Ep. 3: Black Wealth Matters

Welcome to another episode of Black Girl Fly. My name is Tenisha Nicole. I'm Tashaunda Dixon. And we are here to talk about millennial wealth demystified. And today we are going to tackle the topic of Black Lives Matter. We've seen in the news more recently, so very many things that we just literally we cannot not talk about it. So we wanted to, you know, kind of tackle this topic as a safe space. And really, you know, we are a wealth podcast, but we truly do believe that, you know, the way that we are treated in society has a large part and large impact on our wealth. Definitely.

Black Lives Matter is something that is extremely difficult to talk about. It's difficult for a number of reasons but one it's very, very Emotional, it has been the issues that we are speaking about now have been issues that we've carried all of our lives for people like me, I'd say with my age, but it's also very triggering. It shares some of our most vulnerable spaces that I don't think that we've shared. And it definitely does Tunisia's point. It affects us in so many ways, not just financially, but mentally, and our ability to move forward and to live life. It's all being exposed now that it was critical to really have this discussion with you guys here. Yeah. And another thing is that we've been talking about it a lot in our households and, you know, with professional colleagues and friends and things like that. And, you know, there's so many differing views within the black community outside of the black community, and there's so many things like Susana said, like, there's so many emotions associated with this So, I mean, we just kind of wanted to take the opportunity to address it, you know, and kind of speak about our perspective and our lens. And so where do we begin? Where do we start with this conversation? Yeah, that's what I was thinking about. In this. You could talk about police brutality, how black people are targeted, are more harshly punished are treated with such disregard in a space where we're supposed to be protected. You could talk about the impact of what that means to society, how so many more black people have have records, more harsh charges more of their life taken away. Even just that one aspect alone to me is huge. And something that I'm so glad we can no longer ignore.

Yeah, I feel like the protests and just everything that's going on social media, like it's impossible for people to ignore now. In, you know, I just kind of feel like over the last I don't know, when the last time we had a big big like this maybe 20 years, I was gonna say I don't remember. Do you remember a time where we were mean? I think while I was alive I don't remember personally from when I was alive, but I do know Rodney King happen. Yeah, I should think I was alive for that but I was getting I was like five. So you're like, yeah, I think it was early 90s if I'm not mistaken, so I feel like people kind of thought we solve this problem. And like, you know, went quiet for a while. So, you know, we really think that people thought we solved the problem. We had a black president.

Same Same, but Different

So so so I disagree. And it's the reason I agree. I actually recently just saw, I have to look up his name, but I saw Instagram influencer, who posted his experience with a woman who was in the park with their dog and she didn't have it on the lease. And he said, Hey, you know, you're supposed to have your dog on a leash in this area, and her immediate response with not even a flinch. Well, I'm gonna call the police and tell them that you're threatening me with. And and she went on to say, you know, what do you think is gonna happen when a cop hears that this black guy and she said black guy is threatening the white woman. I think that it was understood my eyesight another post. And now all this is prevalent, right people are sharing their material they've had forever but I think it was on Oprah a woman came and she actually this was probably in the late 80s, early 90s. And she came in she did a study where she treated white people differently. They had blue eyes if they had brown eyes, and they didn't know that they were entering this test. And she went on and she had treated them poorly. And at the end of it when they realized I think they kind of were like, Oh yeah, something's going on. Yeah, we have to look at this. And she said, this is how black people are treated every day. And she asked she said Raise your hand. If you want to be treated like a black person today. An audience full of white people. No one raised their hand. So I don't believe that people Without it was taken care of. I think that the majority people thought this doesn't affect me. So why worry? Corporate america thought we're still productive black people are still working for us even though we pay them. Yes. Maybe solved is not the right word. But I would say maybe they just thought because we were quiet. Like, we were good. Yeah. You know, we were suffering in silence. Yeah. And now that is very clear. That is not the case. Like we're not being quiet about it. We're calling people out and people are having to face it. Yeah. And I think that it today is a perfect time. We have more interracial relationships where white people are now experiencing the fear for their children or Hispanics are, you know, experiencing And not only that, now, your best friend can be African American, right? Or your your neighbor or your colleague or your Enzo. We're now in a different position. I don't believe that we could have done this. 20 years ago, yeah, no, I mean, number one, we did have social media. So that of course, I'm like, cuz that has just like, I feel like magnified. Our president it has, I think, too, before social media, everything was explainable, like, you could explain it away. It was cameras, right? Yeah, it was he was a criminal. So we treated him that way. It was. She didn't ask for more money. So we gave her less. It was always an excuse. But when you can put a camera on it and see the intent when you can see and hear the words when you can evenly evaluate the circumstance. It makes it a lot harder. It makes it harder, but the sicker part is even when people see that they still defend the person in the wrong. And to me, that makes her so much worse.

