I walked into the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention expecting the usual fare: AI's assault on journalism, the looming specter of another Trump presidency. Rather, I was surprised to be in a dozen such quiet talks about crypto and blockchain. Crypto? At NABJ? It felt off. It’s like going to a jazz club and discovering a polka band warming up. The more I listened, the more a chilling thought took root: are we, the Black community, being deliberately steered away from this wealth train?

Who Controls the Crypto Narrative?

Think about it. How rare is it to see Black voices throughout amplified in traditional crypto media? How many crypto “gurus” on CNBC *actually* look like…well, us. I’m not saying there’s a smoking gun, but man, the lack of communication is suspicious. Are leading publications deliberately (or not so deliberately) selecting which voices and perspectives to amplify, while cutting away the work that doesn’t fit their preferred narratives? Are we seeing a pattern of omission? I'm just asking questions here.

Or consider, for instance, the singular—as in pure—obsession with Bitcoin. Jaden Baxter, an accomplished visionary from Cleveland, OH, is an exceptional example of this. He wants to learn about crypto, he recognizes the potential, but unfortunately his understanding is nearly 100% focused on Bitcoin. Bitcoin’s awesome, obviously, but that’s only one part of it. Are we being served a half-baked, half-hearted version of the narrative?

Echoes of Financial Redlining

This isn't new, folks. This seems like a financial redlining 21st-century sort of thing. For years, Black communities were purposefully cut off from their access to mortgages, loans, and other financial advancements. We are on the cusp of a potentially revolutionary technology. Or are we just seeing the same old rigged game being played in a shiny new, digital playground.

Consider the stats: a significant percentage of Black and Hispanic households in the U.S. are unbanked or underbanked. Fortunately, crypto as a decentralized ecosystem has the capability to fix this issue. Its smart contracts can replace bias, creating a more equitable outcome. Done right, it would provide an onramp to financial inclusion for millions of Americans who have long been cut off from access. If we’re not even in the conversation, then we can’t even begin to start to take advantage of this opportunity.

It's not just happening here. Look at Southeast Asia. Particular cultural communities are repeatedly denied access to advancement in technology and banking. This isn’t solely a Black American problem, it’s a global trend.

Seize the Decentralized Future!

Here's the good news: we can change this. We can't afford to wait for permission. We need to educate ourselves. We need to invest responsibly. We need to demand representation. Most importantly, we need to fund Black-owned crypto businesses and initiatives.

I know what you're thinking: "Crypto is risky!" And you're right, it is. There are no FDIC insurance protections, and you can lose your principal amount. But guess what? The stock market is risky too! I would say that everything that’s worth doing involves risk. The answer is to be educated, to be judicious, and to be opportunistic.

As Baxter, speaking at the NABJ convention, put it, the Black community is perpetually “on the wrong side of getting rich when the trains leave.” He even began to speculate that the bad faith representation of crypto was a concerted effort to keep us out. That hit me hard. Is he right? Are we being deliberately excluded?

  • Black developers building innovative DeFi platforms.
  • Black entrepreneurs using crypto to launch businesses and create jobs.
  • Black communities leveraging DAOs to pool resources and invest in local projects.

I don't have all the answers. I know this: we can't afford to sit on the sidelines and watch this opportunity pass us by. So the question is, are we going to let history repeat itself, or are we going to take advantage of this moment for economic liberation. The choice, my friends, is ours.

Baxter, at the NABJ convention, lamented that the Black community is always "missing the trains to get rich." He even wondered if the negative portrayal of crypto was a deliberate attempt to keep us out. That hit me hard. Is he right? Are we being deliberately excluded?

I don't have all the answers. But I know this: we can't afford to sit on the sidelines and watch this opportunity pass us by. Are we going to let history repeat itself, or are we going to seize this opportunity for economic liberation? The choice, my friends, is ours.