Chapter 9 Why Has BlackWhite Skill Convergence Stopped?

All data sources indicate that blackwhite skill gaps diminished over most of the 20th century, but blackwhite skill gaps as measured by test scores among youth and educational attainment among young adults have remained constant or increased in absolute value since the late 1980s. I examine the potential importance of discrimination against skilled black workers, changes in black family structures, changes in black household incomes, blackwhite differences in parenting norms, and education policy as factors that may contribute to the recent stability of blackwhite skill gaps. Absent changes in public policy or the economy that facilitate investment in black children, best case scenarios suggest that even approximate blackwhite skill parity is not possible before 2050, and equally plausible scenarios imply that the blackwhite skill gap will remain quite significant throughout the 21st century.