Society has only recently begun to discuss the racial wealth gap in America and the many ways institutional racism – often in the form of housing discrimination, redlining, and wage and employment disparities – has robbed Black and brown families of the ability to accumulate wealth and pass down an inheritance. And we’re nowhere near close to a definitive answer for the solution to this centuries-long issue.
My husband and I are two of the millions of Black millennials aware that the game is rigged and fighting to break the intergenerational financial issues that have plagued our families. Still, that awareness hasn’t translated into tools to have conversations amongst ourselves about solving the issue – let alone with our children.
Through her game “Legacy,” Ruby L. Taylor, who has a Masters degree in social work, aims to support families like ours in educating the next generation.
Legacy is a card game where players try to create the most wealth possible through balancing a combination of assets and liabilities across several categories, including income, investments, and disruptive life events. Similar to "Life," Legacy combines luck with some amount of agency for each player, providing an object lesson in trying to make the most of circumstances and opportunities. What makes the game really stand out is its focus on diversity in the images on the cards.
How to play 'Legacy'
As an avid "Monopoly" hater, I was intimidated to playa game about wealth, but the set up was quite accessible. We played twice so my husband and I each had an opportunity to serve as game master. Despite my hesitance, the “shortcut” cards had straight-forward instructions that even I understood.
There were four types of instructional cards in the deck. There are detailed instructions for all five rounds on cards 1-5 (they are double-sided. Don’t think something's missing!). The “direction shortcut” card converts that info to a useful chart form. The “general shortcut” cards list the price of insurance across the rounds, and the “Saving and Income” chart helps players calculate their totals at the end of the game.
You’ll need a pen, paper, and a calculator to add the figures you get as you select (or are dealt) cards for a career, investments, assets, savings, and life events. The opportunists have the chance to “steal a card” with the wisdom cards, and the cautious folks have an opportunity to buy insurance.
Game play
By happenstance, we ended up with career cards that related to our undergraduate degrees – me having a hand that included a psychologist and him selecting an IT analyst.
Each card includes an illustration, annual salary, their 30-year value, and any applicable student loans. Our investment options proved to be diverse as well. There were 11 investment possibilities to select, ranging from collection hobbies, lucrative multi-billion-dollar corporations like Amazon and Apple, and unsuccessful entrepreneurs and franchise efforts that eventually go bankrupt. In the third round (savings), we were each dealt one card, which let us know if we were spending at, above, or below our income level – both times, we were spending at 90% income. The fourth round’s assets discussed the role cars, owning properties, and vacation homes added to your overall wealth. And the last round centered on life events like divorce and inheritance offering a last-minute boost – or cut – to one’s wealth.
The one with the highest legacy value based on the figure from the Saving and Income chart plus the additions and subtractions of the cards each player has accumulated throughout the game wins!
Post-game reflection
Once players understand the rules, the game progresses quickly. However, the conversations that occur in the aftermath can shift perspectives for a lifetime.
Off the bat, we were captivated by the images of the characters of the career cards. It was cool that there were over 20 career possibilities from various industries, including creative, STEM, and medical options. The fact that the cards included Black and brown characters represented in these roles was the best aspect, hands down.
There are discussion questions to prompt conversations for those who need them. Our dialogue started when we realized that seeing Black and brown people in such a diverse collection of careers not only reminds us that there are tons of career paths out there but also helped us envision a world where the success of people of color had been normalized. Being able to choose a Black woman inventor with a big-ass afro is ten times more impactful when you’re aware of how institutional racism often stigmatizes or criminalizes Black hair. Like in the real world, players must decide if they will pursue careers that affirm their passions or provide a reliable paycheck – you never know how it will turn out until the end.
The spending level leads to necessary conversations on how one uses their funds and helped us talk about what type of spending shifts we would make if we ever brought in more money. Our income combined is less than $100,000, so the 90% spending rate felt impractical for the six-figure careers on the list. At the same time, we know working-class individuals who would consider themselves fortunate to have 10% of their income left at the end of the year; at one point, that was us.
Selecting a career, investments, and savings from a limited number of options and then being given assets and life events feels like an accurate metaphor for life. Legacy educates players on the components that go into one’s wealth but has the potential to remind everyone that the IRL game is rigged. Like all games, you can only play the cards that the banker deals your way - the more you know about the other options in the deck the more prepared you are to craft a debt-free life. It caused me to think on the real life class issues – and the metaphorical cards that we’re dealt – that leave millions of individuals, particularly folks of color, with limited options and horrible odds because they don’t know the bankers deck. Legacy inspires reflection on the realities of inequity and why the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” logic is problematic.
It’s helpful that Legacy presents frequently discussed life transitions, like divorce, and unexpected life transitions like disability. Despite the disproportionate risk for disability that people of color face, there are rarely opportunities to consider how they impact one's plans and finances.
Limitations and wishlist
We’re a family of four, but with a preschooler and a toddler, our children weren’t old enough to access the benefits of this game. Naturally, a topic like wealth and finances is directed at older children. Parents with young children will have to find a distraction for the littles before playing – we waited until bedtime. I’m not great at following directions to card games, and although the directions are straightforward, I would have struggled without a partner who was a math whiz and avid game player.
I also wished it took longer. Legacy inspired useful reflection on how the game experience would shift if given more demographic information like orientation, state of residence, and age. But it’s impractical to expect the game to cover every possible base.
Overall, the game makes a statement about race and representation without ever using racial terms. Legacy was made with Black and brown folks in mind but can help individuals of all ethnic backgrounds learn about money and the decisions that impact what we leave behind. The topic is intimidating, but the card game is executed well, nonetheless.
Topics Activism Social Good
