Parent-Powered Mobility

At ThinkXChange 2019, four parents shared what does and doesn’t work when it comes to intergenerational poverty. Ebony Beals, a member of Springboard to Opportunities, a nonprofit for residents of affordable housing, said there’s a false public narrative about families living in poverty, one that blames individuals instead of systems. Kilolo Kijakazi, a fellow at the Urban Institute, said the racial wealth gap was created by structural racism, not individual choices. Jennifer Richeson, a professor of psychology at Yale, agreed and debunked the notion that the racial wealth gap has been closing over the past 70 years. “We cannot reduce inequality if we can’t acknowledge it,” she said. Erika Moritsugu, from the National Partnership for Women and Families, an Aspen Family Prosperity partner, added, “We need policies that allow women of color and lower-income women, who have always had to work, to finally be able to take care of themselves and their families.” ThinkXChange highlighted the Aspen Family Prosperity Innovation Community, a partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to ensure that all families have a chance to thrive—from their personal health to economic security.

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