3--- UBI is key to structurally change racist structures that result in the disenfranchisement of black Americans- it’ll pull millions out of poverty, providing everyone with a basic income indiscriminately

Background The racial wealth gaps in the United States stem from the country’s foundation, when indigenous lands were colonized and reaped for white Americans’ profit by enslaved and uncompensated Black labor. Enslaved Black Americans were denied centuries of wealth accumulation. Post Emancipation, failure to follow through with the 40-acres land grant policy further stymied Black wealth-gathering.6 Simultaneous legal measures like segregation and the collapse of the Freedman’s Savings Bank continued to strip Black people of economic gains. State-sanctioned violence in wealthy Black communities like Wilmington, North Carolina and later in Tulsa, Oklahoma continued economic dispossession, reversing even whispers of prosperity.6 Adding insult to injury, Black Americans were barred from the same structural wealth-gathering mechanisms provided to white Americans, such as the initial Social Security Act, the benefits of the GI Bill, and access to nonpredatory housing loans.7 Indeed, Black Americans were expected to pay into Social Security benefits they couldn’t access, and fight for a country that would explicitly deny them resources afforded to others. More recently, redlining, occupational segregation, and disproportionate incarceration feeds the cycle of racialized wealth dispossession. Redlining forces Black and brown Americans into living on underfunded and often environmentally unsafe areas. This modern segregation removes access to resources such as bank loans (which factor in zip-codes as a risk predictor), well-funded schools, and even nutritionally competent grocery stores. A lack of access to well-funded schools hurt students’ chances of applying for and receiving higher education, which in turn limits entry to well-paying jobs with health insurance and potential savings. Higher police presence in redlined areas and the racially based criminalization of minor offences lead to disproportionately higher numbers of incarcerated Black and brown men. Due to both the stigma of imprisonment and stunted career growth, this results in a loss of income during incarceration and reduced opportunities post-release.7 The cycle of racially driven economic harm is institutionally supported by past and current policies. The consequences are stark: the median wealth for Black families in 2019 was $17,000, compared to $171,000 for white families.6 In other words, Black families have $10 in assets compared to every $100 for white families.8 Similarly, in 2019 a full 19 percent of Black households had zero or negative net worth, compared to 9 percent of white households; that the COVID-19 pandemic has widened this disparity is not an unfounded assumption.6 The idea that this state of affairs illustrates a specific failure of Black Americans to pull themselves up by the bootstraps is both offensive and laughable; how is it possible when they’re constantly denied boots to even wear? As the COVID-19 pandemic has displayed, there is a tangible health-based toll to this systemic racism. Reduced life expectancies, higher rates of premature death (almost 30 percent), barriers to regular healthcare, and continuous exposure to zip code-based environmental toxins are all manifestations of racism and racist policies.8 Public health practitioners are aware of this, though the more palatable phrase “the social determinants of health” is often used to describe these effects; never mind that the social determinants of health are upheld by a legacy of racism. Regardless, these health and economic disparities are driven by structural policies, and therefore require a structural solution for change and rectification. The time to implement change is immediate, with the difference of wealth between white Americans and people of color at its highest point in 25 years.7 The pandemic’s economic fallout is already worsening this divide and will continue to do so unless bold action is taken. Proposed Intervention To help rectify the 300+ years of racial and socioeconomic disenfranchisement, a universal basic income program must be implemented. This intervention refers to a regular provision of cash to a specified population group within a targeted area. Some form of UBI has been promoted since the 1500s, by advocates as varied as Thomas Paine, Milton Freidman, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk. More recently, former Democratic presidential nominee contender Andrew Yang built his platform on UBI, inadvertently becoming the most famous proponent for the cause.9 Similar to Yang’s policy, my recommended proposal is a no-strings attached, monthly payment of $1000 regardless of the recipient’s income. This plan would target all residents of the United States ages 18 to 70, with state and federal governments each shouldering half the costs. The age limits are based on the assumption of full social security benefits remaining intact upon reaching age 62, with eight years of buffer in between. The federal government would provide oversight and distribution responsibility. State governments have the option to increase monthly amounts based on cost of living. The funds can be disbursed as live checks, direct deposits based on IRS information, or mailed “debit cards,” similar to those used by SNAP recipients. The latter method is to help reach the 5.4 percent of Americans who are unbanked and mainly low-income people of color.10 The no-strings attached approach would ensure there are no limitations to use and limit exclusions. UBI payments would include currently incarcerated people; if imprisoned folks still have to pay income taxes, then they should be afforded the payments indiscriminately. This would also be untaxed income for everyone, easing some of the middle-class/upper middle-class squeeze – and helping foment cross-class buy-in. Guaranteeing a steady cash flow will help Black and brown Americans engage in wealth accumulation without the traditional barriers of property- or stock-market based methods. In a more roundabout manner, UBI could assist Americans in formally entering the financial economy, another source of wealth generation. More directly, UBI payments can prevent a descent into poverty, a sobering reality as almost 40 percent of Americans are only one paycheck away from being homeless.11 A regular source of income could prevent entrapment by predatory loans and ease debt burden; Black students in particular hold $25,000 more in student loans than white counterparts.12 Likewise, UBI implementation would have more social and psychological effects as well, including a potential reduction in crime and increased trust in U.S. social institutions. The policy may alleviate stress and anxiety, which can ease the effects of weathering in Black Americans. A guaranteed cash stream can also reduce barriers to healthcare access by promoting utilization, preventing future wealth losses in the form of medical debt.