4 Women of Color Who Can Help You Become Financially Literate
April is financial literacy month, which means it’s time for all of us to get a little smarter with our finances. But, what is financial literacy exactly?
Financial literacy is commonly defined as having the skills and knowledge needed to properly manage your finances. Statistics show that only about 57% of American adults today are believed to be financially literate. For women of color, financial literacy education can be even harder to access due to gender and racial barriers. Luckily, there are some great women of color out there helping others become more financially literate.
Here are four resources that can help you become more financially literate:
1. Aja Dang, Youtube
In addition to her lifestyle videos, Youtuber Aja Dang often shares her own financial journey on her channel. Her videos range from monthly budget recaps to explaining sinking funds to sharing how she paid off $200,000 of debt in two years. Her compelling visuals and charming personality make it fun to learn about finances. Dang is open and honest about the mistakes that she’s made along the way, creating a welcoming environment for people to talk about their finances in.
2. Bola Sokunbi, Clever Girls Know podcast
If you are already a fan of Clever Girl Finance, why not check out their podcast? In 2016, Bola Sokunbi, the founder and CEO of the organization, created a podcast to further educate women about how to manage their money. Sokunbi’s conversational tone allows for an enjoyable and informative discussion about an intimidating topic. Listeners can get a wide variety of perspectives from this podcast as Sokunbi interviews everyone from single moms and teachers to financial advisors. Her listeners can feel empowered by hearing other women explain how they went from a disadvantaged position to one of power.
3. Dasha Kennedy, The Broke Black Girl
If you identify as a woman of color and want another knowledgeable woman of color to guide you through your financial journey, check out @thebrokeblackgirl on Instagram. The financial world can be daunting for women of color, who are often not provided with the resources to help them succeed. Dasha Kennedy, a millennial financial coach, decided to help by giving financial advice to other women of color. Having successfully worked for more than ten years as an accountant and default counselor, Kennedy is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to transform their relationship with money. On her Instagram, you can find informative posts ranging from the benefits of a passive income to the snowball debt method.
If you are interested in learning more about Dasha, you can join The Broke Black Girl Facebook group and join an interactive community of over 70,000 women.
4. Jannese Torres-Rodriguez, Yo Quiero Dinero podcast
In 2019, Jannese Torres-Rodriguez founded the Yo Quiero Dinero podcast, which focuses on providing financial literacy for women of color. This podcast, which has weekly episodes on Sundays, makes discussions about money easier to understand. Torres-Rodriguez has a talent for breaking down complicated concepts into easy steps that anyone can follow. Many of her podcasts episodes are hosted with other individuals of color who share how they improved their finances. Being an entrepreneur herself, Torres-Rodriguez definitely has some great advice for reaching your money goals through side hustles, investing and more.
Financial literacy resources tailored for women of color are hard to come by. The resources that we typically find are geared towards white men, so they might not help us with our specific needs. But these four women are changing that and remind us all that we are not alone in our journeys. They were able to make it through and so will we.
Written by Kalijah Rahming
