The White Wall: How Big Finance Bankrupts Black America

New York Times reporter Flitter spent three years investigating racism in the American financial industry, and her findings are eye-opening. The racial wealth gap has many causes, but according to Flitter, the financial services industry, which could be a player in positive change, is mired in rampant racism. Banks regularly profile Black customers, are reluctant to cash their checks or allow large withdrawals, and don’t hesitate to alert the police to their presence. Mortgages take longer to approve and are often charged higher interest. Insurance companies offer lower payouts and delay payments to Black customers. Discriminatory practices aren’t reserved for customers only; many big players provide hostile work environments to Black employees, setting them up to fail and holding them to different standards. Class action lawsuits by employees have been successful against such companies as Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Edward Jones, and Wells Fargo, but activist reform is necessary. Narrating her own well-researched and skillfully written work, Flitter is a natural reader whose performance will make listeners want to continue to listen, despite the depressing reality she conveys.