Monday, October 30, 2017

When Cultural Norms Prove Financially Costly

By Dr. Irvin Pedro Cohen – I often say children represent the hope of what a community can become. But many of us know it takes a village to get there to ensure our children receive the best education possible, both in and outside the classroom.
In recent years, we have seen tremendous progress in student achievement. High school graduation rates are on the rise. In fact, over the last four years alone, the number of students who graduated in Duval County increased by 11 percentage points, according to the Florida Department of Education.
And while reading, math and science are all core areas of education that are critically important to our children’s futures, we must also make sure they receive the right financial education to reach their fullest potential.
We don’t have to look very far to see why this is so important.
In many Jacksonville neighborhoods, I see that poor financial habits have become ingrained as a cultural norm, particularly within low-income African-American households. For decades, our young people watched their parents, grandparents and other relatives rely on check cashers, money orders and other alternative financial services to access their money and to pay bills.
These unbanked or underbanked families often spend nearly 10 percent of their income annually on the fees associated with these alternative financial services. That’s the same percentage the average family spends on food every year. And yet, these facts do not account for the impact the abundance of alternative financial services providers has on neighborhoods in terms of being destinations where people want to live.
I realize we have to meet people where they are and for many years, these services seemed like the only option for a variety of reasons. In some cases, it was that traditional banks were absent from neighborhoods. In others, people didn’t trust them or had bad experiences in the past. Whatever the reason, we must help our children develop healthier financial habits so that we can break the cycle of poverty that perpetuates when check cashers and alternative financial services become the sole options for people.
And there are ways to do that. For example, while many families have little-to-no access to mainstream financial services, many do own smartphones. Combined with a good prepaid card, instead of using a check casher, they can have their paycheck deposited on the card. And instead of purchasing a money order, they can use that card and their smartphone to pay bills online or with an app.
This does, however, require those same communities to have adequate access to technology platforms. But I’ll save that for another conversation. Bottom line, it’s not an either-or choice – the two go hand in hand.
Adult family members must set the example for how children can manage their money, save, budget and, ultimately, reinvest in their community.
The First Coast YMCA – particularly the James Weldon Johnson Branch and Tiger Academy, the YMCA’s charter school – has made financial navigation on the part of the families and students we serve a focal point of our work. Through collaborations with financial institutions like VyStar and Fifth Third Bank around financial literacy and simple saving tips that consider families’ fiscal capacity, we’ve made inroads. Although small, each step forward counts.
Sometimes, it’s easy to keep doing things the way they’ve always been done. But together as a village, we can help our children see a new way and pave the way for Jacksonville’s brightest tomorrow.
Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen is the vice president of social responsibility at the First Coast YMCA.

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

4:44

There is a beautiful yet undeniable intersection between age, wisdom and culture.  That point in your life where you become consciously conscious about your actions and their implications and the inevitability of growth trumps (did I just use that) whatever momentary satisfaction you may incur.  That point where no becomes yes and yes becomes no for no other reason than it’s the right thing do. 

That being said over the weekend I had the opportunity to listen to Jay Z’s new CD.   What I came away with was an artist whose artistic contribution has evolved through thought, deeds and arguably through his experiences.  What this album did for me and many of you is put being grown in the context of having been born and raised with hip-hop as your soundtrack.  
Life
Death
Credit
Gender
Sexuality
Infidelity
Investments 
Parenting are all issues that we as part of the hip-hop generation grapple with NOW and somehow when you juxtapose your reality against all of the aforementioned rolling to a tune that celebrates bitches and hoes, death and destruction and all day drug usage just don’t fit.  See QUALITY OF LIFE at this stage of the game really does matter and the inability to pass on a little something to ensure a bit of a jump off for your children can have consequences that perpetuate generational poverty. The beauty about wisdom and time at this intersection is you can’t un-know what you know. 

What this CD further did for me is gave me another tool in my generational tool kit, much like What’s Going on did for my mother and father. For me and for many of my peers who grew up in hip-hop we never saw this point coming because for many of us big swabs of our peers just vanished through the hell hole of the criminal justice system or died tragically to the grips of the streets.  We never saw ourselves as the OG’s or old school or the keepers of the sage wisdom because there was never a true transfer of power or information for that matter that said at this point you do this. Our parents and their parents are still trying to make sense of America and discern was their cause all worth it.  Thus we sort of learned on the fly and now we are here in a place and space where real things matter and being an adult is not an option.   

