Transformational Learning Within African American Culture: What Does Financial Education That Addresses Systemic Inequalities Look Like?

Using a grounded theory approach, we investigate the practices of financial educators working in a community program to identify how financial education is taught in the context of historical inequalities and systemic barriers. Framed in the transformative learning theory, we describe how an understanding of the meaning of wealth within the Black community establishes relationships as the foundation for learning the knowledge and skills needed to interact with financial institutions. Based on our findings, we propose a community-focused explanation of interacting with financial institutions as a model for financial education that is applicable and relevant for Black communities and potentially for other marginalized communities that experience systemic exclusion and discrimination.