Author: DeVon Douglass

America’s racial wealth gap was 397 years in the making; we shouldn’t take that long to close it

Chattel slavery of African-Americans lasted for 246 years, from when the first slaves were brought to Virginia in 1619 to when it was finally abolished in 1865. Another 99 years passed until the 1964 Civil Rights Act ended Jim Crow… Read more [More...]

How new federal rules can keep Oklahomans out of debt traps

GET CASH NOW! A neon green sign boasts a quick fix for your financial woes as you count out the few dollars you have to pay bills and buy groceries for your children. Although you are employed, this has been… Read more [More...]

New housing study highlights major needs in Oklahoma

Affordable housing is more than just shelter. To the extent that housing is affordable, it determines if people have money left over at the end of the month to provide for food, utilities, and other needs. It determines if your… Read more [More...]

If predatory lending is restricted, Oklahomans will find better alternatives

Whenever advocates argue for stronger regulation of payday loans or for preventing the introduction of new high-cost loans, defenders of the high-cost loan industry commonly argue that without these products, Oklahomans would either turn to loan sharks or be left… Read more [More...]

Why volunteer tax preparation is key to keeping Americans out of poverty

Millions of low- and moderate-income working families in the United States benefit from a couple of key tax credits that are among the most important ways that we keep people out of poverty and support children’s development. But to receive… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma has a chance to improve protections for pregnant workers

In 2005, Tashara Persky was working as the lead store clerk at an Oklahoma Dollar General Store. When she informed her supervisor that she was pregnant and that her doctor had told her not to lift more than 15 pounds,… Read more [More...]

The program known as ‘welfare’ barely exists in Oklahoma

From its creation in 1934 to the mid-1990s, the Assistance to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program was a major component of America’s safety net, providing cash assistance to low-income families with children. In 1996, President Bill Clinton and a… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma falls to 34th in nation for financial security

Nearly half (49 percent) of Oklahoma’s households are locked into a “new normal” of perpetual financial insecurity, unable to build the savings needed to last even three months in the event of an emergency, according to a new report from… Read more [More...]