The peculiar duality is understandable from the standpoint of class. The significance of the march is the continuing division of social status within the black community; an issue that is related but perhaps more important than the prevailing concern about black-white relations.
The widespread support for retired General Powell as a presidential candidate demonstrates that black-white social attitudes, on one level, have converged. But, as noted in a National Research Council (NRC) report published in 1989, A Common Destiny: Blacks and American Society, "The status of blacks is determined by the presence of both racial stratification and class (position within the socio-economic structure of society)."
Changes in black-white relations and social opportunities do not affect blacks of different status in similar ways. The report goes on to say that, "Many blacks who have not succeeded live in environments in which social conditions and individual behavioral patterns are often detrimental to self-improvement."
The NRC Report cited three, what it termed, barriers to black advancement: residential segregation; diffuse and indirect discrimination; and exclusion from social networks essential for full access to economic and educational opportunities. It's the exclusion from the broader social networks that characterize the class distinctions. Retired General Powell is considered a viable presidential candidate after excelling for 35 years in the most racially integrated institution in the nation, the U.S. Army. And as outlined in the General's autobiography, the mentors and social networks forged during that career helped, in addition to his talents and initiative, make the man that is so appealing to such a broad cross-section of Americans.
In contrast, many young black males segregated in urban areas increasingly do not have access to jobs - especially job networks, involvement in quality schools, and exposure to conventional role models. The NRC report cites data indicating that social networks and differential methods of job search are linked to the declining employment opportunities for poor black youths. Structural changes in the economy such as the dispersion of industry, the increased labor supply of women, and the fall in real wages has probably magnified the importance of social networks for gaining information about and access to jobs.
For example, some studies have found that young blacks and whites search for jobs differently. Blacks more often walk in and apply, while whites are more often referred by friends and relatives or public employment agencies.
The NRC report makes the case that "these different search techniques are related to the fact that blacks and whites have separate ties and networks," and that "the quality of employment blacks obtain is correlated with the racial composition of their social networks." This association did not show for black women, surprisingly. It may possibly be explained by the fact that black women gained access to expanding non-personal service employment and clerical opportunities during the 1950s and 1960s when fewer white females were in the labor force.
The NRC report estimates that from 1940 through 1970, black Americans experienced general improvement in their relative economic status. After the 1970s, black gains in relative earnings and incomes slowed and have deteriorated for many indicators of average status. While employed blacks have, in large part, continued to improve relative to whites, the relative employment of blacks has fallen, which has contributed to an overall decline in the aggregate income and earnings of blacks relative to whites. A major factor has been the poor labor market performance of black males.
Finally, the concept of duality, stretched considerably, enabled me to shape an understanding of some of the underlying forces behind the march and beyond the issues surrounding Minister Louis Farrakhan. However, Farrakhan's numerology references during his two-hour speech reminded me of a graduate school anecdote: During an applied macroeconomics class, the lecturer, after writing an endless equation, turned, saw the puzzled faces in the class, and continued on, saying, "Don't listen to the words, just concentrate on the music."