The proponents of reparations have focused on wealth rather than income in their analysis, for three reasons. First, the differences between black and white people are stark, even within the same income groups; second, there is no remedy for these discrepancies in existing law, so a completely new approach would be required to resolve them; and third, since household wealth is accumulated over a period of many years, it inevitably puts most of the blame on our predecessors, not us. It is a politically shrewd decision. But is it logical?
The average working person relies on his income, not his wealth, in about 90 percent of his transactions. The obvious exception would be a large capital expenditure–typically, a house. The location of your house has a clear connection to the quality of education and economic opportunities. And so, the story here is mixed; the proposed connection to wealth does not reflect normal conditions, but is not irrational.