“There are huge opportunity gaps that exist in this country economically,” the Harvard graduate said. “Coronavirus, in many ways, exacerbated and brought those to light.”
Racial inequality has been a major problem in the United States since long before the pandemic struck.
‘Heartbreaking’ to see division
Williams, who rarely discusses race or his background in public, felt compelled to speak up after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police.
“It’s been hurtful…to see someone literally be murdered. Not die in front of us, but be murdered,” Williams said.
Williams is distraught by how inclusion and diversity are now dividing the nation.
“It’s been heartbreaking to see the very strengths and ideals that this country was founded on being the same thing that tears us apart,” he said.
Living the American Dream
In many ways, Williams is living the American Dream, one that is far out of reach for many people.
He grew up in a working-class household in Baton Rouge, Louisiana — which Williams says is a “Deep South city that in the past has been plagued by segregation.”
In high school, Williams was told by guidance counselors and teachers not to bother applying to Harvard because nobody with his background had gotten in before. He applied anyway, and launched his first real estate company during his senior year there.
“I was just really, really fortunate that there were people who believed in me,” Williams said.
“I was given an opportunity. I seized the moment. But that opportunity needs to be democratized,” Williams said. “People around this country don’t have access to the American Dream and to the economy.”
Dealing with racism
There remains a wide economic disparity along racial lines in the United States.
The median income for black households is $41,000, compared with $71,000 for white households, according to the Fed. The poverty rate for black Americans is more than double that of whites.
Health care is another major fault line. The percentage of black Americans lacking health care is nearly double that of white Americans, according to 2018 the US Census Bureau.
Williams said he experienced racism in his career, though it wasn’t always explicit.
“A lot of the discrimination, racism and bigotry today isn’t always in-your-face,” he said. “It can be behind the scenes, behind doors. It…
Read More: Ryan Williams, a 32-year-old black CEO, says America has been ‘hallucinating’ 2020-06-05 12:03:48