In a sobering yet solution-driven new report, the Chicago Urban League lays bare the enduring wealth gap between Black and white Chicagoans—but also offers a clear and urgent call to action. The “State of Black Chicago 2025” report, subtitled “A Laddered Path to Wealth Building,” marks a pivotal shift from past iterations by focusing less on merely quantifying disparities and more on implementing targeted, collaborative solutions to eliminate them.
The report, released May 6, lands with one of its most devastating statistics front and center: the median net worth of Black families in the Chicago area remains at $0, compared to $210,000 for white families. This alarming figure, drawn from The New School’s “Color of Wealth in Chicago” study, underscores a central theme of the Urban League’s findings—that true economic mobility and generational progress are impossible without ownership, access, and structural support.
“Zero wealth means zero ability to really improve your lot in life,” said Chicago Urban League President and CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson. “It also means zero ability to change the lives of your children.”
In previous reports, the League examined how disparities in housing, education, health, employment, and criminal justice reinforce economic exclusion. This year, the organization goes further by offering a “wealth-building ladder”—a five-stage framework designed to help Black individuals and communities climb toward financial independence and prosperity.
The five “rungs” on the ladder—money mindfulness, stable security, compounding interest, community prosperity, and long-term growth—illustrate a life course from basic financial awareness to generational wealth. Each stage is tied to actionable strategies, backed by data and public-private partnerships already in motion.
From Awareness to Ownership
Programs like Kredit Quest, a partnership with Edward Jones and Kredit Academy, seek to change the way Black residents think about and interact with money. The mobile app rewards users for improving their financial literacy and serves as an innovative entry point for those historically excluded from traditional credit systems. The League supplements the app with one-on-one coaching for deeper impact.
The report also points to the longstanding gap in Black homeownership—over 30 percentage points behind white residents in Illinois—as a major structural hurdle. Through a new partnership with Kinexx, a modular home builder, and Ani Real Estate, the League is pioneering a program that will deliver affordable homes within 60 days. The initiative aims to build 10 homes this year, 40 in the next, and 70 in its third year.
“If we create just 50 to 100 new Black homeowners annually,” said Ani Real Estate’s Lutalo McGee, “the ripple effect on generational wealth and community stability is huge.”
In addition to housing, workforce development remains a critical focus. Black workers are still underrepresented in high-wage sectors like technology and healthcare. The League’s Workforce Development Center offers free training in growing fields such as solar energy, EV infrastructure, and biotech. New partnerships and funding, including $12 million recently allocated by the City of Chicago, are helping to make this training more accessible.
The League proposes further reforms, including employer-led apprenticeships and state-funded mobility grants to help workers transition into high-growth careers. The “Chicago Talent & Wealth Mobility Compact” is a proposed citywide collaboration among employers, trade unions, and community organizations to align hiring pipelines with equity goals.
Education, Health, and
Justice as Wealth Drivers
The report also emphasizes that true wealth is holistic. Education, health, and civic engagement are presented as wealth-building tools just as critical as business ownership or home equity.
While graduation rates among Black high school students have improved, the report points out disparities in access to advanced coursework, career readiness, and college affordability. It calls for universal financial literacy education, more corporate-funded youth entrepreneurship hubs, and tuition-free access to vocational training in high-wage industries.
Health disparities continue to weigh heavily on Black Chicagoans, whose life expectancy lags behind citywide averages due to chronic disease, food insecurity, and environmental hazards. The League recommends expanding mobile clinics, green jobs, and mental health services tailored to Black communities. These health improvements are not simply about survival—they are essential to economic participation and stability.
Similarly, safety and justice reform are treated as economic issues. The report endorses the City of Chicago’s People’s Plan for Community Safety and urges support for Clean Slate legislation to expand expungement access. The League also highlights the work of the Commercial Club’s Public Safety Task Force and calls for the City Council to activate its long-proposed Task Force on Women as Victims of Violence.
Broader Forces at Play
The “State of Black Chicago 2025” does not exist in a vacuum. Its recommendations must contend with national forces. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is currently being used in federal courts to challenge diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike down affirmative action in college admissions has eroded long-standing pathways to higher education for Black students.
At the state level, Illinois has made strides through workforce initiatives and housing programs, but the report makes clear that stronger, more permanent policy mechanisms are required. Cook County government is notably absent from the report’s case studies, but it plays a crucial role in shaping access to affordable housing, mental health services, and property title reform—all of which intersect with the League’s proposals.
The Urban League is also cautious about threats to local funding. Federal challenges to Chicago’s sanctuary city status could jeopardize investments in equity programs, housing, and small business support. Deputy Mayor Kenya Merritt, quoted in coverage of the report, urged corporations and philanthropists to close any future funding gaps caused by federal pullbacks.
What This Means for Black Growth
This year’s report makes one thing plain: building Black wealth is not simply a moral imperative—it’s an economic necessity for Chicago’s survival. Nearly one-third of the city’s population is Black, yet the persistent exclusion from wealth-building opportunities drags down the entire regional economy. By eliminating barriers to ownership, education, and opportunity, the city doesn’t just lift up its Black residents—it strengthens its own foundation.
The Urban League’s strategy offers a roadmap for sustainable Black growth. It reframes systemic inequality not just as a civil rights issue but as a solvable economic challenge—if the city, state, private sector, and community work in partnership.
As Freeman-Wilson states in her introduction: “We share these solutions along with an appeal for more partnerships, collaboration, and advocacy—because we know that when we work together, we can solve problems in a way that allows all of us to win.”