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From the President & CEO

Dear Partners and Friends:

The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the wave of demonstrations it sparked have made for a harrowing couple of weeks here in Washington and around the country. The turbulence highlights the need for immediate and drastic change to fight injustice in Black communities. As a Black man who has personally experienced cruelty at the hands of police [[link removed]], I understand the immense pain reverberating in our communities. The time for change is now.

Prosperity Now’s commitment [[link removed]] to closing the racial wealth divide is more important than ever.

Racial economic justice is just one solution to the problems we face, but it is an important one. Prosperity Now will continue to strengthen our efforts in advancing this work. We are here to help facilitate important conversations, to provide you with tools and to amplify your voices so that soon, change can only be a foregone conclusion.

In response to recent events, Prosperity Now released a blog titled, “ America’s Policing Abuses Are the Fruit of Centuries of Poverty and Plunder [[link removed]]”. The blog examines the unjust systems and institutions designed to uphold basic tenets of White supremacy and to withhold basic protections under the law for our country’s Black residents. We scrutinize those roots, the strange fruit they've borne and how we can chart a new path forward—one that allows every resident of the United States to share in the dignity and opportunity that their humanity should afford them.

Additionally, we recently released a report entitled Addressing Debt in Black Communities: A Comprehensive Report Exploring the Potential and Limitations of Services in the Realm of Financial Coaching [[link removed]]—the first in a three-part series. As the country moves through our next recession, working to identify effective methods of providing financial capability tools and assistance to Black/African American communities is especially salient.

Finally, this tumultuous time has shown us how necessary it is to equip our community with the resources to effectively engage with legislators. This year’s Camp Prosperity, beginning on July 14, will help budding and experienced advocates find their place in fighting for policies that lead to a more just future.

In the midst of pain and crisis, I also hold room for immense hope. Even in the last week, it’s been made clear that individuals, organizations and leaders are ready to engage in the difficult work of systemic and structural change. We hope you will join us.

Gary Cunningham

President & CEO, Prosperity Now

Featured Resource

Addressing Debt in Black Communities: A Comprehensive Report

America’s Policing Abuses Are the Fruit of Centuries of Poverty and Plunder

In the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the Constitution did not afford protections or citizenship to Black residents, that Black people were "so far inferior that they [have] no rights which the White man was bound to respect." Some 163 years later, our nation remains burdened by unjust systems and institutions designed to uphold those basic tenets of White supremacy and to withhold basic legal protections for its Black residents. Our current days of protest and civic unrest have grown from that foundation. Prosperity Now’s latest blog post, " America’s Policing Abuses Are the Fruit of Centuries of Poverty and Plunder [[link removed]]", examines those roots, the poisonous fruit they've borne and some of the ways to chart a new path forward--one that allows every resident of the US to share in dignity and opportunity.

Addressing Debt in Black Communities

We recently released a series of reports focused on Addressing Debt in Black/African American Communities, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, in which we explore the effectiveness of programs, products and services in addressing the socioeconomic status of Black/African American clients. Over the past 18 months, Prosperity Now worked with Black/African American-led community-based organizations, using a human-centered design and insights approach, to analyze debt as a feature of racial economic inequity. Each report includes lessons learned and emerging practices gleaned from the people most affected by debt and the practitioners who serve them, as well as from primary research from client data collection and national surveys. Learn more [[link removed]]

Shifting Matched Savings to Emergency Assistance

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have shifted our Emergency Matched Savings Pilot [[link removed]] to an Emergency Assistance Program so that communities can access the funds they need to support themselves and their families during this time. In partnership with the Wells Fargo Foundation, we are seeking to support struggling families through four community-based organizations in launching or expanding their own emergency matched savings programs. We look forward to sharing our lessons from this initiative with the field in August 2020. Learn more [[link removed]]

Get Excited for the 2020 Prosperity Summit!

If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for September 30-October 2, 2020, because we are coming to you LIVE! Last month, we made the exciting announcement that the 2020 Prosperity Summit has gone virtual. We look forward to offering you the same vibrant programming, impactful networking and opportunities to reflect and connect over the emerging and salient topics in our field. This three-day experience is one that you don’t want to miss. Stay tuned for the launch of registration and big speaker announcements! Learn more [[link removed]]

Homeownership Now and After COVID-19

It’s officially Homeownership Month! We know these are challenging times, but this crisis has made it clear that we must continue our work to help change systems so that all Americans can achieve prosperity. This month we are spotlighting an array of housing partners to discuss the challenges of serving their communities and protecting homeownership while envisioning the future through key principles. While this crisis presents many challenges, it is also an opportunity to change how we work by reflecting on the lessons of the recovery from the Great Recession and longstanding housing inequities. Read our first blog post of the month [[link removed]] and stay tuned for updates!

Camp Prosperity

We’ve seen that effective government at every level plays a vital role in the social, economic and physical well-being of our communities. Now, it’s more critical than ever that we’re equipped, organized and mobilized to engage legislators and advocate for policies that lead us to a more just future. On July 14, we’ll kick off our four-week 2020 Camp Prosperity advocacy series where advocacy experts will discuss values-based messaging, budgetary advocacy, election-year advocacy and much more. Registration for Camp Prosperity begins on Thursday, June 18, so please watch your inbox for an email announcement. In the meantime, check out resources from last year’s Camp Prosperity [[link removed]].

Prosperity Now in the Media

StarTribune: I've battled the MPD all my life and one day we will prevail [[link removed]] by Gary Cunningham, President and CEO Yahoo Finance: Why black workers face new economic risks amid COVID-19 [[link removed]], featuring Lillian Singh, Vice President of Programs and Racial Wealth Equity MarketWatch: 3 ways the tax code ‘amplifies’ the black-white wealth gap [[link removed]], featuring David Newville, Vice President of Policy and Research

Mark Your Calendar

Network COVID-19 Engagement Series [[link removed]] – New Sessions Added! Add the 2020 Prosperity Summit to your calendar [[link removed]] – September 30-October 2, 2020Camp Prosperity Advocacy Bootcamp – July 2020

Trending Now

Emergency Savings: Are We Re-Learning Lessons or Have We Reached its Limits? [[link removed]] featuring David Newville, Vice President of Policy and Research Examining the Impact of the CARES Act on Working Families [[link removed]], featuring Joanna Ain and Emanuel Nieves, Associate Directors of Policy

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