Broke-ish®

This payday, Erika and her guest, Dr. Kehinde Andrews, discuss political violence and the political theory of Malcolm X. We use the death of Ch@rlie K1rk as a springboard to interrogate the role liberals and Black leaders play in stifling political organization and outrage to ultimately act as tools of counterinsurgency. We grapple with what it means to be political and who qualifies. Because Kehinde literally wrote a book on Malcolm X, we dive into what Brother Malcolm said on the topic of political violence and intuit what he might have thought about this political moment. Tune in to see what we have to say! Guest: Dr. Kehinde Andrews Guest socials: @kehindeandrews

This payday Amber and Erika are discussing Black capitalism and why money isn’t enough to save us from the pitfalls of the system. Using two hot-button current events - the Uncle Nearest lawsuit and receivership and Target boycott - we breakdown why capitalism is inherently anti-black and an ineffective liberatory tool. Both examples point to the limitations of capitalism and why Black people’s lack of ownership of the means of production prevents the independence necessary to generate capitalistic gain. Gleaning wisdom from Malcolm X’s evolving beliefs on Black economics and capitalism, this episode highlights why being pro-Black necessarily requires being anti-capitalism. Get the scoop when you listen to the episode!

On this episode, Amber and Erika are unpacking the details of the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, the legislative centerpiece of President Trump’s presidential agenda. We take a deep dive into who the tax cuts and who benefits from them, and we also explore the areas, such as military and immigration enforcement, where the bill has increased spending. But most importantly, we delve into the largest cuts to social safety net programs in American history. Cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and student loan funding are all existential threats to all working class people, but especially Black people. Relying on Malcolm X’s words, we unpack what this bill can teach us and how to jump into action. Tune in to hear what we have to say!

On this episode—a Broke-ish first—Amber and Erika are diving into the comments and responding directly to what the Brokers have to say. Many of you had strong opinions about Episode 114, where we did a deep dive into the ADOS movement and Black unity across the diaspora. Community accountability is essential to liberation, and this episode was our attempt to pause and listen to our community’s opinions, concerns, and constructive criticism about our discussion on unity and Black freedom. Press play to join the conversation!

On this episode, Amber and Erika are joined by Dr. Calvin Schermerhorn, author of “The Plunder of Black America: How the Racial Wealth Gap Was Made”, to discuss the economic status of Black Americans. Despite the propaganda that Black people have less wealth due to poor choices, laziness, and missed opportunities, Dr. Schermerhorn points us to the historical data that clearly demonstrating that Black Americans have been continuously and systematically exploited and de-capitalized through racist laws, racial violence, and outright theft. We also examine Malcolm X’s vision for economically independent and vibrant Black communities and the extent to which integration distracted us from building and maintaining wealth within our own communities. Finally, Dr. Schermerhorn helps us identify reasons to be optimistic in the present fight for liberation and steps we can take to keep the past from repeating itself. Press play to hear what we have to say! Homework: Purchase and read Dr. Schermerhorn’s book: The Plunder of Black America: How the Racial Wealth Gap Was Made Guest Name: Dr. Calvin Schermerhorn Guest Bio: Dr. Calvin Schermerhorn grew up in Southern Maryland. After graduate degrees at Harvard Divinity School and the University of Virginia, he became an historian of slavery, capitalism, and African American inequality. He teaches courses in nineteenth-century American history and advises Honors, Masters, and Ph.D. students. He was a Fulbright Scholar to the University of Nottingham in 2022. He has contributed to The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, Time and The Washington Post, among other popular venues, and his work has been featured in national discussions of racial inequality. He is author of four books on American slavery and inequality including The Plunder of Black America: How the Racial Wealth Gap Was Made, which was published by Yale University Press in early 2025.

