© 2024 St. Louis Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Inequality Persists In African American Community, Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

(Photo Courtesy: University of Missouri - St. Louis)

A leading advocate for equal rights argues infant mortality, access to education, and unemployment remain major issues of inequality in the African American community.

Julianne Malveaux is a labor economist, author and political commentator.  She is also the former President of Bennett College, a historically black college for women in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Host Don Marsh talked with Malveaux in advance of her speech at the University of Missouri – St. Louis to commemorate the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

Malveaux said the nationwide problem of unemployment disproportionately affects African Americans. “We’ve got a lot of disparities.  The unemployment report just came out last week and we see still, as always, African American unemployment at almost twice that of whites,” Malveaux said.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for whites is 6.9% while it is 14% for blacks.

St. Louis Public Radio fellowship producer Erin Williams compiled a guide of other local events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Related Event

University of Missouri - St. Louis Martin Luther King Observance "Fulfilling the Dream" Featuring Dr. Julianne Malveaux
Monday, January 21, 2013
10:00 a.m.
UMSL's Touhill Performing Arts Center

Stay Connected
Alex is the executive producer of "St. Louis on the Air" at St. Louis Public Radio.
Mary Edwards is a producer for St. Louis Public Radio's broadcast program, "St. Louis Symphony."
Don Marsh served as host of St. Louis Public Radio’s “St. Louis on the Air" from 2005 to 2019, bringing discussions of significant topics to listeners' ears at noon Monday through Friday. Don has been an active journalist for 58 years in print, radio and television. He has won 12 Regional Emmy Awards for writing, reporting, and producing. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, was inducted into the St. Louis Media Hall of Fame in 2013, and named “Media Person of the Year” by the St. Louis Press Club in 2015. He has published three books: his most recent, “Coming of Age, Liver Spots and All: A Humorous Look at the Wonders of Getting Old,” “Flash Frames: Journey of a Journeyman Journalist” and “How to be Rude (Politely).” He holds an honorary Doctor of Arts and Letters degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.