Investigation of Race and Credit Reports

WHEREAS, consumer credit reports play an increasingly important role in consumers' lives, from financing a home to qualifying for insurance or applying for a job; and 

WHEREAS, the credit histories of many consumers, particularly African-Americans, are suffering during the current economic downturn due to financial strain and foreclosures and causing an adverse impact on employment opportunities for African-Americans; and 

WHEREAS, national consumer credit reporting agencies have unrestricted access to consumer credit data, and have an obligation to ensure that their data does not promote or perpetuate racial inequality. 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People expresses its concern about the racial disparities in consumer credit and calls on the United States Congress to conduct a comprehensive study of the racial disparities in credit reports, with parameters and an independent verification process agreed upon by the NAACP.