- People tend to think that money
and finance is this unemotional thing.
That's actually not the case.
It's deeply rooted
in the traumas that have created
the society that we continue
to see inequalities prosper when we're trying
to dismantle those systems.
(slow bright music)
I'm Chloe McKenzie,
I'm the Founder and CEO
of BlackFem.
BlackFem is making communities better
because we are implementing financial education five days
a week as a core subject starting in elementary school.
So that black girls and girls of color have the skills,
habits and resources to build and sustain wealth.
We've seen students perform better.
It's a standard deviation
in their math and English language arts test scores
because they are receiving our curriculum five days a week.
Even though we care most about closing
the wealth gap for black women and girls,
black feminist teaching tells us
that if you liberate those who are
at the bottom,
you're actually liberating everybody.
So we could do so in a way that takes
this radical idea of closing the wealth gap
for black girls and ensuring that all students who work
with our curriculum are receiving financial literacy
five days a week as a core subject
during the school day.
We typically see financial literacy happening after school
so you're only gonna reach a certain population.
I wanted every single kid to get it every single day
for at least 45 minutes.
And that's what we're doing
in school districts across the country.
- Because a lot of people heard it
and it was like,
what are we gonna teach kids that's in the second grade?
Like that's too much for them.
Like some teachers had that mindset
and some was willing to embrace it.
I just felt
like I was willing to embrace it.
Even if I've got,
you know
one or two kids to understand or
just strike their interest,
it was a success to me. (upbeat music)
- School was everything to me.
I'm not really sure why,
but I've always just loved learning.
I actually skipped two grades.
So you know,
the kind of idea of being a nerd was something
that I really took to heart
and really embraced and enjoyed.
For me what I found
to be so important to my trajectory
and the work that I do
in the world was the fact that I had
an enabling environment.
I had teachers who understood my passion for history
and my passion for understanding and studying injustices.
- Today we're here to talk about one
of my former students,
Chloe McKenzie.
Chloe and I came to know each other
when she first entered in my previous high school.
And she commanded my attention
the moment I'd say I met her.
She has always been passionate about
what she believes in.
- I think I've always had this motto of service is
how you heal.
Mr. McCluskey is actually one
of the people who helped me understand
that. BlackFem will be coming to this school.
And of course, because Mr. McCluskey was
the reason why I got into social justice.
It's a big theme here in this school community.
- We are in Bethesda, Maryland,
right outside Washington, DC.
We're here now because in my new role as a principal,
I want to do some partnership
with Chloe in her new role with BlackFem.
- The way that wealth was created in America was
through stolen indigenous land
and through black bodies.
And so the fact that my body was a source of wealth
but that I didn't have any value inherently
as a person is something that lives within us.
Our education system is inadequately supporting certain
groups of students as it is,
black girls being one of them.
And our schools also don't have
this intention to set our students up
for financial success.
- I see the work that Chloe is doing.
She knows that this work and BlackFem is going
to make a difference in the lives of young people.
- I think what's so great
about the generation that's in high school right now is
there's this very strong intention
and rigor to be able to create a better world
for themselves.
And so we're really going to be identifying
how financial activism can be something
that the students here engage in
and prepare to not only build wealth
but then use their financial activism at
the same time to change our communities.
The narratives that we're providing to students,
get them to think that they need to be
on this journey or this pursuit
for more above all else rather
than thinking about what is it that I really want
and how do I fund that vision?
And that's really what wealth is.
(bright music)