Hey Keepers,

Let’s get real for a minute.

We are raising families, starting businesses, earning degrees, and serving our communities, and yet, too many of us are doing it all while being one paycheck away from crisis. That’s not just a personal problem… It’s a national issue rooted in generations of systemic inequality.

Here’s what the data is saying and why we must start paying attention.

What the Numbers Say

• Sixty-six cents, that’s what Black women earn for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men. (Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 2024)  

• 44% of Black women have zero net worth. Let that sink in. Zero. (Federal Reserve, 2023)

• The median wealth for single Black women is just $200. Yes, you read that right. Compare that to $15,640 for single White women. (Insight Center for Community Economic Development)

• Black women are the most educated group by race and gender in America, but they carry more student loan debt than any other demographic. (Education Trust, 2023)

This isn't about a lack of hustle. Black women are working, showing up, and starting businesses at the fastest rate. But we’re still systemically locked out of wealth-building tools like high-paying careers, capital for entrepreneurship, real estate, and investment opportunities.

Let’s Break That Down:

We can’t build what we haven’t been taught or been granted access to. Generational wealth was denied to us for centuries. We weren’t included in the Homestead Act. Redlining kept our grandparents from buying homes. Predatory lending and discriminatory hiring practices haven’t gone anywhere.

But here’s what we know:

Just because we weren’t born into wealth doesn’t mean we can’t build it. We are the blueprint. But we’ve got to take financial literacy seriously and pass that knowledge to our children.

What You Can Do THIS WEEK:

1. Know Your Numbers

• Check your credit score.

• Write down your current debt, income, and expenses.

• Don’t be afraid of what you see. Knowledge is power.

2. Create 3 Financial Goals

• 1 short-term (e.g., Save $500 in 3 months)

• 1 mid-term (e.g., Pay off credit card debt)

• 1 long-term (e.g., buy a home, open a Roth IRA)

3. Talk About Money

• With your sisters, your kids, and your partner.

• Start the conversation; we break generational curses when we stop hiding behind silence.

We aren’t victims; we are visionaries. But vision without strategy is just a wish. Let’s make it real. Each Monday, I’ll bring you tools, stats, and steps you can ACT on, not just read.

It’s our time to build, not just survive.

It’s our time to pass down assets, not just trauma.

It’s our time to own, not just rent.

Let’s make money moves together.

Because when one Keeper rises, we all do.

With purpose and power,

Tina Brown-Jordan

Founder, My Sister’s Keeper Expo