By Cassidy Henson | California Black Media
Lecrae, a Grammy Award-winning Christian hip-hop artist, is on a mission to increase financial literacy among African Americans.
Growing up in a “marginalized” community in San Diego, Lecrae says he was exposed to incredible wealth and opportunity when he visited communities along the Pacific Coast or neighborhoods in the hills overlooking the city.
But life was different in his predominantly black neighborhood. Less possibility. More poverty.
You begin to wonder ‘How do I get that?’ “How has the narrative changed?” Lecrae told California Black Media.
“The return to a society that faced marginalization, brutality, and the effects of poverty was a reflection – banished from the gleaming hills of SoCal.”
Recalling those childhood experiences, Lecrae – who now lives in Atlanta – said he decided to launch an effort to create opportunities for African Americans that would help close the wealth gap between blacks and whites.
Using his own production company, 3 Strands Films, Lecrae developed a financial education short show called “Protect the Bag.”
the Six-part web series It provides viewers with a “blueprint” for financial wellness by delving into topics like saving, retirement, investing, budgeting and identity protection, according to the rapper who released a new album with fellow artist 1K Phew called “No Church in a while” on December 3.
Lecrae, who won a Grammy for Best Gospel Album in 2012, says he hopes the show will help restore stability and hope for a new generation of young black people.
The concept of “Protect the Bag” was developed during the COVID-19 lockdown last year. During that time, Lacray says he partnered with credit-scoring firm Experian to help 21 families facing foreclosure due to financial distress.
“Protect the Bag” is a series of short round table conversations. During each of them, Lecrae explains the basics of building a financial legacy. In discussions with financial professionals, community members, and guests such as Denver Nuggets striker Michel Porter, Jr., panelists address the obstacles to wealth building that large numbers of African Americans face.
At the end of each episode, Lecrae says his goal is to provide viewers with the knowledge, exposure, and confidence to create better financial habits.
Before he knew his passion for financial education would grow into what he calls “a teenage top of the new age” (referring to a weekly BET show in the early 1990s that addressed issues facing African-American youth), Lecrae said he was working to expose those around him to his The benefits of good money habits.
Lecrae, who describes himself as an “actor,” explained that he’s met artists through his brand and hosted financial literacy classes exploring purchasing power, stock market disparities, and the value of the black dollar.
“These are all important pillars of good financial supervision,” says the artist, who has joined other lecturers to teach a six-week “pop-up course” at Stanford University.
“One of the difficulties we have had in academia is that academics often speak through a reverse speaker. They speak through the wide end. For them, the information is easy to understand when you come out from the smaller side.
“How do we operate this loudspeaker? How do we take these narrow concepts and make them more broad and applicable to everyone who listens to them? How do we speak the language of society and make it less complex that everyone makes it sound?”
Lecrae also spoke of the many benefits that can be reaped when African Americans decide to invest in their communities.
“It creates a net. Like that old game, Barrel of Monkeys: When someone reaches out to give you a hand, the next step is to extend your hand down to help the next person,” he says. “This practice returns money and resources to the community, which is an essential part of a financially stable economy.”
Lecrae said young people should let go of the mentality that you only live once.
“You really can lose a movement in a moment. I think we chase happiness over happiness. Think about what you want in the long-term because your decisions today can serve to ensure that your 60-year-old self lives in a free and liberated way.”
New episodes of “Protect the Bag” are released every week on Lecrae’s YouTube channel.