Massachusetts Lawmakers Hold Hearing on Federal Rollbacks and the Racial Wealth Gap

BOSTON — March 31, 2026 — Massachusetts lawmakers heard sweeping testimony on the federal government's role in deepening the state's racial wealth gap at a March 31 Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights and Inclusion hearing. House Chair Rep. Chynah Tyler-Williams and Senate Chair Sen. Liz Miranda convened the panel's fourth federal-policy hearing, drawing testimony from three Healy administration secretaries and a slate of researchers and advocates. Secretary of Labor Lauren Jones cited a median hourly wage of $24 for Black workers and $22 for Latino workers against $33 for white workers, and said more than 35 percent of Black and Latino workers with bachelor's degrees are underemployed. Nicole Obi of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts told lawmakers that 85 percent of Black business owners report difficulty accessing capital and that Black-owned firms represent just 2 percent of Massachusetts businesses with more than one employee. Brookings non-resident fellow Dr. Jeffrey Furman announced that a new Commonwealth wealth survey — with ten times the 2015 Federal Reserve study's sample size — has finished data collection and is expected to report by year's end, adding that he does not expect the data to show improvement since the $8 median net worth figure for Black Boston-area households was first published a decade ago.