and finance is this unemotional thing.

That's actually not the case.

It's deeply rooted

in the traumas that have created

the society that we continue

to see inequalities prosper when we're trying

to dismantle those systems.

(slow bright music)

I'm Chloe McKenzie,

I'm the Founder and CEO

of BlackFem.

BlackFem is making communities better

because we are implementing financial education five days

a week as a core subject starting in elementary school.

So that black girls and girls of color have the skills,

habits and resources to build and sustain wealth.

We've seen students perform better.

It's a standard deviation

in their math and English language arts test scores

because they are receiving our curriculum five days a week.

Even though we care most about closing

the wealth gap for black women and girls,

black feminist teaching tells us

that if you liberate those who are

at the bottom,

you're actually liberating everybody.

So we could do so in a way that takes

this radical idea of closing the wealth gap

for black girls and ensuring that all students who work

with our curriculum are receiving financial literacy

five days a week as a core subject

during the school day.

We typically see financial literacy happening after school

so you're only gonna reach a certain population.

I wanted every single kid to get it every single day

for at least 45 minutes.

And that's what we're doing

in school districts across the country.

- Because a lot of people heard it

and it was like,

what are we gonna teach kids that's in the second grade?

Like that's too much for them.

Like some teachers had that mindset

and some was willing to embrace it.

I just felt

like I was willing to embrace it.

Even if I've got,

you know

one or two kids to understand or

just strike their interest,

it was a success to me. (upbeat music)

- School was everything to me.

I'm not really sure why,

but I've always just loved learning.

I actually skipped two grades.

So you know,

the kind of idea of being a nerd was something

that I really took to heart

and really embraced and enjoyed.

For me what I found

to be so important to my trajectory

and the work that I do

in the world was the fact that I had

an enabling environment.

I had teachers who understood my passion for history

and my passion for understanding and studying injustices.

- Today we're here to talk about one

of my former students,

Chloe McKenzie.

Chloe and I came to know each other

when she first entered in my previous high school.

And she commanded my attention

the moment I'd say I met her.

She has always been passionate about

what she believes in.

- I think I've always had this motto of service is

how you heal.

Mr. McCluskey is actually one

of the people who helped me understand

that. BlackFem will be coming to this school.

And of course, because Mr. McCluskey was

the reason why I got into social justice.

It's a big theme here in this school community.

- We are in Bethesda, Maryland,

right outside Washington, DC.

We're here now because in my new role as a principal,

I want to do some partnership

with Chloe in her new role with BlackFem.

- The way that wealth was created in America was

through stolen indigenous land

and through black bodies.

And so the fact that my body was a source of wealth

but that I didn't have any value inherently

as a person is something that lives within us.

Our education system is inadequately supporting certain

groups of students as it is,

black girls being one of them.

And our schools also don't have

this intention to set our students up

for financial success.

- I see the work that Chloe is doing.

She knows that this work and BlackFem is going

to make a difference in the lives of young people.

- I think what's so great

about the generation that's in high school right now is

there's this very strong intention

and rigor to be able to create a better world

for themselves.

And so we're really going to be identifying

how financial activism can be something

that the students here engage in

and prepare to not only build wealth

but then use their financial activism at

the same time to change our communities.

The narratives that we're providing to students,

get them to think that they need to be

on this journey or this pursuit

for more above all else rather

than thinking about what is it that I really want

and how do I fund that vision?

And that's really what wealth is.

(bright music)