On this episode, Amber and Erika are discussing Black politics and how the fight for liberation of descendants of enslaved people here in the United States is connected to the fight of other African people in the diaspora. We are joined by journalist and teacher, Salifu Mack, and Broke-ish all-star, Dr. Kehinde Andrews, to examine black liberation politics in America and the degree to which those movements see themselves connected to broader Pan-Africanism. Finally, we look at what we can learn about the fight for freedom from Minister Malcolm X’s teachings and political philosophy. Tune in to get the scoop! Homework: Watch Kehinde’s documentary: Nobody Can Give You Freedom

On this payday, Amber and Erika are joined by Broke-ish all-star, Dr. Kehinde Andrews, to discuss his latest book, “Nobody Can Give You Freedom: The Real Mission of Malcolm X”. Malcolm X, the foundational inspiration of Season 11, articulated a vision of Black radicalism and liberation that informs how we engage the global fight against anti-Blackness and systemic oppression. Dr. Andrews helps us clarify Malcolm’s liberatory strategies and political ethos—compellingly outlining America’s injustice to the broader quest for freedom for all people of African descent. This season’s episodes will not just focus on the broken “ish”, but each payday we will highlight what viable solutions we can glean from Minister Malcolm’s work. Press play to get the scoop!

Season 11 of Broke-ish is here! Amber and Erika are back for a new season, and they’re kicking things off by bringing the Brokers up to speed about what went down during the break. After the shenanigans, the duo laid out their vision for Season 11 and how Season 10 inspired its format. Season 10’s episodes were based upon debunking the ever plentiful myths and misstatements of our most infamous guest: John Hope Bryant. Like Season 10, this new season will be centered around a central figure, but it will be in celebration and pursuit of his ideals instead of debunking them. Malcolm X spent his life opposing White Supremacy and capitalism and left a Black Radical framework for the pursuit of liberation. We’ll explore how Minister Malcolm’s work informs our current pursuit for Black unity and the fight against systemic anti-Blackness. Tune in to get the blueprint!

Well, it’s over now! Amber and Erika have officially said, “Farewell” to Season 10. What was supposed to be a single episode featuring John Hope Bryant turned into a rundown of financial literacy’s “greatest hits”, which we spent the season debunking one at a time. In this final episode, we recap the season and highlight our motivation behind this strategy and what we hope you learned. As always, we can’t wait to come back and talk about all the “ish”! It’s over now, but we’ll be back soon!

On this payday, Amber and Erika explore the impact of generational poverty on Black communities and the systemic barriers to wealth accumulation. Joined by Taylor Darks, a PhD candidate at Florida State University, who studies reparations policies, we lay out the evidence that poverty is more than a mindset. Dr. Darks highlights the Evanston, Illinois reparations program, which provides $25,000 for homeownership or repairs, and the controversy surrounding cash payments. The discussion also touches on the broader implications of reparations, the role of black women in the movement, and the challenges posed by the current political climate. The hosts acknowledge the benefits of financial literacy while demonstrating that it is not enough to overcome the hurdles of generations of systemic racism. Tune in to get the scoop! Receipts/Homework: HR 40 Information: What is HR 40?

On the first payday of Black History Month 2025, Amber and Erika find themselves yet again debunking John Hope Bryant’s foolish, false assertion that “racism is a barrier that Black people can get over.” The second Trump presidency has people questioning that contention, but this episode demonstrates that racism has been entrenched in every aspect of American life - politically, economically, socially, and culturally - since its inception. Through discussion of three key eras in history, we demonstrate that racism was literally designed to be insurmountably imbued into every system and institution such that it would restrain Black people in every way. We first discuss Reconstruction, and this country’s deliberate abandonment of efforts to create racial equity. Next, we look at Woodrow Wilson and the racial regress back to de jure segregation in the Progressive era as racism cemented itself as a core tenant of mainstream southern, Democratic politics. And finally, the Reagan era reveals racism’s insidious makeover to become palatable to White evangelical Christians. Resentment over desegregation was tucked into pro-life politics and repackaged as family values and concern for the unborn. This historical conversation proves that racism is present at every turn and nothing - not even financial literacy - can save Black people from its impact. Tune in to get the lesson!

On this payday, Amber and Erika discuss the concept of "model minorities" and how it relates to the expectations placed upon Black descendants of enslaved people to use tools like financial literacy to “pull themselves up by the bootstraps”. They highlight the challenges faced by Black Americans compared to other ethnic minorities and immigrants. Dr. Patrice Sims, a sociologist, joins the discussion to explain her book "The Fallacies of Racism," which addresses the fallacies that perpetuate racial inequality. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the epistemology of ignorance and the need for addressing racism at individual, institutional, and societal levels. The conversation also touches on the impact of social media algorithms and the importance of education and community support. Tune in to join the conversation!

