Juneteenth Ain’t Just a Day Off—It’s a Call to Build Black Wealth
I want you to picture this for a second.
It’s June 19, 1865.
You’ve been working someone else’s land, building someone else’s wealth, enduring unthinkable hell—day after day, year after year. And then a Union general rides in on a hot Texas day and tells you what you should’ve known over two years ago:
“You’re free.”
Two. Damn. Years.
Juneteenth isn’t just a celebration—it’s a gut check. It’s a moment of truth. It’s a generational slap in the face and a spark in the chest all at once.
And for me—Stoy Hall, a Black father, a business owner, a financial planner who’s sat at too many tables with too few people who look like us—Juneteenth is personal.
Because the fight for freedom didn’t end in 1865. And the chains? They just got more subtle.
Now they come in the form of debt, paycheck-to-paycheck cycles, predatory financial systems, underfunded schools, credit score bias, and "advice" that’s never been tailored to our reality.
Let’s not get it twisted. Black freedom without Black wealth is a lie.
Why the System Still Ain’t Built for Us
Let me hit you with the cold facts:
The average Black family has less than 15 cents for every dollar a white family holds.
60% of Black households don’t own a home, the number one wealth builder in America.
Black women are the most educated group in America, yet carry the most student debt.
That’s not by accident. That’s design.
I’ve sat with clients who own six-figure businesses—but can’t get a loan approved.
I’ve met college grads doing everything "right"—but drowning in interest payments.
And I’ve seen too many Black families robbed of legacy because Big Mama passed without a will.
I’ve seen the stress behind the smiles. And I’m telling you: we’ve got to stop waiting for the system to catch up and start building our own.
Here’s How We Do That—Right Now
This ain’t theory. This is action. This is what I teach every day, and what I practice in my own life. Let’s walk through it:
1. Audit Your Money Like It’s Your Business—Because It Damn Well Is
What’s coming in? What’s leaking out? What’s growing? What’s dying?
You gotta stop hoping your money works out and start directing it like a boss.
💥 Pro tip: Use YNAB or Rocket Money to track every cent. Not for judgment—for power.
2. Kill the Need to Impress
Let me talk to you like I’d talk to my little cousins:
Stop flexing broke.
You don’t need the latest car. You don’t need the trip you can’t afford. You don’t need to prove anything on Instagram.
You need peace. You need options. You need freedom.
And none of those are on sale at the mall.
3. Own Something—Even If It’s Just a Little Bit
We weren’t meant to just work jobs. We were meant to own stuff.
Land. Homes. Stocks. Business. Intellectual property. Name it.
Start small, start scared, start late—but start.
Even $10 a week in a Roth IRA can grow into something powerful.
And please don’t wait to be “rich” to invest. Invest so you can be.
4. Protect What You’ve Built—Even If It’s Not Much Yet
Too many Black families lose wealth in court because we don’t write it down.
Get your will done. Get your power of attorney in place. Get a damn life insurance policy that covers more than your funeral.
I’ve seen families torn apart over who gets the house or who “Mama would’ve wanted” to have the car.
Do your family a favor. Put it in writing.
Start with FreeWill if you’ve got nothing in place.
5. Surround Yourself With Real Ones Who Talk Money, Not Just Gossip
I love a good laugh. I love family cookouts and inside jokes and spades on the patio. But if we’re not also talking:
Credit repair
Business ideas
Asset growth
Real estate
Generational plans
Then we’re wasting valuable time.
Find or create a wealth circle. Don’t just dream big—dream together.
And if you’ve got no one to talk to? That’s why I created Black Mammoth’s Power Hour. No suits. No judgment. Just truth, game, and strategy.
Juneteenth Is a Start—Not a Finish Line
Listen, I love the festivals. I love the colors. I love the food. I love the freedom to celebrate in public what our ancestors had to hide in private.
But don’t let the red velvet cake distract you from the red ink in our bank accounts.
This holiday is a mission.
This celebration is a strategy.
This freedom is unfinished.
Let’s not pass the trauma and call it tradition. Let’s pass the torch, the trust documents, the deeds, and the damn stocks.
Because true freedom? It’s financial.
A Few More Resources That Deserve Your Time:
Institute for Policy Studies – Racial Wealth Divide Report
https://ips-dc.org/report/NAACP Financial Empowerment Tools
https://naacp.org/find-resources
Final Word: Ready to Break Generational Cycles?
You don’t need permission. You need a plan.
Let’s make it personal. Let’s make it generational.
Book a Power Hour with me.
I’ll help you walk through it—step by step, no fluff.
This Juneteenth, don’t just post a quote or buy a T-shirt.
Build the wealth they never wanted us to have.
We don’t just honor our ancestors by remembering them.
We honor them by becoming the legacy they died for.
Let’s get to work.