8 Facts Debunking Poverty Myths and Racial Stereotypes

Myth: African-Americans are the biggest food stamp recipients. Fact: Blacks are not the primary recipients of food stamps: 35.7 percent of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, recipients and 43 percent of those on Medicaid — two of the largest public benefit programs — are white. Myth: President Obama is the "Food Stamp President." Fact: President Barack Obama is not a “food stamp president.” According to recent figures, more food stamp recipients were actually added under former President George W. Bush than under President Obama. Under President Bush, the number of recipients rose by nearly 14.7 million. Myth: Black people receive the most government benefits. Fact: African-Americans, who make up 22 percent of the poor, receive 14 percent of government benefits, close to their 12 percent population share. White non-Hispanics, who make up 42 percent of the poor, receive 69 percent of government benefits, close to their 64 percent population share. However, because whites are underrepresented in the demographic, it's clear to see they receive a significantly disproportionate amount of government benefits. Myth: Black poverty is caused by laziness. Fact: Blacks are not disproportionately poor because they are lazy. The main reasons why people living in poverty are not employed are illness and inability to find work. Approximately 56 percent of those who did not work in 2010 did not work due to illness, disability, retirement or an inability to find work. Myth: Entitlement benefits encourage people to not work. Fact: Social programs are not undermining the work ethic and creating a large class of able-bodied Black Americans who prefer to depend on government benefits rather than work. More than 90 percent of the benefit dollars that entitlement and other mandatory programs spend goes to assist people who are elderly, seriously disabled or members of working households. Myth: People who receive government benefits are freeloaders. Fact: Many Americans receiving public benefits paid for them. Thirty-nine percent of Americans receive benefits they paid for through payroll taxes taken out of their own paychecks. Myth: There are more poor Black people in America than whites. Fact: More white Americans live in poverty than any other group. In 2010, 31.6 million white Americans lived in poverty, more than any other racial or ethnic group. Myth: The federal government is giving cash hand-outs to people who do not want to work Fact: The federal government does not hand out checks to poor Blacks and other people of color who choose not to work. Only about 10 percent of all federal dollars committed to public benefit programs for low-income Americans are paid in cash, and the majority of cash assistance programs are focused on those who cannot work.

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