An Analysis of the New Orthodoxy on Black Mobility

Social scientists working in a number of different areas have asserted with various degrees of certainty that racial discrimination is no longer a problem in the United States. They point to the tremendous gains in occupational advancement that blacks have made since the 1960s as evidence for these assertions. This paper reviews the arguments and claims of what we call the “new orthodoxy” on black mobility, and analyzes the data on black and white mobility from 1962 to 1973. We find no evidence to support a key policy implication drawn from the new orthodoxy—namely, that so-called “affirmative action” programs aimed at economic equality for blacks are no longer needed. On the contrary, we believe that even stronger government policy is needed if U.S. society is to honor its commitment to racial equality.