A Message From Debt Free Happens

These last few months will be seared into our memory for the rest of our lives.  The last couple weeks have particularly bothered me though.  The reason why is that I am afraid that change will not happen regardless of the protests.  I worry that we will continue to see the same thing happen over and over and that we won’t listen or learn.

We at Debt Free Happens want to make it clear that we stand with the black community.  We long to see systemic racism become a thing of the past and ensure that justice is served for everyone, specifically the black community, which has been underserved in this area.  Furthermore, we want to see communities come together and share empathy for each other and know each other as individuals and not as “them” or “they”.

We started Debt Free Happens to inspire people to believe that they too could dig out of their debt just like we did.  The writings on our site have mainly focused on motivation, resources and tools and some tips and tricks in there as well.  Those are things that will help everyone, but for most of the time I have been writing here and listening to others it has become more and more clear that our experience of paying off debt and learning about money is not always other people’s experiences.  Yes, we share many of the same challenges, but there are certain challenges that we have not experienced and will never experience because we are white.  That doesn’t change the hard work we have done, but it can’t be ignored.

While I know I can can’t be anything and everything to every potential reader, I want everyone to know that you are always welcome here.

Even as I write this, I realize that perhaps Debt Free Happens is not as welcome to the black community as it should be.  Looking at the images I have inserted in my blog articles, they have not represented the diversity of our readers and that should change.  Have I done as good of a job at recommending resources from the black community?  Likely not.  These are small things, but it matters.

With that said, here is a list of leaders in the personal finance community who are black.  They have done so much for the community and their readers on their personal finance journey and it is an honor to direct you to them.  Please take time to learn about them and see what they have to offer.

Tonya Rapley

• Tonya from My Fab Finance is one of the coolest people I have met in the personal finance space. Her site is amazing.  She has paid off over $40,000 of debt and managed to live in New York City making $32,000 a year while building up a 3-month emergency fund.  She has lived it and built an amazing community so check her out.

Michelle Jackson

• Michelle from Michelle Is Money Hungry is a personal finance writer and an important voice in the community. Her recent article and podcast called A Candid Conversation About Race in America needs to be heard.

Talaat & Tai McNeely

• Talaat and Tai from the His & Her Money Show are some of the premier money and marriage experts. They have a podcast which is the best podcast for sharing debt free stories and I recommend it to you all.  Their YouTube channel has tons of great videos on money and frankly they are just great people so be sure to support them if you aren’t already.

Jamila Souffrant

• Jamila from Journey to Launch saved $169K in 2 years. Wow!  Her podcast is one of the best out there.  I have long admired her.  Be sure to check out her latest episode Black Lives Matter & The Black Tax: The Cost of Being Black in America w/ Shawn Rochester.

Jason Butler

• Jason from My Money Chronicles is someone I always enjoy listening to. He is working on paying down $72,000 of debt and is sharing the details of his journey on his blog.  He is also a side hustle expert and is the go-to resource for reselling on eBay.

Candice Latham

• Candice is a finance blogger and coach. She is also a business coach and it is impressive to see all the various ways that she is helping people achieve their goals.  She has a YouTube channel with lots of great money tips and recently posted this amazing video on Why Race Matters In Personal Finance.  Definitely check it out!

Sandy Smith

• Sandy from Yes I am Cheap is a leader and beloved in the community. She repaid $50,000 of debt in less than 2 years and is also an expert on side hustles as well.  She is so much more than that though as I continue to learn about all the amazing ways that she is influencing and supporting every community she is involved in.

Tiffany Aliche

• Tiffany, also known as “The Budgetnista”, is a leader in financial education. She has a blog and a podcast and is an educator at heart.  She has built an amazing community filled with so many success stories.  Be sure to listen to her latest podcast episode Black Lives Matter. Period.

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

• Lynnette is one of the premier personal finance commentators. I first came across her on the Stacking Benjamins podcast and I really related to her debt payoff story which involved paying off $100,000 in 3 years.  Listen to that episode here.  She blogs about money at Ask The Money Coach and be sure to read her recent article on economic violence.  It is an eye-opening piece outlining the systemic injustices working against black people and it needs to be read.

The good news is that there are many, many more black personal finance bloggers out there.  This is just the tip of the iceberg.  I urge you to find more and support them because I know that they will bring tons of value to your lives, just like they have mine.

The more we listen and learn from each other the more we begin to break down barriers.  With that said, we need to be vigilant and make sure that we are not complacent when it comes to systemic racism and inequality.  If we don’t do that, then it makes us weaker, especially the black community and that is not acceptable.  While it may not be convenient, it is the right thing to do.

Kevin

P.S.  If you have any favorite personal finance bloggers that are black be sure to let everyone know in the comments.