The award-winning Black Wealth / White Wealth offers a powerful portrait of racial inequality based on an analysis
of private wealth. Melvin Oliver and Thomas Shapiros' groundbreaking research analyzes wealth -total assets and
debts rather than income alone -to uncover deep and persistent racial inequality in America, and they show how
public policies have failed to redress the problem.
First published in 1995, Black Wealth / White Wealth is considered a classic exploration of race and inequality.
It provided, for the first time, systematic empirical evidence that explained the racial inequality gap between
blacks and whites. The Tenth Anniversary edition contains two entirely new and substantive chapters. These chapters
look at the continuing issues of wealth and inequality in America and the new policies that have been launched
in the past ten years. Some have been progressive while others only recreate inequality -for example the proposal
to eliminate the estate tax.
Compelling and also informative, Black Wealth / White Wealth is not just pioneering research. It is also a powerful
counterpoint to arguments against affirmative action and a direct challenge to current social welfare policies
that are tilted towards the wealthy.
Table of Contents
1. Race, Wealth, and Equality
2. A sociology of wealth and Race Inequality
3. Studying Wealth
4. Wealth and Inequality in Anerica
5. A Story of Two Nations: Race and Wealth
6. The structuring of Racial Inequality in American Life
7. Getting Along Renewing America's Commitment to Racial Justice
Epilogue: Changing Context of Black Wealth/White Wealth: 1995-2005
1. Wealth Inequality Trends
2. The Emergence of Asset Based Policy
