re: Freakonomics podcast on marriage and income

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I do wonder why you broke whites into hispanic/non-hispanic and didn't do the same for blacks?

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Unfortunately the data isn't broken down that way. The CDC lists whites, whites non-Hispanics, and Hispanics, but they don't separate black non-Hispanics. Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race, but that's the way they're listed.

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Again, this whole debate started when someone proclaimed race had nothing to do with it. I'm in analytics by trade and incorrect absolute statements such as this trigger me. I believe I've disproved this statement quite effectively. It is a factor. One of several factors, but a factor nonetheless.

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It is hard to isolate what factor race plays when neither race started with the same baseline. That has been my point all along - whites are now at the point that blacks were at in 1970ish. If the rate continues to climb, is race to blame, or is the head start the only thing that separates the two?