In the decades since the Civil Rights Movement, scholars have studied the changing economic and social status of Black Americans to see whether the promise of racial equality is being fulfilled. Focusing on the period from 1980 to 2010, this dissertation examines three themes that emerge from this literature. It compares the trajectories over time of different groups of Black Americans according to age, gender, and U.S.- versus foreign-born status. It follows the fortunes of these different groups over time, measured by income, poverty status, educational attainment, home ownership, employment, and labor force participation. It uses data from the Minnesota Population Center's Integrated Public Use Microdata Series of the United States Census Bureau's 1980, 1990, and 2000 Census, and 2008-10 (3-year cross-sectional data) American Community Survey (ACS). This study uses synthetic age cohort analysis to test and apply theories of cultural and social capital and social stratification within the Black population over time.

This dissertation concludes with individual- and group-level policy suggestions.