Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management was mentioned recently in national news due to its involvement in a study on veterans’ benefits. The Brandeis Institute for Economic and Racial Equity, based out of the Heller School, published a report in March 2022 looking into the impacts of the 1944 Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, also known as the G.I. Bill. The study determined that the bill’s lack of reference to race “resulted in localized discriminatory practices,” according to the study’s interim report. The G.I. Bill, which was meant to give veterans housing and education subsidies, was determined in the report to be contributing to the racial wealth gap despite its intentions.
According to the Brandeis report, the G.I. Bill was impacted by historically racially discriminatory practices which translated into Black veterans receiving fewer benefits overall than white veterans. The study determined that the cash equivalent of the benefits received by Black veterans was only 40% of that which white veterans received. Additionally, the bill’s benefits led to an “average annual increase in income of $16,000 for white veterans,” while Black veterans did not receive any significant increase. This wealth disparity is apparent in the fact that Black WWII veterans had less than one-third of the wealth of white WWII veterans, as the report gathered through census data, income dynamics surveys and more.
This study has been followed by lawmakers listening and attempting to change the status quo for Black veterans, as explained in a recent Washington Post article on the subject. Brandeis’ report adds fuel to the already-prominent topic in U.S. Congress. A current piece of legislation titled the G.I. Bill Restoration Act was introduced in 2021 and is written to no longer be race-neutral in order to end the denial of certain benefits to Black veterans.
The G.I. Bill Restoration Act is sponsored by Representative Seth Moulton, a Democrat representing Massachusetts’ sixth district and is currently co-sponsored by 47 other congresspeople including Representative Ayanna Pressley. Within the text of the proposed bill, findings of Black veterans’ fewer benefits are outlined and specific instances of this denial of benefits by the Veterans Administration on the basis of race are mentioned. The text then goes on to amend the definition of “veteran” to explicitly include Black veterans.
