Building Character Through Youth Mentoring Programs

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By: Shecondria Duncan

Learning how to develop good character is vitally important to an individual’s overall success in life. Above all, possessing these skills early in life will help build stronger relationships, boost self-esteem, and improve school performance. One of the best ways to develop these skills at a young age is to join a youth mentoring program. For years, mentoring programs have helped youth and adolescence strengthen their interpersonal relationships, improve their behavior, and increase their enrollment into college. They have also played a role in decreasing the likelihood of youth substance abuse and gang activity. 

One such program, Horizons for Youth, in Chicago, IL, is helping to lead the charge in building character through youth mentoring. They serve youth from kindergarten through college through mentoring, as well as other programs and support services. Through their program, they have assisted a high percentage of disadvantaged youth in enrolling in college. In addition to this, they are using real-life experiences to enrich the lives of the youth they serve. Periodically, they take them on enrichment outings involving art, science, theatre, and civic engagement. These types of programs expand the experiences of youth in their community by providing them with a vision of what the world has to offer and who they can become.

Mentors Have Just as Much to Gain

The positive effects of youth mentoring programs go both ways. Mentors have just as much to gain as the youth who participate in these programs. Along with youth, mentors also experience enhanced self-esteem and stronger interpersonal relationships. Many report feelings of personal fulfillment and a better understanding of children, especially those that are disadvantaged.

What You Should Teach Your Children About Black Culture Ahead of Black History Month

With January quickly coming to an end, that can only mean one thing: Black History Month is approaching. Of course we celebrate our culture and our people year round, but February gives us a chance to really reflect and bask in our accomplishments a little more than usual. It’s also a good time to celebrate with your kids and teach them about our history as well as why February is an important month. Here are a list of things you should talk to your child about to prepare them for Black History Month:

1. Jim Crow laws
2. Ancestry
3. Important black leaders
4. The history of black artists/musicians/actors/authors, etc.
5. Black scientists
6. Slavery
7. The history of racism
8. Civil Rights Movement
9. The Black Panthers
10. Africa
11. HBCU’s
12. Black Lives Matters
13. Black Veterans
14. African Americans and politics
15. Juneteenth
16. Thurgood Marshall/Supreme Court Cases that helped African Americans secure rights

Know of any more things that are important to teach children about Black History? Share them below.

How to Get the Most Out of a Parent-Teacher Conference: Questions You Should Be Asking

Although parent-teacher conferences tend to be a short opportunity to speak with your child’s teacher and learn about their progress as a student, there is still an opportunity to make the most out of it. If you are looking to be hands on with your child’s education, learn about their progress and where there can be room for improvement; the objective should be to go in with an agenda. Don’t just wait to find out what the teacher has to say. Come in with your on set of questions based off of what you already know to be true about your child. This will give you insight into how your child behaves in the classroom versus at home. You can also give the teacher a little insight into how your child behaves at home. This allows both parties to gain an understanding of the best possible way to teach a child and allow them to reach their full potential. It’s also important that prior to the conference you have been keeping up with each day of your child’s life by asking them questions such as “How was school?” and “What happened at school today?” that way if there are any concerns or issues about something, you are prepared to bring them up and ask questions.

Here are a list of starter questions you can think about asking at the next parent-teacher conference, but again the best way to make the most of this is to tailor the questions to fit your individual child:

1. How is my child doing socially/emotionally?
2. What are my child’s academic strengths and weaknesses?
3. Is my child performing at his or her’s grade level?
4. Are there any areas my child can use extra help in?
5. How can I help at home?
6. What’s the best way to communicate with you?
7. How can I stay on top of what is happening in the classroom?
8. Is my child giving his or her best effort?

It may also be a good idea to take notes of everything addressed in the conference so that it can be referenced at a later date. You can also schedule a follow-up if you would like more time with the teacher or would like to see if your child has made any improvements since the last conference.

If you are looking for more personalized questions that more closely fit the concerns you have for your child, click here.

