The Aged Black in America--The Forgotten Person

The aged black person, 65 years old and over, is a disadvantaged member of his own disadvantaged group. Comparison with similar data on white populations supports this claim. The aged black person tends to live alone, suffers greater socio-economic deprivation, attains less educational achievement and die younger than his white counterpart. As a member of the 65 and over age bracket, the newest minority group, his life is one of struggles for economic survival, limited social status, with a tendency toward a feeling of social uselessness-thus becoming a forgotten person. He is a prime victim of the technological and medical progress which now permits the development of a new phenomenon-a larger proportion of people to reach old age but without traditional roles and status. The most devastating example of what can happen in our industrialized, urbanized and rapidly social changing society is thus symbolized in . . . who suffer the multiple jeopardy of being old, black, poor, and/or sick, disabled and handicapped, where problems are compounded on top of other problems. (Jackson, H. 1971). This paper will: (1) critically review the literature with particular emphasis on the educational component; (2) relate the author's empirical research and methodology for the training of gerontologists; and (3) recommend roles in gerontological education and training which university and community can perform to enhance the quality of life for black aged. A review of the literature related to the black aged is greatly facilitated by the existence of thorough reviews, particularly those of social researchers (Jackson, J. 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972; Hirsch, et al. 1968; Pinkney, 1969; Kent, 1971 and others). The early literature (between 1950 and 1965) tended to either exclude aged blacks, highlight their meagre socioeconomic conditions or indicate limited knowledge about the aging processes of the black population. Also, findings were generally divergent when these findings characterized such basic variables as health, religion and

Psychology · Retirement, Disability, and Employment

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