Black History Month tools and resources from the Kansas City Fed

In honor of Black History Month, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has curated a variety of tools and resources that can help individuals, households and classrooms commemorate this important time of year. Explore the materials, developed by experts in economic research, history and education, below.

Historical publications and perspectives

• A Great Moral and Social Force: A History of Black Banks
  This latest historical publication from the Kansas City Fed is a reference on Black community banks in the United States and serves as a guide to help all Americans think differently about our relationships with banks.

• Let Us Put Our Money Together: The Founding of America’s First Black Banks
  This book explores the history of black-owned and run financial institutions throughout the United States that provided financial opportunities for individuals and businesses within minority communities. A virtual Money Museum exhibit gives an overview of the book External Linkhere.
• Progress Through Parity: How Minority Banks Changed the Financial Landscape
  This material examines primary source documents and recently published non-fictional text about the history and unique role of the first Black-owned and operated financial institutions in the U.S. in this classroom-ready lesson.
• The past, present and future of Black Wall Street
  This edition of the Oklahoma Economist reviews the history of Black Wall Street, its economy in recent years and current efforts that hold promise for its future.

Banking and Payments research and resources

• Inside the rise of Black consumer cryptocurrency ownership
  Historical factors and forward-looking views help explain why cryptocurrency has become especially p Historical factors and forward-looking views help explain why cryptocurrency has become especially popular among Black consumers.
• Promoting Payment Inclusion in the United States
  In recent decades, entities in both the public and private sectors have worked to promote payment inclusion in the United States, whether by expanding the supply of transaction accounts or boosting consumer demand for them. However, more research and data collection are needed to better define and measure payment inclusion as well as evaluate how effective efforts have been to improve it.

Interested in finding mission driven lenders, including Minority Depository Institutions (MDI) and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI)? See External LinkMDI and CDFI locations in your area. Additional information is available through our External LinkCommunity Development Investments Resource Guide.

Classroom tools

• Negro Leagues Microlessons
  Engage students in the history and economics of Negro Leagues Baseball through inquiry-based, skill-building activities that also promote diversity. Click External Linkhere to see the virtual Money Museum exhibit exploring the economic impact of the leagues.
• Culturally relevant resources
  Explore these standards-based resources for educators to incorporate cultural relevance into the classroom for a variety of students.
• Black Women Business Startups
  Access recent research and video testimonials focused on black female business owners and the unprecedented growth their startups have experienced over the past two decades, including a summary of national data and first-person interviews about their motivation, challenges, and support systems.

Entrepreneurship and small-business development

• Small Businesses of Color Recovery Guide
  As the nation continues to work toward economic equity, and the demographics of the United States continue to change, the necessity of supporting the recovery of Small Businesses of Color (SBOCs) becomes imperative. The purpose of this guide is to help support the recovery of these businesses by providing readers with a range of ideas in the areas of small business credit and capital, education and training, policy recommendations, and community support.
• Building Entrepreneurship Ecosystems in Communities of Color
  This guide gives ecosystem builders and local developers an overview of key concepts, and general recommendations on how to use entrepreneurship ecosystem building to develop high-growth entrepreneurship in communities of color.