Everything You Should Know About Trafficking From Avoiding Becoming a Victim to Learning the Signs of Someone Being Trafficked

If you keep up with news, then you’ve probably heard about the growing trafficking epidemic and the warning signs for women and young girls to be safe when going outside and take preventative measures to ensure it doesn’t happen to them. So what exactly can you do avoid trafficking especially if you must travel alone or in dangerous/secluded areas.

Here are some things you can consider to ensure your safety and avoid becoming a victim of trafficking:

1. Be Aware of Your Surroundings

This is probably one of the most obvious things you can tell someone, but the reality is that most people don’t pay attention to what is going on around them. A lot of times people are looking down when walking or are in their phone. This video gives an in depth look at how you can better be aware at all times.

2. Take a Self-Defense Class

It’s important that you know at least some basic fighting skills. So that if worst comes to worst, you have the ability to fight off an attacker.

3. Carry A Safety Kit

Carry a small kit with easily accessible items such as a flashlight, tactical knife, pepper spray, a taser, etc. But before you try to use any of these items make sure you understand how to properly use them.

4. Conceal to Carry

If you are looking to carry a firearm, take the necessary steps to understand what that means, how to get licensed, the laws in your state and lastly but most importantly train on how to use a firearm.

5. Avoid Going To Nightclubs, Deserted/Bad Areas and Parking Lots Alone Especially At Night

If you must attend any of these places, try to do so in groups when able.

6. Keep Control of Your Drinks

While on the subject of nightclubs/bars, make sure your are aware of your drink at all times. Never leave it unattended. If you do, it’s best to order another one rather than take your chances.

7. Stay Aware From Unknown Drugs, Especially From Unknown People

8. Don’t Get In The Car With Someone You Just Met

It’s best to call a cab, Uber, Lyft or get a ride from someone you know. If you call for a Uber or Lyft, make sure the driver and car matches the description in the app. Also make sure the child locks are off the car in case you need to make a quick escape and/or jump out of a moving vehicle.

9. Help Someone in Need

If you see other women or young girls in a potential dangerous situation offer to help in anyway you can or point them in the right direction to get the help they need.

10. Know What Countries Are Safe To Travel To

When traveling abroad it’s best to educate yourself on the countries you’re planning on visiting, especially if you’re traveling alone. Make sure to avoid ones that pose a high threat to crime, economic crisis, genocide, etc. Also note that women between the ages of 15 and 23 pose the highest threat of being trafficked, so they should never travel abroad alone.

For other informative tips on how to avoid being trafficked watch these videos:

 

Another important part of putting an end to trafficking is knowing the signs that someone is already being trafficked, if it’s to late to prevent them from being trafficked in the first place. Here are signs someone is being trafficked and may need your help:

1. Signs of physical abuse such as cuts, marks, bruises, etc.
2. Avoids eye contact/Social Interaction with law enforcement and figures of authority
3. Appearing malnourished/poor physical health
4. Lack of identification documents
5. Tattoos/Branding
6. Not allowed to go out alone or speak for themselves
7. Measures of keeping people trapped on houses, buildings, etc. such as barbed wire and bars around windows
8. Checking into hotel with males
9. Scripted or rehearsed responses
10. Working long hours

Trafficking is at an all time high so it is important that we all do what we can to prevent it from happening to ourselves, those around us and even strangers. Know of some more ways we can put an end to trafficking? List them below.

Transracial Adoption: How to Raise a Child of a Different Race

Transracial adoption isn’t something new. In fact, it’s something we see a lot, especially among celebrities. But, when we look at the climate of today’s world involving race related issues; it’s important that these adopted children understand their background and don’t grow up feeling a way because they look different than their parents. It is equally as important that those looking to adopt a child of a different race understand the challenges that come along with it and are open to taking whatever steps may be necessary to teach them about their culture.

