If you wanted to #BankBlack but had no idea where to start, or what that really even means, now is your chance to get some answers.
On Thursday, Jan 12, at 7 p.m. EST, OneUnited Bank, the largest black-owned bank in America, will be going live on Facebook from its Miami branch to answer questions about the #BankBlack Movement that has been making its way across the nation in the past year or so.
According to the press release, the event is intended to be an interactive social media event with OneUnited President and Chief Operating Officer Teri Williams and Trabian Shorters, founder and CEO of BMe Community, a national network invested in black men giving back to their communities. Both leaders will be taking questions in real time from the bank's Facebook page.
“The #BankBlack and #BuyBlack movements are an outgrowth of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, which has increased awareness of the importance of supporting the black community. OneUnited is using social media to tell inspiring stories, answer questions, teach financial literacy and help everyone appreciate the power of our dollars," Williams said in a press release.
It was around summer 2016 that a tangible shift could be seen in the public, with millions answering the call to #BankBlack and moving money from traditional banks to black-owned banks, which then translates into more loans and jobs for the black community. OneUnited itself has seen about $20 million in deposits, generated some $130 million in loans, doubled its social media numbers and increased its national staff by 10 percent in light of the interest in black-owned banks, the release notes.
Last August, BMe also stepped up to the plate, putting its money where its mouth is and redirecting $1 million of its deposits into OneUnited. Shorters told The Root at the time that his organization had plans to partner with the bank on literacy programs that help people learn how to manage their money, among other projects.
“BMe Community has partnered with OneUnited Bank because we want you to have the know-how and networks for building wealth," Shorters said, according to the press release.