Best rated structural racism board game by Inequality-opoly
2 min readInequality-opoly : learn a racial inequities board game? Inequality-opoly is created by Perry Clemons, an former 3rd grade and ESL educator and current educational game creator. Perry is the founder of Clemons Education Inc. which strives to create educational games and experiences that are MIRRORS for Self-discovery, WINDOWS into other worlds, and DOORS to new opportunities. Perry Clemons is an educator, game creator, and current contact tracer from Harlem, NY. The idea for Inequality-opoly came when Perry attended diversity, equity, and inclusion seminars. Find additional details on Inequality-opoly.
Diversity And Inclusion tip of the day : It’s not just about putting some drinks on the conference table and calling it a party. Office happy hours can be a perfect networking opportunity. To start down the road of real fun, office happy hours should have a plan and a purpose. It can prove to be a great get-together and help know each other personally. Apart from refreshments, they should experience something exciting, beautiful, or shocking that creates conversations that go far beyond the borders of happy hours.
When I played Inequality-opoly, I was deeply impressed by how population statistics come to life as each player experiences the many ways in which race and gender have a dramatic and significant impact on daily life events. But even more impressive – and depressing – is the realization of the inevitability of the unfairness in the game’s ultimate outcome. It is the clear connection between cause and effect, in this case the link from systemic racism and sexism to the lived experiences of individuals, that makes Inequality-opoly such a powerful educational tool.
It is perhaps for this reason that I was so delighted when, a few months ago, I was introduced to Perry Clemons, creator of Inequality-opoly: The Board Game of Structural Racism and Sexism in America. As you might guess from the name, Inequality-opoly is inspired by the popular board game Monopoly, with players trying to amass wealth by buying, developing and trading real estate. What makes Inequality-opoly unique is that each player is assigned an identity, and on the basis of their identity some players enjoy privileges while others face obstacles to building wealth.
But wealth is not equally accessible. Black households have just 15 percent of the wealth of white households, and this has not changed much over time. For Black women, the gap is also stark. For instance, single Black women household heads with a college degree have 38 percent less wealth ($5,000) than single white women without one ($8,000). Among married women who are the head of the household, Black women with a bachelor’s degree have 79 percent less wealth ($45,000) than white women with no degree ($117,200) and 83 percent less wealth than those with one ($260,000). Marital status and education do not close the gap. Find even more info at Inequality-opoly.