When you look at the wealth gap and the way that it impacts Black Americans buying power, black Americans ability to participate in the economy, to grow the economy, to open businesses, to create jobs, in the last 30 years it has sapped $51 trillion dollars from the gross national product. That affects everyone from those buying groceries to wall street investors.” So, if everyone understood that there’s money to made here, not just for black people, but for everyone, then maybe more people, perhaps everyone, would be more interested in finding solutions to the racial wealth gap.

What is the racial wealth gap?

Although the term "racial wealth gap" technically refers to the difference in assets owned by different racial or ethnic groups, this gap results from a range of economic factors that affect the overall economic well-being of these different groups. The term reflects disparities in access to opportunities, means of support, and resources. The racial wealth gap is the largest of the economic disparities between Black and white Americans, with a white-to-Black per capita wealth ratio of 6 to 1. It is also among the most persistent.

Bias and discrimination can be difficult subjects to discuss. But there are very good reasons to get past our discomfort and talk about these important issues. Some of the most damaging forms of discrimination are the result of deep-seated, destructive generalizations about a certain group. In such cases, people harbor unrealistic, disparaging beliefs about a group and its members while also maintaining a sense of the moral or intellectual superiority of their own group. These individuals are consciously aware of their negative emotions toward members of the group and intend to harm, disadvantage, or avoid them