US Black Middle Class Is Suffering

Generations of Valerie Magee's family, from her grandparents to her children, have deepened their roots in the black middle class, finding a pathway to prosperity through college education and the support of family members. But as Magee, 56, watches college tuition skyrocket and wealth and incomes plummet, she worries that college might be moving beyond her young grandchildren's grasp. So Magee, a divorced nurse administrator, recently sold her pricey south suburban Matteson home, hoping that will free her up financially to better assist her children if they need help with a future mortgage payment or tuition. "Every generation wants the next to move up at least one more rung on the ladder, not backward -- never backward," she said. "My daughter and son-in-law are doing OK for now, but who knows what will happen tomorrow?" For months, the presidential candidates have been trying to court the middle class, extending offers of tax cuts, lower gas prices and better schools. The message: America does well when the middle class does well. The corollary: We feel your pain.

More