By Freddie Allen NNPA Washington Correspondent ASHVILLLE, N.C.
(NNPA) – Before the end of the Great Recession, researchers at
United for a Fair Economy, a group that advocates for economic
justice, estimated that it would take 594 years to close the
wealth gap between Blacks and Whites. And that was optimistic.
“Now that we’ve had this crisis, it’s much worse than that,”
said Terry Keleher, program director for the Racial Justice
Leadership Action Network at Applied Research Center, a national
racial equality advocacy group. Keleher addressed many of the
underlying issues that affect the racial wealth gap here at the
recent America Healing Initiative conference, a summit of
community activists, civil rights leaders and like-minded
stakeholders fighting to eradicate structural racism and racial
inequality. “Many people still believe in the myth of the level
playing field and meritocracy,” said Keleher. “We have to
challenge these myths.” Keleher said that widespread racial
discrimination exists in the key area