On this New Year’s Payday, Amber and Erika are busting another myth from our interview with John Hope Bryant. Bryant casually remarked, “If you go to the computer at midnight, the computer doesn’t know what race you are.” The evidence, however, suggests that that is false, and technology and AI is laden with the same biases and racism present within our society. Our guest, Memme Onwudiwe, a Harvard trained space lawyer and EVP of AI company Evisort, breaks down the basics of emerging AI and explains how bias can creep into seemingly neutral technology. We also discuss real examples of how technology bias has caused harm to people and the resistance of some developers to acknowledge the problems. Finally, we discuss whether AI can be used as a tool of resistance to remediate racism and human bias. Press play and join the conversation!

On this payday, Amber and Erika are continuing the “Myth Busters” series, debunking the erroneous statement that banks are race neutral and “don’t care about color”. Dr. Justene Hill-Edwards, University of Virginia professor and author of “Savings and Trust: The Rise and Betrayal of the Freedman’s Bank”, joins us to discuss the first bank in American history created for Black Americans. Not only does Dr. Hill-Edwards’ book offer insight into the challenges faced by the formerly enslaved during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, but it also illuminates the racism and inequity that is foundational to the American banking system. Furthermore, her work demonstrates that financial literacy has been used as a tactic to shift blame to Black people for financial issues that we did not create and cannot fix. Listen in to “take a look, because it’s in a book” that banks do actually care about color!

Amber and Erika are back on this payday debunking another one of John Hope Bryant’s false statements. During his interview, Bryant contended that slavery as an institution was race neutral and existed long before the colonized iteration primarily rooted in anti-Blackness. Dr. Kehinde Andrews, renowned author, scholar, and historian joins us to unpack why this statement is misleading and erroneously dismissive of the residual impacts of anti-Black colonization and enslavement. Starting with the Arab slave trade and feudalism, we trace the defining markers of anti-Black enslavement and its intentional enduring effects. Press play to listen!

Amber and Erika promised to spend the remainder of Season 10 debunking the financial literacy myths you heard in Episode 1. Well, we’re making good on that promise by interrogating John Hope Bryant’s claim that “financial literacy is the civil rights issue of this generation”…whatever that means. Broke-ish All-Star and our Black Liberation Media comrade, Dr. Jared Ball, joins us to unpack the fallacies and insidious white supremacy underlying the statement. Join us to learn why capitalism and a good budget won’t save us from this broken “ish”!

Whew, chile! Broke-ish is starting Season 10 with a bang - literally and figuratively. John Hope Bryant, chairman and CEO of Operation Hope, the nation’s largest nonprofit provider of financial literacy resources, joins us to discuss the ins and outs of financial literacy. But the conversation gets interesting when Amber and Erika push back on Bryant’s belief in a colorblind and race neutral economic system in which anyone can succeed if they are financially literate. Throughout this interview, you’ll hear some of the most common myths on the virtues of financial literacy as a tool to achieve equity. But in this episode and for the remainder of the season, we’ll roll out the receipts to show that Black people’s broken “ish” is a feature and not a bug of this racist, capitalistic system. Lace up your boxing gloves and press play!

Broke-ish is ten and officially a preteen! And like most prepubescent knuckleheads, we’re still a (mostly) delightful mix of unserious, curious, determined, and ever-evolving. We open Season 10 by recapping some of the notable shenanigans that occurred during our break, including Diddy being remanded without bail, Eric Adams’s indictment, and CBS Morning’s interview of Ta-Nehisi Coates. Then we discuss what the Brokers can expect this season and how you can be apart of what we explore in Season 10z Press play to get the scoop!

And just like that, it’s a wrap on Season 9! Amber and Erika pause to look back on the highs, lows, and in-betweens of Season 9 and muse about what we’ve learned, our hopes for the future, and what you can expect in Season 10! America is still Broke-ish, but we are we resolved, determined, and excited about creating a better future for us and by us. Tune in to hear our reflections on this season!

In this episode, Amber and Erika pause to reflect on the horrific murder of Sonya Massey and the ascendance of Kamala Harris to the Democratic presidential nominee - all in the same week. We discuss how both women reflect different, yet ugly truths, about the unjust American police state. And we also reflect on the unique emotional impact of both events on Black women. Can we truly mourn Sonya Massey and simultaneously celebrate Kamala Harris? Is representation still a valuable indicator of progress? Can we hold the tension of Kamala’s identity as a law enforcement agent while still celebrating the historic significance of this moment? Tune in to hear what we have to say!