Killer Mike has joined forces with Bounce TV founder Ryan Glover to launch a new banking platform, Greenwood. Named after the Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the business pays homage to the area known as “Black Wall Street” in its mission to empower Black and Latinx communities and close the gap of racial inequity in the financial system. Having been in the works for more than a year-and-a-half, the project gained increased attention after the death of George Floyd.
“Today, a dollar circulates for 20 days in the white community but only six hours in the Black community. Moreover, a Black person is twice as likely as a white person to be denied a mortgage. This lack of fairness in the financial system is why we created Greenwood,” Killer Mike stated in a press release.
Greenwood’s services include offering checking and savings accounts to users who sign up before the end of the year, mobile deposits and peer-to-peer transfers, a global ATM network, and more. Their priority will center on identifying “qualified entrepreneurs, business owners and creatives” and offering financing for Black and Latinx customers who have difficulty obtaining loans from traditional banks.
The platform has also pledged initiatives such as donating five free meals to a family for every new sign-up and donating to the United Negro College Fund, Goodr, and NAACP for every debit card swiped. Greenwood will disburse $10,000 across Black and Latinx small business owners monthly. Greenwood will officially launch in January 2021.
View this post on InstagramOne thing people don’t realize is how much hard work goes into show businesses, not just by the artists and actors, but by the folks that work with their hands, the production staff, grip/electrics, etc. The pandemic and its mishandlement by the lawmakers in Washington have put an enormous strain on the hard working people that make this industry go round. A Stimulus bill must be passed immediately to ensure that hard working Americans are able to feed themselves and their families as we ride this tragic pandemic out. #SaveOurStages @nivassoc @Dafadda @Higherlevelbear @Tomaswolfe @Youresovague @Jlovfromtheblock @Matt_helmick @Classic_matts @Christian_coffey @Trackstarthedj @Nacho.garibay @Jerrylopez
H/T: Billboard
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Make no mistake—dance music is born from black culture. Without black creators, innovators, selectors, and communities, the electronic dance music we hold so dear would simply not exist. In short, dance music is deeply indebted to the global black community and we need to be doing more. Black artists and artists of color have played a profound role in shaping the sound and culture of dance music and now more than ever, it is necessary for everyone in the music community to stand up for the people that have given us so much. Mix Session pledges to make every effort to be a better ally, a stronger resource, and a more accountable member of the global dance music community. Black Lives Matter—get involved here:
Black Lives Matter
My Block My Hood My City
National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Program
Black Visions Collective
Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Legal Defense Initiative
The Bail Project
The Next Level Boys Academy
Color of Change
Committee to Protect Journalists
