Flint, MI — Former Flint Mayor Dr. Karen Williams Weaver has announced that she, along with Flint’s former Chief Recovery Officer, Jameca Patrick have began co-hosting a new talk show called Black Money Matters. The show will be focused on creating and keeping wealth in the black community. The show will also place an emphasis on economic development and opportunities, the correlation of health and money, Black-owned businesses nationwide, and a host of other relevant topics.
The talk show is an arm of the Karen Weaver Williams Foundation (KWWF) and airs weekly on local Comcast channel 17. The show can also be found on YouTube and Facebook.
“Money impacts all areas of your life,” said Dr. Weaver. “Black people have been cut out of economic opportunities for far too long. We created this show to provide information and access to experts that can give us step by step instructions to building and sustaining wealth.”
“This show is important to me because of our history,” said Jameca Patrick. “So many times, when we have been in situations where we built wealth within our own communities it was taken from us, sometimes violently and sometimes through harmful programs advertised as helpful with names like urban revitalization. You couple that with systemic racism in so many other arenas and it’s no wonder that the net worth of white families is nearly 10 times of that of Black families. We are trying to close that gap.”
How to Watch:
Watch the show on Facebook at Facebook.com/Black-Money-Matters-113559783764080
Or watch a recent episode of the show on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNXEmZxw4RI
About KWWF
The overarching mission of KWWF is to be a national voice of advocacy for communities to garner the resources necessary to rebuild infrastructure in a way that protects health, creates economic opportunity, and safeguards the fundamental right to safe and affordable water for all. Their belief is that KWWF will be a catalyst for marginalized communities, especially those where local democracy is threatened, to arise with fortified infrastructures; healthier residents and environments; and economies that uplift all residents. KWWF will advocate for communities by promoting collective efficacy, providing assistance with fund development, and advancing truthful community narratives.
The KWWF is founded to continue and build on the work and accomplishments garnered during Dr. Weaver’s tenure as Mayor of the City of Flint (COF). From November 2015 to November 2019, she and her administration led the community in declaring a State of Emergency after thousands of residents were exposed to contaminated water resulting in lead poisoning and an outbreak of fatal Legionnaires Disease. When she took office, the city was operating at a financial deficit, local democracy had been taken, and the COF was controlled by the state of Michigan appointed emergency management system.
During her tenure some highlights of priorities and accomplishments were:
* Through bold advocacy, secured $389M in public and private funds committed to Flint’s recovery.
* Secured funding to replace lead and galvanized pipes, completing replacements using the safest measures, ahead of schedule, and under budget.
* Secured $2.9M in grant funding to create an Economic Development Department, which had not been in place at City of Flint for 14 years.
* Secured $30M in funding from the United States Housing and Urban Development for new, affordable housing in the City of Flint.
* Hired first-ever Chief Public Health Advisor to create a Public Health team and implement a Health in All policies approach to decision making.
* As a result of prudent decision making and spending, the City of Flint now has a $24.5M surplus, which remains available for Flint residents.
* Led city of Flint through regaining local control after the City had been taken over by stated implemented emergency managers.
“While I no longer serve as the Mayor of the City of Flint, I yet have an unquenchable desire to stand with communities and assist them to address their water and infrastructure needs. My new servant leadership role in philanthropy, will allow me to continue to work fervently and tirelessly to push for immediate fixes to our aging infrastructures, protection of our environment, and for equitable access to safe and affordable water for all,” said Dr. Weaver.
For press inquiries, contact blackmoneymatters@gmail.com
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