Part 3 - Draining the Money Management SWAMP

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges and systemic biases in asset management and investing, highlighting the need for accountability and fairer outcomes.

In conjunction with the release of Steve Phillip's new book, Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else?: Playing Offense in the Fight for Racial Justice in America, Democracy in Color presents a three-part podcast series exploring one crucial question. In the final installment of the Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else? series, Robert Raben, founder and president of Raben and executive director of the Diverse Asset Managers Initiative (DAMI), sheds light on one arena where power operates largely out of public view: asset management and investing. He shares the historical context of inequality in the industry, impact of the racial reckoning following George Floyd’s murder, and the systemic biases and challenges faced by women and people of color in this field. Robert also discusses the need for more aggressive, data-driven approaches to identifying discrimination, holding institutions accountable, and using existing state and local authority to create fairer outcomes. REFERENCES: Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else?: Playing Offense in the Fight for Racial Justice in America by Steve Phillips - available now! Robert Raben - Website - @RobertRaben Diverse Assets…

People in this episode

Guest: Robert Raben

Topics covered

• racial justice
• asset management
• systemic bias
• inequality
• investing
• accountability

Keywords

• racial justice
• asset management
• systemic bias
• inequality
• investing
• George Floyd
• Diverse Asset Managers Initiative

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Diverse Asset Managers Initiative

Books & works: Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else?: Playing Offense in the Fight for Racial Justice in America

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• Part 2 - The History and Science of Inequality · April 23, 2026 · 40 min
• Part 1 - The Myth of Meritocracy · April 21, 2026 · 24 min
• A Battle for the Future of Higher Education at New College of Florida · March 12, 2026 · 39 min
• Stacey Abrams on Defeating Authoritarianism · February 26, 2026 · 43 min