by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
Are the numbers of middle and upper-middle class black people rising in Jacksonville — or are appearances deceiving?
What, after all, defines “middle class”? And does the definition have any real significance?
As a rule, people’s economic lives are fluid, not set in concrete. They do expect that, through seniority and pay raises, they will make more money over time. That’s usually, but not always, true.
Good workers can find their jobs “outsourced” and themselves “downsized.” Two-income families can be reduced to one. Or none. Salaries can be frozen. Raises, if they come, can be less than the inflation rate.
And many who believe they’re getting ahead of the game are only one serious illness away from a complete reversal of fortune.
Specific numbers are hard to come by, but there are indications that — overall — the number of black people in the middle and upper middle class is growing. Analysts and observers agree that it’s true around the country, across Florida and in Jacksonville.
“I believe there are more black professionals in Jacksonville than before,” said City Council member Reggie Fullwood. “There are certainly more business owners, more blacks who are taking risks, starting their own businesses and realizing the American dream.”
Pete Jackson, the City’s chief community officer, agreed.
“I think it is a practical reality,” he said. “I think that we’re seeing communities where minorities buy better homes, drive better cars, have more access to the social amenities.
“I think that’s very definitely a matter of fact.
“Now, what the numbers are, that‘s another matter. I suspect the numbers may be a bit larger than most people think.”
That’s true on the large stage, too.
“More black families are counted to be middle income, the number of black businesses are up” nationwide, Urban League president Marc Morial said at last week’s annual meeting.
But black families are still “challenged” — by shifts to lower-paying service jobs, a persistent unemployment gap with white workers and a rising incarceration rate, according to an Associated Press account of the meeting.
In 1972, the unemployment rate nationally for whites was 5.1 percent and 10.4 percent for blacks, according to the AP. Last year, it was 5.5 percent for whites and 11.8 percent for blacks.
The overall unemployment rate in Jacksonville rose from 5.03 percent in May to 5.37 in June. Local numbers are not broken down by race.
“(A) higher proportion of black men are in jail, and the black unemployment rate, after declining significantly, is back up,” Morial was quoted as telling the assembly.
Fullwood agreed.
“It’s very discouraging that there are more African-American men in prison than in college,” he said. “The middle class and the upper-middle class is growing, but we still have major problems.”
Several Jacksonville professionals were asked about the changing face of the middle class and what significance that might have on society and politics.
They were asked about the influences and changes in their own lives . . . and concerns for their children’s futures.
“It is necessary that we pull together,” Jackson insisted. “If black people banded together, if we ever decided to blend our talents and use our economic resources as a leverage to enter into this society, if we ever decided to build upon the pseudo-culture that was established when we were in separate communities, we would be one of the most powerful forces to bring about change in this community.”
That unity of spirit, he said, “is fostered by those who have made it reaching back. When you reach back and say, ‘You’re my brother, and I need to help you,’ you begin to develop those ties, those frames of reference that say, ‘You’re not alone. We’re all in this thing together.’ ”