In honor of Black History Month, we have rounded up some resources that our team members recommend. These sources provide education about the generational poverty cycle, gentrification, the racial wealth gap, Black-owned banks, and more!
Books:
The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League by Jeff Hobbs
This is a powerful book that depicts the struggles a young man faces in his time growing up in inner-city Newark and when he enrolls at Yale University. The story of Robert Peace teaches about the generational poverty that many Black Americans (specifically within inner-cities) face and the challenges of breaking that poverty cycle.
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
Alyssa Cole does a wonderful job of telling the story of a Brooklyn neighborhood experiencing gentrification. This thriller weaves in topics like institutional racism and Black History specific to Brooklyn. This book was engaging and fascinating.
The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
“Two kids with the same name lived in the same decaying city. One went on to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated combat veteran, White House Fellow, and business leader. The other is serving a life sentence in prison. Here is the story of two boys and the journey of a generation.”
Podcasts:
“Professor Mehrsa Baradaran joins Jonathan to discuss banking deserts, overdraft fees, home loans, and more. (Like, what are capital gains, even?!) Mehrsa Baradaran is a professor of law and associate dean at UC Irvine School of Law specializing in banking law and financial inequality.”
This podcast episode gets into the facts and figures behind the racial wealth gap in America. For example, Black Americans only own 2% of the wealth in this country. This powerful episode covers the wealth gap, unconscious bias, and so much more!
Journey to Launch, Episode 194 – Starting a Mobile Bank and FinTech Company with Sheena Allen
Sheena Allen, is the youngest Black woman CEO and founder of a bank. Sheena created CapWay, a digital banking app and financial service provider, with the goal of closing the income, race, and financial literacy gap through access to banking and opportunities.
Movies:
I Am Not Your Negro based on James Baldwin’s unfinished novel
“His essays, collected in Notes of a Native Son, explore intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in the Western society of the United States during the mid twentieth-century.”
Blogs:
Make Real Cents by Carmen Perez
“A blog dedicated to helping you achieve financial greatness by teaching you all about the do’s and don’ts of personal finances with a hint of humor on the side.”
