Black spending surged since 1981; By chuck Bennett The purchasing power of black Americans grew 50% faster than the rest of the U.S. population over the past 20 years. a study by marketREsearch.com shows. The total income of black Americans households jumped from $247.6 billion in 1981 to $538.8 billion in 2002. Black women are responsible for most of the growth. Th e study found that women generate almost 50% of the total income of all non- Hispanic black Americans. By contrast Hispanic and White women generate around 1/3 of the income. "African American women tend to be undervalued as consumers by manufacturers and service provider's," said Don Montouri of Marketresearch.com, "Yet this population wields considerable purchasing power and influence." Still , only 30% of black women working full time earn more than $35,000. the national average for all american female salaries. Almost half, 48% of black children live in households headed by a single female- For Hispanic children the number is 16% and White children it is 6%.