Kicking off Black History Month

It’s the first Friday of February 2024 and I have to admit, I’ve slacked a little in sending out emails—and by a little I mean a lot I missed the whole of January 2024—.

But I didn’t want to miss the first Friday in February. It’s Black History Month and I want to kick it off with a focus on how history ties into Black financial trauma.

Did you know that historical events can have a lasting impact on our money mindsets today?

This Black History Month I set a goal to share 29 pieces of content (1 a day) that discusses how financial trauma shows up in the Black community. I’m primarily sharing this on Instagram but I am also posting on LinkedIn and TikTok to amplify my efforts.

As I've navigated the various approaches to naming and acknowledging financial trauma from financial therapy, the Trauma Of Money, and acquiring the Accredited Financial Counselor® designation, I've noticed that while there is mention of systemic injustices and barriers to educational access in marginalized communities, there isn't an explicit acknowledgement of the impact of slavery on the mindset of Black Americans and subsequently how we navigate finances in a capitalistic society that was built on our labor.

In 2019 when I published my book "Financially Irresponsible" I wanted to highlight the nuances of my experience as a Black millennial through my limited vocabulary and expertise at that time. I leaned on the work of Dr. Joy DeGruy through her book "Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome".

Dr. DeGruy shows us that historical events can impact communities. She focuses on how the atrocities of slavery and subsequent events show up and impacts education, healthcare, and even our finances.

The idea that trauma can travel through our DNA profoundly challenges the notion that because you weren't alive to experience slavery (or know anyone who went through the experience) it doesn't have an impact on your reality. The pull of nature/nurture that shapes ideas, beliefs, guilt, and shame around money compounded by your actual lived experiences create what may feel at times like an impossible situation. Those feelings I've learned are not only NOT your fault but is a betrayal of a system.

I look forward to sharing over the course of this month (and every other month) why Black financial trauma looks, feels, sounds, and is different from the ways in which financial trauma is often discussed from a clinical or sociological perspective.

Happy Black History Month!