OneUnited Bank (www.oneunited.com), the largest Black owned bank in the country, in partnership with iHeart Radio Power 105.1, The Breakfast Club and Charlamagne Tha God, is proud to announce our new program to expand the #BankBlack Movement.

Paralleling the Civil Rights Movement whose message was voiced through local and national newspapers and magazines of its time, the #BankBlack Movement needs partnerships to amplify our voice.

Charlamagne Tha God, The Breakfast Club and iHeart Radio Power 105.1 provide a vital wake-up call for the urban community. They are respected because they speak authentically and do not kowtow to anyone. After working with their team over the past few months, we know that they understand the importance of collective economics for our community. In order to succeed, we must not only move our money and our minds to #BankBlack, we must commit ourselves to #BuyBlack and support Black-owned businesses, #BuildBlack, and buy real estate in Black communities, or #BuyTheBlock.

The team at OneUnited Bank also understands that for many people banking can seem boring, discriminatory and predatory, even though banks are so important for our community’s economic development. OneUnited Bank continues to seek partners to help the Black community overcome its historical challenges with financial institutions and more effectively communicate our message of collective economics. Here are just a few of the benefits:

• We are more likely to have a ChexSystems record. Many of us cannot open a bank account. OneUnited Bank offers an online second chance checking account, U2 E-Checking, for people with ChexSystems records
• Many of us have bad credit. We are being turned down for jobs, home loans and car loans every day. OneUnited Bank offers the UNITY Visa secured credit card…or The Comeback Card, to help people rebuild their credit. It reports to all 3 major credit bureaus.
• To take risk and build wealth, we need to have savings. Yet many of us are living pay check to pay check. OneUnited Bank offers affordable savings accounts and encourages our community to open automatic savings accounts, to teach ourselves to save.
• The Black homeownership rate nationwide is 30% below the White homeownership rate…our rate is 40% to their 70%. OneUnited Bank promotes financial literacy and home loans to help our community #BuyTheBlock or invest in real estate.

In short, the Black community must use its $1.2 trillion in annual spending power more purposefully to build wealth.

We are pleased that the #BankBlack movement and financial literacy have been promoted by Killer Mike to Jay Z. We are excited that Charlamagne Tha God, The Breakfast Club and iHeart Radio Power 105.1 will help us keep the conversation going!

When you hear our message…give us your feedback and join the #BankBlack Movement today!