Civil rights leaders at the head of the NAACP and the National Urban League say Americans get 2 things wrong about the racial wealth gap (Business Insider)

If you want to get a heated debate going, start talking about the reasons for the wealth gap between Black and white Americans. Everybody has an opinion.

Numbers tell a story. According to the Brookings Institution, in 2016, at $171,000, the net worth of a typical white family was nearly 10 times greater than that of a Black family, $17,150. 

This is not a new phenomenon. Median net worth for white households has far exceeded that of Black households through recessions and booms over the last 30 years. During the most recent economic downturn, median net worth declined by more for Black families (44.3% decline from 2007 to 2013) than for white families (26.1% decline). In fact, the ratio of white family wealth to Black family wealth is higher today than at the start of the century, according to Brookings.  

The future is none too promising. Black wealth could drop to zero by 2053, according to a report from the nonprofit organization Prosperity Now.

When it comes to the wealth gap, there are truths and myths. Civil rights icons Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, and Ben Jealous, former president and CEO of the NAACP and current president of People For the American Way, share their thoughts. Full story Business Insider.