Social Science Video Contest - Adkins

Hello, my name is Ethan Adkins and I'm
discussing today with Omar Drammeh on how

we can bridge the racial and ethnic divide
in relation to specifically economics.

So to start, we're gonna talk
about how there is the racial and

ethnic economic divide specifically.

For example, in 1968,
the typical middle class black household

held around $6,600 of wealth
compared to around 7,100,

71,000, my bad, for
the typical middle class white household.

And in 2016,
you'd think that it'd get better, right?

But it actually got much worse.

It was 13,000 for
the typical middle class black household,

were 149,000 for
the typical median white household.

And in 2016, you'd need around 11.5 black
households on average to get the net

worth of one typical white US household,
which my opinion is not very good.

Why do you think and this may be
a bit uneducated on this matter.

>> First 11.5.

>> 11.5.

>> 12 separate households
to make up one house?

>> It is on average, but
it's still a ridiculously high number.

>> I think there's just
under education going on and

a lack of proper funding
from the government.

More POC populated areas tend
to have less funding from their

respective school districts and
less funding on education leads to

lower social status and level up I'd say-
>> Yeah, I get what you're saying.

>> If you're not as educated,
you're not as likely to make more money.

>> You're not gonna pursue
those higher careers.

>> Yeah cuz to make over six figures
that's more than likely college degree and

most people don't go past high
school in more POC populated areas.

>> Sure, sure, and keep in mind,
these numbers were pre COVID.

So we're gonna now look on COVID because
obviously people have been losing

their jobs.

It's been getting worse.

You can see here that pre COVID
there was 5.8% unemployment rate for

the black community, or for
the white, it was 3.1 and

here in September with COVID,
it rose to 12.1% with the black community.

And 7% in the white community,
I think it's the same

situation you're talking about,
just more amplified, if you will.

Because, Like you were saying,

the less educated people probably
lost their jobs more often.

They were let go.

Do you have anything to add on that?

>> I mean I think you covered it but
just like recap in a way.

If you're less educated, you hold less
value so to speak to your business.

To your employer you hold less value if
you're not as educated and based on what I

initially said, if more POCs are less
educated than those of non POCs,

then they're more likely to get let go.

Making up the reason for
why the rate of unemployment is so high.

>> Yeah, yeah.

And here we can see real quick on
figure two on the right hand side that

with COVID, only 18% of the white
people that were interviewed

had trouble paying bills where it
was 43 with the black community.

It's 43% had trouble paying bills,
which is quite a ridiculous number.

So let's look at-
>> [LAUGH] 43?

>> Yeah, 43.

So some solutions to this.

I mean, I say overall awareness
because people aren't aware,

communication on the issues.

You have anything to add?

>> Yeah, with awareness, you just need
to acknowledge that there's a problem.

>> Of course.
>> Communication I agree with but for

the discussion,
I think there should just be

more government spending in
more POC populated areas.

Because the more funding you have,
the higher level of education you get,

a higher level of education leads to you
pursuing more types of education leading

to a smaller economic gap.

So the gap will completely be
bridged if more government

spending was allocated and
more awareness was given as well.

>> Because right now the gap's
just only getting worse and

worse because it's here and it gets worse.

This gets better, this gets worse,
this gets better.

So I see what you're saying.

I agree.

And I think that's about it.

Thank you for your time.

>> Yeah, of course.

>> Thank you.