CFPB director Richard Cordray speaks in Charlotte

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Richard Cordray spoke to the National Baptist Convention gathered in Charlotte on Thursday, describing his organization as holding steady the proverbial ladder to financial success that Americans struggle to climb.

The convention is the largest group representing black Baptist congregations. Cordray wrapped his 15-minute speech in biblical allusions and spoke to the difficulties minority communities have faced in particular in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

"Many people who were entirely innocent -- you know them in your congregations -- got hit the hardest," he said. "Considerable time has passed, but you know best that African-American families are still reeling from the crisis. Unemployment remains high, net worth has sunk, inequality has widened. For these families, the Great Recession is far from over."

He said the consumer bureau has focused on four areas within the financial industry: deceptive marketing, particularly in mortgages; "debt traps" like payday loans; dead ends where customers have few options, like in debt collection; and discrimination in access to credit.

Cordray deviated only slightly from his prepared remarks. You can read those here.