Inside SOBU

"I Love Barack, but I Ain't Covered"
That quote from Iyanla Vanzant during this morning's session at SOBU puts it all in perspective. People are truly challenged by the economy today. It is amazing. This economic downturn has hit everyone from Main Street to Wall Street and everywhere in between. Even Ed McMahon lost his home. So many people are going through so much. And that is what the SOBU weekend is all about...talking about the issues that are facing Americans, especially African Americans, and sharing solutions.

I was so personally moved by Iyanla Vanzant and her transparency in sharing her story. She lost her home in 2006. She has no insurance. She is a grandmother raising two teenagers. She is a New York Times best-selling author, several times a celebrity, and she is feeling the pain of this economy in a real way.

She inspired the audience to get up and find that one thing that motivates them. She challenged the audience as they stood on their feet to get a vision and be disciplined and accountable for controlling mind, money and appetites. She asked us to find something to give somebody. I was moved and so were the other 6,000 attendees at this mornings session.

Keep an eye on nationwide.com to see when our On Your Side Tour is coming to your city. It's a free workshop to help people become more financially literate and empowered.

Young People Speak Up at Youth Forum
What a powerful day yesterday was! "Letting our voices be heard" was the message of the day as over 2,000 young people gathered to listen to panelists for the SOBU Youth Forum.

The morning started with an electrifying performance by local artist ONE. Then, there was an hour-long discussion where the audience had the opportunity to ask questions and interact with Tavis. You can catch it all on MTV.

The Nationwide and Tavis Smiley announcement of the survey results about the attitudes and behaviors of African Americans in regard to their financial future was well received.

You can check out the survey results here.

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"Nationwide is On Your Side"
Last night, while explaining how the USB bracelets we're providing at the 2009 State of the Black Union work, Tavis Smiley gave Nationwide a shout out.

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Video from the SOBU Youth Forum
Thousands of young people attended the State of the Black Union Youth Forum last night. Here is a video clip:

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Are African Americans Better Off Today?
Everyone is getting ready for the State of the Black Union here in LA. Danny Glover, Nikki Giovanni, Michael Eric Dyson, Les Brown, Iyanla Vanzant, Cornel West, Magic Johnson and so many more! I can't wait to hear what they have to share. When you consider that this nation inaugurated its first African American president just last month, the timing of this event is even more powerful.

The State of the Black Union - is it better, is it different or is it worse?

That's some of the dialogue that will take place here in LA on Saturday, and I am going to share what we learn from a behind-the-scenes view. Topics such as the unemployment rate, the rate of young African American men in prison, the education statistics of the African American population - this is what Tavis Smiley and his panelists of leaders from across the nation will tackle this wekend. It is going to be interesting - and you can catch it all on C-SPAN.

Also interesting are the results of a Tavis Smiley and Nationwide public opinion survey that captures a snapshot about people's attitudes and behaviors on financial planning to be very interesting. The survey, taken in January, provides a glimpse of what is on the minds of African Americans and the general population as it relates to financial planning. Check it out and tell me what you think.

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I’m a Michelle Singletary Fan
One of the featured speakers at SOBU is Michelle Singletary, who writes the personal finance column, The Color of Money for The Washington Post. You might have also heard her on NPR’s Day to Day show when it was on the air, too. I like her because she’s a straight shooter. She gets to the point, holds people accountable and helps them find a solution.

Michelle also writes a column on the Tavis Smiley Road to Wealth site. You can ask Michelle a question, download financial worksheets or watch video from PBS's The Tavis Smiley Show, which regularly features financial experts, including Matthew Scott, Sharon Epperson, Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey. These are the heavy hitters, and you can click through the ones that sound interesting (like Tavis’ interview with Farrah Gray, who became of self-made millionaire at age 14!).

Since I am a fan of helpful hints, I like the resource section. They have interesting tips on the 20 healthiest foods under $1 and how to save money at the gas pump. Those little things start to add up if you stick with them!

Nationwide sponsors the Road to Wealth website as part of our relationship with Tavis Smiley. Our goal, together, is to help people become more financially literate and empowered. We travel to major cities in the United States with him and hold free workshops with our experts so you can come out and get real advice during these tough times. We call it the On Your Side Tour. We’re still ironing out the dates, but we’ll be heading to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Sacramento, Charlotte and Charleston this year. If you're in the area, stop by to see Tavis and figure out how to keep your finances in the black!

Watching SOBU?
If you’re in the LA area, you can watch the State of the Black Union live at the Los Angeles Convention Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission is free, but you must register at tavistalks.com. (Look for the State of the Black Union logo in the middle and a link that says, “Register today!”) According to the website, attendees will not be admitted if they are not pre-registered.

Not in southern California? You can watch the State of the Black Union as it happens on C-SPAN. And of course, catch behind-the-scenes posts from us at Inside SOBU!

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A Bit About Gayle
My name is Gayle, and I’ve been a director in Nationwide’s marketing and communications department for three years. I am thrilled to be heading to LA in February. My office is in Columbus, Ohio, so in addition to rubbing elbows with the elite SOBU panelists and diverse audience members, I am looking forward to not wearing mittens for a few days.

Since we’re all about financial literacy here, I thought I’d share my big “aha money moment.” When I was in college, I had to start managing my own checkbook. It turns out that ballparking finances isn’t exactly the best strategy! But after a misstep or two, I started to get the hang of it.

I have a 5-year-old son at home now, and trust me, I am already discussing money to him! He’s pretty smart, so I am sure he will get the hang of it much sooner than I did.

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Nationwide Is Covering SOBU 2009 Live

The State of Black Union 2009 will be held at the LA Convention Center

At Nationwide, we’re excited to be a part of the 10th State of the Black Union symposium. This year, we’ll take you inside SOBU to get comments and photos and backstage moments – kind of like the bonus features on a DVD movie.

It’s hard not to get nostalgic at a 10th anniversary event. To get your head around it, remember where the United States was in 2000, and think of what we’ve experienced along the way – from contentious presidential 2000 election to 9/11 to global warming debates.

But certainly the past decade has shown great progress, too. Colin Powell became the first black Secretary of State in the U.S., followed by Condoleezza Rice as the first black woman to hold the office. The beautiful and talented Halle Barry became the first black actress to win an Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in “Monster’s Ball.”

And a young man from Chicago became the president of the United States.

This is a great time to take what we’ve learned and use it to shape the future.

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