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The Japanese’s love for everything high-tech, electronic and ultra modern
devices has not escaped unnoticed. They like to take everything to a
whole new level. Keep your eyes open for an extremely rigid and hard-
looking model on the Japanese catwalk. A robot with a feminine face but
more robot body has been created to hit the catwalk during a Tokyo
fashion show. These robots are very human and both walk and talk and
they can actually trip when walking in high heels.

Japanese-robot-to-fashion-catwalk

Fashion robots on Japanese catwalk

Financial Priorities:
Where are they for Young Adults?
By: Valerie Gibson

Interesting story: I was at one of those urban stores at the mall the other day, just browsing around hoping to
catch something on sale. As I was preparing to leave however; I noticed two young teenagers wearing
McDonald uniforms at the counter. They were buying jeans and a shirt. What struck me as odd was the fact
that their total came up to about $175.00. As I continued to walk out; I started saying to myself that I can not
believe they just spent their entire paycheck on one outfit!
As a young 20 something myself; I can admit that I have made some mistakes in my past with money and
honestly, I still make them. The mall situation forced me to ask questions about young black adults and money.
What are our financial priorities? Do we know what is going on in the stock market or the fact that only 9.9% of
blacks own stocks? Are we aware of or even care about the high unemployment rates across the country?
More importantly do we even understand the affect the economy has on us everyday.
The questions now Become where do we start?
How do we get our young teens and adults to start saving for a for the future.
When did getting hair and nails done become more important than paying bills on time?
Looking back on my early teenage years; I realized I simple was not taught the value of a dollar. I am not angry
with my mother for not teaching me the proper way to save or allowing me to spend money on clothing and
shoes I did not need. This is a cycle that is all too evident in our black community. My mother did not know
because she was not taught so therefore those particular values about money were not instilled in me at an
early age.
I did not grasp the importance of having good credit until I ruined my own at the age of 18. I was not educated
on the procedures of credit cards, their interest rates and APR, or late fees. Initially I didn’t know I had to pay
the credit cards because I didn’t have a job. Never-the-less, this fact did not keep me from shopping and
purchasing not one but two cell phones.

I am however, thankful I was able to learn from my mistakes at such a young age. The more I read and
understood credit and the importance of saving; I immediately change my feelings and behavior about money. I
realized that I didn’t want to be broke my whole life. I didn’t want to struggle the way my mother did during my
early years. I wanted more for myself and I knew I could have more if I committed to changing my reckless
spending habits. I began asking myself why I purchased things I did not need, who I really was trying to impress
with new cloths and cell phones all while realizing I didn’t even have money saved for gas the next week. I
answered those questions truthfully and I encourage you to do the same.

We have to learn and individually grasp the most important things in our lives. I can tell you from personal
experiences that it is not having the most expensive clothing or the latest shoes. With unemployment at an all
time high with the national rate at 8.5% as of April 2009 and Georgia with an even higher rate of 9.3%; why are
our black teens spending 175.00 on an outfit when that money could be placed towards a college fund or given
to a parent to help ease the burden of additional bills. The next time you think about forgoing any kind of
money, stop and think about the number of hours you had to work to earn that 175.00 or 20 or even 5 dollars.
Sometimes as young adults we feel that we don’t HAVE to listen to advice given to us by other people. We think
that we have all the answers and we can figure everything out ourselves. Permit me share something with you:
if I had someone when I was younger teaching me how to save and the importance of credit; I would be more
financially secure than I am now. The times have changed and the need for excuses is over. Our young adults
need to prioritize goals and begin saving now! Saving IS the cool thing to do. Educating ones self on the
importance of ownership and credit IS the next big thing. So the next time you’re out with friends and they want
to shop; simply tell them “thanks but no thanks, I have a future to think about and shopping is not going to allow
me the opportunity to live my dreams”.

So from one young adult to another, lets break this financial generational curse by putting our ideas together to
create wealth for ourselves and our future families. Many studies show that we are less likely to have inherited
wealth from previous generations. Lets change statistical data on African Americans that show as of 2008,
24.2% do not have bank accounts to read that 100% have checking and savings accounts. More importantly
lets listen to advice given to us by our parents and mentors. Together we can achieve!

This is my challenge to you!

Valerie Gibson
Graduate student @ Keller Graduate School of Business Management
Major – Human Resources

Sources
www.bls.gov
www.econpers.wordpress.com
www.insightcced.org

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Spelman Student Killed In Clark-Atlanta Shooting
Jasmine Lynn, a Spelman student in her 20s from Kansas City, Mo., was shot after gunfire broke out during a fight in the 200
block of James P. Brawley Drive, according to police.

Lynn was walking with a group of friends back to the Spelman campus when they passed by the fight.

"One of the friends actually heard the gunshots, actually saw the weapon and told her to get on the ground," said Lt. Keith
Meadows of the Atlanta Police Department. "Before she was able to get on the ground she was struck in the chest by a stray
round."

Bystanders rushed to help Lynn.

"I walked up to the girl 'cause she was laying on the ground," said witness Danays Marquez. "She was drenched in blood and
it looked like she was taking her last breath."

A bullet also hit an 18-year-old Clark-Atlanta student in the wrist. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.
Two people were arrested at the scene, but police did not reveal the charges against them.

IN MEMORY OF JASMINE LYNN