Content warning: police violence, racism.
Money is power.
I’d heard it before, but becoming a financial coach made it clear just how true that is. How we spend our money is a direct reflection of our values. We put our money towards the things that matter.
What is clear, with the murder of George Floyd and the response of the police toward protestors, is how deeply unequal power is held, wielded, and distributed along racial lines in this country.
Our society is criminally unjust. Black households have 9% of the wealth of white households. 26% of black folks are poor, compared to 10% of whites. Black inmates make up nearly 40% of the prison population, yet only make up 13.4% of the general population. And that barely scrapes the surface.
In reading about what I can do to help dismantle the racist power structures that perpetuate this inequity, one action comes up time and time again: donate. Give your money (power) to people and organizations who have been doing this work for years, for lifetimes.
We can show that we stand against oppression, stand against racialized power, stand for George Floyd’s humanity. We can give our money and our power to show what we stand for, and stand again.
If you wish to support those protesting on the ground (bottom up), please consider donating to the Minnesota Freedom Fund. They are providing supplies, support, and legal counsel for protestors.
If you wish to support changes in policy (top down), I cannot recommend more highly the Antiracism Research & Policy Center, founded by Dr. Ibram X Kendi. His book “How to be an Anti-racist” addresses the cause and effect nature of racist power and policy, and is incredibly informative.
Here are more places to donate if you are interested. Email me your donation receipts and I (and my partner Amelia) will match the first $500 donated.
If you want to learn more (or unlearn), here is a great list of anti-racism resources.
Lastly, two quotes that were on my mind as I wrote this:
“A riot is the language of the unheard” – MLK
“The opposite of racist isn’t ‘not racist.’ It is ‘anti-racist.’ What’s the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist, or racial equality as an anti-racist. One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an anti-racist. One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space of ‘not racist.” ― Ibram X. Kendi
Be well. Stay safe. With love.
Garrett
You just don’t know how happy I was to read this post. i was initially afraid to read it because I thought it was going to turn into one of those ‘All Lives Matter” responses. As an African American woman and mother of an 11 yr. old African American male, I am happy to see people are waking up to this truth. I initially found your site from doing a Google search on how to become a Financial Coach. I came across a link from Kitces and he shared a lot of financial coaching information. He referenced your website and that’s how I found you. I am an educator with over 20 years of experience and I am looking to learn how to be a Financial Coach for those very reasons you mentioned in your blog. I want to help African American high schools students, college students and middle-aged adults learn the importance of finances and how wealth can be a key out of poverty. Unfortunately, wealth does not change how people see you and treat you. I don’t make a lot of money nor do I have a lot of money, but if I can learn I will definitely give back to my community. I was raised in the inner-city and I still live and work in the inner-city. If you know of any programs, I would love to learn about them. Keep up the good work.
I really appreciate you taking the time to share what honestly came up for you. As you said, people (like myself) are waking up to what actually is true about this country, and what Black people have always known.
You came to the right place for resources around how to be a financial coach! Turns out I run a Facebook group with over 3400 current/aspiring financial coaches that has a bunch of free resources, and is quite a supportive community if I may say so myself 😉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/financialcoachescommunity/ In the group I’d start by reading through the pinned post, and taking the quiz that helps you decide where a good starting point for you might be in your journey to becoming a financial coach. In addition, I am the co-founder of the Financial Coaches Network, which helps financial coaches launch and grow successful businesses. So I’d be remiss if I didn’t share that with you too! http://www.financialcoachesnetwork.com
Once you’ve had a chance to check those resources out, don’t hesitate to email me directly with any questions you might have. You want to give back, and so do I, so it would be my pleasure.
I’ll see you in the group 🙂
Thank you for this post, Garrett. We live in a world where this kind of awareness makes a positive difference.