Understanding the Relationship between Slavery, Self-Esteem, and Income: An Analysis of the Master-Slave Dynamic and the Socioeconomic Status of African American Men and Women

This research project analyzes why a person\u27s status and opportunity for achievement is shrouded in a racialized context. The analysis focuses on the effect of the master-slave dynamic, which was unique as an institution of slavery in the United States because it was conceived along racial lines. Considering that for over 400 years this master-slave dynamic was a primary determinant of the relationships between black and white people, it is not unimaginable to consider that some aspects of that dynamic are still in play today. They have firmly entrenched an unequal economic system that falls along racial lines. For the purposes of this paper, I will use the terms African American and black interchangeably. Since this is the beginning of ongoing research, there are some generalizations made about black men and women