Racial Wealth Divide Archives

Town Hall Meeting Focuses on Harmful Banking Practices
Town Hall Meeting in Boston with Rep. Barney Frank, Mass. AG Martha Coakley Focuses on Harmful Banking Practices, Rising Credit Card Interest Rates Hurting Working Families and Consumers. Co-hosted by Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MassPIRG), and UFE. March 19, 2008

A Community Approach to Affordable Housing
In their article "A foreclosure-free option," Responsible Wealth member, David Abromowitz, and his colleague Roz Greenstein discuss the use of Community Land Trusts (CLTs) to provide a community-based alternative to subprime mortgages as a way for low-income folks to become and remain homeowners. (From UFE's Enews.) February 29, 2008

Bank of America Benefits from Lending Crisis, Taxpayers to Foot the Bill
While many homeowners stand to lose their homes due to predatory lending, Bank of America is setting itself up to shift millions of dollars of corporate taxes onto taxpayers. (From UFE's Enews.) February 29, 2008

Subprime Lending Crisis Gets Racial Perspective
Our report, "Foreclosed: State of the Dream 2008," is getting a lot of attention. By pointing out the destructive nature of predatory loans for people and communities of color, we hoped we would make people see the issue in a new way. We are pleased that it seems to be working. For example, we've heard from federal policy makers as well as many social justice and social change organizations. (From UFE's Enews.) February 29, 2008

Doing More to Help Subprime Crisis (Op-ed)
The Bush administration is not doing nearly enough to help people who are facing foreclosure. February 22, 2008

King's Dream Deferred, One More Victim of the Subprime Mortgage Crisis
Michelle Singletary devotes her "Color of Money" column in The Washington Post to the findings in our "State of the Dream" report. February 10, 2008

Bush And 'Financial Apartheid'
Editorial by Investor's Business Daily claims that the disproportionate affect of the subprime crisis on people of color is not Bush's fault. February 6, 2008

The Boom Was a Bust For Ordinary People
Barbara Ehrenreich's Op-ed in the Washington Post uses data from our "State of the Dream 2008" report to illustrate how the recent boom hurt the non-rich. February 3, 2008

People of Color Face Historic Wealth Loss
The wealth gap between African American and white median households cannot but grow bigger in the wake of the subprime lending catastrophe. A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford. January 23, 2008

Home Foreclosures and Minorities (TV Interview)
Amaad Rivera was interviewed about our report, "Foreclosed: The State of the Dream 2008." He also responded to telephone calls and electronic mail. January 21, 2008

Foreclosed: State of the Dream 2008
A new solutions-oriented report from UFE examines the racial bias of the subprime mortgage lending crisis, and the resulting huge wealth loss to people of color. January 16, 2008

Boston Herald Covers "State of the Dream" Story
UFE's Co-Executive Director, Brenda Cotto-Escalera, talks to the Boston Herald about the new report, "Foreclosed: State of the Dream 2008." January 15, 2008

NPR reports on Foreclosed: State of the Dream 2008
NPR host Michel Martin talks with a co-author of Foreclosed: State of the Dream 2008 for her show "Tell Me More." Listen to the interview. January 15, 2008

Building Bridges (Radio): Foreclosed: The State of the Dream
For tens of millions of people in the US, owning a home is the essence of the American dream. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would undoubtedly agree, and aspired to make the dream more broadly available - to Blacks, Latinos & Asians as well as Whites, to poor people as well as rich. But now, the sub-prime lending crisis has spread its tentacles across the country causing the greatest wealth setback for people of color ever. January 14, 2008

Let America Have Racial Wealth Equity
Race and gender compound the greatest economic inequality since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It is time for a change. By UFE staffer Amaad Rivera. December 18, 2007

Triple Threat: Racism, Economic Exploitation and War
UFE's Racial Wealth Divide staffer Amaad Rivera writes in Black Agenda Report about the triple threat that economic exploitation, racism and war pose to people of color. October 21, 2007

The Summer of our Discontent...Again
Amaad Rivera explores the recent US Supreme Court decision against desegregating schools. August 31, 2007

Fair Lending Helps Community Prosperity
A new report finds that African-Americans in Baton Rouge were more than twice as likely to receive sub-prime home loans as non-minorities in 2005. The report is the second in a series of reports on Louisiana lending practices commissioned by the Louisiana Community Reinvestment Coalition (LCRC) and compiled by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) Research and Policy division. June 27, 2007

People of Color Vote Blue, But Stay in the Red
http://cjonline.com/stories/011907/opi_139528448.shtml January 19, 2007

Dems '100 Hours' Agenda Does Little to Address Economic Divide
Study: Dems '100 Hours' Agenda Does Little to Address Economic Divide Between Whites and People of Color January 9, 2007

State of the Dream 2007
The fourth annual State of the Dream report finds that in 2007, while people of color support Democrats in the voting booth, they are still waiting for policies and programs that close the economic gap between them and whites. January 9, 2007