Racial Justice Archives

A Looming Crisis: Black Communities at Greatest Risk

July 1, 2020

Foreclosure prevention measures, data collection, and reporting must be prioritized to stave off preventable foreclosures Communities of color in the United States, especially Black and Latinx communities, are particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, from higher rates of illness and death to greater rates of unemployment, mortgage default and eviction risk. These challenges have…

Racial Disparities in Consumer Debt Collection

August 4, 2020

A strong rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is needed to protect consumers from abusive debt collection tactics, especially people of color, who are disproportionately subject to debt collection.

Report: Inequitable Judgments - Examining Race and Federal Student Loan Collection Lawsuits

April 16, 2019

Of the 44 million student loan borrowers, nearly one in five is currently in default on one or more federal student loans. The consequences of federal student loan default—such as wage garnishment, offset of federal benefits and tax refunds (including the Earned Income Tax Credit), and for some borrowers, a federal lawsuit—are devastating. A judgment…

Doing Special Purpose Credit Programs Right: Why Programs to Assist Black Communities Should Avoid Conventional Use of Traditional Credit Scores

February 9, 2021

After racial justice protests and Black Lives Matter activism last summer, advocates and policymakers have proposed a number of programs for lessening the yawning racial disparities in Black-white homeownership and wealth. These include proposals for downpayment assistance, homeownership counseling, and special lending programs for Black borrowers. The latter are referred to as “special purpose credit…

Comments to the White House on Equitable Data Engagement and Accountability

October 3, 2022

Group comments to the White House re: Docket No. 2022-19007 Request for Information; Equitable Data Engagement and Accountability.

Credit Scoring and Insurance: Costing Consumers Billions and Perpetuating the Economic Racial Divide

June 18, 2007

The use of credit scores in home and auto insurance is a poorly understood phenomenon with a huge economic impact on Americans. It’s also a practice that creates wide racial disparities. This report presents an overview of credit scores, which are three digit numbers designed to predict risk based on a consumer’s credit record. The…

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