Episode•October 24, 2022•58 min

Twitter Spaces Replay 10/17/22 | Ep. 153

Every Monday at 9 PM exclusively on Twitter, Tiffany hosts a Space called FinNoir: A Space for Black Money Talk. This Space features a variety of black voices in personal finance to give their perspectives, information, and thoughts on money topics that affect the black community. In this session, we discuss our thoughts on the terms "people of color" and "minority". Hosts: Tiffany Grant & Rahkim Sabree Speakers: Markia Brown, Steven Stack, Camari Ellis, Jonathan Thomas, Renita Young This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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Key Takeaways

1
Terms like 'minority' and 'people of color' often dilute the specific struggles of Black communities by lumping them with other groups.
Rakim Sabree notes these terms allow corporations to check DEI boxes without directing resources specifically to Black people.
Kamari Ellis calls the terms 'whitewashing' that erases the racial history and targeted oppression of Black Americans.
Tiffany Grant prefers 'Black and brown communities' to maintain intentionality and clarity in her messaging.
2
Authenticity in branding and content creation requires intentional language and the willingness to walk away from opportunities.
Markia Brown shares her struggle with changing 'Black people' in her marketing to avoid making brands uncomfortable.
Rakim Sabree emphasizes that niching down and being clear about audience creates power and respect.
Steven Stack advises ignoring trolls and bad actors who try to derail authentic messaging.
3
Financial education must acknowledge cultural and systemic barriers rather than promoting generic 'bootstrap' narratives.
Rakim Sabree argues that ignoring race and culture in money conversations perpetuates financial trauma.
Jonathan Thomas highlights that different ethnic groups face different challenges even on identical career paths.
Tiffany Grant stresses the importance of showing up authentically to create space for others to do the same.
4
Code-switching is deeply ingrained and must be unlearned to achieve true authenticity.
Several speakers describe the pressure to code-switch in corporate and marketing spaces.
Rakim Sabree discusses the ongoing internal work of moving away from code-switching habits.
Tiffany Grant models authenticity by wearing natural hair and cultural attire in professional settings.

Intro

This episode is a replay of a Twitter Space discussion on the terms 'minority' and 'people of color' and their impact on Black financial empowerment conversations.
Tiffany Grant (Money Talk with Tiff) hosts alongside Rahkim Sabree, with speakers including Markia Brown, Steven Stack, Camari Ellis, Jonathan Thomas, and Renita Young.

Tiffany Grant Rahkim Sabree Markia Brown Steven Stack

– Opening and Introductions

Tiffany Grant opens the FinNoir Space and introduces the panel of Black financial educators and creators.

The group begins with light conversation about chicken wings before transitioning to the main topic.

– Rahkim Sabree on 'Minority' and 'POC'

The term minority really includes everybody but your cis hetero white man and the term POC includes it just lumps everybody struggling together.
– Rahkim Sabree

He explains how these broad terms dilute Black-specific struggles and allow institutions to meet diversity goals without directing resources to Black communities.

– Marketing Authenticity vs. Brand Comfort

I had black people. Like it specifically said black communities in my marketing message... it made them uncomfortable.
– Markia Brown

Markia discusses changing her language to secure brand deals and the internal conflict this created.

Rahkim encourages niching down and being clear about audience, noting that non-Black people can still benefit from Black-focused content.

– Steven Stack on Context and Clarity

Steven shares that he doesn't have harsh feelings toward the terms but stresses the need for clarity when dollars and resources are involved.

When you say minority, that could just be women. That could be someone's sexual orientation. It could be ethnic.
– Steven Stack

– Tiffany Grant's Preferred Language

I rarely use minority... People of color, I do use when I'm talking about all ethnicities... I always say I'm out here for black and brown communities.
– Tiffany Grant

She explains her intentional choice to center Black and brown communities in her branding.

– The Danger of Colorblind Financial Education

Rahkim argues that omitting cultural context from financial education strips away systemic barriers and perpetuates financial trauma.

Pretending that they don't exist doesn't eliminate them.
– Rahkim Sabree

– Kamari Ellis on Language and History

POC and minority are whitewashing of black oftentimes... I feel like I intensely want to say black because I always want to tie it back into the history.
– Kamari Ellis

He warns that changing language redirects resources away from Black communities.

– Markia Brown Reflects on the Tweet Thread

Markia shares how her thread about Black financial education sparked backlash and made her question whether she had 'sold out' by softening her language.

They wanted me to stop mentioning my blackness in these spaces and in these conversations because it makes them uncomfortable.
– Markia Brown

– Steven Stack's Advice: Ignore the Noise

You will never see me do is argue with somebody on social media. Because I'm like, no, I'm actually doing well in real life.
– Steven Stack

He encourages creators to stay focused on their mission and not engage with bad actors.

– Rahkim on Playing the Marketing Game

Rahkim advises using controversial exposure strategically to drive traffic to products and email lists rather than getting pulled into arguments.

– Code-Switching and Authenticity

Panelists discuss how code-switching is ingrained from a young age and how showing up authentically can create space for others.

If they don't allow you to sit at the table, build your own table.
– Anthony

– Renita Young on Building Independence from Brands

Renita emphasizes building wealth so creators can walk away from brands that don't respect their authentic voice.

My standard was, does this involve a Black executive or business owner, or does it do something good for Black folks?
– Renita Young

– Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

The group wraps up by encouraging listeners to follow all panelists and continue showing up authentically in their communities.

Resources

Uncloned Marketing
Toni Morrison interview on writing for white audiencesvideo

Topics

Black financial empowermentRacial terminologyAuthenticity in brandingCode-switchingFinancial educationSystemic barriersSocial media strategyDEI initiatives Content creation Financial trauma