The Black Elite: How Class is Dividing the Black Community

There are two groups within the Black community — the privileged and the underprivileged. One could call it the growing great divide. Prestigious college campuses with Black student populations make the class divide even more apparent, especially in an age where we are constantly bombarded with headlines emphasizing the progress of Black Americans. Pro-Black media brands can be found urging us to celebrate the Black success stories, attempting to convince us that these stories symbolize something greater for the race as a whole rather than representing select individuals completing the climb to the top. Thus, the question we need to be asking ourselves is what kind of Black people are being represented in these success stories? 

The emergence of the Black middle-class began in the 1950s and has continued to grow. Anyone who has an annual income that is between the 60th to 80th percentile is considered middle class, which is around $65,000 since 2021. Furthermore, since 2021, about 20% of Black Americans are considered upper-middle class, making at least $100,000 annually. With an increasing number of Black Americans categorized as middle-class — and especially, upper middle-class — there is an access to opportunity that is unprecedented. A major benefit that can be associated with the middle and upper middle-classes is the access to better K-12 education and resources, such as tutoring and SAT prep. In fact, studies show that elite colleges and universities believe that students that come from lower socio-economic backgrounds and attend high schools that have less access to certain resources are not prepared to handle the rigorous work that is required to attend their institution. Therefore, policies that were meant to create an equal playing field in a system fueled by inequities, such as Affirmative Action, do not benefit the group that it was originally designed for — low-income, disadvantaged Black students who have been historically not considered in the college admissions process. 

Let me be clear, however — I believe that the growth of the Black middle-class is a good thing. We cannot turn a blind eye, however, to the increasing wage gap within the Black community that is increasingly affecting Black America. By elite college institutions accepting mostly Black upper middle-class and middle-class students, they reflect a form of classism that transcends into Black elitism on college campuses. To recast, elite universities are curating a very specific Black population on their campuses, which allows Black elitism to thrive. As a student that attends a university that is considered to be one of the more ‘prestigious’ public universities, there are subtle mentions of privilege that shine through brief conversations. There is the saying that “money talks,” but in my experience, Black wealth is often quiet and faint that only rings the ears of the similar select few. The best analogy I can offer is an adjustment of the popular image of someone on their ascension up the ladder of success and then they kick the ladder preventing anyone else from reaching the same level of success as them once they reach their destination. Instead, I offer a slight adjustment of this image — there is someone climbing up the same exact ladder, and once they reach the top of the ladder, they look down to see low-income Black people and middle-class and wealthy Black people waiting to receive the ladder. Rather than kicking the ladder, the person strategically positions the ladder so that only members of the latter group can climb it. The cycle repeats. Moreover, studies show that when looking deeper into the Black elite, most graduated from very selective institutions, such as the Ivy Leagues. Thus, demonstrating a pattern of educational standards that is associated with being a member of the Black elite. These educational standards prove to be unfair to low-income Black students, as mentioned prior, who are disadvantaged when being considered for admission into top universities. Additionally, the main contributing factor that makes Black elitism different from White elitism is that the Black elites lack class consciousness thus surrendering poor Black people to the system of oppression that was not made in their favor. Class consciousness involves an awareness of the interconnectedness of racial and economic disparities, often creating a commitment to advocating for change that benefits all members of the Black community. When Black elites lack this awareness, it can create a sense of division within the community, hindering collective efforts to address systemic issues and achieve equity for all Black individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

To address potential counterarguments on the topic of Black elitism, there are exceptions, such as Oprah Winfrey, where low-income Black people are able to accumulate immense wealth. However, the exception does not equal the majority of low-income Black people who are a victim of the continuous legacy of generational poverty. 

This is not to villainize privileged Black people, as everyone is relatively privileged in some way. In many instances, upper middle-class Black students are simply surrounded by students of similar background, causing the climb to come easy and networking even easier. More importantly, it would not be fair to blame the consequences of a long existing unequal system on a group that is merely a piece of the puzzle. But even still, there needs to be a more open discussion about Black elitism on college campuses. Whether we would like to admit it or not, we are a part of upholding a structure that limits equal access to opportunity to all members of the Black community. Before we can truly shout “Black success,” we need to acknowledge that many upper middle-class Black individuals are so unwilling to risk their proximity to whiteness that they continuously neglect the poor Black population — the same population that is expected to celebrate the “Black success” as if it represents them.