Something to Think About

"The argument that inner-city poverty comes primarily from the personal weaknesses of poor people simply cannot be sustained. Among African-American children under the age of six, half live in poverty. Among African-American males between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four in the city of Washington, half are in the criminal justice system. There are only two possible explanations for these and many similar statistics. Either African-Americans are genetically predisposed to poverty, or specific forces in their environment have kept large numbers poor."

Hilfiker, David. Urban Injustice: How Ghettos Happen. New York: Seven Stories Press, 2002. pxv.