The University of Michigan ran a study for the past 20 years and found that in African American households, there was an overall decline in net worth despite a slight improvement during the 2003-2005 period. The median net worth of Black households was one one-tenth of that of white households ($11,800 for Blacks compared to $118,000 for whites). The University of Michigan study also found a decline in both Black family and white family participation in the stock market. Well hell, aren't the vast majority of Americans overworked and underpaid? Who has money for investments when most Americans are working 2 and 3 jobs just to make ends meet!?! Meanwhile, the rich get richer-- between 1984 and 2005 the net worth of the top two percent of U.S. households nearly doubled jumping from $1,071,000 to $2,100,500 during this time the poorest 25 percent of American families actually lost economic ground.
