When success isn’t enough: Why the Black middle class is still struggling – AFRO American Newspapers

Sign up to our free newsletter to get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox.
AFRO American Newspapers
The Black Media Authority
Your contribution is appreciated.

By Victoria Mejicanos
AFRO Staff Writer
vmejicanos@afro.com
A stable job, homeownership and a family often defines the concept of the “American Dream.” However, for Black Americans across the country, it can feel impossible to reach, even for those who have “made it.”
Caprice Rigsby was born to teenage parents. Her family relied on different types of federal assistance, including public housing and welfare, which allowed her to “never go without.”
Sign up for our Daily eBlast to get coverage on Black communities from the media company who has been doing it right for over 133 years.
Now, Rigsby, 30, works in student affairs at Texas A&M University. She has established her own organization, Afrofessional, to support other Black professionals.
Still, Rigsby–like many Americans–feels that despite her continued success, she is still playing “catch up” with her finances.
Rigsby’s story is part of a larger trend for Black Americans as they work to achieve financial stability.
According to a paper from Opportunity Insights, a Harvard University-based research team, high income Black families have less wealth and assets than their White counterparts, which is a generational trend. The research compares children from families born between 1978 and 1992.
The paper shows that, “the White-Black gap among high income families remained essentially unchanged.”
This problem is exacerbated by historical factors such as slavery, Jim Crow laws and redlining according to the same paper. Dr. Lorece Edwards, a professor at the School of Community Health and Policy at Morgan State University spoke to the AFRO about redlining and its persistent impacts today.
“Redlining may have ended on the books, but its legacy is still very much present today,” said Edwards.
Redlining, which began in the 1930s with a residential security map created by the Federal Home Owners’ Loan Corporation, determined who could receive loans for housing– and where. Neighborhoods marked in red on the map were deemed “hazardous” for banks and lending organizations. These areas were often denied financial investment. Neighborhoods marked in green and blue on the map were deemed more “secure” for investors. These areas were more likely to receive loans for home purchases and repairs. However, the money was reserved for White homeowners, as they were the only racial group welcomed in the areas marked in green or blue.
“Housing has always been considered a form of wealth,” Edwards explained. “People get houses, they fix them up, they sell them, and then they earn money that way. People who live in redlined areas were denied that opportunity.”
She explained that redlined areas have experienced continuous disinvestment, leading to effects such as poor environmental health and unequal access to food and education. Edwards said that Baltimore is one of nine hyper-segregated cities suffering from divestment.
She also spoke about the “Black Butterfly,” a term coined by her colleague, Dr. Lawrence Brown. The term explains the image that appears on the map of Baltimore City, when different types of inequities are marked out. The same image appears when discussing housing, internet access, health and more.
“The Black Butterfly are these areas — the redlined areas that we’re talking about — where you have a wing on the east and a wing on the west,” said Edwards. “And in the middle is the [White] L, the spine of the butterfly. Those are the areas in the city where funding is spent.”
Edwards calls poverty the “deadliest form of violence,” one that continues to erode opportunity for the very people once promised mobility through education and hard work.
As industrial jobs disappear and the cost of living climbs, Edwards says stability has slipped further from reach. Federal jobs– once the greatest wealth builder for the middle class–are being stripped away now.
“Economic stability is on life support,” she said.
With home ownership being a large creator of wealth, Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott has been working to create equitable growth and redevelopment through his Middle Neighborhoods Strategy. One program, Buy Back the Block, helps legacy residents buy a home in the neighborhoods where they have lived and rented for years.
Despite efforts from city officials, changes in the federal government have continued to make homeownership seem impossible, even for Black professionals with years of education and career advancement.
Dr. Heather Burton, former associate vice president for diversity and inclusion at Case Western Reserve University was laid off in May. She is one of more than 300,000 Black women who have lost their jobs since the start of the current administration.
Although she has faced a setback, because of her saving and budgeting habits and her work as a writer and speaker, she has been able to maintain middle class status. For her, what separates the Black middle class from the White middle class is a lack of equity for opportunities.
“What I think about the Black middle class is the need, or necessities of people to understand the impact that race has on our society,” said Burton. “Most folks don’t get it, and they have a hard problem comprehending the impact that it has and that it has had. It’s one thing to get there, it’s another thing to stay, especially when folks feel threatened because of preconceived notions or biases.”
Anthony Dongfak comes from a middle class background, with both of his parents working in finance and banking. He says that although it gave him an advantage in some ways such as learning about building credit early, there were still gaps to fill post college.
Dongfak now works as a clinical research coordinator for bladder cancer trials at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He makes about $50,000 a year, less than what his parents earn. Dongfak has tried to pursue homeownership, but said lenders have repeatedly denied him because of his student debt.
“When you’re 17 years old, trying to go to college, you don’t really care about those things. You don’t know what a monthly payment looks like,” said Dongfak.
Despite his financial literacy — something he strengthened during the pandemic via online finance videos — knowledge can only go so far without income to match.
“I have a lot of financial fitness, but not the means to apply it,” said Dongfak. The stress of money weighs on him “every waking moment.”
Dr. Denis Antoine, an associate professor of clinical psychiatry and behavioral sciences at John Hopkins University School of Medicine explains that stress is managed by resources, including money.
“Stress is when a person’s demands are not adequately met by the resources,” said Antoine. He says that financial stress can make people tired, anxious, angry and even hopeless.
Antoine believes in times of stress it’s important to remember that there are resources beyond money that can help, such as leaning on friends, family and professional networks. He shared that a common topic of discussion in his line of work as a mental health practitioner is job loss.
“Life without struggle is very uncommon,” said Antoine. Remembering that one is not alone in struggle can be pivotal.
Antoine pointed to free resources such as Black Psychiatrists of America and The National Association of Mental Illness as places to go for support.
Aside from the mental health aspect, Edwards said financial security raises issues about human rights.
“We need to make sure that our human rights are available to everybody,” she said. “It shouldn’t be based on race, creed, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation. If you’re human and you live in this country, you should have certain rights, and those rights should be honored.”
133 years ago we were covering Post-Reconstruction when a former enslaved veteran started the AFRO with $200 from his land-owning wife. In 2022 we endorsed Maryland’s first Black Governor, Wes Moore. And now we celebrate the first Black Senator from Maryland, Angela Alsobrooks!
Your contribution is appreciated.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
The AFRO knows what it’s like to endure challenging times. John H. Murphy, Sr., a former enslaved man founded the AFRO in 1892 with $200 from his wife, Martha Howard Murphy. Together they created a platform to offer images and stories of hope to advance their community. The AFRO provides readers with good news about the Black community not otherwise found.
Learn More
Baltimore, MD Office
233 E. Redwood Street Suite 600G
Baltimore, MD 21202
Washington, DC Office
Uline Arena Building
1140 3rd St., 2nd Flr, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Voice: 410-554-8200
Email: customerservice@afro.com

Enter the code sent to your email.
Email address

Enter your password
Sign in by entering the code we sent to , or clicking the magic link in the email.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.