I as well as many of you understand the unique power someone of Jay Z’s magnitude has.  Hell look at how many people now have contracts with Sprint and TidaI because of him.  Lord knows Tom Ford has found its way in my collection of things because of his influence.  However, I am not looking for Jay Z, OJ, Lil Wayne, Colin Kaepernick or Lil Baby Jesus (I mean Barack Obama) or any other icon to come and do the grimy work of cultural and community change for me.  I understand that falls on me.    I am simply looking for them to help when and where they can and not make the road any more laborious than it already is.

Therefore, thank you Jay for giving a grown man a grown man hip-hop album that not only he can listen to but, most of all teach these young cats out here in the streets too.

I AM

Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen
Hip Hop Listener since 1979

And this is my truth and I AM sticking to it…


Wednesday, May 17, 2017

5 Good Things

Giving honor to God.  Somewhere, some place a 47-year-old male just took his last breath and therefore, being here with you in this moment is something that I do not take lightly.  Also, I want to thank the Paxon staff for inviting me to be a part of your event.  Although, I am just a fill in I won’t hold that against anyone. 

That being said I was asked to provide a few perils of wisdom to you all and I don’t know about you but anytime anyone ask me to do that I always feel a little old.  I mean I am not much of a Nana’er or Dabber but I got a mean two-step and I do Tweet from time to time.  However, given the request I will do my best and not take too much of your time because I do know you all have things to do. 

So here we go there are about 5 things that I think are relevant for you to know, particularly as young people as you move forward to your next whatever your next may be.  Now I feel it is personally important for you to know that your next is not going to look like anyone in this room.  One of the things that I find particularly fascinating about you all as a generation is your ability to not only do your own thing, but how you all as a generation can make people and in some instances contort society to fit your own model of how things should be.  But know matter if you are doing you or you are doing the masses I feel like these things will work for you.

Therefore, I present to you my 5 things…

1.     True knowledge comes through experience and everything else represents information.  What I mean by that is you have to go through some things in or to have experiences.  This is particularly important as many of you are navigating your late teens and some of you are about to enter college you have this feel that you know everything and your parents and or care givers ain’t up on what are experiencing, but I am here to tell you that ain’t nothing new under the sun.  It’s just repackaged.  Therefore, take advantage of some of the sage wisdom in your life.  It can save you from having to go through so much drama in the long run.  You don’t have to get burned by a fire in order to prove it’s hot when 10 people in your space have already had the experience and can tell you that’s a fire and it will burn you. 

2.     Catastrophe and celebration are like joy and pain they are simultaneous journeys and you cannot have one without the other.  What I mean by this is so many of us get lost in the celebration of success and often times for the toll it took to get there.  Therefore, what I would like to do for you today is encourage each of you to not get to high when things are great and not get to low when things are bad.  Savor the journey through each and appreciate the lessons on each.  I say this knowing it is hard when you are experiencing on of life moments, but I give you this analogy.  No one like to take Pepto Bismol or any other medicine, but man what a relief we feel when it starts its healing action.

3.     Do everything with F.I.R.E
Focus
Intention
Reverence
Energy

Success no matter how you define it cannot happen without it. 

4.     The 4th point I particularly leave with you all as young people because you all have grown up in an era where service to others is more like an obligation rather than just what you do as a member of the human race.  But, the great Shirley Chilsom said, “Service to others is the rent we pay for living on earth.”  No one should have to prod you or offer you bonus points to serve your neighbor.  It should be just something you do.  Therefore, I challenge you to just commit a random act of kindness and watch the liberation you get when you allow yourself to be a manifestation of a POWER that’s greater than you.

5.      The 5th and final point I would like to make is that if you are really going to soar you not only have to know your craft, but know yourself.  Ain’t nothing more disturbing to me than a delusional rapper or ballplayer.  But in all seriousness we have to be honest with ourselves more than anyone because I assure you today is already passed and tomorrow is not promised and the graveyard is fill with people who were either not honest with themselves or full of potential.

As I prepare to sit I leave you with a saying my Granddaddy Rob use to say

Walk Slow – What he meant by that was no Holy person whether it was Jesus, Mohammad or Buddha ever was in a hurry to do anything.  Therefore, take your time and enjoy the ride.  I assure you it whatever it is will be there. 

Drink Plenty of Water – The journey of life is long.  Therefore, if you are going to go you must stay hydrated.  There is something to this water thing. 

And keep your nose in front of you – What he meant was mind your own business. 

With that said
I bid you love
I bid you peace 
And most of I bid you understand  

I AM


Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen