Chase’s Anti-Poor #MondayMotivation Tweet Gave Me #FBF Memories Of When They Wouldn’t Let Me Open A Bank Account
The other day we had a large sum wired into one of our group accounts to close out a transaction at… *wait for it* … Chase Bank. For the first time ever, this was infuriating to me. I was reminded of a time in the late 90s when a bank branch teller took one look at me and judged me unworthy of opening an account. They turned me away.
I walked out of the bank feeling hopeless, deeply hurt and insulted. I chalked it up to one of many ‘race things’ the black community lives with everyday. I vowed to “make it’ and tell the world how much that bank sucked; flaunting my success at the same folks who snubbed me. Very Pretty Woman, LoL; I know, I know.
But up until this tacky Chase tweet, I had completely forgotten about that disenfranchised young man who was made to feel worthless, like there was no way to get ahead. Now my group regularly transacts 6-figure deals, with the most recent through Chase. Ick 😬
Jamie Dimon is correct (from my experience) where he suggests that the U.S. economy is “fundamentally anti-poor.” But aside from talking about it, what is he going to do about it? A $350M program meant to help train workers is a lovely idea, but in reality it trains poor people at better assimilating into a modified system of indentured servitude.
Why not put $100M into developing an ecosystem that supports people building leadership skills and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit? Equip people with the tools they need to build their own companies or make significant contributions to the businesses within their own communities. Why not put $100M into creating programs that inspire pride of ownership with the focus on establishing generational wealth through an expression of professional and business creativity.
The Rza recently told Ari Melber, “…when the food is genetically modified, there is no chance for randomnism…no chance for that wild flower to grow something new, that becomes even more prosperous.” $350M to create ‘cookie cutter workers’ for the continued social servitude of the poor? Or $100M into the startup support industry to nurture ‘entrepreneurial and leadership randomness’, a means to freedom?”
This way, the conversation around good fiscal health, can be less about saving a dollar on Starbucks, Chipotle and Uber — considered basic “comfort” living in a country like the United States of America — and more about building and sustaining wealth.
Like our entire economic system, Chase too unfortunately seems out of touch with 99% of Americans. There appears to be little concern to pay their staff a livable wage but certainly interest in spending nearly $3M in 2018 on political lobbying for causes not particularly helpful to you and I. From my humble view, their priorities just do not include what matters — Addressing the frightening wealth inequality in America.
