Analysis of racial inequality frequently focus on the gap between black and white incomes, implicitly or explicitly assuming that income is a good measure of economic well-being. This selection emphasizes the separate importance of wealth, arguing that assets as well as income are required for economic security and stability. Using statistical results from an extensive 1988 survey, the chapter selected here finds that the disparity between black and white households is far greater in terms of wealth than in terms of incomes. Similar racial gaps, though not always equally extreme, can be found within many socioeconomic and demographic subgroups of the population.
