Trickledown Economics - Erika Barker — Miami-Based AI, Data Science, and Tech Journalism

The Shrinking Middle Class: The Disturbing Economic Trend for America

August 20, 2025February 16, 2025 by Erika Barker

Since the late 1990s, this indicator has been in freefall. And if history is any guide, that’s a big problem. Societies don’t do well when the middle class collapses. They break—politically, economically, and sometimes violently

About Erika Barker | Data Scientist,& Investigative Storyteller

I’m Erika Barker, a Miami-based data scientist, Navy veteran, journalist, and investigative storyteller. My career began in combat journalism for the U.S. military and evolved through graduate-level teaching, creative direction in New York, and advanced study in business and data science. Today, I focus on how machine learning, AI, and data analysis can reveal hidden patterns in human systems, and how those insights can be translated into stories that drive understanding and action.

I specialize in predictive analytics, machine learning, and data visualization, I build models and narratives that explore the trajectories shaping our society, from technology and finance to culture and governance. My work spans from creating dashboards and decision frameworks to producing investigative media like The Gray Files podcast, where I examine the human impact of emerging technologies through a data-driven lens.