The above chart shows the growing spread between America's richest and poorest - and in both the black and white communities. In addition to showing that black household income still lags far behind white household income, it actually marks a decrease in the income of the poorest black households between 1968 and 1995 (in 1995 dollars).

Since 1980, the population of the black underclass has tripled according to statistics from The Urban Institute - which defines people in the 'underclass' using the above five criteria.