BLACKS IN RURAL AMERICA - SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS AND POLICIES TO ENHANCE ECONOMIC WELL-BEING

This research documents the disadvantaged status of rural blacks. Many indicators of economic well-being reveal that rural blacks lag behind both urban blacks and rural whites. Investments in human capital are critical for improving the economic status of rural blacks; public ass istance and equal opportunity policies are also important. Financing a lternative policies remains a major constraint to reducing the dispari ty between the economic well-being of rural blacks and their white cou nterparts and between blacks in rural and urban communities.