Past, Present, and Future. Anonymous

“We would get chased home because Italians didn't want us in their neighborhood.”

“It causes gentrification and…[section 8] people to move out…prices go up.”

These are 2 of the many testimonies I gathered while conducting research last summer. I utilized qualitative data and interviewed Black families to research how systemic racism has perpetuated racial wealth gaps and intergenerational poverty.

Every interview exposed me to the experiences of grandparents, parents, and children—the past, present, and future.

Despite grappling with a past marked by systemic racism, parents worked relentlessly to ensure their sons and daughters had the tools to break the cycle of poverty. Today, those sons and daughters work even harder to create a better future for the next generation.

With the opportunity to continue my qualitative research alongside Dr. Adia Wingfield and Dr. Elizabeth Korver-Glenn—sociology professors whose interview-based research also tackles racial and class divides—studying sociology at WashU will inspire me to further explore why Black families in my community have struggled to accumulate wealth. It’ll inspire me to continue analyzing the past to understand how systemic racism, racial wealth gaps, and...