by Tameka Jo

Like many of us, I come from humble beginnings. I grew up in a small town in rural Georgia. My parents divorced when I was twelve, leaving my mom to raise a teenager by herself. She attended school at night and worked two jobs to provide a roof over her and her child's head. While I was never homeless or wanted for food or clothing, I watched my mom struggle to make ends meet. She robbed Peter to pay Paul, borrowing from loan companies just to make sure rent was paid. This vicious cycle inevitably created more debt, putting her in a deeper financial rut. Late payments to the landlord led to a mortgage at the bank, as my mom was adamant about home ownership. Despite not being financially stable, she instilled in me how important it was to save and set aside a few dollars for a rainy day, even if that meant only putting one dollar out of her paycheck into a savings account.

by Deonna Anderson

Ten years ago, the people of New Orleans, Louisiana experienced tragedy. Hurricane Katrina hit, destroying homes, taking lives and changing the city forever. While many were pushed out of the city, some Orleneans stayed post-Katrina and are continuing to work toward building New Orleans back up, and making it even better than it was before the hurricane. “I want us to work on where we want to be. Our primary focus is to ensure that we have an equitable city, that includes all segments of our community,” said Erika McConduit-Diggs, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans (ULGNO).