The Impossible Mathematics: African America’s $480 Billion or $1.5 Trillion Debt Dilemma
The mathematics are unforgiving: to achieve the 3:1 mortgage-to-consumer-credit ratio that other communities take for granted, African American households must choose between two impossible paths. The first requires eliminating $480 billion in consumer credit—a 65% reduction that would demand paying down debt at $40 billion per month for a year while maintaining living standards without…
Consumer Credit Now Rivals Mortgage Debt in African American Households
African American household assets reached $7.1 trillion in 2024, marking a half-trillion-dollar increase that signals both progress and peril. Beneath this encouraging headline lies a dangerous structural anomaly: consumer credit has surged to $740 billion, approaching near-parity with mortgage debt of $780 billion. This 1:1 ratio represents a fundamental inversion of wealth-building finance. White, Hispanic,…
African America’s August 2025 Jobs Report – 7.5%
Overall Unemployment: 4.1% African America: 7.2% Latino America: 5.3% European America: 3.7% Asian America: 3.6% Analysis: European Americans’ unemployment rate was unchanged from July. Asian Americans decreased 30 basis points and Latino Americans increased 30 basis points from July, respectively. African America’s unemployment rate increased by 30 basis points from July. AFRICAN AMERICAN EMPLOYMENT REVIEW…
The Political Assault on Lisa D. Cook: Why the Fed’s Only HBCU Alum Faces an Outsized Storm
Federal Reserve Governor Lisa D. Cook, a Spelman College alumna and the only HBCU graduate to ever sit on the Fed’s Board of Governors, is facing escalating calls for her resignation. Donald Trump recently demanded Cook step down, amplifying allegations of mortgage irregularities raised by FHFA Director Bill Pulte. The attack comes not in isolation,…
Why BLS Unemployment Data Gets Revised: A Case Study in Accuracy, Trust, and African American Labor Trends
Each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases employment data that helps guide everything from Federal Reserve policy to financial market forecasts. Yet tucked inside each release is a reminder often overlooked: the numbers are subject to revision. Far from being a sign of error, these revisions reflect the statistical rigor required to measure a…
African America’s July 2025 Jobs Report – 7.2%
Overall Unemployment: 4.1% African America: 7.2% Latino America: 4.8% European America: 3.7% Asian America: 3.5% Analysis: European Americans’ unemployment rate increased 10 basis points. Asian Americans increased 40 basis points and Latino Americans increased 20 basis points from June, respectively. African America’s unemployment rate increased by 40 basis points from June. AFRICAN AMERICAN EMPLOYMENT REVIEW…
The Firing of The BLS Commissioner Reaffirms: President Trump Only Believes In Fake Facts
The moment truth becomes inconvenient to power, it becomes endangered. When President Trump dismissed the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner for delivering an honest—albeit politically unfavorable—jobs report, he did more than fire a public servant. He sent a message that economic data, like political loyalty, could be bent to serve the throne. America is entering…
Ohio’s Unclaimed Billions Could Empower Central State and Wilberforce Instead of Enriching the NFL
In a state flush with $4.8 billion in unclaimed assets, Ohio chose to allocate $600 million toward building a new NFL stadium for the billionaire-owned Cleveland Browns — while offering nothing to Central State University or Wilberforce University, two of its historic HBCUs. For less than 5% of those funds, the state could have endowed…
The American Brain Drain: Could the Next Superpower Rise from U.S. Talent Exodus?
“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” – Michael Jordan The 20th century bore witness to a dramatic shift in global power as the United States cemented its status as the world’s foremost superpower. A pivotal contributor to this ascent was the influx of foreign intellectual capital—most notably following World War II, when…
African America’s June 2025 Jobs Report – 6.8%
Overall Unemployment: 4.1% African America: 6.8% Latino America: 4.8% European America: 3.6% Asian America: 3.5% Analysis: European Americans’ unemployment rate has remained steady for four straight months with virtually no change in unemployment rate. Asian Americans decreased 10 basis points and Latino Americans decreased 30 basis points from May, respectively. African America’s unemployment rate increased…
HBCU Money 