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Uncovering The Black Tax: How the U.S. Tax System Extracted $600 Billion from Black Americans
Stories of Systemic Wealth Theft and Injustice Against Black Landowners
In a new book called “The Black Tax,” author Andrew W. Kahrl reveals a troubling fact that the U.S. tax system took $600 billion from Black Americans, according to the article of Black Enterprise. Kahrl, a professor explains how unfair taxes created a big wealth gap between Black and white people in America for 150 years.
Kahrl shows how cities and states used unfair taxes to take money from Black people. They made Black landowners pay more taxes than they should, sometimes even taking their land when they couldn’t pay. This happened a lot, especially during the time of Jim Crow laws.
The book shares stories of Black people like Anthony Fleming and J.R. Rooks who lost their land because of racist mobs. They tried to build communities for Black people to own land but unfair taxes destroyed their dreams. One town, Edmonson, Arkansas was taken over by white plantation owners who used tricky taxes to steal land from Black families.
(photo: Center for American Progress)
How $600 Billion in Wealth was Unjustly Stripped from Black Families
One man, Hillery Thomas Stewart Sr., lost his family’s land over just $18.83 in taxes. This unfair system took away land from Black families across America, totaling $600 billion today. Kahrl also suggests ways to fix these problems, like giving more money to communities that need it and making rich people pay more taxes.
“The Black Tax” book came out on April 24th and costs $35. It tells a tough story but also offers ideas for making things better. With Kahrl’s help, we can learn from the past and work towards a fairer future for everyone.