Project Bleuprint Nonprofit Org

This is a wonderful documentary that adds pertinent context in the fall of Pruitt-Igoe buildings!

Tomorrow! Join us at the Parkview Branch for a screening and panel discussion of "Target St. Louis Vol. 1": A Pruitt-Igoe Documentary. The event is free, registration is not required. Details: https://www.slcl.org/events/target-st-louis-vol-1-pruitt-igoe-documentary

Presented by PHACTS (Pruitt-Igoe Historical Accounting, Compensation, and Truth Seeking) and the St. Louis County Library Black History Celebration Committee.

🤨🧐Great information on this very topic!

A recent book stirred significant conversation by claiming that the U.S. government stole over $600 billion from Black Americans through discriminatory taxes in the years after slavery. In The Black Tax, historian Andrew W. Kahrl argues that these unjust tax policies played a major role in preventing Black families from accumulating wealth post-slavery. From inflated property tax assessments to hidden fees that led to land seizures, these laws robbed Black families of opportunities to build generational wealth, forcing many into poverty and stripping them of land that could have been passed down.

Kahrl’s research brings to light the deep, lasting impacts of systematic exploitation that spanned over a century, with the $600 billion figure representing an estimate of what Black families lost through these discriminatory practices. The book not only highlights this hidden history but also underscores the importance of reparative actions to address such historical wrongs.

While the government continues to face questions about its role in righting these injustices, The Black Tax prompts a crucial reflection: how can the nation reckon with its past to build a more equitable future? And what steps should be taken to bridge the persistent racial wealth gap that these historical practices have widened? The book offers not only an eye-opening account but also a call for systemic reform—one that could potentially alter the course of Black wealth in America today.

If your child(ren) decided to attend trade school rather than college, would you support them?🤔

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