If you want to teach a kid about the racial wealth gap, teach them how to play Uno.
In Uno, everyone starts with the same number of cards. Being rich is like getting a wild card every time you pull from the deck — it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll win, but you’re more likely to succeed. Being wealthy is like starting the game with a handful of wild cards.
But what if you joined the game when the wild cards were already distributed? What if the players with the most wild cards got to make the rules? What if the players made it illegal for you to get a wild card until you’ve played 400 rounds? What would you do if your Uno cards determined your health, where you could live, the quality of your education and every facet of you? Even worse, what if the people with all the good cards told you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and stop complaining about “wild privilege”?
As an economist with a master’s degree in African-American studies who also earned his law degree and became a trademark attorney, Kevon Chisolm made sure his son Kamari knew how economic inequality is a product of history, power and wild privilege. Kevon’s wife, Kim, is a social worker, so she also understands the importance of wild supremacy.
In 2018, 12-year-old Kamari, Kevon and Kim started Black Wallstreeters Consultation Services, a financial literacy and wealth planning firm. Two years later, the Chisolm family launched Junior Wallstreeters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “empowering youth with financial wellness.” But aside from the 1985 World Series of Uno Championship belt (which Kim lost to her younger cousin), there is one thing the Chisolms knew Kamari would never achieve:
Closing the racial wealth gap.
Because they are financially literate, the Chisolms understand that wealth is not a product of income, saving money or even education. They know that educating young people about financial literacy, investment and wealth-building won’t fix the problems caused by the cards America dealt to its Black players. But they know that building generational wealth could help future generations build wealth, economic stability and financial literacy.
They are not teaching people how to get rich.
Kevon Chisolm sat down with me to talk about how his organization is arming the next generation with the tools to build economic and financial freedom. We discussed the Junior Wallstreeters’ upcoming summer camp, the importance of being financially literate and how we can address the wealth gap instead of trying to solve it. However, we did not discuss Uno or his wife’s heartbreaking loss or why she still won’t admit that her younger cousin was a brilliant Uno prodigy 40 years later.
But on June 14, at 1:30 p.m., you can join Kevon, Kamari and Kim for a free online discussion about financial literacy, wealth building and the Junior Walkstreeters Summer Camp with the winner of the 1985 World Series of Uno …
Michael Harriot.
Listen to the conversation and sign up here for free.
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