The gap in accumulated wealth is greater than the gap in income and it accounts for the greater fragility of the African-American family in times of stress.   Savings or assets can get a family through times of need such as illness, a child's need for housing or an education, or loss of a job, but the African American family increasingly lacks these resources.   The gap remains wide even between blacks and whites of similar classes and with similar jobs and incomes, so it's not a gap based on different abilities.  This article explores the reasons for the gap, which are found in tax policies enacted since the 1980's.