Actress Kristen Davis recently went on the “Red Table Talk” to discuss her challenges with raising black children and recently in the news we’ve seen support groups for multiracial families such as teaching parents how to do their black child’s hair. No matter how big or small, every detail plays a part in a child’s confidence and sense of identity and the type of person they will grow to become.

Here are some of the side effects of transracial adoption and what you can do to help your child move past them:

1. Racial Identity Crisis 

When a child is growing up around not many people that look like them, it is likely that they will question why and want to know where they came from. While you may not have all the answers (if you don’t know anything about their biological parents), you can still teach them about the history of their culture. This requires being as open and honest as possible about the differences in races and the treatment of other races so that if they encounter any type of racism they will understand why. This will also teach them self acceptance and loving the skin they’re in. For parents, it can be a good way to learn about other cultures through teaching their children and in turn allow them to empathize and see things through the eyes of other races.

2. Cultural Appropriation

Some adoption agencies provide future parents with programs to teach them about the culture of the child they are adopting. While this is a good start, it’s important to remember that it’s just that, a start. The real work starts when the children come home. Some parents may get so caught up in wanting to embrace their child’s culture, that they may not understand they are helping to perpetuate a negative stereotype. That’s why education is so important. A good way of doing this is making sure your child is around people that look like them as much as possible. So if it can’t be at home, make sure they make friends of the same race at school or take them to public hangouts where people of their race hangs out a lot. This allows a natural process of learning about themselves rather than forcing it on the child and getting it wrong. For parents, the same can be done by making friends with parents who are the same race as your child and asking questions and learning from them. It is okay to admit that you can never 100 percent step into your child’s shoes and know how they feel. This is where the phrase, “it takes a village to raise a child” comes in handy. Parents can also talk to other transracial parents and discuss how they get through certain challenges and what works for them.

3. Choosing Not to See Color

This can be detrimental to the child because while you don’t see color, others do. Once they get older and began to witness the racial inequality, they won’t be prepared for it and won’t know how to handle it. This involves a very tough conversation about racial bias and privilege, which is often a tough conversation for many to have or to accept that they have privilege at all, but it must be done. It’s understandable that some parents may want to protect their kids from these tough conversations, but in the end it will be much better that a kid, especially one from a multiracial family with people that may not have to deal with the same things they have to deal, with is educated on race. At the end of the day, if you are doing nothing to understand racism/privilege and/or sitting by and watching it happen, you are doing your child a disservice.

 

The bottom line when thinking about transracial adoption and/or raising children of different races is are you ready to educate yourself and have tough conversations? Because if you aren’t, you will be playing a part in the self-identity crisis and lack of confidence your child has as they grow up. Transracial adoption is something that is beautiful and something that both parties can benefit from, but only when everyone is willing to get out of their comfort zones and do the work.

Have any tips or advice for multiracial families? Leave them below.

The Benefits of Mentorship Programs For Students

Mentorship has been an important aspect for students for some time now because studies have shown that students that have been mentored are more likely to stay in school, go to college, volunteer and even want to make a difference themselves as they get older through mentorship. Mentors have also been a big help to parents because they are often able to get students to open up in ways that the parents may not be a successful with. This is due to the fact that mentors are often peers (older brothers/sisters) that the students can see themselves in because they were once in their shoes. The big thing to understand is that when it comes to mentors, they don’t necessarily have to just be tutors. Even if they aren’t tutoring your child, just the presence of a positive role model in their life can impact their achievements in school from a academic, social and social activities standpoint.

 
First let’s discuss the benefits of getting your child a mentor:

 
1. Enhances confidence
2. Challenges students to set higher goals/take risks
3. Psychosocial support
4. Students provided with useful advice on academics, professional responsibilities and day-to-day tasks
5. Stronger Interpersonal skills
6. Support system during difficult times
7. Exposure to diversity
8. Access to useful resources
9. Healthier relationships
10. Better lifestyle choices
11. Better attitude/improved behavior at school and home

 
Next let’s discuss the equally beneficial results for the mentor:

 
1. Leave a mark/legacy
2. Personal/professional growth
3. Coaching/leadership goals
4. Lasting/meaningful connections
5. Enhances self-esteem
6. Enhances patience

 
Now that we’ve discussed how influential both getting mentored and being a mentor can be, it’s important to discuss some mentor programs that are available because one out of every three young people who want mentors don’t get one.

