The Economic Stagnation of the Black Middle Class

On July 15, 2005, a panel of experts briefed members of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on explanations for and consequences of stagnation in the growth of America's black middle class. Professor Douglas Besharov from the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs and Senior Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute led the discussion. Dr. Harry Holzer, Professor of Public Policy, Georgetown Public Policy Institute, and Dr. Bart Landry, Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland, College Park and author of THE NEW BLACK MIDDLE CLASS, also made presentations and offered their expertise. The briefing was held in Room 2226 of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., and was televised by C-SPAN.