Any real attempt to repair the damage their ancestors caused (reparations) sets off a “they’re coming for our shit” alarm in white people. -Jon Stewart
Link to the full video is in the comments, it’s worth a watch.
I want to share a post I wrote last year while homeless.
July 2021
I’m currently homeless. As in, “I live in my car with two cats” homeless. It sucks. This country is set to not only keep folks poor, but to penalize us for it as well.
Ways the system fucks us over:
🚫 High Interest rates
I financed a nine year old Honda civic for $21,000 at a 21.5% interest rate. I pay $450/month. It was the only car loan I was approved for and I needed a car to earn a living. This should be illegal.
🚫 We are locked out of housing
Fuck a home loan, I can’t even rent because my credit is trash. My mom was focused on keeping me housed (not teaching me about FICO scores) and financial literacy isn’t taught in school so here we are.
🚫 We’re penalized if we can’t pay
Hospital bills, court fees and student loan debts can ruin us. If we’re unable to pay, we’re penalized with wage garnishments, excessive late fees and even jail time.
When folks don’t have money are charged more money. Make it make sense.
Here are ways to help those you trust and love if you can afford the financial risk:
💳 Co-sign for an apartment or car
💳 Add them to your credit cards to help build credit
💳 Share your financial knowledge
(To be clear, a budget won’t fix systemic financial harm. I’m talking about learning the basics of this inequitable money game.)
Since writing this, I’ve moved into an apartment and have been here for one year.
How did I find a home?
I had to pay four months of rent upfront, offer to get a co-signer and then ask my community for support with the excessive deposit.
Even then the landlord was like “ehhh, I dunno.” It was a demoralizing and shameful.
How has the year been for me?
It’s been rough.
Each month has been a struggle to pay rent on my delivery work income. Every morning I wake up with the realization of how close I am to having to live in my car again.
This has not been a place of rest, emotional or physical.
I would get a higher paying job but I have complex ptsd and my brain is broken. Until I have the resources to fix it, this is the best I can do.
To wrap this up, indigenous and Black people deserve reparations. This country has traumatized us from jump and has never made any attempt to repair the harm that it continues to inflict on us.
I want to know what it’s like to enjoy life, not just exist.
However, I doubt that’ll ever happen as long as I live a country that gives no damns about my Black life.
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