Julian Bond Institute Report Highlights Aspirations and Hurdles to Financial Stability for Atlanta’s Westside DURHAM, NC – Residents of English Avenue and Vine City want planned reinvestment in the Westside Atlanta neighborhoods to include expanded opportunities for economic mobility, protections and safeguards against community wealth-stripping, and increased access to banking services and financial education to help residents achieve the financial stability needed to help grow and sustain their communities, according to a report released today by the Julian Bond Institute (JBI) of the Center for Responsible Lending. The report, “ Credit for the Westside: Building Financial Resilience in Atlanta’s English Avenue and Vine City Neighborhoods,” used a mixed-methods approach, including a survey, interviews and focus groups, to better understand the financial experiences, challenges, and aspirations of people living in Atlanta’s Westside. The community – 44% of study respondents were from English Avenue and Vine City, and most of the other survey respondents were from surrounding Westside Atlanta neighborhoods – also identified potential interventions that are needed to support financial stability, long-term wealth-building, and resident-driven economic opportunity. Residents for years have expressed concerns that large-scale development projects, including Atlanta hosting 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, have not adequately addressed the underlying...
DURHAM, N.C. — Today, the Julian Bond Institute (JBI) announced that Center for Community Self-Help Executive Vice President Crystal German will become JBI president starting August 1. Alongside this new role at JBI, Ms. German will continue as EVP at Self-Help, where she leads its mortgage credit, community engagement, marketing and communications, and fundraising teams. Self-Help is a family of five nonprofits, consisting of CRL, Self-Help Credit Union, Self-Help Federal Credit Union, Self-Help Ventures Fund, and the umbrella Center for Community Self-Help. “Crystal’s decades of experience advancing inclusive economic opportunity and managing critical programs as well as her financial business expertise make her a perfect fit to lead the Julian Bond Institute,” said CRL President Mike Calhoun. In May, JBI released its 2050 Survey, “Ambition without Access,” which looks toward the future of the financial marketplace and presents a robust, nationally representative look at how wealth and financial aspirations differ across race and generations. “It is an honor to take on this new role and lead the Institute as it continues groundbreaking research into pocketbook problems and in pursuit of racial and economic justice,” said incoming JBI President and Self-Help EVP Crystal German. Ms. German’s career spans the nonprofit, public...
Julian Bond Institute's “Ambition Without Access” survey finds the racial wealth gap is not a motivation problem — it is a structural access problem WASHINGTON, DC — Amid historic affordability challenges in the U.S., a new study released today by the Julian Bond Institute for Financial Equity Research (JBI) debunks preconceived notions that younger, more diverse generations lack motivation to contribute to the economy. The study – Ambition Without Access – found that young Black and Hispanic Americans aspire to homeownership, entrepreneurship, and building generational wealth at rates equal to or greater than their white peers. Yet they achieve those goals far less often due to the racial wealth gap and structural barriers to accessing appropriate, responsible financial products. The study also found that, regardless of race, a sizeable share of Gen Z and Millennials face financial instability, with less than half of these respondents (48% and 45%, respectively) saying they were on track to accumulate enough savings for a comfortable retirement. “The gap between financial aspiration and achievement for young and minority consumers is not a matter of motivation. It is a matter of structural access — to family financial resources, affordable credit, adequate income, and the knowledge to...
