Black New England Conference 2022

Where the Money Resides: An Exploration of Racialized Access & Historic Exclusion from Wealth

A Virtual/Hybrid Conference

                          “I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that financial literacy, economic empowerment, and wealth building

                           is going to be the last leg of the civil rights movement. Because one step toward financial literacy takes you

                           two steps toward personal empowerment.” -- Russell Simmons

For hundreds of years Black families, Indigenous populations, and People of Color have been denied access to the opportunity to build wealth. At the same time, these opportunities were available to middle-class white America which allowed them to accumulate capital and pass it on to future generations.

A 2021 McKinsey & Company report estimates a $330 billion disparity between Black and white families in the annual flow of new wealth.  By 2064, white families will possess $2, 782, 727 in wealth while a Black family will have $789,164 —a 70% disparity.

The 16^th annual Black New England Conference will review the legal framework that supported institutional practices that were barriers to wealth for non-whites. The conference will also explore the challenges and history of the social and cultural environment that supported practices such as racial zoning, redlining, school segregation, and government-sanctioned racism.

Where the Money Resides will also celebrate the success stories of both individuals and institutions that serve as beacons of hope for current generations.

The Black New England Conference is an annual 2-day gathering where academics, artists, activists, and community members share insights and research on Black experiences, past and present, in New England and beyond. The Conference is both an academic conference and a celebration of Black life and history.