194: The Prosp(a)rity Project, with Briana Franklin

For a lot of the second half of this year, student debt relief and the student loan crisis have been in national news - and there have been a LOT of feelings about it, ranging from joy and happiness that some of this extreme burden to repay what often can amount to predatory lending practices has now been lifted to the other extreme, which amounts to a lot of “well, I repaid my debt. Why should others be getting a handout?” (If you know us, you know where we fall on that scale.)

But there’s so much more to this story than the question of handouts versus the student debt crisis, because, much like so many other things in the United States, student debt and student loans have also been affected by systemic racism. This is why we’re so thrilled to have Briana Franklin as our guest today, to talk about how and why student loan debt disproportionately affects Black women, her own experience with this as a Dartmouth graduate, and why she decided to do something about this - in a big way.

What to listen for:

How handling student debt is like “draining the ocean with a teaspoon” - and the inspiration behind Bri’s founding of the Priosp(a)rity Project
The ways in which student loan debt disproportionately affects Black women, not just financially, but in a holistic life way too
Huge successes and surprises that the organization has been celebrating
What’s next for 2023 - and how you can get involved

About Briana: Founder, President, & CEO of Finability.

Briana "Bri" Franklin is a businesswoman, philanthropist, and student debt expert/thought leader with a passion for the socioeconomic and holistic empowerment of Black girls and women.

Having taken on a financial burden that eventually ballooned to nearly $120K in student debt through her undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College, Bri developed an acute appreciation for the challenges many student debt holders experience, including diminished ability to establish financial independence, take advantage of personal freedoms, such as starting a family/home buying, launch business ventures as well as creditworthiness.

In recognizing the extent to which other Black women in particular experience adversity at the hands of the $1.7T student debt crisis as well as lack of financial literacy, she formed The Prosp(a)rity Project as a solution for eradicating these systemic barriers.

Her work has been profiled in outlets such as Forbes, Buzzfeed, Authority Magazine, and Thrive Global, attracted support from audiences worldwide, and achieved numerous milestones.

For more, go buy our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and make sure you’re following this podcast for more!

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

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