Closing the Racial Wealth Gap

Bringing together 150 years of data, Ellora Derenoncourt is shedding new light on our understanding of the historical roots and persistent challenges of the U.S. racial wealth gap. This new picture highlights the scale of policies needed to achieve economic equality.

Learn more about her work at https://www.elloraderenoncourt.com/

Derenoncourt's research shows that while there was initial progress in wealth convergence, by the mid-20th century, the gap had stagnated and has since diverged further. Derenoncourt explores how differences in savings, income, and investment opportunities explain the gap's persistence, highlighting that conventional policy approaches are insufficient. Instead, she discusses more ambitious proposals, such as reparations, to address systemic inequality.

Ellora Derenoncourt is Assistant Professor of Economics at Princeton University and a member of the Industrial Relations Section of Princeton Economics. She is also the founder and faculty director for the Program for Research on Inequality at Princeton Economics.