#29 Days-Changing the Way I Feel About Black History Month

Today is the last day of February, it’s a Leap Year, and the end of Black History Month. I’m very proud to say that I have been a part of a new financial movement founded by Sandy Smith of Yes, I  Am Cheap.

#29 Days Colorful Money

I am a proud member of this wonderful group of financial bloggers, educators, mentors, CPAs, advisors and more. We are a group of bloggers of color (black, Hispanic, etc.) addressing the unique and very pressing issues that affect communities of color, immigrants, and the those without access to long-term generational wealth.

The goal of the #29Days movement was to bring to light that people of color aren’t doing as well as we could be, highlight opportunities, and to engage people who have long been left out of the conversation on how to grow and build wealth over the long-run.

Black History Month

I love, love, love the history of my ancestors. I love knowing about the people who came before me and I feel a profound gratitude and indebtedness towards them. Without their struggles, pain, and sacrifice I would not be able to dream, imagine, and live the life that I currently live.

It just drives me crazy that this acknowledgement is for one month. Kind of like Valentine’s Day-I’m really not into it even though I met one of the loves of my life on Valentine’s Day at a bar (yes, these things really do happen LOL!).

Being a part of the 29 Days Movement made me appreciate the month more and I felt that I was making a difference in some small way.

I spent a lot of time thinking about my long-term money story, the beliefs that I bring to my money relationship and the actual value that comes from me sharing my hot mess money story and changing my money mindset.

I realized that the changes that I’m making professionally and personally: to share my story, to motivate others, and get my money right are so important-and the right fit for me.  I am in this money conversation for the long run. It will take at least 2 generations to change the tide but it will take people like myself, the wonderful other participants in the Colorful Money Movement, and our white friends and allies to help people prosper.

We’ve Been Bamboozled

I’m going to get a little political. Right now everyone is watching in complete astonishment as Donald Trump is killing it in the polls. Some how he has tapped into the anger and fear that many people (especially white men) have experienced since the Great Recession (The Mancession) decimated the long-standing benefit of being white, good-looking and free. I’ve never had this experience but I can imagine that’s it’s pretty frightening to have the playing field be leveled in the way that it has.

Let’s be clear: Trump will not be able to get your jobs back. What does this have to do with the 29 Days Colorful Money movement? EVERYTHING. No one is speaking the truth and the truth is the following:

The Economy has Changed

So profoundly that we have to change the conversation from anger to discuss what people are noticing but can’t put their finger on. We are in a moment of great economic change. Similar to the economic change that the world went through from: Agriculture, the Industrial Revolution, WWII (created a lot of jobs), and now the rise of Technology.

Black, white, green, it doesn’t matter who you are in this country you need to wake up. My goal is to help everyone regardless of color understand that under Reagonomics and NAFTA (Bill Clinton) we have been losing our jobs in well-structured deals made by AMERICAN businessmen and politicians to produce inexpensive goods outside of the United States. Our companies have sold us out and Trump, Clinton, and anyone who has been a politician since the 80’s has benefited from this transition.

The problem is we didn’t consider how technology would also kick us in the a@@. The people who are mad at President Obama are mad at the wrong person. They should be mad about the last 40 years of American policy that screwed American workers in the policy. We put short-term profits before our citizens. We decided to produce inexpensive products in China and pretended to be rich when we bought them.

American businessmen/women made decisions that would help their business’ bottomline, saved money on wages, and gave Americans (and the world) what we were hungry for: cheap goods.

We made a deal with the Devil and the Devil has won this round.

Technology Will Make or Break Us

People are wanting the Government, the President, anyone to save them and make jobs. The reality is that you will be waiting forever. The facts are:

• Manufacturing is now overseas-there is no incentive to return these jobs en masse until the workers in foreign countries begin demanding to be paid more. Will take a long time to happen.

• The Mid-Level Manager is no longer really needed-In businesses that used to have 7 mid-level managers they just need one manager who has a great computer.

• Who runs your state is more important that who runs the country…from an economic standpoint. Your Governor, Mayors, and local representatives who have a finger on the pulse of what’s going on in your actual community are the people that you should really, really be focused on.

Technology has speed up and the jobs that we used to work…just aren’t there anymore. This is a painful thing to say out loud-but I’m going to tell you the truth.

For people of color, who constantly find ourselves looking for work, and are often the first to be severely impacted by the economy we need to have an awakening and rescue ourselves.

How to Navigate this New Economy?

It’s my belief that hyper local entrepreneurship is the key-especially for underserved communities. We just can’t wait for other people/government/etc. to create jobs anymore. We need to get back to tapping into the entrepreneurial spirit that helped communities thrive throughout history. To start this process ask yourself the following:

• What is a service that is needed in my community?

• What are my gifts?

• How do the two intersect?

• How can I make money from that intersection?

• What type of business should I have? Bricks and Mortar, digital, run from home?

In this time of lack of employee loyalty from businesses it is also imperative that you learn: how to utilize technology to save money on daily expenses, to create businesses with low overhead, to save money and invest, and to educate yourself for free.

As jobs get streamlined and mechanized people are getting left behind. I want to be a part of the solution. I want to mentor and encourage people regardless of color, education, or background to take control of their financial destiny. I want to expose people to what’s going on and a new way of thinking.

We are in this together and the health, wealth, and education of my neighbor, and my fellow citizens affects me, you,  and everyone else. I will repeat myself…

We’re In This Together

It is urgent that people understand how to: save money, grow generational wealth, and share that information with people who don’t have access to that information.

At times it was really hard to read the different statistics surrounding the wealth gap, incarceration rates, and home ownership. At times it broke my heart. But, it is my belief that things can change. One person at a time.

Being a part of #29 Days has given me a sense of clarity and a renewed sense of purpose that I had been searching for…for awhile.

So, I will begin having the conversation with people my fellow Americans, regardless of color, to empower, education, and engage people so that they can reclaim their power. I am so excited and I am excited to know that I’m not alone on this path!

Thanks Sandy for starting this movement. I look forward to moving myself and others forward-one dollar at a time.

The following two tabs change content below.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Michelle

I am an obsessive foodie, but not self-righteous with it, love travel, meeting new people, helping you look good, and am freaked out by people who don't enjoying reading...something! Grab a Perrier, read my blog, feel free to drop me a line! Hope to hear from you soon.

Latest posts by Michelle (see all)

• How Work Policies Against Black Women Birthed a Love of the Soft Life - 20 March, 2024
• How Taylor Swift’s IP Victory Could Change the Business of Music - 28 February, 2024
• Why Don’t More Personal Finance Content Creators Talk About Policy - 16 January, 2024