Author Heather McGhee utilizes extensive economic data to argue that laws and practices discriminating against African Americans not only harm the targeted group but also detrimentally affect the broader society, costing the nation billions. Moreover, climate change presents legislators with a dilemma: prioritize climate preparatory infrastructure or continue funding systems rooted in oppression and institutional racism.
Heather reveals in her writings and public speeches that when individuals are queried about seemingly racially neutral policy proposals, such as increasing the minimum wage, broadening public healthcare options, or taking action against climate change, their opinions are influenced by their perceptions of whether demographic shifts in the United States pose a threat to the status of white people. This perception appears to alter their stance on a wide array of issues.
Psychologists Maureen Craig and Jennifer Richeson conducted a study, among many others, that demonstrates a prevalent zero-sum mindset among white Americans. This mindset, more common than among Americans of color, feels threatened by demographic changes and, on a visceral level, perceives such changes as contrary to their interests. This perception leads them to withdraw support from certain policies that one might assume align with their economic interests. The reality is that the majority of the working poor in the USA are white. Historically, Black communities have prospered when they have been able to distance themselves from white economic influence. Such influences include the introduction of drugs, excessive policing, the destruction of schools and beneficial curricula, redlining, predatory lending, liquor stores, inadequate access to quality food, medical apartheid, harmful vaccines, racist school councils, co-opted churches, and the proliferation of guns, all of which hinder community progress and require substantial funds to sustain and maintain.
In the USA, the majority of individuals earning less than $15 per hour are white, as are the majority of those without healthcare. However, climate change poses a risk to all Americans, particularly those over 50, which includes a significant portion of the white population. The most common age for Caucasians in the USA is 48 if not for the recent influx of migrants it would be closer to 58. As of 2024, the most prevalent racial or ethnic group was the non-Hispanic white population, constituting 57.8% of the country's demographic, and it is also the fastest declining population, primarily due to climate change. maintaining racism has cost the USA 16 trillion dollars since 2000 according to a CNN report.
America's failure to address the significant disparities between Black and White communities has led to an economic loss of up to $16 trillion over the past two decades, according to a Citigroup analysis. The report emphasizes the inequities in wages, education, housing, and investment, suggesting that the actual costs could be even higher. Citigroup economists note, "Despite progress towards equality since the 1950s, systems that perpetuate racial inequalities continue or are being reestablished, whether by design or inadvertently." Additionally, the dynamics of the prison industrial system have shifted, with an increase in white incarcerations linked to opioid-related arrests, while the number of Black individuals incarcerated has been decreasing for 12 years.
Racism within local American police departments is a profound issue. Analyses by the Washington Post and the Guardian reveal that Black Americans are twice as likely to be killed by police when unarmed compared to White Americans. This represents a well-known aspect of systemic racism, yet the issue is far more pervasive. For decades, racism has hindered the economic advancement of Black communities. Beginning in the 90s, Black communities started establishing their own police departments, hiring officers committed to protecting the lives and properties of Black residents, rather than allowing oppression or the perpetuation of crimes that harm the community and tarnish its image in the media. Cities like Atlanta, Brockton MA. Houston, Jackson MI, began the hard work of weeding out racist reprobates hiding within their police forces.
The post–World War II GI Bill, instrumental in expanding the American middle class, was largely inaccessible to Black individuals due to the demands of white Southern Congress members who were eager to maintain racial segregation. The policy of "Redlining" by the Federal Housing Administration, which denied mortgage insurance in Black neighborhoods, excluded Black Americans from a primary wealth accumulation method: homeownership. Consequently, Black individuals have directed their investments towards the diaspora, favoring institutions that value their contributions and offer substantial investment returns, thereby fostering global Black infrastructure and empowerment.
In 2022, the net worth of the average Black and Hispanic household increased by over 61% for Black households and 47% for Hispanic households compared to the Federal Reserve's previous survey in 2019. Black communities are prioritizing cost reduction by exploring sustainability options and refurbishing existing homes rather than constructing new ones. This approach is centered on community upliftment and debt alleviation to fortify against anticipated economic downturns, heeding the warnings passed down through the collective zeitgeist of the community's elder griots and living libraries.
In 2021, there were 161,031 Black or African American-owned businesses with annual receipts totaling $183.3 billion. The pandemic disrupted traditional systems, which historically hindered the economic progress of Black entrepreneurs. This disruption provided an opportunity for these entrepreneurs to discover and implement new strategies that bypassed the systemic barriers to wealth accumulation. With the rise of remote work and online business, this trend has not only persisted but also expanded on a global scale.
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