In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, formally acknowledging the federal government’s mistreatment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, approximately 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, most of whom were American citizens, were forcibly removed and incarcerated. Families lost homes, businesses, income, and their freedom because of government decisions.

The conversation around generational wealth often ignores how much Black wealth in America was violently disrupted or stolen. Black families lost land through racial violence, discriminatory laws, fraudulent contracts, unequal courts, predatory lending, and government policies that protected segregation and economic exclusion.

When people imagine reform without addressing history, they often assume fairness means equal treatment going forward. But identical rules applied to unequal starting points cannot produce equal outcomes. Policies that appear neutral today, whether tax incentives, college access programs, or homeownership initiatives, still favor those who already have assets, credit, and inherited stability. Without structural repair, reform stabilizes advantage. The gap remains embedded i