Faith Witness to End Racism

This month’s topic is the Racial Wealth Gap.

Wealth, in our current usage, is different from income. Wealth is the sum of one’s property minus the sum of one’s debts. Income in the form of wages or salaries is transient, while wealth is cumulative.

So what is the racial wealth gap? And a more challenging question…how did it come about? And even more troubling, why is it continuing to grow? This month’s newsletter addresses each of these questions.
The Racial Wealth Gap
Over the years there have been many policies (e.g., segregation, education, zoning, housing, lending) that have put Black families at a disadvantage to building net worth. It is the cumulative nature of wealth that gives rise to the growing gap in wealth across racial lines. Read more.

How Did We Get Here? (The Racial Wealth Gap Simulation)
Bread for the World has developed a Racial Wealth Gap simulation to help us begin to sort out how these gross inequities developed. Read more.

Working Toward a Solution
Progress has been made to rectify the inequity caused by past policies, but it hasn’t been a linear rise toward justice. We take steps forward, we take steps back. Read more.

Note: This will be the last newsletter for the programmatic year. We will take a break for the summer and return in the fall. See you then!
Peace and Justice at Westminster

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Westminster Presbyterian Church
2040 Washington Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15241
412-835-6630