Atlanta holds an enduring reputation as the center of Black political power and Black professional class success. In 1971, Ebony magazine referred to Atlanta as the “Black mecca,” citing the city’s relatively inclusive environment for Black entrepreneurs and politicians. Today, Atlanta is still referred to as the Black mecca, as it houses some of the nation’s most well-known Black educational institutions, increased its population of the Black middle-class, and has been a model of Black mayoral power since the 1970s.

Despite the city’s record economic growth, stubborn racial and economic inequities have persisted. Courting businesses and using extractive economic development practices as the superior growth model has stifled opportunities for all Black residents to succeed economically. When attention is given to the challenges facing Atlanta’s Black households, more than a third of which have zero or negative net worth, the assumption is that the challenges can be solved by programs focused on financial literacy, job training, and anti-poverty services. While these efforts are critical, they have not fixed Atlanta’s reputation as the number one place for income inequality.

“To me, it’s like, I feel like I’m in quicksand here in Atlanta.”

While the income inequality picture is bleak, it doesn’t capture the magnitude of economic injustice in the city. But one data point does: the wealth of white households in Atlanta is 46 times more than that of Black households.

This report proposes a new framework for understanding and confronting the massive racial wealth divide and its impact on Black Atlantans. Using what we describe as the structural determinants of Black wealth framework, this report interrogates data, narratives, and policies that drive Black wealth outcomes. The framework also enables community organizers, researchers, policymakers, practitioners, investors, and others to advance race-conscious solutions that seek to build Black wealth while pursuing a just world for all. This framework is necessary to build a beloved economy, which is essential for creating a beloved community in Atlanta.