 

Here are some resources you can look into if you are interested in getting your child a mentor:

 

1. For those looking to mentor/start a mentor program
2. The National Mentoring Partnership (MENTOR)
3. Communities In School
4. How to Design a School-Based Mentoring Program
5. Making a Difference with At-risk Students: The Benefits of a Mentoring Program in Middle School
6. How to Create a Successful Mentorship Program
7. National Mentoring Resource Center

 

Know of some other mentorship opportunities? Let us know below.

7 Life Skills You Should Be Teaching Your Children

Somewhere along the way we all learned important life skills that would later become the tools we use to get us through some of life’s most difficult tasks. For some people, however they might have had to learn the hard way or learned those important skills too late in life. That’s why it’s important they we teach our youth these skills as early as we possibly can because not only does it prepare them for the future, but it also provides them with a sense of responsibility and can increase their maturity.

 
Here are 7 life skills you should be teaching your kids:

 
1. How to Budget
Teach them about financial literacy at an early age and introduce them to how to budget their money instead of blowing it all in one place. One of the best ways to do this is by providing them with weekly or monthly allowances and teaching them about proper ways of spending/saving. For older kids opening a bank account is a great option or applying for a credit card. This teaches them how to transfer money, write checks and spend without getting into debt.

2. Social Skills
Make sure to introduce your children to new and different environments/people so that they are aware of etiquette and the different ways to act depending on their environment. It’s also important that they are around people and able to converse as a tool to continuously grow their social skills, get them thinking and see different viewpoints.

3. Domestic Skills
One of the most important things you can teach your child is how to manage a household once they move into their own place. This includes: finding the right house/apartment in their budget, managing utilities, paying bills, cleaning/maintenance of the house, etc.

 

4. Driving/Car Maintenance
It’s important that your children know that the work doesn’t just end once they get their license. Instead of just handing them a car, teach them about the process of buying one and registering it. Teach them about pumping gas, oil maintenance, changing tires and any other maintenance the car may need. It’s also a good idea to prepare them for potentially being pulled over by the police. Show them what to do and what not to do. Teach them about having important documents such as: vehicle records, driver’s license, registration papers, etc. at all times. Lastly make sure their navigation skills are up to par and they know how to get around.

 

5. Staying Safe
The topic of staying safe is very versatile; it can refer to many different things. For starters since we just got of the topic of driving, let’s continue with that. Make sure your children know that they should avoid secluded/deserted areas as much as possible. If their car breaks down in the middle of the highway let them know that they should call for help instead of trying to seek it alone. Let them know that they shouldn’t pick up hitchhikers. Teach them about traveling with friends instead of alone. It could also be useful to teach them basic fighting skills to fight anybody off that tries to approach them or have them carry pepper spray.

 

6. Problem Solving/Prioritizing
Teach your children the importance of being able to work through their problems in a healthy manner and that sometimes it’s okay to seek out advice from others. It’s also important that they are able to set goals and prioritize the most important things first. A big part of both problem solving and prioritizing plays into their time management skills as well. So, teach them how best to mange their time and not to procrastinate.

 

7. Employability Skills
Of course as we grow up we get jobs, but before that even happens employers are vetting the candidates. Of course they look at your resume, but what people fail to realize is that are also looking at your life skills because those also determine the type of employee you’ll be. Many of the life skills they look for are listed above but it doesn’t stop there. Parents teach your kids these important life skills to ensure they have success in the workforce: communication skills, thinking and analytic skills, work ethics, ability to use available resources, technology skills, adaptability and ability to evaluate themselves.

