Contributed by: Center for Financial Planning, Inc.®
Founded in the midst of quarantine, the Center team stayed connected with its first ever book club. Not only has COVID-19 changed our reality, but so has the Black Lives Matter movement. We desired to further educate ourselves on that topic by reading So you want to talk about race by Ijeoma Oluo.
Oluo is a Seattle-based writer, speaker, and (self-proclaimed) Internet Yeller. She was raised by a white single mother and became a single mother herself to two mixed-race sons at a young age.
In the book, Oluo argues that America's political, economic, and social systems are systematically racist. She provides advice for discussing race-related subjects. While published in 2018, the book received renewed attention following the killing of George Floyd in May 2020.
Some Center Team members share their thoughts below:
“A much greater appreciation for how the lived experiences of others are so often very different than my own and a better understanding and greater urgency for how to work together to make the world a better and more equitable place.” -- Lauren Adams, CFA®, CFP®
“The intention of our actions (although important) is not as important as the impact of our actions. We are all privileged in some way, whether it be our education, citizenship, having loving parents, or even food to eat. It is not necessarily a bad thing. We can use it to help others. And we learned about the theory of intersectionality which is the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to any given individual or group.” -- Gerri Harmer
“I really enjoyed discussing the book! It required me to stretch myself and think about difficult topics on a personal level. This endeavor was made more comfortable by hearing from others that they were experiencing similar feelings.” -- Jeanette LoPiccolo, CFP®
“I’ve gained a much deeper awareness and understanding for those different than myself. What we say and the choices we make impact the future of those who start with disadvantages. If we work together to take action now, we can make this world a more diverse, dynamic, creative and inclusive place where we’re all on an equal playing field.” -- Sandra D. Adams, CFP®
“The 400 years of oppression that some people in our “fair and equitable” society endured….is shocking. Today, it’s still not fair or equal; there is a significant underlying bias in society that we have not yet found an appropriate remedy for.” -- Matthew E. Chope, CFP®
If you’re looking to challenge your perspective, give this a read! Well, that’s a wrap for the first Center Book Club reading. Until next time!
Any opinions are those of the professionals at Center for Financial Planning, Inc and not necessarily those of Raymond James.