
Investigating the U.S. Racial Wealth Gap
The gap in wealth between Black and white Americans is a product of historical realities that continue to shape economic outcomes. Policy interventions to address current wealth disparities must understand the long-standing inequities that contributed to them.

The gap in wealth between Black and white Americans is a product of historical realities that continue to shape economic outcomes. Policy interventions to address current wealth disparities must understand the long-standing inequities that contributed to them.
To help inform those policy discussions, RAND researchers have investigated how wealth is accumulated, the potential effects of particular policy responses, and the social mobility prospects of African Americans. The discussion papers in this series will be followed by future research efforts.