“MO’ MONEY” BY ANGEL A. WELLINGTON
ne of the sages of the ages assigns money the duty of answering all things. Restated: any man-made thing that exists, at some point, involves the acquisition and exchanging of money in order to attain it. The “stuff” all people in all places possess is the result of some form of giving and receiving. And although money cannot answer all issues or better any person, having it gives access to things we might otherwise not enjoy. Abodes and transportation, garments and shoes, water and food, healthcare and childcare all demand payment. Education, recreation, and beautification all count on money. Matrimony, alimony, and patrimony are all costly. There is even a charge for the air your tires require...air! Another sage, of sorts, suggests that “for a small piece of paper, it carries a lot of weight.” But whether coins or bills, the “Benjamins, dead presidents, duckies, dough, chips, cheddar, moolah, or mean, mean, green” is wanted or warranted. All business professionals comprehend the vital place money has on local and global levels. Most are committed to keeping currency flowing, if no more than for selfpreservation. Some, believe that their depth of financial literacy and “deep-pockets” were not merely given to create a better life for themselves, but feel the onus to be generous with their sustenance and knowledge. A responsibility rests on them to help feed, clothe, and house the disadvantaged, build community, fund projects, transform nations, and be the financial “answer” to those things money can buy. In many regards, education is key to assisting individuals in improving their conditions. Within communities of color, in particular, unfair beliefs and practices once blocked the paths to wealth that were paved for others by the G.I. Bill, “redlining,” gerrymandering, reservations, internment camps and discrimination. There were no bootstraps to tug on, because no boots were evenly distributed. Years after “privilege” placed some in generational wealth-security, ignorance kept many from information on how to escape systemic wealth gaps. Continued on page 30
28 | ENTREPRENEUR PLATFORM MAGAZINE | November/December 2019