 

What have been the most useful life skills you’ve learned? Share them below.

 

7 Ways You Can Prevent Your Child From Being the Next Shooter

With mass shootings happening way too often and back to back in the case of the two most recent ones in El Paso and Dayton, it is obviously apparent to everyone but the people in power that something needs to be done about gun laws. But with the realization that many of the shooters are what the media likes to label “troubled” or “mentally ill” teens or young adults, the question should be posed as to whether or not there is anything parents can do to prevent their children from being the next shooter? The short answer to that question is yes. Although as we know some things are beyond the parents’ control, especially as their children grow older and make their own decisions; it’s still important that they try to make a positive impact on their kids while they still can.

Parents are more times than not the first people who will be able to notice a behavioral change in their children. It is important that when you do notice this, you take the necessary measures to get to the bottom of what has caused a shift in your child’s behavior. You can decide which steps work best for your children depending on their age. Here are some ways you can do that:

 

1. Monitor Your Child’s Social Media/Screen Time
Social Media is a big cause for depression among youth because it opens the door to internet trolls/internet bullying. It can also expose children to tons of online violent content. While some children may not be affected by this, others may be influenced to mimic what they see. So it is important for children to determine what is best for their child.

 

2. Keep Track of Your Child’s Relationships

Who’s around your child that could negatively affect their behavior and expose them to negative things? This could be friends, family friends, family members, etc. It’s also equally important for children who may not have many friends as well because this can be a sign that there may be things happening in school beyond your knowledge such as bullying that are causing them to have a hard time making friends.

 

3. Talk With Your Child

It might sound obvious, but some parents don’t take the time to do this. Ask them how their day was. Talk about serious issues with them. Ask them how they feel about all the mass shootings and other acts of violence they might see on the news. Obviously as they get older, some kids don’t want to share much with their parents, but don’t let that deter you. You should still ask questions and show interest because it is a sign you care. Children feeling neglected or not cared for can lead to further issues.

 

4. Work With Your Child on Self-Esteem

 If you see your child having issues with low self-esteem, it’s important to address it head on and work with them on loving themselves. A good way to do this with young children is through daily affirmations.

 

5. Watch Your Behavior

 Children often learn their behavior from their parents, so it’s important to limit the amount of violence you expose them to. Teach them to express themselves calmly and patiently through words instead of resorting to violence.

 

6. Discuss Gun Safety

Teach your kids about all the gun protocols, the dangers of them and how to stay safe. Also make sure if you have a gun in the house that it is completely out of reach of the kids. It is also a good idea that the gun is stored unloaded and locked separate from the ammunition.

 

7. Teach Your Children Acceptance of All

Because so many of the mass shootings fall under the category of hate crimes whether it’s against a certain race, religion or the LGBTQ community; it’s important that you talk to your children at an early age and teach them about the importance of accepting people for who they are.

 

Know of some more ways to help prevent gun violence? Let us know below.

Understanding Institutional Racism

Racism has been a complex topic for years now because despite the belief of many, there isn’t just one type of racism. In fact, there are many with many different names including: individual racism, interpersonal racism, cultural racism, structural racism and institutional racism, etc. In order for progress to be made, people must first be educated on racism as a whole to gain a knowledge on what can be done fix the injustices placed upon people of color.

 

On Saturday Aug 10., Evanston Live TV and BLACK put together Community Conversations: Understanding Institutional Racism with panelist/speakers: Pat Quinn, Devon Reid, Bennett Johnson, Lisa Disch, Dino Robinson, Christopher Shuttlesworth and Baxter Swilley. Melika Gardner was the moderator for the event.

 

The event was all about action with emphases on voting, getting signatures and asking important questions of the people who are in power to make change.

 

So what exactly is institutional racism? Institutional racism is one of the most important forms of racism because it has a much greater impact than individual racism and can be harder to fight. It is described as discrimination in social and political institutions. Factors of institutional racism include: wealth, income, criminal justice, employment, housing, health care, political power and education.

