Greenwood Collective

Mission

At GCo we use the past to inform the present.

By understanding the history of Black economics we are able to identify areas where the consequences of systemic oppression persist, and work together to overcome them.

We are a network of mentors, investors, professionals and students that work to accelerate the careers of our members and empower them to achieve financial success.

"When the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, the Black community owned less than 1 percent of the total wealth in America. More than 150 years later, that number has barely budged."

Mehrsa Baradara

The Color of Money

The Wealth Gap in Context

Events throughout history that have hindered Black wealth

1850

1935

2020

1865 - 1874

40 Acres & a Mule

"When Lincoln was assassinated, Vice President Andrew Johnson effectively rescinded Sherman’s order by pardoning white plantation owners and returning to them the land on which 40,000 or so black families had settled. “This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men,” Johnson declared in 1866."

Learn More

"The Wealth gap is where the historical legacy of racist policy lives on"

Josh Hoxie

Dreams Deferred

Median Household Wealth by Race

SOURCES: PEW RESEARCH CENTER | PROSPERITY NOW

Black

Asian

White

$17,100

$91,440

$171,000

The rising cost of education is disproportionately impacting Black students,
who have to take out larger loans at higher rates and have more trouble paying them back.

Affirmative Action policies across the country are being threatened, which is reducing the number of grant, scholarship, and targeted recruitment opportunities for disenfranchised students.

Student Loan Debt by Race

Average Debt Ages 25-55

SOURCE: URBAN INSTITUTE

Black

Asian

White

$44,000

$24,000

$32,000

The large proportion of income that Black graduates commit to student loan payments takes away from their ability to save, buy property, and start businesses.

The interest from these loans is often paid to financial institutions that have a long history of discriminatory lending practices and have minimal involvement or investment in the Black community.

Black

Asian

White

Retirement Plans

Employer-sponsored coverage by race

Source: NIRS (2012)

38%

47%

63%

Homeownership

Homeownership by race

Source: Census Bureau (2018)

42%

58%

73%

Black

Asian

White

Self Employment

Sustainable business ownership by race

Source: PEW Research Center (2014)

5%

10%

11%

Black

Asian

White

Greenwood Collective

Our Impact

Greenwood Collective helps students accelerate their careers and pay off school fees as quickly as possible.

We leverage our network to match members with prestigious employment opportunities, while our Income Share Agreements offer students a strategic alternative to loans.

We welcome you to learn more about our ISA Program, or discover how to get involved.