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GUEST: Meizhu Lui, the Executive Director of United for a Fair Economy, and the lead author of The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the US Racial Divide

For every dollar owned by the average white family in the United States, the average family of color has less than a dime. The United States has always had a serious racial wealth gap. Now, five researchers from the group, United for a Fair Economy, have tried to answer the question, “why do people of color have so little wealth?” They’ve co-written a book called The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the US Racial Divide,” in which they lay out how for centuries, people of color have been barred by laws and by discrimination from participating in government wealth-building programs that benefit white Americans. The book examines the histories of five major racial groups in the US: Native Americans, Latino Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and European Americans. It is the first book to demonstrate the decisive influence of government policies on Americans’ net worth. “The Color of Wealth” also make the case that until government policy tackles disparities in wealth, not just income, the United States will never have racial or economic justice.