Broke-ish®

On this payday, Amber and Erika are continuing the "Myth Busters" series, debunking the erroneous statement that banks are race neutral and "don't care about color". Dr. Justene Hill-Edwards, University of Virginia professor and author of "Savings and Trust: The Rise and Betrayal of the Freedman's Bank", joins us to discuss the first bank in American history created for Black Americans. Not only does Dr. Hill-Edwards' book offer insight into the challenges faced by the formerly enslaved during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, but it also illuminates the racism and inequity that is foundational to the American banking system. Furthermore, her work demonstrates that financial literacy has been used as a tactic to shift blame to Black people for financial issues that we did not create and cannot fix. Listen in to "take a look, because it's in a book" that banks do actually care about color!

This episode is supported, in part, by the Jane Nelson Institute for Women's Leadership and the Texas Woman's University Quality Enhancement Plan.

Amber and Erika are back on this payday debunking another one of John Hope Bryant's false statements. During his interview, Bryant contended that slavery as an institution was race neutral and existed long before the colonized iteration primarily rooted in anti-Blackness. Dr. Kehinde Andrews, renowned author, scholar, and historian joins us to unpack why this statement is misleading and erroneously dismissive of the residual impacts of anti-Black colonization and enslavement. Starting with the Arab slave trade and feudalism, we trace the defining markers of anti-Black enslavement and its intentional enduring effects. Press play to listen!

Amber and Erika promised to spend the remainder of Season 10 debunking the financial literacy myths you heard in Episode 1. Well, we're making good on that promise by interrogating John Hope Bryant's claim that "financial literacy is the civil rights issue of this generation"…whatever that means. Broke-ish All-Star and our Black Liberation Media comrade, Dr. Jared Ball, joins us to unpack the fallacies and insidious white supremacy underlying the statement. Join us to learn why capitalism and a good budget won't save us from this broken "ish"!

This episode is supported, in part, by the Jane Nelson Institute for Women's Leadership and the Texas Woman's University Quality Enhancement Plan.

Whew, chile! Broke-ish is starting Season 10 with a bang - literally and figuratively. John Hope Bryant, chairman and CEO of Operation Hope, the nation's largest nonprofit provider of financial literacy resources, joins us to discuss the ins and outs of financial literacy. But the conversation gets interesting when Amber and Erika push back on Bryant's belief in a colorblind and race neutral economic system in which anyone can succeed if they are financially literate. Throughout this interview, you'll hear some of the most common myths on the virtues of financial literacy as a tool to achieve equity. But in this episode and for the remainder of the season, we'll roll out the receipts to show that Black people's broken "ish" is a feature and not a bug of this racist, capitalistic system. Lace up your boxing gloves and press play!

Broke-ish is ten and officially a preteen! And like most prepubescent knuckleheads, we're still a (mostly) delightful mix of unserious, curious, determined, and ever-evolving. We open Season 10 by recapping some of the notable shenanigans that occurred during our break, including Diddy being remanded without bail, Eric Adams's indictment, and CBS Morning's interview of Ta-Nehisi Coates. Then we discuss what the Brokers can expect this season and how you can be apart of what we explore in Season 10z Press play to get the scoop!

And just like that, it's a wrap on Season 9! Amber and Erika pause to look back on the highs, lows, and in-betweens of Season 9 and muse about what we've learned, our hopes for the future, and what you can expect in Season 10! America is still Broke-ish, but we are we resolved, determined, and excited about creating a better future for us and by us. Tune in to hear our reflections on this season!

In this episode, Amber and Erika pause to reflect on the horrific murder of Sonya Massey and the ascendance of Kamala Harris to the Democratic presidential nominee - all in the same week. We discuss how both women reflect different, yet ugly truths, about the unjust American police state. And we also reflect on the unique emotional impact of both events on Black women. Can we truly mourn Sonya Massey and simultaneously celebrate Kamala Harris? Is representation still a valuable indicator of progress? Can we hold the tension of Kamala's identity as a law enforcement agent while still celebrating the historic significance of this moment? Tune in to hear what we have to say!

On this payday, Amber and Erika are examining America's third branch of government, the judiciary, and its often overlooked role in upholding the unjust systems at the base of this country. We examine three recent rulings - the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Chevron Doctrine and expand presidential immunity and the Eleventh Circuit's ruling dismantling the Fearless Fund - that reveal how judges can wield their power to promote inequitable political agendas. Next, we discuss how nefarious politicians co-opted the playbook of the Civil Rights Movement to dismantle judicial equal protection and racial remediation. Tune in to learn why we all need to pay more attention to the judicial branch!

On this payday, Amber and Erika are throwing it back to an oldie but goodie: Civics 101! So many of us are disturbed, angered, and concerned about the state of our current political affairs - especially after the first presidential debate. But this episode reminds us that our focus needs to go beyond the pageantry of it all to the structural and systemic ways that our government conspires to disempower the common man. So run this one back to get ready for this crazy election cycle!

On this payday, Amber and Erika discuss America's hijacking of Jesus and the church's complicity with inequity, exploitative capitalism, and anti-blackness. We are joined by Stephanie M. House-Niamke, a sociologist whose work centers on power, access, and choice, across the areas of race, gender, and religion. Stephanie helps us see how problematic theological frameworks like the prosperity gospel and manifest destiny have resulted in the church being an extension of many of the same exclusionary, unjust practices propagated in our broader society. We also explore whether and under what conditions the Black church can return to itself, extricating the White Supremacy that has crept into its midst. Press play to hear what we have to say!