Economist and social theorist Thomas Sowell argues that while overt racism and poverty were worse prior to 1960, the decades following the civil rights era and the Great Society saw a severe cultural and social breakdown within black ghettos.
He contrasts the eras across several key areas:
Family Structure: Sowell highlights that the majority of black children were raised in two-parent households prior to the 1960s. Following the explosive growth of the welfare state, the vast majority began being raised in single-parent homes.
Crime & Safety: Violent crime and homicide rates within black ghettos were significantly lower in the 1940s and 1950s. Sowell notes that murder rates for black males actually declined during the much-lamented 1950s but surged after the 1960s.
Education: Sowell, who grew up in Harlem in the 1940s, frequently compares the quality of urban education then versus post-civil rights. He argues that ghetto schools were previously much more disciplined and academically rigorous, providing an education that was often superior to what later became available in the same neighborhoods.
Community & Economics: The ghetto riots of the 1960s resulted in the destruction of neighborhood commerce, causing businesses and basic services to flee. Sowell argues this resulted in a lack of local competition, leaving remaining ghetto residents subject to poorer quality goods and higher prices.