Just Mercy Movie

Have you seen just mercy? Yeah, so I think it was Jamie Foxx and Michael B. Jordan Michael. And they made it available free on Netflix if you haven't amazon prime. So if you haven't seen it, check it out. But this was actually a true story. And what it depicted is a guy was charged with a crime. And I'm not gonna get into specific details, but it was very clear at a point that he did not commit that crime and the courts refused to overturn the verdict. And so what happened, though, in that instance, before he even became free, to your point, it may hurt worse, but I do believe that we are all human. Right? And so when it hurt you more, I think it gives the person on the other side, a conscious check, right? So they may not admit they may not be and like in real life, like you would hope and you know, I'm a reckless optimist. So I you know, I try to believe the best in people. It is not a guarantee that that other person is feeling and so while you're making Forced to be human. So so I think that's true. But you have to acknowledge that that only can be if they're a psychopath, right. Like, like, I am also a bit optimistic, but looking at any situation, even I'm gonna save skin. I don't think that all people will admit when they're wrong in public, but there is a part of self reflection. There's a part of examining your own actions, there's a part that you will encounter unless you're a psychopath. I mean, I definitely like that is my belief. That is my hope. You know, I want to say that it's my hope for everyone. But I also believe that each individual in this world has literally created their own world and now they see the world through whatever perspective they've created for themselves. Yeah. So I see how people can completely ignore you know, the hurting that is happening and justify it with something else but in this event.

Shine Your Light

If we can't change the minds of everyone, even if we can't change the laws or the police or the the circumstance that create the environment, I think we are shining the light. And I think sometimes a light can make a huge difference. Yeah, I think everything starts with the little light. Yeah, one of the things that you and I have been talking about a lot has been, you know, yes, we can shine the light. But then what? Yeah, right. Like, what's next? The light is shining shone. The light is there. But, you know, what responsibility do we have? Well, responsibility. Does everyone else have, you know, yeah, in regards to taking action? That's a great question. And I want to share a little bit about our conversation that we had, but I think we are all individuals. And you can't expect everyone will take the same action that everyone will have the same response or that everyone believes that the same solution will cure the same problem, right? So I believe personally, that it is your own duty to figure out how you can contribute that there are tons and tons of things that you can do something so simple as having a conversation for those. What's that quote? Where you have more issues more much is expected. Or much is given much as expected is required required. Yeah, yeah. And and so I think we need to take that principle and do what you can with that, and know that we don't change the world. We can't expect everyone else to I 100% agree with that. And the point that I want to highlight is you have to figure out how you can contribute and that is based on the things that you're interested in. Maybe you're an artist or the things that you know, you're specifically talented in the connection That you have the resources that you have. Yeah, we'll all determine the kind of impact that you can make on this movement. Yeah. But I think that anyone can talk about an array of issues that really set back the black community. The 400 years of oppression, right? We cannot get Jim Crow to not get caught up on police brutality. Because Yeah, there is a long list a long list. Yeah. Yeah. The wealth gap, the redlining.

Be the Change

Yes, I mean, there's so much and, and so I would say, it is all of our responsibility to do what you can, but you need to make a contribution. That contribution can be as small as having a conversation, like we do here. or volunteering, buying black. There's so much that you can do to contribute, just choose something. Yeah. And my favorite way to contribute is like, I'm huge on education and I believe that as a collective people, we have so much knowledge and we do not pass that down. Yeah, like we don't share it. We want to hold it so close. But I'm a Christian. I'm like God, and I give you that to keep to yourself. Like it's not for you. It's for the people that you're meant to serve. So, yeah, so education, if you have knowledge, insights, like share it with the world. And that's kind of what we're hoping to do with this podcast, share our learning, share our thoughts, our insight. You don't have to agree with us, but we're just trying to create a safe space where we can share our truths, and hopefully it will touch one to three of you. Yeah, but I was gonna say it's also good to not agree with us, because that does what we want you to do. Think about it, and challenges us to think about it as well. Yeah, so we definitely appreciate so I hope this wasn't a plug to attack us. But you Definitely don't troll us. Please. But But yeah, I mean, I don't know there's so much more we could talk about this issue and I don't want it to feel like we're skating on it.

Conclusion

But for me, I am just, I'm tired of talking about all the things that happened to us because there are so very many things happening all the time. Every day, it's time to talk about solutions and do them for me. That's not their NAACP. Don't talk about it. Be about it about it. Yeah. So so that's why I am sounds like that's where you are just trying to figure out how I can personally contribute to a solution that's going to impact and change the world. I'm with you with you. What do we think about every night pink? How to take over the world? As basically. So yeah, so we will love to hear from you guys. Is there anything else you want to share before we sign off? Yes, stay positive. This is a time where we are being triggered emotionally, mentally, where we have to keep going. Or we have to think about the positivity in the situation and share solutions and love and encourage one another. Because we're all being impacted whether you realize it or not. And the quote that I will leave us with today is, and I'm sorry, I do not have the appropriate credits for this, but they tried to bury us, but they didn't know we were seeds. That's deep. That's deep. That's real deep. So yeah, so until next time, I'm Tenisha Nicole, I'm Tashaunda Dixon and we are Black Girl Fly.