Final answer:
The pay disparity between African-American and white soldiers in the Union Army was initially prominent, with African-American soldiers receiving lower wages. The issue was rectified in 1864, after significant advocacy, granting equal pay and retroactive wages. Moreover, despite the Civil Rights Act's progress in reducing the earnings gap, African-Americans, especially women, continued to face labor market discrimination well into the twentieth century.
Step-by-step explanation:
The role of African-Americans in labor and military service throughout history has been marred by inequality and discrimination in terms of compensation. Initially, African-American soldiers in the Union Army received only ten dollars monthly, with three dollars deducted for clothing, which amounted to significantly less pay than white soldiers who earned thirteen dollars without deductions. The tireless efforts of abolitionists and Republican supporters led to the equalization of pay in 1864, granting African-American soldiers the same wages as their white counterparts, and even retroactive pay dating back to 1863.
Despite the progress in military pay justice, the broader labor market was far from equitable for African-Americans. Through much of the twentieth century, systemic racism created a wide gap between black and white earnings. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 played a pivotal role in the fight against labor market discrimination, contributing to a gradual narrowing of this gap. However, even after the Civil Rights movement, black workers, and particularly black women, remained primarily in lower-paying jobs such as servants, seamstresses, and laundresses, highlighting the persistent discrepancy in economic opportunities.