Yet, there continue to be substantial race-correlated disparities in income and wealth. Income disparities Racially-correlated income disparities are well documented. The discrepancies are not explained by differences in educational attainment. For individuals with a professional degree, Blacks earn only 62 cents and Hispanics only 42 cents for every dollar earned by Whites.
Most economic analyses focus on income.
Comparisons of wealth for Blacks and Whites reveal far greater inequities than do income comparisons. However, much wealth is inherited in the form of homes, other property, or investments. These are typically passed from parents to children. Inherited wealth permits the greater accumulation of wealth. This article is derived from a document that was completed in March 1998.