What you can do in your community, place of work and business.
Test your assumptions.
- Ask questions, check common narratives that you hear.
- Be an attentive listener when having conversations about this issue.
- Be willing to seek out information and sources that go beyond your comfort zone.
Get educated.
- Check out our resources page with a list of reports and articles that give a comprehensive overview of the racial and ethnic wealth gap, and how we got here.
Get proximal.
- Share what you have learned with your network, including friends, families and people in your community. This could include sharing resources and other educational material you come across.
- Mentor and frequent businesses of color/entrepreneurs of color.
- Welcome all neighbors, hold your elected officials accountable.
- Write to your elected officials to support policies and legislation that addresses the racial and ethnic wealth gap and advances economic equity.
Lend your voice.
- Hear something, say something. Speak up about what you have learned during conversations related to the racial and ethnic wealth gap.
- Advocate for racial equity at your place of work.
- Advocate and speak on these issues through community forums, Op-Eds, letter to the editor, etc.
Give.
- Partner by giving your time or money.
- Give to organizations such as The Chicago Community Trust that are advocating for policies and systems change that will result in greater equity for underserved communities.
- Give to organizations or initiatives that build access to capital and capacity for entrepreneurs of color.
The facts about the wealth gap in our region