Joint Center President Attends U.S. Treasury Roundtable to Discuss Financial Inclusion

Joint Center President Dedrick Asante-Muhammad attended a roundtable conversation on financial inclusion alongside other key civil rights focused organizations. The conversation, sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, was intended to set objectives for advancing financial inclusion, provide benchmarks to measure progress, and offer recommendations for policymakers, advocates, and market participants. The convening was chaired by Suzanna Fritzberg, deputy assistant secretary for Consumer Policy, and Janis Bowdler, Treasury’s counselor for Racial Equity.

At the roundtable, Asante-Muhammad shared that financial inclusion should be a holistic integration of all people into the economic development and advancement of a country. He said for those without assets, it is nearly impossible to be financially inclusive, adding financial assets are required for financial inclusion.

Asante-Muhammad referenced our “Pessimism and Hope: A Survey of the Financial Status and Aspirations of Black Americans” report and noted that most African Americans are more focused on attaining some base level of financial security than additional lending products.