Dear Next President,

Racial disparities affect the wage gap from people of color to white people. Through work opportunity, experience, and bias. I would like to see you, as president make changes to all types of pay in work places for equality.

Racial wage gaps affect us today more than they have in 40 years. Today families of color make less than they have since 1970. With these black families are being hit the hardest from at around income 33%. “As a result, black men earned the same 73% share of white men’s hourly earnings in 1980 as they did in 2015,” (Eileen Patten, Racial, gender wage gaps persist in U.S. despite some progress, Facttank). Most families of colors wages have gone down and poverty has gone up. More than 20 percent of Hispanic and 30 percent of black and Native American families are poor. Those numbers have grown, in some cases significantly. For races of Black, Native American and Hispanics, in fact the only minority group to produce a positive growth of revenue was asians, “Asians are the only minority families who have seen their median incomes grow. With a 2014 median family income of about $71,500, Asian families earn about $10,000 a year less than whites.” ( Christopher Magan, Minnesota’s worsening racial disparity: Why it matters to everyone, pioneer press,). All pays including minimum wage needs to be raised for people of color. “In the past, when populations of people of color were smaller relative to the whole, economic disparities were an issue for moral reasons, for issues of equity,” (Susan Brower, Minnesota state demographer).

The pay from white to black is separated by 26%. Showing that even pay tipping and splitting money is biased from people of color compared to white people. “Last year, the hourly pay gap between blacks and whites widened to 26.7%” (CNN Money). Large percentages of pays effect the 33% difference of household income. One average at minimum wage whites make $8 more than people of color. Evidence has shown that wage gaps and inequities build over time creating a disadvantage for workers. Supporting the fraise, “Disadvantages carry over” mostly for workers of color. Showing biases and disadvantages of workers.

Opportunities for jobs, work and even education are racially biased. Studies from the national bureau of economic research has shown that Studies show when applying for a job applicants with the “black names” are less likely to get called for a job. Education in schools is segregated. “Attaining a higher education also failed to close the gap between black and white workers, the report found. Black men with a bachelor's degree or more and who had 11 to 20 years of work experience made 27.2% less than white workers.” ( Christopher Magan, Minnesota’s worsening racial disparity: Why it matters to everyone, pioneer press,). Discrimination affects job choice and income levels. “Unemployment rates for Minnesotans of color are as much as four times greater than for white residents.” (U.S. Bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor).

I’d like to see changes made in opportunity and pay raise in society and in the United States. I believe the pay system is unjust and should be changed. With all of this inequality as president what do you think you'd do to bring equal pay and opportunity to people of color and struggling minorities of Minnesota and America?

Daniel Barrett, 10th grade, St. Paul central high school.