 

Some great examples of the biggest forms of institutional racism we have had to face are the Jim Crow segregation laws and more recently how the police department handles Black and Latino males. New York police directed officers to stop Black and Latino males between the ages of 14 and 20. These types of encounters often cause people to lose hope instead of fighting for change, but the panelists (many of who have also faced institutional racism themselves) are proof that overcoming is both possible and important.

 

Gardner: You all have this movement that’s actually making change. Usually it’s hitting those first couple roadblocks people go back to being comfortable. No one wants to get down in the grass and make things happen. What did you all do, what did you tell yourself, what actions did you take to get over those over those roadblocks?

 

Bennett Johnson has dedicated his life to the power of the black community through three areas: political, business and literary. He’s done this through his work in the civils rights era and his publishing company Path Press Inc. He also helped found the Chicago League of Negro Voters in 1958, which is an independent political organization designed to support black candidates in Chicago elections.

 
Johnson: The obstacles is just like anything in life. You don’t grow unless you have obstacles and you don’t succeed unless you get over those obstacles. So an obstacle isn’t something you should be intimidated by it’s a challenge.

 
Former IL Governor Pat Quinn has dedicated his time to progressive policies and fighting for everyday people. He is adamant about taking down Donald Trump and his hateful policies.

 
Quinn: If you don’t vote, you don’t count so it really is important what Devon said to get everybody you can to vote in the upcoming elections of 2020. One of the reasons I’m committed to this whole power of petition and referendum is that it encourages people to understand that I’m not only voting for candidates, but there are issues. We heard some of the issues here today that’s important, whether it’s making sure people get a fair share of government money and construction dollars or making sure people have decent schools and raising minimum wage. The whole movement of raising minimum wage began with a petition drive.

 

Devon Reid is an Evanston City Clerk. He dedicates much of his time informing/educating people about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

 

Reid: Here in Evanston I work to bring a voice to the table that isn’t traditionally at the table. I started to face a lot of pushback from our city council and folks within the city. One of the ways that I am overcoming is that I rely on you folks to be educated, to understand what’s going on in the government and to vote. Right now, we’re sitting in the Fleetwood Jourdain Center and what we know is that in 1931- Mr. Jourdain won the election in 1931. He was the first African American elected to the Evanston city council. The city council then voted to dismiss him from the council based on trumped up charges of voter fraud. They found a few cases where people were living in storefronts or places that weren’t properly zoned as housing and they used that to say well your whole election was fraud and they kicked him out of office. Mr. Jourdain came back a year later and won the election again. He came back and became a strong voice for the African American community here in Evanston and for the entire city, advocating for the construction of this community center, advocating for desegregating our communities and parks. So what I hold onto and what helps me get over the hurdle is knowing that we have smart, dedicated people in the community and that I am ultimately accountable to you and that is what will help us keep this movement going forward.

 

Dino Robinson spends his time educating people on the history of African Americans through the Shorefront Legacy Center, which he founded.

 

Robinson: I think we all have points in our lives that make us woke. My key point started in kindergarten and I saw the system of hierarchy about leadership and lack of leadership. And so I was living in Michigan as early as kindergarten that I borrowed from the sports apparel Nike “Just Do It”. That’s my motivation, every time somebody said no, I just did it. So in kindergarten, when I was woke up a peer of mine as I was playing with this toy- actually it’s clay, making my car out of clay. This kid came up to me and said “niggers are not aloud to play with toys” and the teacher was maybe three feet away. She looked at me and looked at him and turned away. I had a moment in that time as I thought about it that this kid did not learn it on his own, he learned it from his parents. And I had a chance to either become violent or be assertive. At that moment in my live, even though I was in kindergarten, the thing I realized is no one can tell me what I can and can’t do.

 

Lisa Disch is a political science professor at The University of Michigan. She discusses contemporary continental political thought, with an emphasis on the feminist theory, political ecology, and theories of democracy in both the US and France.

