Justice Goes to the Movies: CDFIs and the Racial Wealth Gap

With the Academy Awards just weeks away, we at the Harris County Hainsworth Law Library are keeping tabs on the nominees and marking our at-home ballots to vote for our top picks. In particular, the Documentary Short Film category has caught our attention. It features two nominees whose content is especially relevant to our interests. One of the films in this category, The ABCs of Book Banning, has special resonance for us as it details the recent debates surrounding controversial books in schools.  Another strong contender, The Barber of Little Rock, has also piqued our interest, as it addresses access to economic justice.

The Barber of Little Rock is a compelling short film about the efforts of one man, Arlo Washington, to help address the racial wealth gap. A barber and entrepreneur, Mr. Washington established a local bank – or nonprofit loan fund – to restore the balance of economic equity in and around the neighborhood in which he grew up. As a profile of one individual and one bank, the film shows how similar financial establishments, known as Community Development Fund Institutions (CDFI), provide economic support to people rejected by traditional banks, primarily low-income Black residents of redlined communities known as banking deserts.

Other contenders in the Documentary Short Film category are also worthy of the recognition they are getting, but The Barber of Little Rock, earns our vote for its role in advocating for economic justice and for calling attention to the CDFI program. To learn more about these financial institutions, please review the links below.

Government Documents

Additional Reading

Texas CDFI Resources