The net wealth of a typical Black family in America

by | Nov 21, 2024 | Essays

 

“Consider that the net wealth of a typical Black family in America is around one-tenth that of a white family. A 2018 analysis of U.S. incomes and wealth written by economists Moritz Kuhn, Moritz Schularick, and Ulrike I. Steins and published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis concluded, “The historical data also reveal that no progress has been made in reducing income and wealth inequalities between black and white households over the past 70 years.” (See https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/06/racial-wealth-gap-may-be-a-key-to-other-inequities/)

Instructions
Using U.S. family incomes, construct a slide presentation that differentiates between equality, equity, and justice. Be sure to address the following:
1. Define equality, equity, and justice (cite 1 scholarly source).
2. List 2 background needs that U.S. Lawmakers should consider if Black and White American families are to achieve not only income equality but income equity and income justice.
3. What are some types of income experiences that contribute to income equality, equity, and justice for Black and White families? Use U.S. family incomes/quantitative data and qualitative excerpts (people’s stories) to illustrate differences between equality, equity, and justice and show income shifts experienced by Black and White American families.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

  • Title: Bridging the Divide: Income Equality, Equity, and Justice for Black and White Families in the U.S.
  • Your Name and Affiliation (if applicable)

Slide 2: Defining Key Terms

  • Equality: Everyone receives the same amount of resources, regardless of need. (Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

    • Illustration: Imagine dividing a pie equally among 5 people, regardless of their hunger levels.

  • Equity: People receive resources based on their specific needs. (Source: Center for American Progress)

  • Title: Bridging the Divide: Income Equality, Equity, and Justice for Black and White Families in the U.S.
  • Your Name and Affiliation (if applicable)

Slide 2: Defining Key Terms

  • Equality: Everyone receives the same amount of resources, regardless of need. (Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

    • Illustration: Imagine dividing a pie equally among 5 people, regardless of their hunger levels.

  • Equity: People receive resources based on their specific needs. (Source: Center for American Progress)

    • Illustration: Imagine dividing the same pie, giving larger slices to those who are hungrier.

  • Justice: Addressing historical disadvantages and creating a fair playing field for all. (Source: The Sentencing Project)

    • Illustration: Imagine providing a smaller person with a box to stand on so they can reach the pie, creating a level playing field.

Slide 3: The Racial Wealth Gap

  • Briefly discuss the wealth gap statistic: Black families hold about 1/10th the wealth of white families (Source: Harvard Gazette, 2021).
  • Highlight the lack of progress in closing the gap over 70 years (Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, 2018).

Slide 4: Background Needs for Equity and Justice

  • 1. Addressing Historical Disadvantage:

    • Consider policies like reparations for slavery and discriminatory housing practices.
    • Educational programs to address historical narratives that perpetuate racial inequality.

  • 2. Dismantling Systemic Barriers:

    • Examine discriminatory practices in hiring, lending, and criminal justice.
    • Implement policies to promote equal opportunity for education, employment, and wealth generation.

Slide 5: Income Experiences: Income Equality

  • Data: Present a graph or chart that shows the median income for Black and White families in the U.S. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)
  • Qualitative Excerpt: “Both John and Michael work full-time jobs, yet John (Black) struggles to afford groceries while Michael (White) is saving for a down payment on a house.” (This is a fictional example, you can find real-life stories online or conduct interviews)

Slide 6: Income Experiences: Income Equity

  • Data: Present a chart showing the distribution of income within Black and White families (Source: Pew Research Center)
  • Qualitative Excerpt: “Both Sarah (Black single mother) and David (White married couple) have one child. Sarah receives government assistance to make ends meet, while David can afford childcare and save for college.” (This is a fictional example)

Slide 7: Income Experiences: Income Justice

  • Data: Show the trend of income growth for Black and White families over time (Source: Congressional Budget Office)
  • Qualitative Excerpt: “Over the past 20 years, income for Black families has stagnated, while White families have seen significant growth. This limits opportunities for wealth creation for Black families.” (This is a fictional example)

Slide 8: Conclusion

  • Restate the importance of achieving income justice, not just equality.
  • Briefly mention policy solutions or areas for further research.
  • Call to action: Encourage further discussion on closing the racial wealth gap

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