 

Disch: Information is one of the best ways of getting over obstacles. All of these problems that we think are astronomical, they’re not. The more we know about issues, the more likely we are to find solutions. It takes digging and it takes looking on social media. It takes information and information opens up points of action that you didn’t know existed.

 

Christopher Shuttlesworth works towards solving the issues surrounding systemic poverty and economic morality through The Illinois Poor People’s Campaign.

 

Shuttlesworth: I’ve had a few obstacles, but one in particular is a story. My youngest sister was having a quintillion and everyone- the family was dressed really nice. It’s a beautiful time, I wanted to leave though. So my wife at the time, my younger brother we’re leaving, it’s downtown Chicago. So as we’re crossing the street police cars cross the corner. So they get out and call me over to the car, they say put your hands on the car. They put me in the car in handcuffs and drive me to a McDonald’s and waited for the manager to come out and identify me. So of course the manager couldn’t identify me because I didn’t rob the McDonald’s so they arrested me for disorderly conduct. That’s just one of the things that really helped me to keep going- to persevere, to really get involved and join people that are doing things to really change and dismantle this society. It’s going to take all of us. It’s not a color issue, it’s a human issue. It’s going to take humans.

 

Gardner: I love these stories because I think everybody in the room has been met with an obstacle when you felt passionate about something and you just stopped- these people didn’t stop and I know there’s people out there who are fighting and doing things, but a lot of us stop. We let the obstacle overwhelm us and we just go back to comfort.

 

As the event wrapped up and the audience got to ask their own questions it was stressed that simply coming to the event to attain the knowledge, but not using the knowledge to evoke change wasn’t going to be much help. The purpose of the event was to provide residents with knowledge of what institutional racism is so they can recognize it and do their part to change it. Now that you have the resources what are you going to do?

 

Tell us what obstacles you’ve had to overcome institutional racism and what you are doing to fight it.

Financial Literacy in the African American Community

Let’s talk about something that has the ability to shape not only our future, but our children’s futures- financial literacy. Financial literacy is something that many people simply don’t have the knowledge on and as a result has led to even some of the richest people we know including: athletes, musicians, actors, etc. going broke over time.

One of the biggest questions I’ve always had is if school is supposed to prepare us for the real world, why don’t more schools have classes that teach us about finances, taxes, investments, real estate, etc. ?

Of course in the African American community, as with most things, we are faced with more challenges when it comes to financial literacy. These include lack of wealth, institutionalized racism and low wages.

Despite the obstacles, there are still many opportunities for us to learn and gain financial literacy. Rapper Jay Z is a perfect example of that. He grew from a kid from Brooklyn into the first rapper to become a billionaire and he didn’t just do it by selling records. He also invested, bought art and became a full time businessman. His last album, “4:44”, was basically a blueprint of how he did it and his intentions on leaving something behind for his children.

There’s also recently been many new ventures to teach African Americans about financial literacy. Take Stock Market Tracks, a rap competition launched last month to boost the financial literacy of young African Americans, for example. The competition was launched by investing app Invstr, which is designed to educate “the next generation of investors.”

Their goal, after learning that African Americans under 40 were investing in the stock market at lower rates than their white peers, was to teach the importance of investing.

Another app designed to help young African American kids with financial literacy is Goalsetter. Founder of Goalsetter Tanya Van Court’s goal with the app was to teach children the importance of saving at an early age.

“Kids who have savings accounts in their names are not only six times more likely to go to college; they’re also four times more likely to own stocks by the time they are young adults,” Van Court says.

All of this proves that despite the setbacks, the resources are available for us to obtain financial literacy, we just have to be willing to learn and teach one another.

If you are looking to gain a better knowledge of financial literacy or teach someone about it, these are the important things you should focus on:

• Ownership
• Investments
• Hiring people to help make better decisions
• Assets and liabilities
• Understanding how to make better decisions financially.

Have some useful information on financial literacy? Share below.