Final answer:
The Black middle class has fluctuated over the last few decades, with some positive advancements followed by setbacks. Factors such as the civil rights movement, affirmative action, and urban issues have played a role in shaping the Black middle-class experience.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Black middle class has experienced fluctuations over the last few decades. In the late twentieth century, there was a slight increase in the number of black Americans joining the middle class, thanks to the civil rights movement and initiatives like affirmative action.
However, the 1980s saw a retreat in support for affirmative action and an assault on urban black communities, leading to reduced opportunities and the introduction of social issues such as crack cocaine.
Today, a lack of well-paying jobs in urban areas and the persistent effects of slavery and racism have trapped many black people in under-served neighborhoods with lower opportunity and life expectancy.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 created opportunities for the Black middle class to advance economically and socially, but their departure from black neighborhoods left them mired in poverty and crime.
The decline of the middle class in general since the 1970s has exacerbated economic inequalities.