barriers to higher education. Most predominantly white institutions barred Black students through formal or informal segregation.
2. In the South, public universities were legally segregated, while in the North, exclusion persisted through admissions bias and lack of financial support.
3. By 1940, only about 2% of African Americans aged 18–24 were enrolled in college. This limited access meant African Americans had little exposure to advanced training, research opportunities, and professional networks, which were key for entering high-paying fields such as law, medicine, engineering, or business.
4. Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) provided the main route to higher education for African Americans. However, they were chronically underfunded and excluded from federal and state resources that supported white institutions.
5. Most HBCUs lacked advanced degree programs, well-equipped science labs, or competitive graduate schools. Despite training generations of teachers, clergy, and professionals, their limited resources meant they could not match the prestige or opportunities offered by white universities.
6. Even with degrees, Black graduates often faced employer prejudice and lacked the credentials or social capital needed to compete for professional jobs, reinforcing economic and occupational inequality.

Job opportunities

1. Additionally, there were discriminatory hiring practices and widespread occupational segregation confined African Americans to low-paying, menial jobs, while skilled and professional positions remained largely inaccessible.