Final answer:
The earnings gap in America along racial lines has not changed significantly in the last 50 years, with continuing disparities in education and evidence of labor market discrimination contributing to this issue.
Step-by-step explanation:
The earnings gap between different races and genders in America is a concern that has persisted over time. While the gap between men and women's earnings has decreased since the 1980s, the racial earnings gap, especially between Black and White workers, has not seen significant change in 50 years, as indicated by U.S. Census data. A number of factors contribute to this disparity, including differences in education levels and the presence of discrimination in the labor market.
Education plays a significant role, with Black people having a lower percentage of four-year college degree completion compared to White people. Studies show that the wage gap for Black and White college graduates starts out non-existent but widens over time, suggesting ongoing discrimination. Furthermore, a field experiment demonstrated that resumes with names commonly associated with White people received 50 percent more callbacks than those with names associated with Black/African American people, highlighting discrimination in job opportunities and supporting the theory that such practices can be linked to further discrimination in areas such as the housing market.