Meizhu Lui, Director, Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Initiative

Meizhu Lui joined the Insight Center in July of 2008 in a newly created position as Director, Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Initiative. The Initiative is a central component of the organization's Savings and Asset Building program, which works to increase the assets of low-income people and communities, help make women- and minority-owned businesses more competitive, and to eliminate racial wealth disparities. For over 30 years, Meizhu has dedicated herself to economic justice, working as an educator, organizer, and academic scholar. Meizhu was previously the Executive Director of United for a Fair Economy (UFE), a national nonprofit that works to publicize the issues of growing economic inequality, income, and wealth disparities, and the persistent econmic gap between whites and people of color. Under Meizhu's leadership, UFE sharpened its communication efforts and expanded its reach, tapping into the concerns of grassroots constituencies, including those that do not speak English as their first language. Meizhu describes herself as a “professional troublemaker.” She was a kitchen worker and AFSCME activist, and was the first Asian to become the elected President of a local union in Massachusetts. Her work for racial and gender equality has been recognized by numerous organizations such as the Boston Women’s Fund, the Union of Minority Neighborhoods, and the Labor Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. She is a Trustee of the Hyams Foundation and was selected for the 2007 Barr Fellows Program.  Meizhu served on the Center for American Progress’ Task Force Poverty. She has published numerous articles and co-authored the book, The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the US  Racial Wealth Divide.

Meizhu received an M.A. from the University of Illinois, and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.

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