Recently, Cook Center research was featured in an op-ed by Lauren Michele Jackson, “When We Talk About Cultural Appropriation, We Should Be Talking About Power”.
The disparity in power between white and black in America is severe. According to a 2018 report by the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University, “A white household living near the poverty line typically has about $18,000 in wealth, while black households in similar economic straits typically have a median wealth near zero. This means that many black families have a negative net worth” .
Contrary to myths that say if only black folks did right—saved money, went to college, got married, started a business — nothing is as predictive of success in America as being born white. In fact, as the report concludes, “There are no actions that black Americans can take unilaterally that will have much of an effect on reducing the racial wealth gap.”
